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Classical Music

Best Classical and Opera 2020

By Claudia Pritchard on 22/12/2019

A bumper year for opera in both city and country houses, concerts marking 250 years of Beethoven's legacy and a chance to catch the biggest names in music today

Messiah, by London composer Handel, is always popular at Easter

Best Easter music: London concerts and opera to uplift and inspire

Traditional music for Easter by Bach and Handel is complemented by operas that ask searching questions about the nature of love. Here are our 10 favourite musical events in London this Easter.

WHEN

21 March to 13 April

WHERE

Various locations

Vladimir Jurowski conducts Janacek's opera Jenufa. Photo: Simon Jay

Jenůfa, Royal Opera House

The first production for nearly 20 years of the tragic Janacek opera in which a young woman is let down by one man and scarred by another. When she bears a child, her outlook is bleak... An all-star cast is conducted by Vladimir Jurowski (pictured).

WHEN

24 Mar 2020 – 09 Apr 2020, six performances

WHERE

English National Opera
London Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4ES

Rusalka trades her beautiful voice for love in Dvorak's opera

Rusalka, English National Opera

The Little Mermaid story of Hans Christian Andersen is mirrored in the magical opera by Czech composer Anton Dvorak, Rusalka, based on Slavic fairy tales. A water nymph with a captivating voice falls for a mortal, and sacrifices her gift to join him on land.

WHEN

28 Mar 2020 – 15 Apr 2020, six performances plus 11 April (6PM start)

WHERE

English National Opera
London Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4ES

The Royal Albert Hall is the home of most BBC Proms

BBC Proms 2020

There's nothing like it anywhere in the world, and it happens here in London. The BBC Proms, the biggest music festival on the planet, is coming into view, one of the first signs of summer.

WHEN

17 Jul 2020 – 12 Sep 2020, Up to 100 events. Times vary; many at the Royal Albert Hall, 7:30PM

WHERE

Royal Albert Hall
Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP

Mezzo-soprano Justina Gringytė (centre) sings the title role in Carmen for ENO. Photo: Alastair Muir

Carmen, English National Opera

Welcome return of fast and furious production at the Coliseum of Bizet's opera about jealousy, set in Seville. With Justina Gringytė (pictured, centre) in the title role, a strong company and a string of wonderful songs.

WHEN

29 Jan 2020 – 27 Feb 2020, 10 performances, times vary

WHERE

English National Opera
London Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4ES

Beethoven will be honoured throughout 2020

Beethoven 250: London concerts in the big year

The 250th anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven inspires a full year of concerts that show the lasting impact on music of this innovative genius, from solo work to mighty orchestral spectaculars

WHEN

January to December 2020

WHERE

Various locations

Jonas Kaufmann stars at the Royal Opera House in Fidelio

Fidelio, Royal Opera House

Jonas Kaufmann returns to the Royal Opera House as the hero of Beethoven's only opera, a powerful and politically charged story of principle and love.

WHEN

01 Mar 2020 – 17 Mar 2020, six performances, times vary

WHERE

Royal Opera House
Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD

Nature Unwrapped, Kings Place

Birdsong, the seasons and the conversation between science and music are among the inspirations for a year-long programme of musical and other events celebrating the natural world and our place in it. From the savage Rite of Spring to concerts for children by Aurora (pictured), there's something for everyone.

WHEN

Jan to Dec 2020

WHERE

Kings Place
90 York Way, London, N1 9AG

Ukrainian-born Dalia Stasevska gives her first Barbican concert as the new principal guest conductor of the BBCSO on 26 Oct. Photo: Jarmo Katila

Best Russian music: London concerts and operas that dazzle

The favourite composers, artists and conductors heralding from Russia form a rich seam in London's musical life. Catch one of the big symphonies of Tchaikovsky, or spot a rising young talent destined for the top.

WHEN

Jan to Dec 2020

WHERE

Various locations

Verdi's Luisa Miller, English National Opera

Packed with exhilarating music but rarely performed, Verdi's opera is given a welcome new production with a cast that includes Elizabeth Llewellyn (pictured) in the title role. Luisa and Rodolfo's love across the class divide is thwarted by a father's political ambitions.

WHEN

Wed 12 Feb to Fri 6 March. Five performances at 7:30PM; Sat 15 Feb, 6:30PM

WHERE

English National Opera
London Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4ES

London Handel Festival

A five-week celebration of London composer George Frideric Handel opens with his opera Susanna at the Royal Opera House, and continues with concerts at his own church, St George's, Hanover Square, and an influential competition. This year's theme is Handel and the Hanoverians. Don't forget to visit his house in Brook Street too.

