Ottorino Respighi's 'mystery in three episodes', Maria egiziaca, started out as a concert triptych. It's intensely dramatic and at times symphonic qualities give it a character somewhere between an oratorio and an opera. Based on the life of Saint Mary of Egypt, the archaic story of Maria egiziaca revolves around faith seen through it's various characters, with Maria's journey from prostitution to sainthood conveyed as an expressive and eloquently immediate musical fresco. This Teatro La Fenice production of Respighi's profoundly moving and deeply sensuous stage work was critically acclaimed.

Don Quixote was created by the master choreographer Marius Petipa, together with the composer Ludwig Minkus, for the Imperial Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow in 1869. Marking the 400th anniversary of Cervantes’s death, Don Quixote is here seen in the revised version by Nureyev which the French choreographer Manuel Legris – once a noted Basil himself in his days as an “étoile” in Nureyev’s Paris troupe – devised for the Wiener Staatsballett. “A Don Quixote to love … Legris and company can count the evening a total success” (Die Presse). As for the two principals, Maria Yakovleva and Denys Cherevychko as Kitri and Basil, no praise was high enough: “both are technically brilliant” (Wiener Zeitung).

Teeming with comedy, wit and an abundance of bravura choreography, Carlos Acosta's production brings the Spanish heat and romance of Miguel de Cervantes' classic novel Don Quixote to life. Often regarded as the first modern novel, Cervantes' epic regales the chivalrous adventures of the eccentric nobleman Don Quixote (Gary Avis) and his faithful squire Sancho Panza (Liam Boswell). The ballet focuses on one of their adventures, where they help to bring a vivacious young couple, Kitri (Mayara Magri) and Basilio (Matthew Ball), together.

The Teatro La Fenice opened in 1792 and is one of the most renowned and most beautiful theaters in the world. First performed in 2004, the New Year's Concert at Venice's Teatro La Fenice celebrates it's 20th anniversary in 2024 with an extravagant program. Conducted by Maestro Fabio Luisi, this prestigious event features an exquisite blend of symphonic works and operatic masterpieces, including arias from operas such as Tosca, La traviata, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot. Accompanied by beautiful ballet interludes and a lively tribute to the 70th anniversary of Italian television, soprano Eleonora Buratto and tenor Fabio Sartori shine on stage and ring in the New Year with a burst of joyous brilliance.

The premiere of Adolphe Adam's 'Giselle' in Paris on 28 June 1841 was an absolute triumph, and it has been considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon ever since. The theme of 'Giselle,' impossible love, is relevant to all times and cultures. Giselle believes she has found her true love in Albrecht, but he is not the person she thought he was - in fact, he is engaged to someone else. Albrecht's love for Giselle has fatal consequences, but even in death Giselle is still capable of love and forgiveness. This Dutch National Ballet production by Rachel Beaujean and Ricardo Bustamante breathes new life into 'Giselle' while remaining true to the original, combining stunning sets and costumes with ethereal beauty.

The premiere of Adolphe Adam's Giselle' in Paris on 28 June 1841 was an absolute triumph, and it has been considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon ever since. The theme of 'Giselle,' impossible love, is relevant to all times and cultures. Giselle believes she has found her true love in Albrecht, but he is not the person she thought he was - in fact, he is engaged to someone else. Albrecht's love for Giselle has fatal consequences, but even in death Giselle is still capable of love and forgiveness. This Dutch National Ballet production by Rachel Beaujean and Ricardo Bustamante breathes new life into 'Giselle' while remaining true to the original, combining stunning sets and costumes with ethereal beauty.

