Performer: Hui He

Anthony Minghella's production remains a feast for the eyes, but this performance failed to gel into a dramatic whole. 

 “The Minghella Butterfly” has physically lost none of its luster, but the singing did not live up to the staging.

Despite an excellent cast and some glorious singing, Stephen Langridge's oft-revived 2012 production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly never quite takes flight. 

Les Chorégies d'Orange present a new production of Verdi's Il trovatore with mixed results.

La Fura dels Baus's production balances the familiar with modern detail in a clever staging that packs a real punch. The Arena enjoyed its centennial edition last year, and one wonders whether this might be the production that they celebrate the next time around.

Pop culture baggage and a notorious story aside, La Gioconda at the Deutsche Oper amuses and intrigues.