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5 out of 5 stars.
Winterreise review – agony and ecstasy as Bostridge and Drake bring Schubert’s song cycle to dramatic life
5 out of 5 stars.Deborah Warner’s staged version of Winterreise is a powerful and deeply moving piece of theatre -
4 out of 5 stars.The chameleonic rapper and singer plays it both cocky and cute as she squares up to the crowd and bravely ditches some of her biggest hits
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3 out of 5 stars.
The Merry Widow review – De Niese and Olvera are compelling, but camp fun stifles subtlety
3 out of 5 stars.Double entendres, extra dialogue and sight gags ensure that Cal McCrystal’s new staging entertains, but it’s at the expense of emotional power. In the pit, John Wilson is superlative, likewise Germán Olvera’s charismatic Danilo -
4 out of 5 stars.The singer’s voice remains almighty in an intense and sometimes thunderous set, but ultimately what steps out of the tumult is her unswerving humanity
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Billy Corgan’s band are bloated with self-importance, but Rivers Cuomo and company continue to dole out witty power-pop with elan
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3 out of 5 stars.
L’Incoronazione di Poppea review – sexting, dope and toxic masculinity in Monteverdi update
3 out of 5 stars.Director Walter Sutcliffe’s modern-day production of Monteverdi’s take on Emperor Nero scores some hits but as many misses. Musically, though, it is outstanding
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3 out of 5 stars.
Blond Eckbert review – Judith Weir’s bare-bones opera kicks off Aldeburgh festival
3 out of 5 stars.Despite excellent performances from the singers and chamber ensemble, this stripped-back version of the folkloric opera failed to convey the horror of its story -
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4 out of 5 stars.John Luther Adams’ powerful new work grieves for the loss of animals and plants – including with a recreation of extinct birdsong – while asserting that Earth will live on
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4 out of 5 stars.Cecilia Stinton injects a whiff of EM Forster’s A Room With a View to the comic masterpiece’s well-worn plot
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3 out of 5 stars.
Thirty Seconds to Mars review – Jared Leto gives half-empty arena his full attention
3 out of 5 stars.The Hollywood actor may not be the world’s greatest rock star, but his committed, fan-friendly performance has charm
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3 out of 5 stars.With music by John Williams and Gabriela Ortiz, the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Gustavo Dudamel delivered an energetic programme that pushed too hard in places
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4 out of 5 stars.The UK premiere of the composer’s concerto written for Anne-Sophie Mutter was placed alongside two of Stravinsky’s ballet scores in this musically rich and vivid concert
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3 out of 5 stars.The Only Way is Ancient Rome in this retelling of Rameau’s 1745 opera with Samuel Boden captivating in the title role
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4 out of 5 stars.In a sublime concert full of banter, storytelling and guitar virtuosity, the 75-year-old surrenders himself completely to each moment
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4 out of 5 stars.Now streaming in huge numbers long after their mid-90s years, the Californians’ nuanced yet forceful delivery punches in all the right places
Il Trittico review – an eloquent, gutsy outpouring of Puccini’s passion and pain
4 out of 5 stars.