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Ballet, Opera & Concerts on YouTube

Celebrated ballet, opera and concert performances you can watch online, from the Royal Ballet’s Swan Lake to the Vienna New Year’s Concert. Each links to YouTube and, where it’s on the Atlas, to the venue.

60 performances

  1. 1
    Ballet

    Swan Lake

    The Royal Ballet · Liam Scarlett · 2018 · Royal Opera House, London · See the venue →

    Liam Scarlett’s production of Tchaikovsky’s classic, with designs by John Macfarlane.

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  2. 2
    Ballet

    The Nutcracker

    The Royal Ballet · Peter Wright · 1984 · Royal Opera House, London · See the venue →

    Peter Wright’s much-loved production, a Christmas tradition since 1984.

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  3. 3
    Ballet

    Giselle

    The Royal Ballet · Peter Wright · 1985 · Royal Opera House, London · See the venue →

    The Romantic ballet of love, betrayal and forgiving ghosts.

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  4. 4
    Ballet

    Romeo and Juliet

    The Royal Ballet · Kenneth MacMillan · 1965 · Royal Opera House, London · See the venue →

    MacMillan’s passionate ballet, first danced by Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev.

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  5. 5
    Ballet

    Manon

    The Royal Ballet · Kenneth MacMillan · 1974 · Royal Opera House, London · See the venue →

    A tragic story of love and luxury set to music by Massenet.

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  6. 6
    Ballet

    Mayerling

    The Royal Ballet · Kenneth MacMillan · 1978 · Royal Opera House, London · See the venue →

    A dark psychological drama of the Habsburg Crown Prince Rudolf.

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  7. 7
    Ballet

    Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

    The Royal Ballet · Christopher Wheeldon · 2011 · Royal Opera House, London · See the venue →

    A colourful full-length ballet with music by Joby Talbot.

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  8. 8
    Ballet

    La Bayadère

    Paris Opera Ballet · Rudolf Nureyev · 1992 · Palais Garnier, Paris · See the venue →

    Nureyev’s final production, staged shortly before his death.

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  9. 9
    Ballet

    Don Quixote

    Paris Opera Ballet · Rudolf Nureyev · 1981 · Palais Garnier, Paris · See the venue →

    A sunny, virtuosic comedy set in Spain.

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  10. 10
    Ballet

    Swan Lake

    Mariinsky Ballet · Konstantin Sergeyev · 1950 · Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg

    The Mariinsky’s classic staging of Tchaikovsky’s ballet.

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  11. 11
    Ballet

    The Sleeping Beauty

    Mariinsky Ballet · 1999 · Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg

    A reconstruction of Petipa’s original 1890 production.

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  12. 12
    Ballet

    Spartacus

    Bolshoi Ballet · Yuri Grigorovich · 1968 · Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow

    Heroic, athletic ballet to Khachaturian’s score.

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  13. 13
    Ballet

    Jewels

    New York City Ballet · George Balanchine · 1967 · David H. Koch Theater, New York

    A plotless, three-part ballet inspired by emeralds, rubies and diamonds.

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  14. 14
    Ballet

    The Rite of Spring (Das Frühlingsopfer)

    Tanztheater Wuppertal · Pina Bausch · 1975 · Wuppertal Opera House

    Dancers on a stage covered in earth in Bausch’s elemental Rite.

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  15. 15
    Ballet

    Café Müller

    Tanztheater Wuppertal · Pina Bausch · 1978 · Wuppertal Opera House

    A haunting dance-theatre piece set among scattered chairs.

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  16. 16
    Ballet

    Onegin

    Stuttgart Ballet · John Cranko · 1965 · Stuttgart State Theatre

    Cranko’s dramatic ballet after Pushkin’s novel in verse.

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  17. 17
    Ballet

    Giselle

    English National Ballet · Akram Khan · 2016 · Palace Theatre, Manchester

    A radical reimagining set among migrant garment workers.

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  18. 18
    Ballet

    Swan Lake

    New Adventures · Matthew Bourne · 1995 · Sadler’s Wells, London

    The famous version with a flock of male swans.

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  19. 19
    Ballet

    The Firebird

    Mariinsky Ballet · Michel Fokine · 1910 · Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg

    Fokine’s 1910 ballet for the Ballets Russes, to Stravinsky’s dazzling score.

