Amahl and the Night Visitors.

The article reviews several recent classical music recordings and performances, focusing primarily on soprano Asmik Grigorian's new album of Richard Strauss's Four Last Songs, which features both orchestral and piano versions to highlight vocal contrasts. It also discusses Ivan Repušić's concert recording of Verdi's opera I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata, praised for its energetic conducting, strong soloists, and chorus. Additionally, the article covers Diana Damrau's operetta selections from Vienna, Berlin, and Paris, noting her expressive singing despite some vocal strain. The piece further examines a staged production of Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors by Stefan Herheim, highlighting its sensitive portrayal of illness and death, and a combined performance of Tchaikovsky's Iolanta and The Nutcracker at the Vienna Volksoper, which attempts an innovative but uneven integration of the two works.