Opera & Ballet – Page 2 – Seen and Heard International

Nekvasil’s staging of Nino Rota’s comic farce earns a triumphant reception at Prague’s Estates Theatre

22/04/2025 by Gregor Tassie

Czech Republic Nino Rota, The Florentine Straw Hat (Il cappello di paglia di Firenze): Soloists, Chorus, Ballet and Orchestra of the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre / Marek Šedivý (conductor). Estates Theatre, Prague, 14.4.2025. (GT)

Martin Šrejma (Fadinard) and Jiří Hájek (Beaupertuis)

Vladimir Morávek’s colourfully surreal Prague Die Zauberflöte is a spectacular triumph

21/04/2025 by Gregor Tassie

Czech Republic Mozart, Die Zauberflöte: Soloists, Prague Children’s Chorus and Acrobatic group Long Vehicle Circus, Chorus and Orchestra of the National Divadlo Theatre / Jaroslav Kyzlink (conductor). Estates Theatre, Prague, 13.4.2025. (GT)

*Die Zauberflöte* © Narodni Divadlo Prague

Met’s stars align for a delightful, effervescent Il barbiere di Siviglia revival

20/04/2025 by Rick Perdian

United Kingdom Rossini, Il barbiere di Siviglia: Soloists, Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra / Giacomo Sagripanti (conductor). Metropolitan Opera, New York, 15.4.2025. (RP)

Alexander Vinogradov (Don Basilio) © Marty Sohl/Met Opera

Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina at the Salzburg Easter Festival

19/04/2025 by Antoine Lévy-Leboyer

Austria Osterfestspiele Salzburg 2025 – Mussorgsky, Khovanshchina: Soloists, Slovak Philharmonic Choir, Bachchor Salzburg, Salzburger Festspiele and Theater Kinderchor, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra / Esa-Pekka Salonen (conductor). Grosses Festspielhaus, Salzburg, 12.4.2025. (AL-L)

*Khovanshchina* at the Salzburg Easter Festival 2025 © Inés Bacher

The Vajda-Bartók double bill at Hungarian State Opera was truly magical

18/04/202517/04/2025 by Agnes Kory

Hungary Vajda, Mario and the Magician / Bartók, Bluebeard’s Castle: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Hungarian State Opera / János Kovács (conductor), Hungarian State Opera, Budapest, 9.4.2025. (AK)

Gábor Bretz as Cipolla in *Mario and the Magician* © Szilvia Csibi

English National Ballet present work by choreographer William Forsythe from three stages of his career

13/04/202512/04/2025 by John O'Dwyer

United Kingdom English National Ballet’s The Forsythe Programme: Dancers of English National Ballet. Sadler’s Wells, London, 10.4.2025. (JO’D)

Sangeun Lee and Rentaro Nakaaki performing William Forsythe’s *Rearray (London Edition 2025)* © Photography by ASH

Gassmann’s L’opera seria at La Scala is tremendous fun and a witty comedy of manners

09/04/2025 by Curtis Rogers

Italy Florian Leopold Gassmann’s L’opera seria: Soloists, Teatro alla Scala Orchestra and Les Talens Lyriques / Christophe Rousset (conductor). Teatro alla Scala, Milan, 3.4.2025. (CR)

*L’opera seria* at La Scala Milan © Brescia e Amisano

Sonya Yoncheva as Iolanta headlines an exceptional cast in Vienna’s intriguing new production

07/04/2025 by Jim Pritchard

Austria Tchaikovsky, Iolanta: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera / Tugan Sokhiev (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Ella Galliani) from Vienna State Opera, 6.4.2025. (JPr)