The Merry Widow at the Millennium Centre, Cardiff

http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/reviews/story/0,11712,1585141,00.html

PUCCINI: Manon Lescaut

Manon Lescaut, dramma lirico in quattro atti

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), composer. Luigi Illica and Domenico Oliva, librettists.

First performance: 1 February 1893 at Teatro Regio, Turin.

AbbÈ PrÈvost’s Manon Lescaut

The Story of the Chevalier Des Grieux and Manon Lescaut by AbbÈ PrÈvost stands as one of the great works of French literature. It first appeared in 1731 as an appendix to the series, Memoirs and Adventures of a Man of Quality. It was later revised in 1753 for independent publication under the title Les Aventures du chevalier Des Grieux et Manon Lescaut with illustrations by Pasquier and Gravelot.

Verdi’s Macbeth in Dresden

http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/feuilleton/489073.html

Opera lovers discovering Vivaldi’s vigor
His many restless scores have burst onto the scene.

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/12782744.htm

Unchained Melody
The Met pulls out all the star power it can for the season debutówith (mostly) spectacular results.

http://www.newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/arts/music/classical/reviews/14616/index.html

Oppenheimer as a myth for our time

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/68c55360-3472-11da-adae-00000e2511c8.html

RAVEL: ShÈhÈrezade
DUPARC: MÈlodies

Konrad Jarnot is a young baritone who brings a wonderful vitality to the music he has recorded. He also has another Oehms release, a selection of Lieder by Gustav Mahler, which is engaging for the strong sense of line he brings to that repertoire, which is precisely what he brings to this collection of French vocal music.

PROKOFIEV: Romeo and Juliet
RESPHIGHI: Pini di Roma

The biographies of the two composers whose works are represented on this disc, Sergei Prokofiev and Ottorino Respighi, share many common threads. In addition to moving in similar circles early in their lives (for example, both studied with Rimsky-Korsakov and both were later connected with Diaghilev), they similarly composed in totalitarian regimes at the end of their careers.

Central City Opera’s cry in wilderness

http://www.denverpost.com/entertainment/ci_3073486