WHEN

Thurs 5 March to Fri 10 April 2020

WHERE

Royal Opera House
Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD and venues throughout London

Jonas Kaufmann, My Vienna

Filmed live at the Wiener Konzerthaus, the opera star stages a Viennese musical spectacular. The much-loved baritone is joined by the Prague Philharmonia orchestra and soprano Rachel Willis-Sørensen, and also leads a tour of favourite and beautiful Viennese sites. For one night only!

WHEN

Tues 24 March 2020

WHERE

Cinemas throughout London

Jenufa, Royal Opera House

Covent Garden's highly acclaimed run of productions of Janacek's searing operas is joined by the shattering story of a young woman who must hide her pregnancy with tragic results. With Asmik Grigorian as Jenůfa and Karita Mattila as her cruel mother-in-law. Vladimir Jurowski (pictured) conducts. Booking opens 29 Jan.

WHEN

Tues 24 March to 9 April 2020. Six performances

WHERE

Royal Opera House
Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD

Dvorak's Rusalka, English National Opera

A water creature falls for a prince on land and sacrifices her greatest gift for love – her voice. A new production of Dvorak's 'little mermaid' opera stars US soprano Corinne Winters (pictured) in the title role, with exciting tenor David Butt Philip as the Prince. Listen out for the otherworldly Song to the Moon.

WHEN

28 March to 15 April 2020. Seven performances at 7PM; except Sat 11 April, 6PM

WHERE

English National Opera
London Coliseum, St Martin's Lane, London, WC2N 4ES

Bach's St Matthew Passion, The Bach Choir

The Bach specialists are joined by orchestra Florilegium and soloists, including as the Evangelist the tenor Ed Lyon (pictured), in the mighty dramatisation in music of Christ's trial and crucifixion. Always a sell-out event, this performance heralds the start of Holy Week, and features a long interval for lunch.

WHEN

Sun 5 April 2020, 11AM-4PM, including long lunch interval

WHERE

Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road SE1 8XX

Holy Week Festival, St John's Smith Square

The three big JS Bach choral works – the two Passions and the B Minor Mass – are featured among the daily programmes of inspiring and contemplative music from Palm Sunday until Easter Sunday. The choirs include Tenebrae (pictured).

WHEN

Sun 5 April to Sun 12 April. Daily events, times vary

WHERE

St John's Smith Square, Smith Square, Westminster SW1P 3HA

Cavelleria Rusticana/Pagliacci, Royal Opera House

Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci, Royal Opera House

Unmissable double bill of Italian operas in which ordinary lives are turned upside down by love. Roberto Alagna leads the cast in Damiano Michieletto's award-winning double bill, which opens in the bakery of a small town (pictured), and moves on to a travelling show. Featuring the impassioned Easter Hymn. Booking opens 29 Jan.

WHEN

Sat 11 April to Sat 2 May. Six performances,7:15PM; plus Sat 11 April, 7PM

WHERE

Royal Opera House
Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD

Glyndebourne Festival Opera

Three new productions of operas by Poulenc, Handel and Beethoven (his only opera, Fidelio), plus three revivals, including Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail (pictured) are on the programme for this year's most glamorous country opera house. Our tip: catch Dialogues des Carmelites, with Danielle de Niese and Alcina. Booking opens Sun 8 March.

WHEN

Thurs 21 May to Sat 30 Aug 2020, almost daily. Times vary

WHERE

Glyndebourne
Lewes, East Sussex, BN8 5UU

Garsington Opera 2020

Look out your picnic hamper and evening wear... Another quartet of operas performed in heavenly surroundings includes Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio, and works by Mozart and Verdi. Our pick: soprano Natalya Romaniw (pictured) in the title role of Dvorak's Rusalka – the water nymph who gives up her beautiful voice for love. Booking opens 24 March.

WHEN

Thurs 28 May to Fri 17 July

WHERE

Garsington Opera
Wormsley Estate , Stokenchurch, HP14 3YG

Opera Holland Park's Un Ballo in Maschera was a hit in 2019. There is more Verdi in 2020. Photo: Ali Wright

Opera Holland Park 2020: the stars, dates and must-sees

Such a central part of London's summer musical life, it is hard to imagine a year without four trips to Opera Holland Park. This year's new productions:Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, Verdi's Rigoletto, Lehár's The Merry Widow and a Delius/Puccini double bill, plus Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance. Booking opens 26 Feb.

