En direct, Vidéo: Rechercher des critiques de musique classique, opéra et ballet | Gwawr Edwards

A beautiful evening of rare and royal music by Gluck, in the year of his 300th anniversary, and even an even rarer setting of Orfeo by Bertoni: it was just a pity we couldn't follow all the words, as well as all the notes, at St John's Smith Square.

A concert like this could have three possible outcomes: one, frustration at catching just a glimpse of a multitude of operas without the benefit of character or plot development or the embellishment of sumptuous costumes or stage sets; two, inspiration to delve further into the world of opera, nudged by tantalising hints of dramatic tension and a world of emotions; or three, sheer escapism into a