Das Rheingold ‘comes home’ to Zurich as Andreas Homoki creates a staging which is almost concept free

SwitzerlandSwitzerland Wagner, Das Rheingold: Soloists, Extras at the Zurich Opera House, Philharmonia Zürich / Gianandrea Noseda (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Michael Beyer) from Zurich Opera House, 18.5.2024. (JPr)

Das Rheingold 2022: Tomasz Konieczny (Wotan), David Soar (Fasolt) and Oleg Davydov (Fafner) © Monika Rittershaus

Read more

Thielemann’s translucent conducting makes more of Vienna’s confusing new Lohengrin than it deserves

AustriaAustria Wagner, Lohengrin: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Christian Thielemann (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Tiziano Mancini) from the Vienna State Opera, 5.5.2024. (JPr)

Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito’s new Vienna Lohengrin © Wiener Staatsoper/Michael Pöhn

Read more

Damiano Michieletto’s new Covent Garden Carmen is well sung but disappoints and disturbs

United KingdomUnited Kingdom Bizet, Carmen: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Antonello Manacorda (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Pati Marr) from the Royal Ballet & Opera, Covent Garden, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 1.5.2024. (JPr)

Ruth Alfie Adams (Don José’s mother) and Piotr Beczała (Don José) © Camilla Greenwell

Read more

Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s Rotterdam Die Walküre was one hell of a ride

NetherlandsNetherlands Wagner, Die Walküre (concert performance): Soloists, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra / Yannick Nézet-Séguin (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Lauren Jurrius) on medici.tv from de Doelen (Grand Hall), Rotterdam, 26.4.2024. (JPr)

Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra in Die Walküre © medici.tv

Read more

Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew Ball lead an enjoyable revival of Liam Scarlett’s flawed Swan Lake

United KingdomUnited Kingdom Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake: Dancers of The Royal Ballet and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Martin Georgiev (conductor). Directed for the screen by Peter Jones and relayed to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 24.4.2024. (JPr)

Yasmine Naghdi (Odette) and Matthew Ball (Prince Siegfried) © Andrej Uspensksi

Read more

The Royal Ballet’s triple bill celebrates Kenneth MacMillan’s choreographic legacy

United KingdomUnited Kingdom MacMillan CelebratedDanses concertantes, Different Drummer and Requiem: Dancers of The Royal Ballet, Isabela Díaz (soprano), Josef Jeongmeen Ahn (baritone), Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Koen Kessels (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Ross MacGibbon) from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 9.4.2024. (JPr)

Danses concertantes featuring Isabella Gasparini © Tristram Kenton

Read more

The superb Asmik Grigorian is simply Mimì in a kimono in Covent Garden’s Madama Butterfly

United KingdomUnited Kingdom Puccini, Madama Butterfly: Soloists, Royal Opera Chorus, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Kevin John Edusei (conductor). Filmed (directed by Bridget Caldwell) on 26.3.2024 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and shown at Everyman Cinema, Chelmsford, Essex, 1.4.2024. (JPr)

[l-r] Hongni Wu (Suzuki), Josef Jeongmeen Ahn (Yamadori), Ya-Chung Huang (Goro), Asmik Grigorian (Cio-Cio-San) and Joshua Guerrero (Pinkerton) © Marc Brenner

Read more

Bernheim and Sierra are outstanding as Gounod’s star-crossed lovers in the Met’s Roméo et Juliette

United StatesUnited States Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York / Yannick Nézet-Séguin (conductor). Broadcast Live in HD (directed by Gary Halvorson) from the Metropolitan Opera, New York, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 23.3.2024. (JPr)

Alfred Walker (Frère Laurent), Nadine Sierra (Juliette) and  Eve Gigliotti (Gertrude) © Marty Sohl/Met Opera

Read more