Performer: Ray Chenez

Louise Alder shines as Cleopatra, one of Baroque opera’s greatest creations, in the fourth Glyndebourne revival of Sir David McVicar's much-loved production. 

Voices, orchestra staging: everything in this Ercole Amante is light and magic, to the great delight of the Salle Favart audience.

A staged performance of Handel’s pasticcio opera Oreste shows a strong narrative structure and provides a vehicle for promising young singers.

Propora's Mitridate at Schloss Schwetzingen lacks dramatic sense (blame librettist Cibber and director Spirei). But exciting music strongly delivered makes a case for more Porpora in the repertoire.

The enterprising forces of Opera Settecento brought the nearly forgotten music of Hasse's Demetrio to the Cadogan Hall, and in the process showed that this composer can easily match his more popular contemporaries.