Tim Ashley

Tobias Kratzer’s new staging rips Beethoven’s only opera in two to bring contemporary resonance but little of the composer’s original vision, but the singing is superb.

Anthony Gregory is the sullen, attractive Cégeste, and Nicky Spence is in fine voice as Heurtebise, wooing Sarah Tynan’s put upon, fretful Eurydice with restrained ardour. It all adds up to stylish, at times disquieting entertainment, beautifully done.

Terfel sounds wonderful and is deeply touching as the elderly bachelor in Damiano Michieletto’s overly fussy, modern-dress staging.

Joyce DiDonato gives one of her finest performances in Barrie Kosky’s witty and unnerving staging of Handel’s opera of political manipulation in ancient Rome.

The tenor broods eloquently in this revival of Benoît Jacquot’s staging of the Massenet opera, while Edward Gardner successfully navigates the emotional complexities of the score.

Singing Marguerite with only a few hours notice, Mandy Fredrich made a memorable and accomplished house debut in this taut revival of David McVicar’s wonderful production.

Christof Loy cannot quite bring Verdi’s ungainly drama together but Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko and Antonio Pappano force their operatic flair to the fore.

Musically, however, the evening is simply stunning. Majeski, in one of the finest house debuts of recent years, sings with remarkable commitment and radiance of tone, probing Kát’a’s tortured psyche and crises of conscience with unflinching veracity.

The mesmerising baritone is entirely convincing in Elijah Moshinsky’s revival of Verdi’s broodingly intense portrait of a man haunted by his past.

Though Lloyd’s take on the work has more than its fair share of irritations, the revival, conducted by Antonio Pappano and wonderfully well cast, is, for the most part, musically formidable.

If Krzysztof Warlikowski’s staging loses focus at points, outstanding performances and Mark Wigglesworth’s conducting ensure this is a compelling evening.

Musically, meanwhile, things are uneven. Goryachova and Meli are more convincing in the later scenes as their relationship sours, than earlier on when we don’t quite understand what draws them together.

In the pit, Alexander Joel admirably prefers low-key subtlety to melodramatic extremes, though the cumulative tension slips on occasion.

Outstanding performances by Joyce DiDonato, Lawrence Brownlee and Daniela Barcellona illuminate David Alden’s occasionally cluttered vision of this Rossini rarity.

Alice Coote and Anna Stéphany give exceptional performances in Claus Guth’s intense new production of Mozart’s curious Roman tragedy.