Performer: David Pountney

Janáček’s satirical opera The Excursions of Mr Brouček may not be among his greatest dramatic works, yet it earns its place in the limelight for its musical, visual and dramatic wit at Grange Park Opera.

First marketed as Ivan the Terrible by Serge Diaghilev, Rimsky-Korsakov's first opera The Maid of Pskov makes a rare appearance outside of Russia, in leafy Surrey. 

David Pountney completes his “Verdi trilogy” for the company but although his staging has fluidity, it lacks an explosive ending... and the vocal performances disappoint. 

It’s a small miracle that the production has been recreated so well in such a short time frame.

Musically, WNO gets it right. Straightforward brilliance is the order of the day, and plenty of it.

WNO make a compelling case for Prokofiev's gargantuan War and Peace.