Stealing fire Stealing fire

Esa-Pekka Salonen and The Los Angeles Philharmonic serve a feast for all five senses.

I wanna be the one to walk in the sun I wanna be the one to walk in the sun

Two recent Paminas feature in concerts at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.

Swing and miss Swing and miss

The oddball pairing of Bernie Williams and Jonathan Tetelman doesn’t quite knock it out of the park at Carnegie Hall.

Nun the wiser Nun the wiser

Sarah Kirkland Snider’s Hildegard gives the Middle Ages the Bridgerton treatment at the Prototype Festival.

Strangeness in the proportion Strangeness in the proportion

A pairing of rarities makes for an inspired evening with the Brooklyn Art Song Society.

Lucky those people who are so anxious to believe Lucky those people who are so anxious to believe

A high-drama Vanessa by the Boston Symphony Orchestra offers something to believe in.

Dad, I’m seria Dad, I’m seria

Sir Simon Rattle and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra strike (almost) all the right notes in their new recording of Mozart’s Idomeneo.

Settling scores Settling scores

Tobias Kratzer digs beneath the surface of Strauss‘s Intermezzo in an excellent new DVD from Deutsche Oper Berlin.

Doublet trouble Doublet trouble

A messy new I puritani at the Met is a historic and historical disappointment.

The offal truth The offal truth

“Call me traditional, but I want to see a silver platter!”

O stars of wonder, stars of night O stars of wonder, stars of night

A starry (and potentially annual) Christmas gala lights up Carnegie Hall.

Reduce, reuse, recycle Reduce, reuse, recycle

Global warming meets the cool factor in The Seasons.

<em>Contes</em> stop won’t stop <em>Contes</em> stop won’t stop

Juan Diego Flórez and Damiano Michieletto concoct an absinthe-fueled fever dream in a new DVD from The Royal Ballet and Opera and Opusarte.

Life in the Faust lane Life in the Faust lane

Théâtre de l’Athénée Louis-Jouvet mounts a raucous production of Hervé’s Le petit Faust. 

Better the devil you know Better the devil you know

America’s own Faust gets a compelling operatic treatment, courtesy of DC’s IN Series

Capital punishment Capital punishment

A patchy production and musical performance can’t dull the edge of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny at the Komische Oper Berlin

Saint-Ex marks the spot Saint-Ex marks the spot

Washington National Opera’s holiday presentation of The Little Prince, based on the classic French novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, showcased the company’s Cafritz Young Artists

I listen to the wind of my soul I listen to the wind of my soul

Washington Concert Opera began its 39th season last month with Christoph Willibald Gluck’s late masterpiece Iphigénie en Tauride.

When Pushkin comes to shove When Pushkin comes to shove

An incoherent production of Ruslan and Lyudmila at the Hamburg State Opera may dispense with the fantastical, but Glinka‘s magic remains.

Old friends, new friends Old friends, new friends

Les Arts Florissants present two ravishing programs in Brooklyn and Manhattan. 

Now I’m an old believer Now I’m an old believer

Big voices overwhelm Claus Guth‘s toothless staging of Khovanshchina at the Berlin Staatsoper.

<i>Carmen</i>, again? <i>Carmen</i>, again?

Gulfshore Opera’s vigorous production of Carmen answers a familiar question.

Psyché’d up Psyché’d up

It would be difficult to find a better description for Ambroise Thomas’s newly-recovered Psyché, recently heard in a new recording from Palazzetto Bru Zane, than the one uttered by her suitors: “Charmante Psyché!”

All the fine young cannibals All the fine young cannibals

Offenbach‘s Robinson Crusoé is salvaged from obscurity.