BBC Prom 55: Rinaldo

It’s becoming rather a fashion to set operas in English public schools.

Don Giovanni, Salzburg

When discussing the evolution of opera as a genre, the towering figure of Richard Wagner cannot be ignored.

L’elisir d’amore, Miami

“The number of recordings testify to the continuing popularity of
Donizetti’s melodrama in two acts [L’elisir d’amore], which rivals Don Pasquale among his comic operas and is often rated the better on account of its superior libretto by Felice Romani.”

A Classic That Still Vexes as It Pleases

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/arts/music/porgy-and-bess-at-tanglewood-festival-review.html?_r=1&ref=music

BBC Prom 50

In 2008, the late Richard Hickox, founder and then music director of the City of London Sinfonia, commissioned a work from composer Colin Matthews to celebrate the orchestra’s 40th anniversary, which takes place this year.

Santa Fe: Best of Show 2011

As this is written, the third week of August, the Santa Fe music season is winding down.

Franz Schmidt’s The Book with Seven Seals at Grant Park

In keeping with the festival nature of the piece, the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus, along with guest soloists and a guest chorus director, gave two performances of Franz Schmidt’s Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln on recent weekend evenings.

Rossini’s Armida from the Met HD Live

What is to be done about Armida?

Opera Grows in Brooklyn

http://www.operatoday.com/documents/OperaOnTap.pdf

BBC Prom 41

This concert of three substantial choral and orchestral works by Benjamin Britten recreated the ‘50th birthday’ Promenade concert which Britten himself conducted on 12 September 1963.