David Mellor

This Orpheus And Eurydice is the first of four Orpheus-themed operas running at the Coliseum this autumn, in which English National Opera is taking formidable artistic and financial risks.

Benoît Jacquot’s traditional and well-observed production of Massenet’s Werther, with charming sets by Charles Edwards, returns for its third revival, exceptionally well conducted by Ed Gardner.

With this Flute, Glyndebourne betrays this history. Musically, apart from Brindley Sherratt’s imposing Sarastro, it’s truly second-rate.

Who’s complaining when it returns as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as this one. The production is further improved by some first-class singing and some excellent conducting from Alexander Joel – half-brother of Billy, would you believe.

Billy Budd is a great masterpiece... Sad that Covent Garden hasn't put it on for 20 years but even sadder that it could, and should, have been so much better.

This opening night was in the best ‘the show must go on’ tradition. The original Marguerite, the innocent seduced and then dumped by Faust under instruction from the Devil, withdrew with a slipped disc.

Unlike so many modern opera directors, who regard the plot as a nuisance to be supplanted with their own ideas, Jones and his team are totally faithful to Janácek’s intentions, and they produce an evening that no opera-lover should miss.

Hanna Hipp is an engagingly boyish Hansel, and Christina Gansch a delightful Dew Fairy, complete with watering can. But the Irish soprano Jennifer Davis makes not the slightest effort to be a girly Gretel, and Gerhard Siegel’s Witch is a disaster.

This time, some of the singing is a bit better, though Kosky’s concept, ripping Carmen from its context and making much of it look like an episode of Strictly Come Dancing, remains as perverse as ever.

Conductor Antonio Pappano shows what an outstanding Wagnerian he is... but what a pity about the casting in this uneven foray into The Ring.

Hallelujah! This is a production that enhances rather than detracts from the opera.

This is Anna Netrebko’s show, and she doesn’t disappoint.

It may be Hipermestra's first show in 359 years, but it's still too soon - thanks to a dull first half and unnecessarily extravagant staging.