The Australian Ballet embraces the spirit of The Merry Widow with gusto and makes it fun to watch.

AustraliaAustralia The Australian Ballet’s The Merry Widow (based on the operetta by Victor Léon and Leo Stein with music by Franz Lehár): Dancers of The Australian Ballet, Opera Australia Orchestra / Paul Murphy (conductor). 9.5.1018 performance (directed for the screen by Simon Francis) from The Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, and new to Sky Arts on 2.8.2020. (JPr)

Amber Scott (Hanna) and Adam Bull (Danilo) (c) Daniel Boud

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Krzysztof Warlikowski’s new Elektra production ushers in 2020’s resurrected 100th Salzburg Festival

AustriaAustria 100th Salzburg Festival – Richard Strauss, Elektra: Soloists, Concert Association of the Vienna State Opera Chorus (chorus master: Ernst Raffelsberger), Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra / Franz Welser-Möst (conductor). Review of 1.8.2020 performance (directed for the screen by Miriam Hoyer) in Salzburg’s Felsenreitschule and streamed on ARTE Concert. (JPr)

Aušrinė Stundytė (Elektra) and Derek Welton (Orest) © Bernd Uhlig

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Viva La Diva! Anna Netrebko sang Tosca in Naples and brought some light to our current darkness

ItalyItaly Puccini, Tosca (concert version): Soloists, Chorus (chorus director: Gea Garatti Ansini), Children Chorus (chorus director: Stefania Rinaldi), and Orchestra of Teatro di San Carlo / Juraj Valčuha (conductor). July 2020 performance in the Piazza del Plebiscito, live streamed and reviewed on 30.7.2020. (JPr)

Ludovic Tézier (Scarpia) & Anna Netrebko (Tosca) © Mario Wurzburger

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Lise Davidsen’s compellingly expressive singing doesn’t entirely rescue Tobias Kratzer’s Fidelio

United KingdomUnited Kingdom Beethoven, Fidelio: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Sir Antonio Pappano (conductor). Performance of 9.3.2020 (directed for the screen by Rhodri Huw), televised on BBC Four, and reviewed on 26.7.2020. (JPr)

Amanda Forsythe (Marzelline), Georg Zeppenfeld (Rocco) & Lise Davidsen (Leonore)
(c) Bill Cooper

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The Royal Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty: a gift that goes on giving

United KingdomUnited Kingdom Tchaikovsky, The Sleeping Beauty: Dancers of the Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House Orchestra / Simon Hewett (conductor). Performance of 16.1.2020 (directed for the screen by Ross MacGibbon) and reviewed as a live streamed performance in the #OurHouseToYourHouse series. (JO’D)

Fumi Kaneko (Princess Aurora) and Federico Bonelli (Prince Florimund)

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Watching this 1982 Met Tannhäuser – with Cassilly, Marton and Weikl – after nearly four decades leaves strong abiding memories

United StatesUnited States Wagner, Tannhäuser: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York / James Levine (conductor). Performance of 20.12.1982 and reviewed as a Nightly Met Opera Stream on 22.7.2020. (JPr)

Éva Marton (Elisabeth) and Richard Cassilly (Tannhäuser)

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In 2020 Ben Heppner and Jane Eaglen sing once again to us in the Met’s 1999 Tristan und Isolde

United StatesUnited States Wagner, Tristan und Isolde: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York / James Levine (conductor). Performance of 11.12.1999 reviewed as a Nightly Met Opera Stream on 13.7.2020. (JPr)

Jane Eaglen and Ben Heppner in the Met’s Tristan und Isolde

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