Opera & Ballet

Collected opera and ballet reviews

The movement of Preljocaj’s time-defying production intensifies the emotional impact of Lully’s Atys

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FranceFrance Lully, Atys: Soloists, Ballet Preljocaj, Leonardo Santini Dancers, Chœur de l’Opéra Royal, Cappella Mediterranea / Leonardo García-Alarcón (conductor). Opéra Royal, Château de Versailles, 25.1.2026. (RP)

Giuseppina Bridelli (centre, Cybèle) © OR/Baptiste Lacaze

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Successful premiere of Violanta at the Deutsche Oper Berlin leaves you wanting more of Korngold

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GermanyGermany Korngold, Violanta: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin / Sir Donald Runnicles (conductor). Deutsche Oper Berlin, 25.1.2026. (AB)

Laura Wilde (Violanta), Mihails Culpajevs (Alfonso) and Olafur Sigurdarson (above, Trovai) © Marcus Lieberenz

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Fine performance of an interesting new production of Die Zauberflöte in Salzburg

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AustriaAustria Salzburg Mozartwoche 2026 [3] – Mozart, Die Zauberflöte: Soloists, Philharmonia Chor Wien, Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra / Roberto González-Monjas (conductor). Haus für Mozart, Salzburg, 23.1.2026. (MB)

[l-r] Papageno (Theodore Platt), Mozart (Vitus Denifl), Three Boys, Constanze (Victoria D’Agostino) and Tamino (Magnus Dietrich) © Werner Kmetitsch

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Conductor Warner and Serfling’s Senta stand out in Gelsenkirchen’s imaginative Flying Dutchman

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GermanyGermany Wagner, Der fliegende Holländer: Soloists and Chorus of Musiktheater im Revier, Neue Philharmonie Westfalen / John Warner (conductor). Musiktheater im Revier, Gelsenkirchen, 18.1.2026. (DM-D)

Susanne Serfling as Senta (centre) and chorus © Pedro Malinowski

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The stars, Mkhitaryan and Bernheim, align in Massenet’s Manon revived at Vienna State Opera

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AustriaAustria Massenet, Manon: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Betrand de Billy (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Dominik Kepczynski) from the Vienna State Opera 17.1.2026. (JPr)

Benjamin Bernheim (Des Grieux) and Kristina Mkhitaryan (Manon) © Weiner Staatsoper

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Ermonela Jaho disappoints in the umpteenth revival of Sir Richard Eyre’s Covent Garden La traviata

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Verdi, La traviata: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Antonello Manacorda (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Ian Russell) from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 14.1.2026. (JPr)

Aleksei Isaev (Georgio Germont) and  Giovanni Sala (Alfredo Germont) © Pamela Raith

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