En direct, Vidéo: Rechercher des critiques de musique classique, opéra et ballet | Thomas Atkins

Si la mise en scène de Willy Decker accuse son âge dans une production inégale, l'œuvre de Wagner bénéficie de l'incarnation parfaite de Ricarda Merbeth et de la direction inspirée d'Hannu Lintu.

Soprano and mezzo Natalya Romaniw and Alice Coote top a strong line-up in Verdi's Requiem in Manchester's Bridgewater Hall.

Swedish soprano Malin Byström returns to Sir David McVicar's production at Covent Garden, where she is now probably unsurpassed in the role, vocally and histrionically.

Julia Burbach's new production lacks poetry in spite of an admirable cast led by Samuel Dale Johnson in the title role. 

Sir Mark Elder conducts The Hallé in a stirring semi-staged production of Madama Butterfly.

Glyndebourne's 2021 season opens with an intense, minimalist staging of Janáček’s tale of adultery, focused on the contrasts between its heroine's dreams and reality.

Michael Barker-Craven directs and Renato Balsadonna conducts this successful revival of Puccini's La bohème in Opera North's production at Leeds Grand Theatre.

On her house debut, in Covent Garden's second cast of the year, Angel Blue is completely convincing as Verdi's doomed courtesan; Benjamin Bernheim is an unconventional but compelling Alfredo; Simone Piazzola a persuasive Germont père.

The Albanian soprano, who made a spectacular jump-in for her house debut in Richard Eyre's production in 2008, makes a splendid return. 

Jane Archibald gave possibly the most dazzling account of Cunegonde's music that I’ve heard. 

It was hard not to be drawn in by the romance and tragedy as presented by such a sincere, credible and vocally talented young cast and a conductor with such strong identification with the idiom.

David Alden’s new production for The Royal Opera, referencing fascist Germany, is drab, but there are musical compensations. 

Paring the action down to just four singers, La Tragédie de Carmen is the perfect vehicle and venue for a handful of the Royal Opera's Jette Parker Young Artists to strut their stuff.

In Thomas Guthrie’s revival of Sir David McVicar’s sober 2003 production of Mozart’s Singspiel, it was the pantomime elements of the show which registered strongly.

After all the speculation, Jonas Kaufmann made his role debut as Otello at The Royal Opera – an impressive, if not unqualified, success. 

Luis Buñuel's derision at the sense of entitlement of over-privileged, self-righteous prigs shines through a high quality operatic adaptation.

Gerald Finley's velvet baritone lights up this revival of David McVicar's production of Cilea's murder story

Renée Fleming has decided the time is right to bow out gracefully from the operatic stage, choosing her signature role to bid the fondest of farewells to London.

Bleak and uncompromising in vision and intention, Britten's The Rape of Lucretia gets a suitably dark, discomfiting outing at Guildhall. 

A light and sassy comedy from Wolf-Ferrari showcases the latest crop of talent from the Guildhall in a stylish 1960s production from Yannis Thavoris with video by Dom Baker, directed by Stephen Barlow.

A Madama Butterfly from beyond the grave? What would Julia Burbach's concept add to the familiar thread of Puccini's opera? 

In the programme notes to the Guildhall production of Journeying Boys, writer and director Iain Burnside reveals that the original idea behind the play came from Nick Sears, the Royal College of Music’s Head of Vocal Studies. It’s hard to know whether that disclosure was a giving of credit due or a disclaimer.

Auckland Opera Studio’s offering this year was an ebullient rendition of Mozart’s immortal comedy Così fan tutte. The recitatives were mostly replaced by English dialogue, though the accompanied recitatives were maintained. No composer makes more of recitative than Mozart so it was a shame to lose them, but the cast delivered the dialogue clearly and it contributed to a fast-paced, thrilling show.