Feldman and Beckett: Words and Music review – hypnotic absurdism at Sheffield Chamber Music festival
This fascinating and bold concert featured the works of the ‘word man’ and the ‘note man’, and their absurdist radio play Words and Music
Gabriela Montero review – radiant renderings of postcard Spain with an excursion into the Beatles
The Venezuelan pianist was mercurial and dazzling in this Spanish-themed recital including Chopin, Scarlatti and Albéniz adding improvisational mastery with a Purcellian take on Here Comes the Sun
Papillons review – rich and strange collaboration exemplifies the spirit of Multitudes festival
Works by Kaija Saariaho, Imogen Holst and Chaines were woven into Manchester Collective’s concert that blended music with dance, theatre and multimedia, with cellist Laura van der Heijden at its heart
The Gondoliers review – brilliantly barbed Gilbert and Sullivan is a feast for the eyes and ears
Contemporary resonances abound in English Touring Opera’s gloriously choreographed and costumed period production: a masterclass in clarity over chaos, performed with boundless enthusiasm
Sea Beneath the Skin/Song of the Earth review – sea, sand and ceremony as Mahler’s song cycle makes waves
Samoan choreographer Lemi Ponifasio’s chant-filled music-theatre piece – performed by Theatre of Kiribati and Britten Sinfonia – pushes Mahler into uncharted waters
Book of Mountains and Seas review – puppets and percussion, Mandarin and a monkish chorus
Visually arresting moments in lanterns and silk, and Huang Ruo’s haunting soundscapes, bring to life ancient Chinese creation myths in Basil Twist’s production
Carmen review – feminist take on opera’s notorious femme fatale has swagger and style
Maximalist design, gorgeous music and grim reality come together in a smart, seductive and spectacular production from Opera Australia
Blackhaine: And Now I Know What Love Is review – avant garde dance that grabs hold of your senses
The convulsing figures in Tom Heyes’ choreography, paired with intense sound and a guttural MC, are caught in a mesmerising struggle for human connection
Innocence review – monumental achievement shows how essential opera can be
Adelaide festival Finnish opera of staggering depth by Kaija Saariaho and directed by Simon Stone, set in the aftermath of a school shooting
The week in classical: La bohème; London Contemporary Music festival – review
Ukrainian soprano Olga Kulchynska is an unforgettable Mimì in Richard Jones’s ever sumptuous Puccini production. And mischief rules at this year’s LCMF
Laurie Anderson: Ark: United States V review – a long and winding bid to make sense of America
Contemplating a world of catastrophe and collapse, the veteran artist’s new three-hour show, though much too long and diffuse, has moments of poignancy – and joy
Suor Angelica review – Puccini’s maternal tragedy gets a haunting modern update
A Magdalene laundry in 1960s Ireland is the setting for ENO’s semi-staged production, which conveys quiet anger and deep sadness
The week in classical: Eugene Onegin; Cavalleria rusticana; The Acts of Brízida Vaz/You Can’t Kill the Spirit– review
An experimental staging of Tchaikovsky’s opera brings fresh ideas and a few misses, ambitious community opera thrives in south London and a Cornish company goes nuclear
My Fair Lady review – comedy and chemistry light up Opera North’s musical-theatre triumph
Katie Bird is an irresistible Eliza Doolittle in this inspired show, which takes its interrogation of social mobility seriously but with a sparkling lightness of touch
Fifteen hours of Wagner: Opera Australia’s Ring Cycle brings big spectacle – and a world first – to Brisbane
The high-tech production took 27 semitrailers to load in – and while tickets aren’t cheap, the marathon pays off