The Staatsoper Berlin presents a new production of Mozart's early masterpiece Mitridate, re di Ponto. This captivating tale of love, power and betrayal revolves around a king and his two sons who vie for the love of the same woman. Under the baton of Marc Minkowski, Les Musiciens du Louvre bring fresh energy and nuance to Mozart's intricate opera seria, while the all-star cast shines with an impressive vocal range. In a staging where different worlds converge, director Satoshi Miyagi and his Japanese production team have created an atmosphere that is nothing short of magical. "Marc Minkowski and his brilliant orchestra Les Musiciens du Louvre [...] a real coup." (Tagesspiegel) "Singing feats of brilliance!" (Berliner Zeitung)

Internationally celebrated as both a soloist and conductor, Florian Krumpock has more than proven his outstanding capability in the international concert scene. Appointed as one of the youngest music directors in German history in 2011, Krump. Ck characteristically masters a broad variety of opera and concert literature as well as a wide piano repertoire, and particularly enthralls his audiences with his double role as a soloist and as a conductor. "Forget Lang Lang and Arcadi Volodos. There are highly virtuoso keyboard tigers in Austria, too", was the verdict of the daily newspaper Die Presse on the pianist's solo debut at the Vienna Konzerthaus. The son of a cellist and an art historian, Krump. Ck counted Rudolf Buchbinder, Gerhard Oppitz and Elisabeth Leonskaja among his teachers at an early age, some of the most important pianist personalities of our time. Sir Peter Ustinov presented the young musician to a wide audience early on. After an audition, no less a person than Daniel Barenboim judged him simply "a wonderful pianist" and thus paved the way for a promising international career.

The Staatsoper Berlin presents a new production of Mozart's early masterpiece Mitridate, re di Ponto. This captivating tale of love, power and betrayal revolves around a king and his two sons who vie for the love of the same woman. Under the baton of Marc Minkowski, Les Musiciens du Louvre bring fresh energy and nuance to Mozart's intricate opera seria, while the all-star cast shines with an impressive vocal range. In a staging where different worlds converge, director Satoshi Miyagi and his Japanese production team have created an atmosphere that is nothing short of magical. "Marc Minkowski and his brilliant orchestra Les Musiciens du Louvre [...] a real coup." (Tagesspiegel) "Singing feats of brilliance!" (Berliner Zeitung)

The oratorio Theodora was first performed at the Covent Garden Theatre on 16 March 1750 and clearly took Londoners by surprise. Handel had, after all, made a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn in his choice of subject. The grandiose episodes of the Old Testament, the glorious struggles of Solomon, Saul, or Judas Maccabaeus are no more: the young martyr Theodora leads neither a community nor troops into battle. In a work far removed from the grand spectacle of biblical oratorios, Handel invites us to witness the poignant tale of a personal drama, a drama of the beginnings of Christianity fuelled by conscience, faith, and the heartbreak that they cause.

This new production of Tosca from Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is set in the late 1920s. Puccini's 'Roman Opera' sees a city bathed in majesty but also curdled by eroticism and sadism, where sartorial elegance and pathological violence co-exist. Taking visual clues from Bernardo Bertolucci's cinematic masterpiece, Il conformista, the cast is led by the passionate Vanessa Goikoetxea and features the magnetic Alexey Markov in the role of Scarpia. Daniele Gatti directs a performance praised for it's 'courageous and surprising' impact.

Bull's eye, Carl Maria von Weber triumphantly wrote to his librettist Friedrich Kind after the enthusiastically received world premiere of Der Freischutz in 1821 in Berlin. With it's emotional and gripping music, it soon became the epitome of German Romantic opera. As one of the most popular operas in the German-speaking world, Der Freischutz has now been staged on the Seebuhne for the first time under the lead of director and stage designer Philipp Stolzl and conductor-in-residence Enrique Mazzola. The two teamed up again in Bregenz following their phenomenal success with Verdi's Rigoletto. "The staging is overwhelming" (Suddeutsche Zeitung). "A small theatre miracle is taking place in Bregenz" (Der Tagesspiegel). BONUS: A Winter's Tale: Inside 'Der Freischutz' at Bregenzer Festspiele

A century after it's world premiere at Teatro all Scala under Arturo Toscanini, conductor Francesco Cilluffo opened the 2024 season of the Teatro Lirico in Cagliari with this acclaimed production of Arrigo Boito's rarely performed Nerone. Set in Rome and focusing on Nero during a time of conflict between belief in Roman Gods and Christianity, Boito's opera displays a forward-looking harmonic palette with an eloquent and masterly handling of large orchestral forces.

