★★★★☆☆ REVIEW: COMPANY IN AVIGNON – SONDHEIM MUSICAL FOR SINGLES AND SKEPTICS
COMPANY • OPÉRA GRAND AVIGNON ★★★★☆☆ REVIEW: COMPANY IN AVIGNON – SONDHEIM MUSICAL FOR SINGLES AND SKEPTICS When musical phenomenon Stephen Sondheim wrote Company in 1970, he could hardly have imagined how well it would capture the spirit of the times 55 years later –...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW HOFFMANN’S TALES LYON: LOVE DISASTERS IN BRILLIANT STAGING
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★★★★☆☆ REVIEW TOSCA IN PARIS: THE FINALE NO ONE ASKED FOR
TOSCA • OPERA BASTILLE PARIS ★★★★☆☆ REVIEW TOSCA IN PARIS: THE FINALE NO ONE ASKED FOR The Bastille Opera's revival of Tosca is a beautiful, faithful, and effective production of Puccini's beloved thriller opera. But what exactly is going on with Pierre Audi's finale?...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW: THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO PARIS – THE SOME REVOLUTION LIVE
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★★★★★☆ REVIEW NORMA AS A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN BRUSSELS
NORMA • LA MONNAIE BRUXELLES ★★★★★☆ REVIEW NORMA AS A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN BRUSSELS The daring Belgian designer and multi-artist Christophe Coppens has staged Bellini's 1831 bel canto opera hit Norma as a kind of traffic accident at the magnificent Monnaie opera house...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW THE VALKYRIE PARIS: CRAZY ABOUT CALIXTO BIETO’S TECNO WAGNER
THE VALKYRIE • OPERA BASTILLE PARIS ★★★★★☆ REVIEW THE VALKYRIE PARIS: CRAZY ABOUT CALIXTO BIETO'S TECNO WAGNER The Valkyrie as a trashy tech-action thriller in Calixto Bieto's intense production at the Bastille Opera in Paris gets off to a magnificent start with...
★★★★★★ REVIEW THE ART OF THE FUGE: DESIGNER BALLET OF EXCEPTIONAL ARTISTIC CLASS
THE ART OF THE FUGE • DKT GL. SCENE ★★★★★★ REVIEW THE ART OF THE FUGE: DESIGNER BALLET OF EXCEPTIONAL ARTISTIC CLASS The Art of The Fuge is a sublime aesthetic experience in Alexei Ratmansky's stunning choreography at the Old Stage. Fabulous set design and costumes by...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD PART 1 + 2: VISUALLY OPULENT AND TECHNICALLY ASTONISHING
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★★★★☆☆ REVIEW A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM: OLD SCHOOL OPERA MAGIC IN GLYNDEBOURNE
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM • GLYNDEBOURNE ★★★★☆☆ REVIEW A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM: OLD SCHOOL OPERA MAGIC IN GLYNDEBOURNE Glyndebourne is probably best known for its summer festival with a rich opera programme, complemented by the idyllic countryside of southern...
★★★★☆☆ REVIEW STRANGER THINGS THE FIRST SHADOW: SCARE THE LIFE OUT OF YOUR TEENAGER
STRANGER THINGS: THE FIRST SHADOW • LONDON ★★★★☆☆ REVIEW STRANGER THINGS THE FIRST SHADOW: SCARE THE LIFE OUT OF YOUR TEENAGER The special effects are in full swing in this theatrical prequel to the Netflix series Stranger Things, which has blown reviewers away in...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW TANNHÄUSER: THE PROSTITUTE-MADONNA COMPLEX REVISITED IN BERLIN
TANNHÄUSER • BERLIN ★★★★★☆ Photo: Bettina Stöß REVIEW TANNHÄUSER: THE PROSTITUTE-MADONNA COMPLEX REVISITED IN BERLIN Tannhäuser is a historical figure, a kind of singer-poet from the 14th century, who is caught in a dilemma so eternal that it is completely modern....
★★★★☆☆ REVIEW CARMEN LONDON: NAKED AND COLD AS ICE
CARMEN • LONDON ★★★★☆☆ REVIEW CARMEN LONDON: NAKED AND COLD AS ICE Calixto Bieto, the daring Spanish director and bad boy of opera, has stripped Carmen down to her garters in a minimalist set design in his London production for English National Opera (ENO), which is...
