Performer: Myrtò Papatanasiu

Kasper Holten's psychological take on the louche lothario remains controversial, but in its third revival, Erwin Schrott's powerful assumption of the title role is a delight.

Zurich Opera stages Tatjana Gürbaca’s production of Mozart’s La finta giardiniera. True to the opera buffa genre, it teems with silliness.

A production which did not make a strong impression in Naples, despite a first rate cast. 

Baroque purists might prefer a more surefire line-up of brilliantly executed arias, but the theatrical framework of Adrian Noble's Alcina production offers a great deal.

Zeffirelli's La Bohème at the Met never fails to charm. Balance issues aside, a beautifully sung performance by a very capable cast.

Institutional violence has been a running theme in Torsten Fischer’s series of Gluck operas at the Theater an der Wien, albeit with a lid kept firmly on the idea of actual conflict.