As beauty ruled supreme: Dudamel and the LA Phil’s moving and meaningful Fidelio

United KingdomUnited Kingdom Beethoven, Fidelio: Soloists, Deaf West Theatre (Los Angeles), Coro de Manos Blancas (White Hands Choir, Venezuela), Cor de Cambra del Palau de la Música Catalana, Cor del Gran Teatre del Liceu, Los Angeles Philharmonic / Gustavo Dudamel (conductor). Barbican Hall, London, 3.6.2024. (AK)

Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Gustavo Dudamel perform Fidelio © Ash Knotek/Barbican

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Klaus Florian Vogt as Paul leads a mesmerizing Die tote Stadt in Hamburg

GermanyGermany Korngold, Die tote Stadt: Soloists, Chorus, Extra Chorus, Alsterspatzen (children and youth chorus) of Staatsoper Hamburg. Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg / Yoel Gamzou (conductor). Staatsoper Hamburg; 5.6.2024. (DMD)

From the 2015 performances of Hamburg State Opera’s Die tote Stadt © Bern Uhlig

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Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina in Berlin was quite simply, outstanding in every way

GermanyGermany Mussorgsky, Khovanshchina: Soloists, Staatsoper Children’s Chorus (director: Vinzenz Weissenburger), Staatsopernchor Berlin (director: Dani Juris), Staatskapelle Berlin / Simone Young (conductor). Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Berlin, 2.6.2024. (MB)

Ivan Khovansky (Mika Kares) © Monika Rittershaus

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Innocence, Kaija Saariaho’s masterpiece, packs a wallop in its U.S. premiere in San Francisco

United StatesUnited States Saariaho, Innocence: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of San Francisco Opera / Clément Mao-Takacs (conductor). War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, 1.6.2024. (HS)

Rotating set for a wedding venue and the scene of a school shooting © Corey Weaver/SFO

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Garsington Opera revives its undemanding but rewarding Le nozze di Figaro

United KingdomUnited Kingdom Garsington Opera 2024 [2] – Mozart, Le nozze di Figaro: Soloists, Garsington Opera Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra / Tabita Berglund (conductor). Garsington Opera at Wormsley, 1.6.2024. (CR)

Bethany Horak-Hallett (Cherubino) and Samantha Clarke (Countess) © Julian Guidera

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Nevill Holt’s remarkably innovative Magic Flute begins a much expanded Festival programme

United KingdomUnited Kingdom Nevill Holt Festival 2024 – Mozart, The Magic Flute: Soloists, Britten Sinfonia / Finnegan Downie Dear (conductor). Nevill Holt, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, 1.6 2024. (CP)

Archie White (Dancer), Martins Smaukstelis (Tamino), Thea Kallhed Möller (Dancer), and Olivia Warburton (Pamina) © Manuel Harlan

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