Aigul Akhmetshina: Aigul album review – mezzo from Bashkortostan is an insouciant star
Her debut solo recording perfectly showcases the glowing expansiveness, swagger and breathtaking poise of Akhmetshina’s arresting voice
July 2024
Other lives
Richard Macnutt obituary
Acis and Galatea review – a hectic take on Handel’s perfectly formed confection
The week in classical: Il segreto di Susanna/Pagliacci; Spring Snow; Giorgi Gigashvili – review
Il Segreto di Susanna/Pagliacci review – a double whammy of sexual jealousy
Sonata for Broken Fingers review – chamber opera of Stalin’s terror fails to grip
The week in classical: Double Bryn Terfel; Siwan Rhys; Bozzini Quartet; My Beloved Man – review
New Year review – Blake’s 7, redemption and rap as Birmingham Opera Company turn to Tippett
Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno review – imaginative staging transforms Handel’s oratorio
Ernani review – sterling singing triumphs over Verdi’s implausible plot
Black- and Asian-led take on Wagner in Midlands aims to open up opera access
The week in classical: A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Pekka Kuusisto & Norwegian Chamber Orchestra: DSCH; Camerata RCO – review
Janáček: The Excursions of Mr Brouček album review – eccentric opera has sparkle and muscle
James Loughran obituary
Edgar review – Puccini was right, his biggest flop is a dud
June 2024
Un Giorno di Regno review – fizzing revival of Verdi’s failed comedy
Whileit might have been cancelled after the premiere in 1840, Christopher Alden’s frenetic staging, an effervescent Philharmonia Orchestra and a fine cast show there’s a decent evening’s entertainment in there
The week in classical: Giulio Cesare; Così fan tutte; Siegfried/Götterdämmerung – review
There is much fun and an excellent cast in David McVicar’s sparkling Handel revival; Mozart’s partner-swap opera soars with exuberant solos; and Wagner’s Ring marathon reaches a roaring climax
Così fan Tutte review – self-conscious staginess is surreal fun in beautifully sung revival
The Rake’s Progress review – stripped back staging foregrounds the sadness
‘Where do we want opera to be when we’re 100?’: how Glyndebourne is facing the future