Spousal abuse, racism and misogyny explored in Clint Dyer’s Othello production for the National Theatre

United KingdomUnited Kingdom National Theatre Live’s Othello: filmed live (directed by Matthew Amos) on the Lyttleton stage of the Royal National Theatre and shown at Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 23.2.2023. (JPr)

Paul Hilton (Iago) and System © Myah Jeffers

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Andris Nelsons and the Vienna Philharmonic bring total coherence to Mahler’s Seventh Symphony

AustriaAustria Mahler: Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Andris Nelsons (conductor). Livestreamed (directed by Christoph Engel) on STAGE+ from the Musikverein, Golden Hall, Vienna, 15.1.2023. (JPr)

Andris Nelsons conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

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Edward Gardner and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra make a first Parsifal a memorable one

NorwayNorway Wagner, Parsifal (staged concert): Soloists, Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Edvard Grieg Kor, Edvard Grieg Jentekor, Edvard Grieg Guttekor, Collegium Musicums Choir (chorus master: Håkon Matti Skrede) and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra / Edward Gardner (conductor). Livestreamed (directed by Marius Marthinussen Søreide) on Bergenphilive and OperaVision (and available until 21.5.2023) from the Grieg Hall, Bergen, 21.1.2023. (JPr)

Featured: Ricarda Merbeth ( far l, Kundry), Stuart Skelton (front l, Parsifal) and Brindley Sherratt (front r, Gurnemanz)

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Christopher Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate for The Royal Ballet provides food for thought

United KingdomUnited Kingdom The Royal Ballet’s Like Water for Chocolate: Dancers of The Royal Ballet, Siân Griffiths (mezzo-soprano), Tomás Barreiro (guitar), Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Alondra de la Parra (conductor). Recorded (directed by Ross MacGibbon) at the Royal Opera House, Covent, Garden, 9.6.2022 and shown at Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 19.1.2023. (JPr)

Francesca Hayward (Tita) and Marcelino Sambé (Pedro) © Tristram Kenton

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Netrebko leads a fine cast and an exceptional orchestra breathing life into a venerable Vienna La bohème

AustriaAustria Puccini, La bohème: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Bertrand de Billy (conductor). Recorded (directed by Jakob Pitzer) at Vienna State Opera on 11.9.2022 and streamed on 14.2.2023. (JPr)

Anna Netrebko (Mimì) © Wiener Staatsoper/Michael Pöhn

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Thanks to Yoncheva and Beczała at the Met, Fedora was worth seeing once but never again

United KingdomUnited Kingdom Giordano, Fedora: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York / Marco Armiliato (conductor). Broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera, New York, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 14.1.2023. (JPr)

Piotr Beczała (Loris) and Sonya Yoncheva (Fedora) © Ken Howard/Met Opera

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Reliving memories of Rudolf Nureyev’s 1968 The Nutcracker production for The Royal Ballet

United KingdomUnited Kingdom Rudolf Nureyev’s The Nutcracker: Dancers of The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden Opera Chorus / John Lanchbery (conductor). Filmed (directed by John Vernon) at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 10.3.1968 and re-released on DVD by Opus Arte in 2020. (JPr)

Rudolf Nureyev (Drosselmeyer) and Merle Park (Clara)

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