Opera & Ballet

Collected opera and ballet reviews

Handel’s Floridante at Bayreuth Baroque in a dark Georgian setting convinces musically not conceptually

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GermanyGermany Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival 2026 – Handel, Floridante: Soloists, Actors, Chorus of the Bayreuth Baroque Opera Festival, Worcław Baroque Orchestra / Markellos Chryssicos (conductor). Markgräfliches Opernhaus Bayreuth, 8.9.2026. (AB)

[l-r] Yannis François (Coralbo), Gerrit Illenberger (Oronte) and Max Emanuel Cencic (Floridante) © Clemens Manser

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Die Meistersinger: Memorable Wagner in Minden – again!

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GermanyGermany Wagner, Die Meistersinger von Nϋrnberg: Soloists, coruso e.V., Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie / Frank Beermann (conductor). Stadttheater Minden, 11.9.2026. (DM-D)

Act II: [l-r] Simon Bailey (Sachs), Michael Borth (Beckmesser), Emma McNairy (Eva) and Jussi Myllys (Walther) © Bettina Stöss

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Odd directorial decisions distract slightly from beautiful singing in Lübeck’s Tosca

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GermanyGermany Puccini, Tosca: Soloists, Children’s Chorus and Chorus of Theater Lübeck. Philharmonic Orchestra of Hansestadt Lübeck / Stefan Vladar (conductor). Theater Lübeck, 6.9.2026. (DM-D)

[l-r] Konstantinos Klironomos (Cavaradossi), Evmorfia Metaxaki (Tosca) and Changjun Lee (Angelotti) © Jochen Quast

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Anna Netrebko triumphs as Aida in Zeffirelli’s legendary Verona production

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom 103rd Arena di Verona Opera Festival 2026 [4] – Verdi, Aida: Soloists, Ballet, Chorus and Orchestra of Fondazione Arena di Verona / Francesco Ommassini (conductor). Verona Arena, 30.8.2026. (DM-D)

Ludovic Tézier (Amonasro), Yusif Eyvazov (Radamès) and Anna Netrebko (Aida) © Ennevi Foto/Fondazione Arena di Verona

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Paul Curran’s new Verona production La traviata has intimate moments and crowd exuberance

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ItalyItaly 103rd Arena di Verona Opera Festival 2026 [3] – Verdi, La traviata: Soloists, Ballet, Chorus and Orchestra of Fondazione Arena di Verona / Francesco Ivan Ciampa (conductor), Verona Arena, 29.8.2026. (DM-D)

Adam Smith (Alfredo) and Rosa Feola (Violetta) © Ennevi Foto/Fondazione Arena di Verona

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Stefano Poda’s concept is consistent for the 2026 revival of Nabucco in the Verona Arena

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ItalyItaly 103rd Arena di Verona Opera Festival 2026 [2] – Verdi, Nabucco: Soloists, Ballet, Chorus and Orchestra of Fondazione Arena di Verona / Sebastiano Rolli (conductor), Verona Arena, 28.8.2026. (DM-D)

Nabucco at the Verona Arena © Ennevi Foto/Fondazione Arena di Verona

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Magic Flute, Trifonov, Leonskaja and Sokolov mark a brilliant Santander 2026 first half

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Santander International Festival 2026 [1]: (DF)

Rolando Villazón’s Die Zauberflöte

The Santander International Festival is celebrating its seventy-fifth edition with a programme worthy of the anniversary. During the first half of August, the Palacio de Festivales de Cantabria has already hosted opera, major orchestral concerts and piano recitals of exceptional distinction. The first four performances attended offered a revealing cross-section of the festival’s ambitions, from Mozart’s operatic humanism to the very different pianistic worlds of Daniil Trifonov, Elisabeth Leonskaja and Grigory Sokolov.

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