★★★★☆☆ REVIEW FALSTAFF: DRUNKEN UNCLE HUMOUR WITH A SHARP EDGE
FALSTAFF • STAATSOPER HAMBORG ★★★★☆☆ REVIEW FALSTAFF: DRUNKEN UNCLE HUMOUR WITH A SHARP EDGE Star director Calixto Bieto's Hamburg production of Falstaff is full of tempo, comedy and cheerful ensemble playing, but impresses most with its musical qualities in Verdi's...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW & JULIA: PARTY GUARANTEED IN HAMBURG
& JULIA • HAMBORG ★★★★★☆ REVIEW & JULIA: PARTY GUARANTEED IN HAMBURG The counterfactual pop musical version of Romeo & Juliet is cool, silly, damn well-produced entertainment in a lavish set design that jingles and jangles in cool street rococo style from...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW PARADISE AND PERI: MUSICAL TREAT IN BOLD STAGING
PARADIS OG PERI • STAATSOPER HAMBORG ★★★★★☆ REVIEW PARADISE AND PERI: MUSICAL TREAT IN BOLD STAGING The stage is set with beautiful poetry. The angel Peri has been banished from Paradise and cannot return until she has found three gifts to the Creator's liking that...
★★★★☆☆ REVIEW MJ: MICHAEL JACKSON MUSICAL DIVIDES OPINION
MJ • HAMBORG ★★★★☆☆ REVIEW MJ: MICHAEL JACKSON MUSICAL DIVIDES OPINION The Michael Jackson myth sparkles like diamonds and is simply too valuable to leave untouched, despite heartfelt attempts to kick The King of Pop out of music history with a boot in the backside...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW MINUS 16: BERLIN STATE BALLET BREAKS THE CODE
BERLIN STAATSBALLET • DEUTSCHE OPER ★★★★★☆ REVIEW MINUS 16: BERLIN STATE BALLET BREAKS THE CODE Germany's capital is blessed with its Staatsballet, which, led by the outstanding Christian Spuck, offers modern dance that breaks the code and opens up a narrow genre to a...
★★★★☆☆ REVIEW WAGNER’S RING: BIG IDEAS MEET BIG MONEY IN BERLIN
WAGNER'S RING • STAATSOPER BERLIN ★★★★☆☆ REVIEW WAGNER'S RING: BIG IDEAS MEET BIG MONEY IN BERLIN With a strong, albeit not entirely watertight conceptual idea and fabulous stage design, Russian director Dmitri Tcherniakov surprises the discerning Berlin audience with...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR BERLIN: ROCK SHOW FROM HEAVEN
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR • TEMPELHOF HANGAR 4 ★★★★★☆ REVIEW JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR BERLIN: ROCK SHOW FROM HEAVEN With Jesus Christ Superstar, the then unknown duo Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice hammered the rock musical into popular culture. This landmark work from...
★★★★★★ REVIEW HOTEL METAMORPHOSIS: BARRIE KOSKY STRIKES AGAIN
HOTEL METAMORPHOSIS • SALZBURG FESTSPIELE 2025 ★★★★★★ REVIEW HOTEL METAMORPHOSIS: BARRIE KOSKY STRIKES AGAIN Barrie Kosky strikes again! After three years of preparation, the greatest director of our time has unleashed a masterpiece of an opera performance in Salzburg...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW THREE SISTERS: DESPERATE MODERNIST CHAOS OPERA HIGHLIGHT IN SALZBURG
THREE SISTERS • SALZBURG FESTSPIELE 2025 ★★★★★☆ Photo: Monika Rittershaus REVIEW THREE SISTERS: DESPERATE MODERNIST CHAOS OPERA HIGHLIGHT IN SALZBURG Three Sisters is a play by Chekhov, which Hungarian composer Peter Eötvös has adapted into a modernist chaos opera. In...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW MARIA STUARDA: TOP SOPRANOS IN AN ABSTRACT SALZBURG CATFIGHT
MARIA STUARDA • SALZBURG FESTSPIELE 2025 ★★★★★☆ REVIEW MARIA STUARDA: TOP SOPRANOS IN AN ABSTRACT SALZBURG CATFIGHT Top sopranos in a wildly spectacular, abstract catfight take the stage at the Großes Festspielhaus when Donizetti's Tudor drama about power and love...
★★★☆☆☆ REVIEW GIULIO CESARE IN EGITTO: BUNKER THRILLER IN SALZBURG
JULIUS CESAR • SALZBURG FESTSPIELE 2025 ★★★☆☆☆ REVIEW GIULIO CESARE IN EGITTO: BUNKER THRILLER IN SALZBURG Short after having you taken your seat at the Haus Für Mozart at the Salzburg Opera Festival wailing alarm sirens shatter the expectant atmosphere and sharp...
★★★★☆☆ REVIEW THE MASTERSINGERS: WAGNER – THE MUSICAL
MASTERSINGERS • BAYREUTH 2025 ★★★★☆☆ Photo: Enrico Nawrath REVIEW THE MASTERSINGERS: WAGNER - THE MUSICAL This year's new production at the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth is a spectacle of enormous proportions. The daring German director Matthias Davids has staged Die...
