Performer: Bruno Campanella

In the opening night of Teatro Real's new season, Mariella Devia proved why she is one of the best bel canto singers of the last decades.

Donizetti's La Fille du régiment brings much needed joy to the Teatro Real, with Javier Camarena's astonishing voice and Aleksandra Kurzak's unapologetic tomboy mesmerising the audience.

This cheerful revival production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia showcases the operatic talent that Naples' Teatro di San Carlo can count on.

Take one hapless but lovable hero, one capricious but ultimately vulnerable heroine, a doctor and an army officer straight out of commedia dell’arte, a couple of basso buffo patter songs, at least one memorable romantic ballad, and stir the lot into a good lashing of boisterous Italian music with a sprinkling of furtive tears.

Natalie Dessay has been making a real signature role out of Marie, Donizetti's foundling "Daughter of the Regiment" who turns out to be of noble birth (well, partly, wherein lies the tale). We went to Covent Garden last night specially to see her, and she didn't disappoint: her performance was quite out of the ordinary.

L’Opéra de Paris propose un deuxième opéra de Bellini cette saison : I Capuleti e i Montecchi. Sous la baguette de Bruno Campanella et dans une mise en scène de Robert Carsen, Ekaterina Siurina (Giuletta) et Karine Deshayes (Romeo) incarnent le couple légendaire. Une production agréable sans être exceptionnelle.