Broadcasts and Film

Francesca Hayward and Marcelino Sambé are delightful in Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée ‘for 2025’

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Sir Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée: Dancers of The Royal Ballet, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Jonathan Lo (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Ross MacGibbon) from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 5.11.2025. (JPr)

Francesca Hayward (Lise) and Marcelino Sambé (Colas) © Alice Pennefather

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Vienna’s darkly dramatic Pelléas et Mélisande is sung exceptionally by Villazón, Lindsey and Keenlyside

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AustriaAustria Debussy, Pelléas et Mélisande: Soloists, Vienna State Opera Chorus and Orchestra / Alain Altinoglu (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Ella Gallieni) from Vienna State Opera, 2.11.2025. (JPr)

Rolando Villazón (Pelléas) and Kate Lindsey (Mélisande) © WS/Michael Pöhn

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Metamorphosis as method: from a Vivaldi pasticcio to a drag revue

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AustriaAustria Salzburg Festival 2025 [9] – Vivaldi/ Ovid, Hotel Metamorphosis: Soloists, Il Canto di Orfeo chorus, Les Musiciens du Prince – Monaco / Gianluca Capuano (conductor). Recorded live (directed by Tiziano Mancini) at the Haus für Mozart, Salzburg, June 2025 and viewed on arte.tv.

United StatesUnited States Various, Orgy & Bess: Deep Throats and High Notes: Soloists, Band, Heartbeat Opera. Judson Memorial Church, New York, 31.10.2025. (ES-S)

John Taylor Ward, Angela Yam, Jamilyn Manning, Bernard Holcomb and Sishel Claverie in Orgy and Bess © Russ Rowland

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Nadine Sierra is the Amina of your dreams in the Met’s new La Sonnambula

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United StatesUnited States Bellini, La Sonnambula: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera / Riccardo Frizza (conductor). Recorded live (directed by Gary Halbvorson) at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, 18.10.2025 and viewed as an encore showing at the Everyman Cinema, Chelmsford, Essex. (JPr)

Nadine Sierra (Amina) in La Sonnambula Act II © Marty Sohl/Met Opera

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Vienna State Opera’s past, present and future as Garanča, Kaufmann and Bernheim star in the open air

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AustriaAustria Vienna State Opera’s Opern Air: Soloists, Vienna State Opera Chorus and Orchestra / Bertrand de Billy (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Dominik Kepczynski) from the Burggarten, Vienna, 7.12.2025 and available from 18 September on ARTE.tv. (JPr)

Elīna Garanča © WS/Martina Berger

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Freddie De Tommaso’s confident role debut and Bryn Terfel’s masterclass in Verbier’s Puccini double bill

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SwitzerlandSwitzerland Verbier Festival 2025 – Puccini, Gianni Schicchi, Mascagni, Cavalleria rusticana (concert performances): Soloists, Oberwalliser Vokalensemble choir, Verbier Festival Orchestra / Andrea Battistoni (conductor), Johanna Vaude (video art). Broadcast live from Salle des Combins, Verbier, Switzerland, 24.7.2025 and available on medici.tv. (JPr) Updated review.

Sungho Kim (Rinuccio), Ying Fang (Lauretta) and Sir Bryn Terfel (Gianni Schicchi)

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Eyvazov is a compelling Hermann and Netrebko an expressive Lisa in a Vienna revival of The Queen of Spades

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AustriaAustria Tchaikovsky, The Queen of Spades (Pique Dame): Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Timur Zangiev (conductor). Livestreamed from the Vienna State Opera (directed by Dominik Kepczynski), 27.6.2025. (JPr)

Yusif Eyvazov (Hermann) and Anna Netrebko (Lisa) © WS/Michael Pöhn

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Il trovatore in Vienna: Stoyanova, Beczała, Semenchuk and Salsi are great; if perhaps not Caruso’s ‘best’

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AustriaAustria Verdi, Il trovatore: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Marco Armiliato (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Anna Gettel) from the Vienna State Opera, 30.5.2025. (JPr)

Luca Salsi (Count di Luna) © Wiener Staatsoper/Michael Pöhn

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