If Mr Barkhatov’s staging made light work of the Simon Boccanegra libretto’s complexities, it was Mr Bignamini’s unforced but consistently well-judged reading that allowed Verdi’s score to flourish.

The main attraction was the German première of Mr Salonen’s Sinfonia concertante for organ and orchestra, which was completed and given its first performance (in Katowice) only six days ago.With Olivier Latry on the Karl Schuke organ of the Philharmonie and spirited direction from the composer himself, the new work provided a compelling centrepiece to an evening that never lacked excitement.

It was neither the spirited playing of the orchestra, the enthusiasm of the singers, nor even the restrained splendour of the staging that could claim sole responsibility for the success of the production: it was rather the perfect balance between its various elements that transformed this 'Mitridate' into a subtle, stylish, and thoroughly engaging evening

If 'Rheingold' is a purely mythological spectacular, 'Walküre' marks the beginning of the cycle’s shift in the direction of human drama, and in place of continuous set changes, Mr Tcherniakov devoted his energies to extended scenes examining the passions and madnesses that drive the characters

It was a good weekend for Mahler fans in Berlin.Only two nights after the Berlin Philharmonic kicked off their season with a performance of the Seventh, the 2022 edition of Musikfest Berlin got underway with the Sixth, performed by Amsterdam’s Concertgebouworkest under the direction of their future chief conductor Klaus Mäkelä

Una producción escénica bastante fría y arbitraria que recibió una mezcla de abucheos y aplausos.El telón transparente estuvo siempre bajado aunque no hubiera proyecciones, por lo que todo lo que se visualiza en la escena resulta un tanto apagado, como visto a través de un velo que difumina ciertas luces y aristas, pero que también provoca una inevitable sensación de alejamiento y desconexión: es como si viéramos la tragedia de Salomé en una vieja película rescatada de algún recóndito archivo.

If Turandot is still viewed as a problematic work, its reputation may be due less to its setting or its unfinished state than to the implausibility of its conclusion: the cruel pride of Turandot and the selfish obsession of Calaf exist in such violent opposition to one another that any ending which suggests the possibility of redemption through love will necessarily ring false

The new production of Don Giovanni at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden has a magnificent cast.The quality of the performances, however, must be weighed against that of the staging.