Opera & Ballet

Collected opera and ballet reviews

The Royal Ballet’s triple bill celebrates Kenneth MacMillan’s choreographic legacy

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom MacMillan Celebrated – Danses concertantes, Different Drummer and Requiem: Dancers of The Royal Ballet, Isabela Díaz (soprano), Josef Jeongmeen Ahn (baritone), Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Koen Kessels (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Ross MacGibbon) from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 9.4.2024. (JPr)

Danses concertantes featuring Isabella Gasparini © Tristram Kenton

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Zurich Opera sets their new Carmen in Paris

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SwitzerlandSwitzerland Bizet, Carmen: Soloists, Chorus, Childrens’ choir, SoprAlti of Opera and Extras’ Association of Zurich Opera, Philharmonia Zurich / Gianandrea Noseda (conductor). Zurich Opera, 7.4.2024. (MF)

[l-r] Niamh O’Sullivan (Mercédès), Uliana Alexyuk (Frasquita), Marina Viotti (Carmen), Spencer Lang (Le Remendado) and Jean-Luc Ballestra (Le Dancaïre) © Monika Rittershaus

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A joyous Le nozze di Figaro in Lübeck

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GermanyGermany Mozart, Le nozze di Figaro: Soloists, Chorus and Extras of Theater Lübeck, Takahiro Nagasaki (fortepiano), Philharmonic Orchestra of Hansestadt Lübeck / Stefan Vladar (conductor). Theater Lübeck, 1.4.2024. (DM-D)

[l-r] Joo-Anne Bitter (Countess Almaviva), Andrea Stadel (Susanna) and Jacob Scharfman (Count Almaviva) © Olaf Malzahn © Olaf Malzahn

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Lively casts and timely reflections mark the premiere of this sports opera double bill in San Francisco

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United StatesUnited States ‘Birds & Balls’: Soloists, Orchestra of Opera Parallèle / Nicole Paiement (conductor). SFJAZZ Miner Auditorium, San Francisco, 5.4.2024. (HS)

Nikola Printz (Billie Jean King) and Nathan Granner (Bobby Riggs) in an operatic reenactment of their 1973 match © Kristen Loken

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