Jim Pritchard

Despite some world-class singing, Grange Park Opera’s new Tristan und Isolde misses the boat

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Wagner, Tristan und Isolde: Soloists, Chorus of Grange Park Opera, The Gascoigne Orchestra / Stephen Barlow (conductor). Grange Park Opera, West Horsley, 22.6.2023. (JPr)

Grange Park Opera Tristan und Isolde (Act I) © Marc Brenner

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Anna Netrebko is the standout performer in a spectacular new Aida at the 100th Verona Opera Festival

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ItalyItaly Verdi’s Aida at the 100th Arena di Verona Opera Festival 2023 [1]: Soloists, Ballet, Chorus and Orchestra of Arena di Verona / Marco Armiliato (conductor). Broadcast live on Rai1 from the Arena di Verona, 16.6.2023. (JPr)

Yusif Eyvazov (Radamès) and Olesya Petrova (Amneris) © Ennevifoto / Arena di Verona

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ENB’s Cinderella finds Precious Adams centre stage and having a ball with the entire company in-the-round

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom English National Ballet’s Cinderella in-the-round: Dancers of English National Ballet, English National Ballet Philharmonic / Daniel Parkinson (conductor). Royal Albert Hall, London, 16.6.2023. (JPr)

English National Ballet’s Cinderella in-the-round (Act II) © Laurent Liotardo

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The Royal Opera’s new Il trovatore is a Monty Pythonesque horror show in more ways than one

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Verdi, Il trovatore: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Sir Antonio Pappano (conductor). Broadcast live (directed by Peter Jones) from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 13.6.2023. (JPr)

Roberto Tagliavini (Ferrando) © Camilla Greenwell

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Shostakovich’s ‘tragedy-satire’ Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk creates a frisson in Vienna

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AustriaAustria Shostakovich, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Alexander Soddy (conductor). Broadcast live from Vienna State Opera (directed by Ella Gallieni), 12.6.2023. (JPr)

Elena Mikhailenko (Katerina) and Günther Groissböck (Boris) © Wiener Staatsoper / Michael Pöhn

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Darkness and light confront each other in Simon McBurney’s brilliantly inventive Met Die Zauberflöte

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United StatesUnited States The Met: Live in HD – Mozart, Die Zauberflöte: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera House, New York / Nathalie Stutzmann (conductor). Broadcast Live in HD (directed by Gary Halvorson) from the Metropolitan Opera House to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 3.6.2023. (JPr)

Erin Morley (Pamina) and Thomas Oliemans (Papageno) © Karen Almond / Met Opera

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Excellent singers, conductor and orchestra makes Götterdämmerung Longborough’s best Wagner yet

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Longborough Festival Opera – Götterdämmerung: Soloists, Longborough Community Chorus, Festival Chorus and Opera Orchestra / Anthony Negus (conductor). Longborough Festival Opera, Moreton-in-Marsh, 31.5.2023. (JPr)

Final scene: Lee Bisset (Brünnhilde) © Matthew Williams-Ellis

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