Viennese charm, wit and waltzes enchant in the Volksoper’s The Merry Widow

AustriaAustria Lehár, The Merry Widow (Die lustige Witwe): Soloists, Dancers of Vienna State Ballet, Chorus and Orchestra of the Volksoper Wien / Alfred Eschwé (conductor). Volksoper Wien, Vienna, 3.9.2021. (RP)

Volksoper’s Die lustige Witwe (previous performances) © Volksoper Wien

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

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

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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Pretty Yende and Juan Diego Flórez bring to life Simon Stone’s intriguingly staged, very well directed Vienna La traviata

AustriaAustria Verdi, La traviata: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera / Giacomo Sagripanti (conductor). Livestreamed (directed by Jakob Pitzer) from the Vienna State Opera, 7.3.2021. (JPr)

Juan Diego Flórez (Alfredo) and Pretty Yende (Violetta Valéry)

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Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak explore a toxic relationship in Vienna’s 2018 Otello

AustriaAustria Verdi, Otello: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Graeme Jenkins (conductor). Performance filmed (directed by Jakob Pitzer) on 18.3.2018 and reviewed when streamed on 2.3.2021. (JPr)

Vienna State Opera’s 2018 Otello Act II

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Rachvelishvili and Beczala lead an impressive Vienna ensemble as Bieito brings enhanced dramatic intent to Carmen

AustriaAustria Bizet, Carmen: Soloists, Children of the Opera School, Chorus and Orchestra of Vienna State Opera / Andrés Orozco-Estrada (conductor). Performed at the Vienna State Opera and livestreamed (directed by Karina Fibich) on 21.2.2021. (JPr)

Vienna State Opera’s Carmen Act II

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Anna Netrebko’s vocal opulence matches her surroundings in a disappointing ‘Day and Night’ Met recital

AustriaAustria Met Stars Live in Concert – Anna Netrebko (soprano) with Pavel Nebolsin (piano): Elena Maximova (mezzo-soprano). Livestreamed (directed by Gary Halvorson) from the Spanish Riding School, Vienna, 6.2.2021. (JPr)

Anna Netrebko (soprano) & Pavel Nebolsin (piano) in the Spanish Riding School
© Jürgen Hausmann

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