Ernani is a gripping drama about love and revenge by Giuseppe Verdi. Written in his unique style it brims with poignant arias, rousing choruses and enthralling ensemble scenes. The rebel leader Ernani recognises his father's murderer in the Spanish King Carlo and seeks revenge on him. Both men love Elvira - as does old Silva whom she is to be married to... Director Lotte de Beer and her set and costume designer Christof Hetzer devote themselves to the fictional plot which bears references to the 16th century. They demonstrate their rich scenic imagination in this production, conducted by Enrique Mazzola who "provides musically magic moments at the stand of the Wiener Symphoniker" (Schwabische Zeitung). "Great singers, fiery music and an action-packed staging" (Allgauer Zeitung). "A mixture of Tarantino's 'Kill Bill' and Monty Python's 'The Knights of the Coconut'." (Deutschlandfunk)

Ernani is a gripping drama about love and revenge by Giuseppe Verdi. Written in his unique style it brims with poignant arias, rousing choruses and enthralling ensemble scenes. The rebel leader Ernani recognises his father's murderer in the Spanish King Carlo and seeks revenge on him. Both men love Elvira - as does old Silva whom she is to be married to... Director Lotte de Beer and her set and costume designer Christof Hetzer devote themselves to the fictional plot which bears references to the 16th century. They demonstrate their rich scenic imagination in this production, conducted by Enrique Mazzola who "provides musically magic moments at the stand of the Wiener Symphoniker" (Schwabische Zeitung). "Great singers, fiery music and an action-packed staging" (Allgauer Zeitung). "A mixture of Tarantino's 'Kill Bill' and Monty Python's 'The Knights of the Coconut'." (Deutschlandfunk)

Axel K�hler's production of Der Freisch�tz at the Dresden State Opera was described by Die Presse as "a minor miracle in Dresden". In the words of the Salzburger Nachrichten, K�hler "scored a bulleye" with his sombre and satanic interpretation of Weber's Romantic opera about love, temptation, souls sold to the Devil, obsession and faith. According to the Financial Times, Christian Thielemann and the Dresden Staatskapelle conjured up a sense of "mortal terror from the orchestra pit. [...] Thielemann is in command of every detail. That makes for utterly gripping listening."

Arrigo Boito is remembered today for his only completed opera Mefistofele. The score for Nerone was left unfinished at the composer's death - a performing version was completed by the composers Vincenzo Tommasini and Antonio Smareglia, along with Arturo Toscanini who conducted the world premiere at Teatro alla Scala in 1924. The narrative focuses on Emperor Nero during a time of conflict between beliefs in Imperial Roman gods and Christianity, and ends with tragic dramas amidst the Great Fire of Rome. With influences that include Wagner and Sibelius, Boito's rarely performed Nerone uses a truly exciting harmonic palette delivered through a masterly handling of huge orchestral forces.

Torn between her desire of a life of splendour and riches and her devotion to her true love Des Grieux (Reece Clarke), the alluring and capricious Manon (Natalia Osipova) pays the ultimate price. MacMillan's adaptation of Abbe Prevost's novel L'Histoire du Chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut?embodies his acute insight into human psychology and his mastery of narrative choreography. This is MacMillan at his best; finding full expression in the impassioned duets of the central couple, visceral and urgent in their desire.

Torn between her desire of a life of splendour and riches and her devotion to her true love Des Grieux (Reece Clarke), the alluring and capricious Manon (Natalia Osipova) pays the ultimate price. MacMillan's adaptation of Abbe Prevost's novel L'Histoire du Chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut?embodies his acute insight into human psychology and his mastery of narrative choreography. This is MacMillan at his best; finding full expression in the impassioned duets of the central couple, visceral and urgent in their desire.

