Giasone, ETO

Once again, one can only applaud English Touring Opera’s sense of
adventure — and commitment. Its autumn season comprises three Venetian
operas: L’incoronazione di Poppea, Giasone, and
Agrippina, all in translation.

Die Fledermaus, ENO

‘Chacun ‡ son go˚t!’ cries the inebriated Prince Orlovsky, invigorated by champagne and high-living. An indifferent ‘each to his own’?

Stephen King in San Francisco

Coincidentally last Friday night was the closing night of San Francisco Opera’s Dolores Claiborne and the opening night of Ray of Light Theatre’s Carrie The Musical.

Fidelio, ENO

More than two centuries on, Fidelio may well remain the most misunderstood opera of all.

Anna Bolena, Welsh National Opera

Welsh National Opera’s new production of Donizetti’s Anna Bolena is the first part of their trilogy of Donizetti’s Tudor operas, Anna Bolena, Maria Stuarda and Roberto Devereux.

Peter Grimes, Vladimir Jurowski

Vladimir Jurowski conducted a fascinating Peter Grimes with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall. Fascinating, because Jurowski finds things in Britten other conductors don’t get in the first place. Jurowski approaches Britten as a composer, without the usual baggage of Britishness and Brittenish.

La Traviata, Hamburg

Johannes Erath’s production of Verdi’s La Traviata opened at the Staatsoper Hamburg in February this year, with Ailyn Perez in the title role. Perez returned with Stephen Costello as Alfredo for three performances in September 2013

Elektra, Royal Opera

Charles Edwards’s production of Elektra, first seen in 2003,

Die Schuldigkeit Des Ersten Gebots

Last week I enjoyed the opportunity to see Bampton Classical Opera’s
light-hearted, witty production of Mozart’s earliest opera — La finta
semplice
— a work which, despite lacking the melodic variety and texture
dynamism of the later operas, is still a remarkably accomplished achievement
for a boy of merely twelve years of age.

Lyric Opera of Chicago Introduces its Season

In its annual concert presented to the city at Millennium Park, Lyric Opera of Chicago introduced its 2013-14 season on a recent weekend evening with a program of selections featuring several present, past, and future stars of the company.