WHEN

Tues 2 June to Sat 8 Aug 2020. Five productions, times vary

WHERE

Opera Holland Park
Stable Yard, Holland Park, London , W8 6LU

Turn of the Screw, Royal Opera House

After the triumphant Death in Venice, another Benjamin Britten opera, this time in the Linbury Theatre. Henry James's sinister story of an innocent new governess for two uneasy children unfolds to spellbinding music. Sure to sell out in minutes. Booking opens 15 April

WHEN

Wed 3 to Sat 13 June. Seven performances at 7:45PM; Sun 7 June, 1PM

WHERE

Royal Opera House
Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD

Grange Park Opera 2020

A new opera about a contemporary scandal, plus Puccini's La Bohème, Ponchielli's La Gioconda and the musical Meet Me in St Louis, all at the Theatre in the Woods. Our pick: The Life and Death of Alexander Litvinenko by Anthony Bolton and Kit Hesketh-Harvey. Dress to the nines and pack a picnic. Booking opens 17 March.

WHEN

Thurs 4 June to Thurs 18 July

WHERE

Grange Park Opera,West Horsley Place, Epsom Rd, West Horsley, Leatherhead KT24 6AN

Bach and Burgundy, Milton Court Concert Hall

Wine and music are natural friends and an exciting new venture by experts in both fields promises to bring together the best sounds and tastes. After a wine tasting, a concert by early music specialists the Academy of Ancient Music.

WHEN

20 Feb 2020 – 22 Apr 2020, Two events

WHERE

Milton Court Concert Hall
1 Milton Street, EC2Y 9BH

Alice is plunged into a madcap world in Gerald Barry's opera

Alice's Adventures Under Ground, Royal Opera House

As if life for Alice under ground were not mad enough, here comes an opera in which all the familiar characters charge through a single crazy hour. Written by Gerald Barry and performed by the best singers in the country.

WHEN

04 Feb 2020 – 09 Feb 2020, Nine performances, times vary. Running time: 1hr

WHERE

Royal Opera House
Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD

Bach's B Minor Mass, Royal Festival Hall

JS Bach's monumental and intensely moving masterpiece is performed by the choir first formed to give its first performance in Britain, in the 19th century, the Bach Choir. With the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and soloists including soprano Gemma Summerfield (pictured), an absolute must-hear.

WHEN

Tues 11 Feb 2020, 7:30PM

WHERE

Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road SE1 8XX

The Little Orchestra rewrites the way concerts are performed

The Little Orchestra, Beethoven, Battersea Arts Centre

Wherever you turn in 2020 you will hear the music of Beethoven, 250 years since his birth in Bonn, Germany. Here The Little Orchestra begins its immersive musical tour through the Beethoven year with a look at the composer's childhood.

WHEN

24 Jan 2020 – 25 Jan 2020, two performances

WHERE

Battersea Arts Centre
Lavender Hill, London, SW11 5TN

Best Classical and Opera 2020

A bumper year for opera in both city and country houses, concerts marking 250 years of Beethoven's legacy and a chance to catch the biggest names in music today

Best Easter music: London concerts and opera to uplift and inspire

Jenůfa, Royal Opera House

Rusalka, English National Opera

BBC Proms 2020

Carmen, English National Opera

Beethoven 250: London concerts in the big year

Fidelio, Royal Opera House

Nature Unwrapped, Kings Place

Best Russian music: London concerts and operas that dazzle

Verdi's Luisa Miller, English National Opera

London Handel Festival

Jonas Kaufmann, My Vienna

Jenufa, Royal Opera House

Dvorak's Rusalka, English National Opera

Bach's St Matthew Passion, The Bach Choir

Holy Week Festival, St John's Smith Square

Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci, Royal Opera House

Glyndebourne Festival Opera

Garsington Opera 2020

Opera Holland Park 2020: the stars, dates and must-sees

Turn of the Screw, Royal Opera House

Grange Park Opera 2020

Bach and Burgundy, Milton Court Concert Hall

Alice's Adventures Under Ground, Royal Opera House

Bach's B Minor Mass, Royal Festival Hall

The Little Orchestra, Beethoven, Battersea Arts Centre

Royal Opera House

English National Opera

Opera Holland Park

Barbican

Royal Festival Hall

Beethoven 250

Handel

Family

Soprano Natalya Romaniw interview: 'My mum liked the chorus best!'

Edward Gardner interview: 'It's the first day at school every time!'

Gerald Finley interview: 'Everyone wants the high-wire act'

Damiano Michieletto interview: 'The arts make us more sensitive’

Simon Keenlyside interview: 'I'm European top to toe'

Gerald Barry interview: meet the composer of 'Alice's Adventures Under Ground' and a Handelian romp