This was Humperdinck out of the imagination of ETA Hoffmann, a doomy and psychologically unstable atmosphere where a lot of nightmarish things can happen
Mondtag’s picture-book story-telling indulges fully in the implications, but toys with the funny side in a rather coy way that never really catches fire
Martin Mayer’s shiny, new production, it turns out, is almost every bit as grand and conventional as was Sonja Frisell’s in 1988
A terrific Mimì and multi-layered Musetta bring Puccini's love story to life
Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads a captivating revival of Herbert Wernicke's iconic production
Re-released by Decca with bells and whistles, this would make a sumptuous gift
'Every number is considered and he takes care to colour his voice to match the mood, generally with success as he sings across five languages.'
What you lose in true operatic punch is repaid in spades by the most sheerly enjoyable, least boring outpouring of heart-thrilling late romanticism ever penned
Thielemann injected pace and clarity of line into the score – even if he didn’t iron out all its longueurs – and drew tremendous playing from the orchestra
The Versailles production is a masterclass in how historically-informed stagings can succeed
Three 20th Century operas are presented in great style at the London conservatoire
Mike Leigh’s 2015 production gets on with the job, which is no bad thing, but a sense of originality is missing
Ceresa’s over-embellishment of the opera’s extreme elements align with the ambitions of a composer at the height of his powers
Oper Köln’s Nabucco should serve as a reminder of what can be achieved when the full resources of a company are allowed to shine
A stellar cast propels this 2005 revival of Puccini's iconic melodrama
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