Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera at the Semperoper Dresden: the stage revolves, the drama stands still

GermanyGermany Verdi, Un ballo in maschera: Soloists, Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden, Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden / Daniele Gatti (conductor). Semperoper Dresden, 4.10.2026. (AB)

Yulia Matochkina (Ulrica), Nicole Car (Amelia) and Germán Enrique Alcántara (Renato) © Jochen Quast

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Lanzino’s thought-provoking Wozzeck in Gelsenkirchen also convinces musically

GermanyGermany Berg, Wozzeck: Soloists, Chorus, Children’s Chorus and Extras of the Musiktheater im Revier, Neue Philharmonie Westfalen / John Warner (conductor). Musiktheater im Revier, Gelsenkirchen, 4.10.2026. (DM-D)

Martin Homrich (Drum-Major), Susanne Serfling (Marie) and member of the children’s chorus © Björn Hickmann

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Valencia’s Carmen is musically rewarding but boringly staged

SpainSpain Bizet, Carmen: Soloists, Escola Coral Veus Juntes (chorus mistresses – Marta Mármol, Roser Gabaldó), Escolania de la Mare de Déu dels Desemparats (chorus master – Luis Garrido), Cor de la Generalitat Valenciana (chorus master – Jordi Blanch), Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana / Michele Spotti (conductor). Palau de Les Arts, Valencia, 7.10.2026. (JMI)

Charles Castronovo (Don José) and Vasilisa Berzhenskaya (Carmen) © M. Lorenzo y M. Ponce

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Fairground thrills and emotional truth in the Met’s Coney Island Così fan tutte

United StatesUnited States The Met: Live in HD – Mozart, Così fan tutte: Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera / Nimrod David Pfeffer (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Gary Halvorson) from the Metropolitan Opera, New York, 3.10.2026, and viewed at Everyman Winchester, 6.10.2026. (DH) ****

Federica Lombardi (Fiordiligi) and Samantha Hankey (Dorabella) © Marty Sohl/Met Opera

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