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  20. 20
    Ballet

    Le Corsaire

    American Ballet Theatre · 1999

    Pirates, slave markets and showpiece solos.

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  21. 21
    Opera

    La traviata

    The Royal Opera · Richard Eyre · Georg Solti · 1994 · Royal Opera House, London · See the venue →

    The production that made Angela Gheorghiu a star.

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  22. 22
    Opera

    Carmen

    The Royal Opera · Francesca Zambello · 2006 · Royal Opera House, London · See the venue →

    A vivid, earthy staging of Bizet’s opera.

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  23. 23
    Opera

    Tosca

    The Royal Opera · Jonathan Kent · 2006 · Royal Opera House, London · See the venue →

    Puccini’s thriller in a grand, traditional production.

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  24. 24
    Opera

    Die Zauberflöte

    The Royal Opera · David McVicar · 2003 · Royal Opera House, London · See the venue →

    Mozart’s magical opera in a much-revived production.

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  25. 25
    Opera

    Le nozze di Figaro

    The Royal Opera · David McVicar · 2006 · Royal Opera House, London · See the venue →

    Mozart’s comedy of love and class in a lively staging.

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  26. 26
    Opera

    Don Giovanni

    The Royal Opera · Kasper Holten · 2014 · Royal Opera House, London · See the venue →

    A shape-shifting set built with projected video.

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  27. 27
    Opera

    Madama Butterfly

    Metropolitan Opera · Anthony Minghella · 2006 · Metropolitan Opera House, New York

    Film director Anthony Minghella’s visually striking production.

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  28. 28
    Opera

    La bohème

    Metropolitan Opera · Franco Zeffirelli · 1981 · Metropolitan Opera House, New York

    Zeffirelli’s lavish Paris, one of the Met’s most-performed productions.

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  29. 29
    Opera

    Turandot

    Metropolitan Opera · Franco Zeffirelli · 1987 · Metropolitan Opera House, New York

    A spectacular staging of Puccini’s final opera.

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  30. 30
    Opera

    Nixon in China

    Metropolitan Opera · Peter Sellars · 2011 · Metropolitan Opera House, New York

    John Adams conducts his opera about Nixon’s 1972 visit.

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  31. 31
    Opera

    Porgy and Bess

    Metropolitan Opera · James Robinson · 2019 · Metropolitan Opera House, New York

    A Grammy-winning production of Gershwin’s opera.

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  32. 32
    Opera

    Der Ring des Nibelungen

    Bayreuth Festival · Patrice Chéreau · Pierre Boulez · 1976 · Bayreuth Festspielhaus · See the venue →

    The centenary Ring that set Wagner’s cycle in the industrial age.

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  33. 33
    Opera

    Giulio Cesare

    Glyndebourne · David McVicar · 2005 · Glyndebourne, East Sussex · See the venue →

    Handel reimagined with Bollywood-style dance, starring Danielle de Niese.

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  34. 34
    Opera

    Les Indes galantes

    Opéra national de Paris · Clément Cogitore · 2019 · Opéra Bastille, Paris · See the venue →

    Rameau’s opera-ballet with krump street dancers.

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  35. 35
    Opera

    Satyagraha

    English National Opera · Phelim McDermott · 2007 · London Coliseum

    Philip Glass’s opera about Gandhi’s early years in South Africa.

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  36. 36
    Opera

    Akhnaten

    English National Opera · Phelim McDermott · 2016 · London Coliseum

    Glass’s opera about the pharaoh, with a troupe of jugglers.

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  37. 37
    Opera

    Einstein on the Beach

    Philip Glass & Robert Wilson · 2014 · Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris

    The landmark minimalist opera in its 2012 revival staging.

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  38. 38
    Opera

    Aida

    Teatro alla Scala · Franco Zeffirelli · 2006 · Teatro alla Scala, Milan

    Zeffirelli’s grand-scale Egypt on La Scala’s stage.

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  39. 39
    Opera

    La traviata on Sydney Harbour

    Opera Australia · 2012 · Sydney Harbour

    Opera on a floating stage with the Opera House as backdrop.

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  40. 40
    Opera

    Die Zauberflöte

    Komische Oper Berlin · Barrie Kosky & 1927 · 2012 · Komische Oper Berlin

    Mozart meets silent film and animation.