Barthold Heinrich Brockes was an influential German poet who added reflective and descriptive poetry into the texture of his Passion. Among several musical settings, the most famous is the one by Handel. This acclaimed staged version transports Handel's Brockes Passion into the opera house, widening the work's historical narrative to embrace the creation of the world, bringing a message of human greed and destruction into direct contact with the present day. The Handelfestspielorchester Halle, on period instruments, is conducted by Michael Hofstetter.

Influential German poet Barthold Heinrich Brockes reinvented the Passion oratorio tradition, transforming it's textures into a much-admired poetic meditation that took hold of the imagination of many German Baroque composers. Of several settings Handel's is by far the most famous, creating an eloquent and moving score from his friend's libretto. This acclaimed staged version directed by Walter Sutcliffe extends the vision of the original by asking fundamental questions about the evolution of mankind and it's dangerous implications for planet Earth.

Teatro La Fenice has a tradition of opera production that goes back to 1792. This collection brings all of the live atmosphere and drama of six operatic masterpieces from a theatre that has seen more than it's fair share of historic premieres. This set includes the 19th-century romance of Bizet's Les pecheurs de perles, the intense drama of Verdi's Luisa Miller, Britten's hauntingly understated Death In Venice, Massenet's tragic tale of love and redemption in Tha�s, Wagner's final opera Parsifal and Korngold's Die tote Stadt, one of the great operatic successes of the 1920s. An entire century's worth of opera can be seen and heard in these acclaimed productions from Venice's legendary venue.

Johann Strau's Die Fledermaus (The Bat) has been part of the Bayerische Staatsoper's repertoire since 1895 and has always been performed there by star-studded casts. In December 2023, the curtain rose on a spectacular new production of this piece. Director Barrie Kosky gave the "operetta of all operettas" a new look: a society, an entire city dances towards the abyss in a colourful, lavish set (stage design: Rebecca Ringst, costumes: Klaus Bruns). The setting is Vienna, the city of the golden operetta era, where Die Fledermaus premiered in 1874. A volcano boils beneath the glamour of feather boas and tutus. Not only for Gabriel von Eisenstein, the bat's revenge becomes a nightmare when, during a glittering masked ball at the residence of Prince Orlofsky, a fake marquis and a fake chevalier, an alleged Hungarian countess and plenty of budding artists meet for a raucous party. Glasses are clinking, relationships are shaken, there are lies, there is love, and dancing (choreography: Otto Pichler). The people celebrate while they still can, true to the motto: "Happy is the one who forgets". General Music Director Vladimir Jurowski - in his third new Munich production together with Barrie Kosky - brings new aspects of the score to the fore. Diana Damrau makes her role debut as Rosalinde, Georg Nigl interprets her husband Gabriel von Eisenstein, Katharina Konradi appears as Adele and Martin Winkler as Frank; other roles feature Markus Bruck (Dr. Falke), Sean Panikkar (Alfred), Kevin Conners (Dr. Blind) and Miriam Neumaier (Ida). The actor Franz Josef Strohmeier and the tap dancer Max Pollak, among others, play the six-fold frog.

Initially composed for performance during the season of Lent, Donizetti's Il diluvio universale ('The Great Flood') takes a Biblical story and mixes it with the human nature of the main characters, creating a uniquely intense drama. Performed here with a stellar cast in it's acclaimed 2023 revival at the Festival Donizetti in Bergamo, this production transports Donizetti's opera into the present day. In this staging collective and individual destinies are interwoven, urging us to reflect on issues such as the environmental crisis and climate change.

Initially composed for performance during the season of Lent, Donizetti's Il diluvio universale ('The Great Flood') takes a Biblical story and mixes it with the human nature of the main characters, creating a uniquely intense drama. Performed here with a stellar cast in it's acclaimed 2023 revival at the Festival Donizetti in Bergamo, this production transports Donizetti's opera into the present day. In this staging collective and individual destinies are interwoven, urging us to reflect on issues such as the environmental crisis and climate change.