Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak are memorable in Vienna’s Pagliacci on a sad night for the city

AustriaAustria Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera / Marco Armiliato (conductor). 2.11.2020 performance reviewed as a live stream (directed by Ella Gallieni) on 5.11.2020. (JPr)

Vienna State Opera’s Cavalleria rusticana

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Birmingham Royal Ballet’s life-affirming Lazuli Sky is the highlight of their new mixed bill

United KingdomUnited Kingdom Birmingham Royal Ballet – Lazuli Sky Mixed Bill: Dancers of Birmingham Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet Sinfonia / Philip Ellis and Paul Murphy (conductors). A digital broadcast available from 1.11.2020 filmed at Birmingham Repertory Theatre. (JO’D)

Will Tuckett’s Lazuli Sky (c) Johan Persson

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Guildhall School’s Triple Bill is an impressive, if thought-provoking, socially distanced achievement

United KingdomUnited Kingdom Guildhall School of Music and Drama’s Triple Bill: Guildhall School Orchestra / Dominic Wheeler (conductor). Live stream from the GSMD’s Silk Street Theatre and reviewed on 2.11.2020. (JPr)

Zanetto – Ella de Jongh (Silvia) and Jessica Ouston (Zanetto)

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Beating the odds – Pittsburgh Opera’s delightful, pandemic-wise Così fan tutte

United StatesUnited States Mozart, Così fan tutte: Soloists, Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra/Anthony Walker (conductor). Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters, Pittsburgh, 29.10.2020. (RP)

Maire Therese Carmack (Dorabella) and Madeline Ehlinger (Fiordiligi)
© David Bachman Photography

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Geneva’s riveting performance of Janáček’s The Makropoulos Affair with a pre-recorded orchestra

SwitzerlandSwitzerland Janáček, The Makropoulos Affair: Soloists, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Chorus of Grand Théatre de Genève (chorus master: Alan Woodbridge) / Tomas Netopil (conductor). Grand Théâtre de Genève, 26.10.2020. (ALL)

Rachel Harnisch (Emilia Marty) © Magali Dougados

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A New Dark Age from three female composers is the Royal Opera’s requiem for the world we have lost in 2020

United KingdomUnited Kingdom New Dark Age – The Knife of Dawn and A New Dark Age: Soloists, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Jonathon Heywood (conductor, The Knife of Dawn), Natalie Murray Beale (conductor, A New Dark Age). Live-streamed from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 24.10.2020 (JPr)

A New Dark Age (c) Tristram Kenton

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Animation makes White Snake Projects’ live digital opera, Alice in the Pandemic, zing!

United StatesUnited States Jorge Sosa, Alice in the Pandemic: Soloists, Victory Players, VOICES Boston / Tian Hui Ng (conductor). A digital opera from White Snake Projects, Boston, streamed via Crowdcast on 25.10.2020. (RP)

The White Rabbit © Curvin Huber

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