Performer: Alessandro De Marchi

A classic opera buffa gets an update by Rolando Villazón to a produce a staging that celebrates the timeless vitality of Rossini’s comic imagination.

Benedikt von Peter's new staging of Bach's St Matthew Passion premieres at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, under Alessandro De Marchi. But despite the good synergy between director and conductor and a first-rate vocal ensemble, the production falls somewhat flat.

A bland staging: at the end what really emerged was Rossini’s glorious music, its intelligent construction and perfect beauty.