Broadcasts and Film

Barrie Kosky’s Das Rheingold for the Royal Opera is a miscast, misconceived, mishmash of ideas

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Wagner, Das Rheingold: Soloists, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Sir Antonio Pappano (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Peter Jones) from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, to Cineworld Basildon, 20.9.2023. (JPr)

Christopher Purves (Alberich) and the Rhinemaidens © Monika Rittershaus

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Vienna State Ballet’s season opener Don Quixote revival does Rudolf Nureyev proud

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AustriaAustria Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote: Dancers of Vienna State Ballet, Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera / Robert Reimer (conductor). Transmitted live (directed by Balázs Delbó) from the Vienna State Opera, 16.9.2023. (JPr)

Zsolt Török (l, Don Quixote), Liudmila Konovalova (centre, Dulcinea) and Olga Esina (r, The Queen of the Dryads) © Wiener Staatsballett/Ashley Taylor

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A kaleidoscope of music at the BBC Proms from Elena Urioste and Tadaaki Otaka’s BBC NOW

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Prom 7 – Rachmaninoff, Coleridge-Taylor, Beethoven: Elena Urioste (violin), BBC National Orchestra of Wales / Tadaaki Otaka (conductor). Recorded (directed by Seren Irvine) for BBC TV on 19.7.2023. (JPr)

Tadaaki Otaka conducts the BBC NOW © BBC/Andy Paradise

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BBC Proms 2023 begin with thoughts of Ukrainian resistance undermined by an odd choice of music

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Prom 1 – First Night of the Proms: Lesley Manville (actor), Paul Lewis (piano), BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra / Dalia Stasevska (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by John Williams) from the Royal Albert Hall, London, 14.7.2023. (JPr)

Dalia Stasevska conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra © BBC/Chris Christodoulou

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Anna Netrebko is the standout performer in a spectacular new Aida at the 100th Verona Opera Festival

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ItalyItaly Verdi’s Aida at the 100th Arena di Verona Opera Festival 2023 [1]: Soloists, Ballet, Chorus and Orchestra of Arena di Verona / Marco Armiliato (conductor). Broadcast live on Rai1 from the Arena di Verona, 16.6.2023. (JPr)

Yusif Eyvazov (Radamès) and Olesya Petrova (Amneris) © Ennevifoto / Arena di Verona

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The Royal Opera’s new Il trovatore is a Monty Pythonesque horror show in more ways than one

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Verdi, Il trovatore: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Sir Antonio Pappano (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Peter Jones) from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 13.6.2023. (JPr)

Roberto Tagliavini (Ferrando) © Camilla Greenwell

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Shostakovich’s ‘tragedy-satire’ Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk creates a frisson in Vienna

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AustriaAustria Shostakovich, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Alexander Soddy (conductor). Broadcast live from Vienna State Opera (directed by Ella Gallieni), 12.6.2023. (JPr)

Elena Mikhailenko (Katerina) and Günther Groissböck (Boris) © Wiener Staatsoper / Michael Pöhn

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