Opera & Ballet

Collected opera and ballet reviews

An opera for this time and place – Raymond J. Lustig’s Semmelweis

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HungaryHungary R. J. Lustig, Semmelweis: Soloists, Dancers, Béla Bartók Chamber Choir of Szolnok, Chamber Orchestra of the Budapest Operetta Theater / Dániel Dinyés (conductor). Bartók Plusz Opera Festival, Miskolc National Theatre, Miskolc. World premiere performance of 9.6.2018 reviewed as a video (available click here). (RP)

Enikő Lévai (Susan) and Szilveszter Szabó (Semmelweis)
© Budapest Operetta Theater and Bartok Plusz Opera Festival

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That’s Entertainment!: a look back at Rudolf Nureyev’s memorable Paris Cinderella

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FranceFrance Prokofiev, Cinderella (Rudolf Nureyev’s production): Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet, Orchestre Pasdeloup / Vello Pähn (conductor). Opéra Bastille, Paris, 31.12.2018 performance (directed for the screen by Isabelle Julien) and reviewed as an Opéra national de Paris online stream broadcast on 1.5.2020. (JPr)

Alessio Carbone (Producer), Valentine Colasante (Cinderella) & Karl Paquette (Star)

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Looking back at Piotr Beczala encoring his triumphant Cavaradossi in Vienna’s classic Tosca

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AustriaAustria Puccini, Tosca: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera / Marco Armiliato (conductor). Directed for the screen by Ella Gallieni and recorded at the Vienna State Opera on 23.6.2019 and reviewed on 28.4.2020. (JPr)

Piotr Beczala as Cavaradossi

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Revisiting Joseph Calleja’s Hoffmann in Bartlett Sher’s 2009 new Met production

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United StatesUnited States Offenbach, Les contes d’Hoffmann: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York / James Levine (conductor). Performance from 19.12.2009 reviewed as a Nightly Met Opera Stream on 23.4.2020. (JPr)

Joseph Calleja (Hoffmann) and Anna Netrebko (Stella)

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Redemption at the Met for Puccini’s flawed La rondine from Gheorghiu, Alagna and Oropesa

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United StatesUnited States Puccini, La rondine: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York / Marco Armiliato (conductor). Performance from 10.1.2009 and reviewed as a Nightly Met Opera Stream on 16.4.2020. (JPr)

Lisette Oropesa, Marius Brenciu, Roberto Alagna and Angela Gheorghiu
in La rondine (c) Metropolitan Opera

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Sweet Land: A site-specific opera in downtown LA streams online

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United StatesUnited States Raven Chacon and Du Yun, Sweet Land: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of The Industry / Marc Lowenstein and Jenny Wong (co-conductors), Los Angeles State Historic Park. Live performance of 15.3.2020 streaming online. (JRo)

Sharon Chohi Kim (Windigo) in Sweet Land
(c) Casey Kringlen

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Reliving happy Vienna memories of Rudolf Nureyev’s theatrically vital 1964 Swan Lake

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AustriaAustria Tchaikovsky, Swan Lake: Dancers of the Vienna State Ballet, Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera / Alexander Ingram (conductor). Recorded at the Vienna State Opera on 16.3.2014 and reviewed on 11.4.2020. (JPr)

Odile (Olga Esina) & Vladimir Shishov (Prince Siegfried) in Swan Lake

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Revisiting the Met’s classic Aida and the vocal glories of Netrebko and Rachvelishvili

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United StatesUnited States Verdi, Aida: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Metropolitan Opera, New York / Nicola Luisotti (conductor). Broadcast live from the Metropolitan Opera, New York, on 6.10.2018 and reviewed as a Nightly Met Opera Stream on 7.4.2020. (JPr)

Anna Netrebko (Aida) & Anita Rachvelishvili (Amneris) (c) Marty Sohl/Met Opera

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