Opera & Ballet

Collected opera and ballet reviews

Mariinsky Theatre’s The Fiery Angel shows that it is still as shocking as it was thirty years ago

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Russian FederationRussian Federation Prokofiev, The Fiery Angel: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre / Christian Knapp (conductor). Mariinsky II, St Petersburg, 5.10.2021. (GT)

Mariinsky Theatre’s The Fiery Angel

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Terrific Mariinsky performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s bizarre and surreally fantastical Christmas Eve

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Russian FederationRussian Federation Rimsky-Korsakov, Christmas Eve: Soloists, Mariinsky Opera Chorus (and Ensemble of soloists of the Mariinsky Academy of Young Opera Singers) and Orchestra / Gurgen Petrosyan (conductor). Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, 30.9.2021. (GT)

Mariinsky Theatre’s Christmas Eve (c) Natasha Razina

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ENO is back doing what it does best: Phelim McDermott’s astonishingly effective production of Satyagraha

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Glass, Satyagraha (sung in Sanskrit): Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of English National Opera / Carolyn Kuan (conductor). London Coliseum, London, 16.10.2021. (CC)

(l-r) James Cleverton, Verity Wingate, Gabriella Cassidy, Sean Panikkar, William Thomas, Felicity Buckland (c) Tristram Kenton

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Elza van den Heever, Matthew Ozawa and Eun Sun Kim bring distinction and glory to SFO’s new Fidelio

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United StatesUnited States Beethoven, Fidelio: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of San Francisco Opera / Eun Sun Kim (conductor). War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco. 14.10.2021. (HS)

James Creswell (Rocco), Elza van den Heever (Leonore) and Greer Grimsley (Don Pizarro) © Cory Weaver

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With remarkable performances from Mattila and Grigorian, musically there is no weak link in Royal Opera’s new Jenůfa

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Janáček, Jenůfa: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Henrik Nánási (conductor). Livestreamed (directed by Rhodri Huw) from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 9.10.2021 and available now on OperaVision. (JPr)

Saimir Pirgu (Števa) and Karita Mattila (Kostelnička) (c) Tristram Kenton

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Lively and sophisticated: Donizetti’s The Elixir of Love at Lyric Opera of Chicago

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Denis Vélez (Giannetta), Charles Castronovo (Nemorino) & Chorus (c) Cory Weaver

United StatesUnited States Donizetti, The Elixir of Love (L’elisir d’amore): Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Lyric Opera of Chicago / Enrique Mazzola (conductor). Civic Opera House, Chicago, 2.10.2021. (JLZ)

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