Jim Pritchard

Edward Gardner and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra make a first Parsifal a memorable one

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NorwayNorway Wagner, Parsifal (staged concert): Soloists, Bergen Philharmonic Choir, Edvard Grieg Kor, Edvard Grieg Jentekor, Edvard Grieg Guttekor, Collegium Musicums Choir (chorus master: Håkon Matti Skrede) and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra / Edward Gardner (conductor). Livestreamed (directed by Marius Marthinussen Søreide) on Bergenphilive and OperaVision (and available until 21.5.2023) from the Grieg Hall, Bergen, 21.1.2023. (JPr)

Featured: Ricarda Merbeth ( far l, Kundry), Stuart Skelton (front l, Parsifal) and Brindley Sherratt (front r, Gurnemanz)

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Christopher Wheeldon’s Like Water for Chocolate for The Royal Ballet provides food for thought

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom The Royal Ballet’s Like Water for Chocolate: Dancers of The Royal Ballet, Siân Griffiths (mezzo-soprano), Tomás Barreiro (guitar), Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Alondra de la Parra (conductor). Recorded (directed by Ross MacGibbon) at the Royal Opera House, Covent, Garden, 9.6.2022 and shown at Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 19.1.2023. (JPr)

Francesca Hayward (Tita) and Marcelino Sambé (Pedro) © Tristram Kenton

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Netrebko leads a fine cast and an exceptional orchestra breathing life into a venerable Vienna La bohème

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AustriaAustria Puccini, La bohème: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Bertrand de Billy (conductor). Recorded (directed by Jakob Pitzer) at Vienna State Opera on 11.9.2022 and streamed on 14.2.2023. (JPr)

Anna Netrebko (Mimì) © Wiener Staatsoper/Michael Pöhn

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Thanks to Yoncheva and Beczała at the Met, Fedora was worth seeing once but never again

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Giordano, Fedora: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York / Marco Armiliato (conductor). Broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera, New York, to Cineworld Basildon, Essex, 14.1.2023. (JPr)

Piotr Beczała (Loris) and Sonya Yoncheva (Fedora) © Ken Howard/Met Opera

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Reliving memories of Rudolf Nureyev’s 1968 The Nutcracker production for The Royal Ballet

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Rudolf Nureyev’s The Nutcracker: Dancers of The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden Opera Chorus / John Lanchbery (conductor). Filmed (directed by John Vernon) at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 10.3.1968 and re-released on DVD by Opus Arte in 2020. (JPr)

Rudolf Nureyev (Drosselmeyer) and Merle Park (Clara)

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Maina Gielgud and Polish National Ballet take a captivating Giselle back to the future

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PolandPoland Adolphe Adam, Giselle: Dancers of Polish National Ballet, Orchestra of Polish National Opera / Patrick Fournillier (conductor). Recorded (directed by Ewa Krasucka) at Teatr Wiekli – Polish National Opera, Warsaw, 28 and 30.11.2022 and available on OperaVision and YouTube until 26.6.2023. (JPr)

Polish National Ballet’s Wilis in Giselle © Ewa Krasucka

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Keith Warner dreams up an interesting Die Meistersinger for Vienna State Opera

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AustriaAustria Wagner, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Philippe Jordan (conductor). Recorded (directed by Ella Gallieni) at Vienna State Opera, 11.12.2022. (JPr)

Michael Volle (Hans Sachs) and Michael Laurenz (David) © Wiener Staatsoper/Michael Pöhn

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At Bayreuth, Valentin Schwarz has Siegfried playing unhappy families in vino veritas

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GermanyGermany Bayreuth Festival 2022 – Wagner, Siegfried: Soloists, Bayreuth Festival Orchestra / Cornelius Meister (conductor). Recorded (directed by Michael Beyer) at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus and available on STAGE+ until 14.11.2047. (JPr)

Andreas Schager (Siegfried), Igor Schwab (Grane) and Daniela Köhler (Brünnhilde) © Enrico Nawrath

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