Jim Pritchard

The stars, Mkhitaryan and Bernheim, align in Massenet’s Manon revived at Vienna State Opera

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AustriaAustria Massenet, Manon: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Betrand de Billy (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Dominik Kepczynski) from the Vienna State Opera 17.1.2026. (JPr)

Benjamin Bernheim (Des Grieux) and Kristina Mkhitaryan (Manon) © Weiner Staatsoper

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Ermonela Jaho disappoints in the umpteenth revival of Sir Richard Eyre’s Covent Garden La traviata

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Verdi, La traviata: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Antonello Manacorda (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Ian Russell) from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 14.1.2026. (JPr)

Aleksei Isaev (Georgio Germont) and  Giovanni Sala (Alfredo Germont) © Pamela Raith

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Despite a stellar double act, Charles Edwards makes a new Met I puritani more confusing than it need be

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United StatesUnited States The Met: Live in HD – Bellini, I puritani: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera / Marco Armiliato (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Habib Azar) from the Metropolitan Opera, New York, on 10.1.2026 and seen at Everyman Chelmsford on 13.1.2026. (JPr)

Lisette Oropesa (Elvira) and Lawrence Brownlee (Arturo) © Ken Howard/The Met

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Thoroughly enjoyable Vienna Die Fledermaus revival has Kaufmann’s first Eisenstein on the stage

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AustriaAustria Johann Strauss II, Die Fledermaus: Soloists, Dancers of the Vienna State Ballet, Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Markus Poschner (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Jakob Pitzer) from the Vienna State Opera, 31.12.2025. (JPr)

Jörg Schneider (Alfred), Diana Damrau (Rosalinde) and Jonas Kaufmann (Eisenstein) © Wiener Staatsoper

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Misconceived and clichéd: the puppetry of the new Vienna Fidelio eclipses its singers and orchestra

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AustriaAustria Beethoven, Fidelio: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Franz Welser-Möst (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Dominik Kepczynski) from Vienna State Opera, 19.12.2025. (JPr)

Rocco’s ‘gold’ aria – [l-r] Kathrin Zukowski (Marzelline), Tareq Nazmi (Rocco) and Malin Byström (Leonore) © Werner Kmetitsch/WS

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The Met’s Andrea Chénier has impressive singing from Beczała and Yoncheva and Rustioni’s sure hand

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United StatesUnited States The Met: Live in HD – Giordano, Andrea Chénier: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera / Daniele Rustioni (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Gary Halvorson) from the Metropolitan Opera, New York, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 13.12.2025. (JPr)

Piotr Beczała (Andrea Chénier) and Sonya Yoncheva in Act I © Karen Almond/Met Opera

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The Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker, though venerable, is still a showcase for the company and attracts new audiences

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Sir Peter Wright’s The Nutcracker: Dancers of The Royal Ballet, Students of The Royal Ballet School, The Schola Cantorum of The London Oratory School, London Oratory Junior Choir (director: Charles Cole), Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Charlotte Politi (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Peter Jones) for the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 10.12.2025. (JPr)

Reece Clarke (Prince) and Mayara Magri (Sugar Plum Fairy) © Andrej Uspenski

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