Rock, star Rock, star

The centerpiece of Janácek’s Jenufa was the performance of Karita Mattila as the murderous Kostelnicka.

Heart in darkness Heart in darkness

>The Crypt Sessions, in collaboration with On Site Opera, presented the world premiere of Gregg Kallor’s The Tell-Tale Heart

Rooting for the underdoge Rooting for the underdoge

“Take a good deal of trouble with it, because it is a fine subject, delicate and full of pathos.”

Higher and higher Higher and higher

The good news is that the first concert was devoted to the exceptional artistry of Lawrence Brownlee.

You can’t hide your lion eyes You can’t hide your lion eyes

The UK’s first-ever production of Poliuto, now available from Opus Arte on DVD, set the lions of Rome among the lambs of Glyndebourne.

Mark, missed Mark, missed

Thoughtless direction stifled the epic drama.

‘Tis new to thee ‘Tis new to thee

Donizetti’s bel canto masterpiece Lucia di Lammermoor returned to Chicago Lyric Opera on Saturday evening.

Better call Saul Better call Saul

Director Barrie Kosky’s Glyndebourne 2015 production of Handel’s 1739 oratorio Saul (released on Opus Arte DVD) shows imagination as well as a strong cast and design team.

Future imperfect Future imperfect

This year’s treat was Vittorio Gnecchi’s Cassandra, completed around 1905

Period piece Period piece

Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s production of L’Italiana in Algeri for the Met remains steadfastly ignorant of postcolonial theory.

A new beginning A new beginning

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2016-17 season got off to an exciting start on Saturday night with Wagner’s Das Rheingold.

Park and bark Park and bark

Like Orest, I return to this house.

Geopolitics Italian style Geopolitics Italian style

How Verdi’s opera might address this particular nightmare was unclear.

No view from the bridge No view from the bridge

Mariusz Trelinski unveiled a rather gloomy, though musically satisfying, Tristan und Isolde.

New waves New waves

Missy Mazzoli, a 36-year-old composer from Brooklyn, has created the most startling and moving new American opera in memory.

Crazy stupid love Crazy stupid love

Well, that didn’t last long.

Comeback thane Comeback thane

The characters get right down to work immediately with their foul deeds.

The upper depths The upper depths

The Teatro di San Carlo in Naples is a pearl itself and this presentation proffers some of the best that company has to offer.

Guilt and pleasure Guilt and pleasure

Ambivalent is how I feel about Cosí fan tutte.

One finger exercise One finger exercise

David Lang is, per The New Yorker, a “postminimalist enfant terrible.”

Cuts like a knife Cuts like a knife

You may wonder what Rachmaninoff’s Aleko and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci have in common.

Bella come un tramonto Bella come un tramonto

With the performance of Dessì we move onto a different plane than the other singers.

Mighty real Mighty real

Anna Netrebko‘s artistry is both subtle and thrilling.

That’s how they did it That’s how they did it

Idomeneo proved enormously moving while a much more complicated Così fan Tutte went for shallow romantic hijinks stripping that work of its darkly ambiguous disturbing view of love.