Performer: Le Cercle de l'Harmonie

Laurent Pelly’s elegant musical stave production of Il barbiere di Siviglia, from the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, charms and delights at the Edinburgh International Festival.

Jean-François Sivadier's pulsating new production propels The Don through his lusty adventures at a whirlwind pace. 

Jérémie Rhorer led a turbocharged performance of this rare Spontini opera, which, although it tires with its grandiose hyperbole, contains excerpts that deserve to be heard more often.

Le Cercle d'Harmonie with their founder Jérémie Rhorer fail to convince in symphonies by Mozart and Mendelssohn, whereas the Italian soprano Rosa Feola triumphs in two concert arias.

The 2012 Festival d’Aix-en-Provence began its four-week feast of opera and music with Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro—and could there be better a way? Nothing can beat the sublime company of Mozart, Da Ponte and Beaumarchais on a summer evening in the open-air Théâtre de l'Archevêché.

This was the second vocal concert of late (the last being Ariodante with Joyce DiDinato) to feature an exemplary female soloist caged inside an otherwise nondescript performance. Jérémie Rohrer tried in vain to force energy out of French chamber choir Les Elements and period ensemble Le Cercle de l’Harmonie.