The article contains theatrical impressions covering the productions of the operas “Duke Blue­beard’s Castle” by B. Bartok directed by D. Volpi (2021) and “Carmen” by J. Bizet directed by K. Wagner (2022) at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein. Also included reflections on different interpretations of the myth of Orpheus: the performance of “Orpheus and Eurydice” with the music of K. W. Gluck by P. Bausch at the Wuppertal Dance Theater, the operetta “Orpheus in the Underworld” by J. Offenbach, first shown at the Salzburg Festival (2019) and a concert performance of the opera “L’anima del filosofo, ossia Orfeo ed Euridice” by J. Haydn, held at the Tonhalle Düsseldorf (2022). The article also presents the author’s reviews of the performances of G. Sokolov, M. Pletnev, and I. Levit, and touches upon the trends of modern music education and composers’ works.