Come here for: thorough, knowledgeable reviews of opera productions across Europe
This excellent blog is written by my friend Dehggial, whom I first encountered when we both wrote reviews of Franco Fagioli’s first Wigmore concert. Since then Dehggial has become a regular opera buddy and I’ve benefitted a great deal from her knowledge and enthusiasm: her posts are much more musically astute than anything you’ll find here. Besides, her thoughts are always delivered with the kind of irreverent humour, spiced with cartoons, Lego recreations and pop-culture references, that just doesn’t have enough of a place in the opera blogosphere. Dehggial is particularly fond of Mozart’s Clemenza di Tito and, I firmly believe, knows every recording of Deh, per questo istante solo by heart.
Come here for: astute and passionate posts on ballet, particularly Swan Lake
I also met the Operatunist at Fagioli’s recital and have since enjoyed his company on several trips to the opera. His blog covers theatre, opera and ballet, with the emphasis firmly on the latter. Indeed, he writes about dance with a profound sensitivity and knowledge that never fail to impress me, since I happily admit to knowing nothing about ballet whatsoever. He is a particular fan of Swan Lake and is something of a connoisseur of current dancers, so he should be your first port of call for anything choreography-related.
Come here for: a guide to starting off your opera Blu-ray collection
A subsection of this extensive website offers reviews of operas from all periods that have been released on Blu-ray. With high-resolution screen captures and detailed assessments of video and audio quality, as well as the performances and music, it’s a good place to start if you’re planning to build up a collection of opera films at home. Click the link in the title to see their list of reviews in this genre.
The Idle Woman 