★★★★☆☆ REVIEW LOHENGRIN: WAGNER BLUES IN BAYREUTH
LOHENGRIN • BAYREUTH 2025 ★★★★☆☆ REVIEW LOHENGRIN: WAGNER BLUES IN BAYREUTH Top conductor Christian Thielemann opens the Bayreuth Festival's production of Lohengrin with an immensely well-played overture, which unfolds in thunderous darkness and hints at a number of...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW TOSCA: WELL-CRAFTED COPENHAGEN CROWDPLEASER
TOSCA • OPERAEN ★★★★★☆ REVIEW TOSCA: WELL-CRAFTED COPENHAGEN CROWDPLEASER Kasper Holten's eagerly awaited staging of Puccini's masterpiece Tosca is a well-crafted crowdpleaser with surprising, intelligent touches and impressive sets that leave the audience breathless...
★★★★☆☆ REVIEW LOUISE: ELSA DRESIG SHINES AT THE FESTIVAL D’AIX-EN-PROVENCE
LOUISE • AIX-EN-PROVENCE ★★★★☆☆ REVIEW LOUISE: ELSA DRESIG SHINES AT THE FESTIVAL D’AIX-EN-PROVENCE Elsa Dresig is outstanding in the title role of the French signature opera Louise in Christof Loy’s production at the iconic open-air theatre in Aix-en-Provence....
★★★★★☆ REVIEW DON GIOVANNI: SERIAL VIOLATOR IN A NEW ORIGINAL TWIST
DON GIOVANNI • AIX-EN-PROVENCE ★★★★★☆ Photo: Monika Rittershaus REVIEW DON GIOVANNI: SERIAL VIOLATOR IN A NEW ORIGINAL TWIST English director Robert Icke delivers a visually impressive, provocative staging of Don Giovanni at the festival in Aix-en-Provence, where...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW DON GIOVANNI: A STUNNING, CONFUSING REINTERPRETATION
DON GIOVANNI • MUNICH ★★★★★☆ REVIEW DON GIOVANNI: A STUNNING, CONFUSING REINTERPRETATION German director David Herman is risking his nose with a stunning reinterpretation of Don Giovanni at the Munich Staatsoper. An insistently different production of Mozart's classic...
★★★★☆☆ REVIEW THE REGIMENT’S DAUGHTER: STARS ON STAGE LIFT LIGHT OPERA COMEDY
THE REGIMENT'S DAUGHTER • MUNICH ★★★★☆☆ REVIEW THE REGIMENT'S DAUGHTER: STARS ON STAGE LIFT LIGHT OPERA COMEDY International opera stars and breathless choral movements in outstanding performances adorn Damiano Michieletto's production of The Daughter of the Regiment...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW SPHERES 03: FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS
SPHERES 03 • MÜNCHEN ★★★★★☆ REVIEW SPHERES 03: FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS Munich's Opera Festival celebrates its 150th anniversary in summer 2025. The festival offers a string of popular operas but also provides entertainment with high-quality modern dance. In the third...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW AUTOGRAPHS: THREE TOP CHOREOGRAPHERS TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY IN ZURICH
AUTOGRAPHS • ZÜRICH ★★★★★☆ REVIEW AUTOGRAPHS: THREE TOP CHOREOGRAPHERS TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY IN ZURICH Twice before, modern dance has taken my breath away at the Zurich Opera House. Now it has happened again. The triple bill Autographs, featuring signature works by...
★★★★☆☆ REVIEW SALOME: SPACY RETRO SCI-FI IN ZURICH
SALOME • OPER ZÜRICH ★★★★☆☆ REVIEW SALOME: SPACY RETRO SCI-FI IN ZURICH Top soprano Elena Stikhina is impressively powerful in Zurich, where popular director and opera director Andreas Homoki bids farewell with a revival of his avant-garde retro sci-fi interpretation...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW SIEGFRIED: REFRESHING CLARITY WITHOUT CREATIVE PROVOCATION AT LA SCALA
SIEGFRIED • TEATRO ALLA SCALA MILANO ★★★★★☆ REVIEW SIEGFRIED: REFRESHING CLARITY WITHOUT CREATIVE PROVOCATION AT LA SCALA Wagner's Ring continues in David McVicar's stylish production at La Scala in Milan, where the audience is treated to an admirable cast with Klaus...
★★★★★☆ REVIEW SONOMA: POWERFUL, LYRICAL AND VISUALLY GRAND
SONOMA • ØSTRE GASVÆRK ★★★★★☆ REVIEW SONOMA: POWERFUL, LYRICAL AND VISUALLY GRAND The hyped Spanish choreographer Marcos Morau brings down Østre Gasværk with his new dance performance SONOMA, in which nine female dancers in sublime staging treat the audience to a...