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  41. 41
    Concert

    New Year’s Concert 1987

    Vienna Philharmonic · Herbert von Karajan · 1987 · Musikverein, Vienna

    Strauss waltzes and polkas, with soprano Kathleen Battle.

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  42. 42
    Concert

    Last Night of the Proms

    BBC Symphony Orchestra · 2024 · Royal Albert Hall, London · See the venue →

    The flag-waving, singalong finale of the BBC Proms season.

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  43. 43
    Concert

    Gustavo Dudamel & the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra

    Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela · Gustavo Dudamel · 2007 · Royal Albert Hall, London · See the venue →

    A joyous Prom, famous for Bernstein’s “Mambo”.

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  44. 44
    Concert

    Ode to Freedom: Beethoven’s Ninth in Berlin

    Leonard Bernstein & orchestras from East and West · 1989 · Konzerthaus Berlin

    Christmas Day 1989, weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

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  45. 45
    Concert

    Elbphilharmonie Opening Concert

    NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra · Thomas Hengelbrock · 2017 · Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg · See the venue →

    The first concert in Hamburg’s new hall on 11 January 2017.

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  46. 46
    Concert

    Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 7

    Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra · Carlos Kleiber · 1983 · Concertgebouw, Amsterdam

    The legendary conductor at his most exhilarating.

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  47. 47
    Concert

    Mahler: Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”

    Lucerne Festival Orchestra · Claudio Abbado · 2003 · KKL Luzern

    Abbado’s hand-picked festival orchestra in its first season.

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  48. 48
    Concert

    The Three Tenors in Concert

    José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti · Zubin Mehta · 1990 · Baths of Caracalla, Rome

    The 1990 World Cup concert that brought opera to millions.

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  49. 49
    Concert

    Music for Hope

    Andrea Bocelli · 2020 · Duomo di Milano

    A solo Easter performance in an empty Milan cathedral during lockdown.

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  50. 50
    Concert

    Horowitz in Moscow

    Vladimir Horowitz · 1986 · Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory

    The pianist’s emotional return to Russia.

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  51. 51
    Concert

    Prom: MGM Musicals

    John Wilson Orchestra · 2009 · Royal Albert Hall, London · See the venue →

    Hollywood film-musical classics restored and played live.

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  52. 52
    Concert

    Adele: Live at the Royal Albert Hall

    Adele · 2011 · Royal Albert Hall, London · See the venue →

    An intimate concert filmed at the height of 21’s success.

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  53. 53
    Concert

    Queen at Live Aid

    Queen · 1985 · Wembley Stadium, London

    Twenty minutes often called the greatest live rock performance.

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  54. 54
    Concert

    MTV Unplugged in New York

    Nirvana · 1993 · Sony Music Studios, New York

    A hushed acoustic set recorded months before Kurt Cobain’s death.

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  55. 55
    Concert

    Stop Making Sense

    Talking Heads · 1984 · Pantages Theatre, Hollywood

    Jonathan Demme’s celebrated concert film.

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  56. 56
    Concert

    Live at Pompeii

    Pink Floyd · 1972 · Amphitheatre of Pompeii

    Performed without an audience in the ancient Roman amphitheatre.

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  57. 57
    Concert

    Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock

    Jimi Hendrix · 1969 · Woodstock Festival, Bethel

    Including his searing “Star-Spangled Banner”.

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  58. 58
    Concert

    Miles Davis at the Isle of Wight

    Miles Davis · 1970 · Isle of Wight Festival

    Electric jazz-rock before a festival crowd of hundreds of thousands.

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  59. 59
    Concert

    Nina Simone at Montreux

    Nina Simone · 1976 · Montreux Jazz Festival

    A mesmerising, unpredictable festival performance.

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  60. 60
    Concert

    Young People’s Concerts

    New York Philharmonic · Leonard Bernstein · 1958 · Carnegie Hall, New York

    Bernstein’s televised lectures that introduced a generation to classical music.

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An editorial selection by Culture Atlas. Buttons open a YouTube search for each performance; official full-length uploads, excerpts and availability vary by rights holder and country. Years are the year of the production or performance. Availability varies by country. Favourite counts and comments are visible to other visitors. Sign in to keep your favourites in My Atlas.