A Symphonic Narrative, Built from the Inside OutSome concerts tell stories without words, and this evening was one of them. Toshio Hosokawa鈥檚 Blossoming II opened the programme with the quietude…
FAUST | Bayerische Staatsoper
A new production of Faust at the Bayerische Staatsoper, staged by Lotte de Beer, offers a reading that is clear, intelligent, and theatrically fluid, without resorting to heavy-handed concepts. The…
SALOME | Bayerische Staatsoper
Somewhere between the 1930s and 1940s, a group of Jewish men and women gathers in a vast and richly stocked library. As in all places where books are handled and…
LA GIOCONDA | Gran Teatre del Liceu
There are operas you fall in love with instantly. And then there are operas like La Gioconda. For me, Ponchielli鈥檚 Venetian epic has always been something I listen to in…
TAMERLANO | Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe
The International H盲ndel Festival taking place at the Badisches Staatstheater in Karlsruhe presents Handel’s Tamerlano. It鈥檚 a prime opportunity to witness the immense Ren茅 Jacobs at the helm of the…
RINALDO | Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe
As part of its Internationale H盲ndel-Festspiele, the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe is reviving the production of Rinaldo that was first presented here last year. This production by Hinrich Horstkotte pays tribute…
LISETTE OROPESA | Crans-Montana
Social media often receives its fair share of criticism, but sometimes it delivers something truly special. Just a week ago, I came across a post from Lisette Oropesa announcing that…
DIALOGUES DES CARMELITES | Den Kongelige Opera
The spareness of the d茅cor presages that of the work itself. From the instant the curtain rises, space is yielded to the full dramatic amplitude such an act of remembrance…
NORMA | Teatro Regio Parma
This was a date I had been waiting for for a long time. The main reason was Vasilisa Berzhanskaya. I have seen her several times in bel canto repertoire, including…
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR | Op茅ra National du Capitole
For this final revival of Nicolas Jo毛l鈥檚 classic production, the Toulouse Opera unveiled an international caliber principal cast, raising expectations to a peak on opening night.With its grandiose sets, meticulously…