Diana Damrau, Jonas Kaufmann and Helmut Deutsch at the Barbican Hall

Good to see such a full hall for these two beloved singers with one of the finest collaborative pianists of them all.  This programme was a celebration of the lives…

‘Christmas with Jonas Kaufmann’ at the Royal Albert Hall

Widely acknowledged as the world’s leading tenor, the singer shares his personal favourite songs of the festive season in Christmas with Jonas Kaufmann at the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday…

Superlative singing: Don Carlo, Royal Opera House

Is it possible to upstage Jonas Kaufmann? Kaufmann was brilliant in this Verdi Don Carlo at the Royal Opera House, London, but the rest of the cast was so good that he was but first among equals. Don Carlo is a vehicle for stars, but this time the stars were everyone on stage and in the pit. Even the solo arias, glorious as they are, grow organically out of perfect ensemble. This was a performance that brought out the true beauty of Verdi’s music.

Wagner Parsifal at the Met

This prioduction of Wagner’s Parsifal, directed by FranÁois Girard, premiered in Lyons last year. The Met, being a far wealthier house, was able to assemble a truly spectacular cast: Jonas Kaufmann, RenÈ Pape, Katarina Dalayman, Peter Mattei and Evgeny Nikitin. Success guaranteed, even if the production is European and modern. These performances set new benchmarks. This Parsifal will be the stuff of legend for decades to come.