Garsington Opera preview

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/leisure/8176159.Garsington_Opera_preview/

Great Operatic Arias with Gerald Finley

Listeners who have appreciated Gerald Finley’s stylish and moving
singing of baritone roles in operas by Mozart and other composers will be
pleased with the recent CD release of Great Operatic Arias in English.

La Fille du rÈgiment, Royal Opera

Expectations were running high for the opening night of Elaine Kidd’s
revival of Laurent Pelly’s production of Donizetti’s mad-cap romp,
La Fille du regiment — almost as high as Tonio’s infamous
top Cs.

Florian Boesch, Wigmore Hall

At the Wigmore Hall, performers can chose daring repertoire, because audiences there are unusually receptive.

Opera News columnist takes music critics (myself included) to task over Leonard Slatkin fiasco at the Met

http://thestar.blogs.com/soundmind/2010/05/opera-news-columnist-takes-music-critics-myself-included-to-task-over-leonard-slatkin-fiasco-at-the-.html

Robert Maggio — An Interview by Tom Moore

Composer Robert Maggio is professor of composition at West Chester
University (in suburban Philadelphia).

Bellini’s Norma at Gran Teatre del Liceu

Some fortunate operas have any number of fine live versions available on DVD.

Valencia Ring: Das Rheingold

Recorded live at the Palau de les Arts “Reina Sofia”,
Valencia, this new video of Richard Wagner’s Das Rheingold
is based on the staging of La Fura dels Baus, with Carlus Padrissa, stage
director, and featuring an international cast conducted by Zubin Mehta.

Elena Ruehr: An Interview by Tom Moore

According to her web site, Elena Ruehr has been called a “composer to
watch” by Opera News, and her music has been described as
“stunning…beautifully lighted by [a] canny instinct for knowing when
and how to vary key, timbre, and harmony” by The Boston Globe.

Mefistofele in Montpellier

Back in 1989 Ken Russell opened his Genovese Mefistofele with heavenly choirs contemplating the divinity of a praying mantis.