Jim Pritchard

Frank Castorf’s cinematic Vienna Faust explores society, patriotism, consumerism, commercialism and voodoo

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AustriaAustria Gounod, Faust: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Bertrand de Billy (conductor). Livestreamed (directed by Jacob Pitzer) from Vienna State Opera, 29.4.2021. (JPr)

Adam Palka (Méphistophélès),  Nicole Car (Marguerite) & Juan Diego Flórez (Faust)

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Vienna’s intense new Parsifal breakouts from the confinement of Kirill Serebrennikov’s new production

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AustriaAustria Wagner, Parsifal: Soloists, Nikolay Sidorenko (actor), Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Philippe Jordan (conductor). Filmed (directed by Michael Beyer) at the Vienna State Opera on 11.4.2021 and streamed on ARTE Concert (available until 17.7.2021 click here). (JPr)

Kirill Serebrennikov’s Parsifal Act III (final scene) © Michael Pöhn

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Tobias Kratzer’s cinéma verité style Faust for Paris Opera is an unmissable lockdown triumph

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FranceFrance Gounod, Faust: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Opéra national de Paris / Lorenzo Viotti (conductor). Recorded (directed by Julien Condemine) at the Opéra Bastille, Paris, and broadcast on 26.3.2021. (JPr)

Tobias Kratzer’s Faust Act III (c) M. Rittershaus/Paris Opera

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Nicola Benedetti and Vasily Petrenko’s socially distanced RPO excel in Tchaikovsky and Beethoven

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom RPO at Home – Tchaikovsky, Beethoven: Nicola Benedetti CBE (violin), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Vasily Petrenko (conductor). Performed 3.3.2021 at the Royal Albert Hall, London, it is available (directed and edited by Ali Khan) to stream from 15.3.2021. (JPr)

Vasily Petrenko conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

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Weill away your time with the Royal Opera’s thought-provoking The Seven Deadly Sins and Mahagonny Songspiel

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Berthold Brecht and Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins and Mahagonny Songspiel: Soloists, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House / Michael Papadopoulos (conductor). Livestreamed (directed by Peter Jones) from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 9.4.2021. (JPr)

Stephanie Wake-Edwards (Anna I) and Jonadette Carpio (Anna II)
in The Seven Deadly Sins (c) Ellie Kurttz

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Köpplinger’s child-friendly Die Zauberflöte returns opera to Dresden’s Semperoper

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GermanyGermany Mozart, Die Zauberflöte: Soloists, Dresden State Opera Chorus, Staatskapelle Dresden / Christoph Gedschold (conductor). Filmed (directed by Tilo Krause) at the Semperoper Dresden on 31.3.2021 and streamed on 5.4.2021. (JPr)

Klaus Florian Vogt (Tamino) and Nikola Hillebrand (Queen of the Night)

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Socially distanced televised Messiah from English National Opera suggests spring and hope are in the air

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United KingdomUnited Kingdom Handel, Messiah, HWV 56: Christine Rice (mezzo-soprano), Nadine Benjamin (soprano), Iestyn Davies (countertenor), John Findon (tenor), Anthony Gregory (tenor), William Thomas (bass), Nardus Williams (soprano) and Benson Wilson (baritone), Chorus and Orchestra of English National Opera / Laurence Cummings (harpsichord/conductor). Broadcast on BBC Two, 3.4.2021. (JPr)

Laurence Cummings conducts the ENO Orchestra © Tristram Kenton

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