Broadcasts and Film

Final(?) ROH performances of Serban’s Turandot is splendidly sung, but not by those you might expect

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Puccini, Turandot (completed by Franco Alfano): 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, London, 22.3.2023. (JPr)

Yonghoon Lee (Calaf), Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha and Vitalij Kowaljow (Timur) © Marc Brenner

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Between two realms: Piotr Beczała stars in François Girard’s new Lohengrin at the Met

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Wagner, Lohengrin: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York / Yannick Nézet-Séguin (conductor). Directed for The Met: Live in HD by Gary Halvorson and seen at Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 18.3.2023. (JPr)

Final scene of François Girard’s Lohengrin © Marty Sohl/Met Opera

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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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