LONDON—The sun shines brightly in Australia during December, but this account of Schubert’s chilling (and chilly) masterpiece in song, first seen and heard in Sydney earlier this year, practically froze the stage when it reached a … » Read

The audience perches on barstools or lolls on padded ottomans and low-slung couches, diverted by dreamy projections on multiple screens and cocktails they’re free to sip during the show. Performances begin at a fashionable 9 pm. … » Read

This season is contralto-cum-conductor Nathalie Stutzmann’s first as music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and has thus far drawn an ambivalent response from the local music critic. Her third appearance on the podium—for a … » Read

At 26, Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä, who made his New York Philharmonic debut last week, is a year older than Leonard Bernstein was when he first appeared with the orchestra, as a replacement for Bruno Walter in a broadcast … » Read

MILAN--Given the tragic war in Ukraine, the choice of Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov to open the season of Italy’s leading opera house would seem unfortunate. But opera bookings are made years in advance; not even a moving plea from … » Read

LONDON--Given its recent woes, it was heartening to feel the love for English National Opera at this December 8 concert performance of Benjamin Britten’s Gloriana . Not only did the company receive several rounds of applause before the … » Read

MILAN--Francesco Cavalli composed Eliogabalo in 1667, intending to premiere it during the Venetian Carnival  the following year. That never happened. In fact, it would take over 300 years for the opera to first see the light of day, in 1999 … » Read

MILAN—On Nov. 26, Naples’s famed the Teatro di San Carlo was due to open its season with a highly anticipated new production of Don Carlo , staged by Claus Guth before an illustrious audience including Italy’s foreign and … » Read

Rafael Payare, a conductor on the rise, made his debut with the New York Philharmonic last week and brought with him a work never before played by the orchestra. This in itself would not be particularly unusual, except that the work was a … » Read

LONDON—John Wilson and his resurrected Sinfonia of London have been gathering numerous plaudits over the four brief years of their existence, albeit mostly for work on disc. This December 2 live outing at London’s Barbican Center was … » Read