THOMSON: The Plow that Broke the Plains

Naxos’s DVD division has already released the performances on this disc of Virgil Thomson’s scores for The Plow that Broke the Plains and The River, as soundtracks for a re-release…

San Diego Opera: Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci

Opera companies often tout new productions as a major attraction of their seasons.

Serafin: Overtures and Preludes

Timeless values of great opera conducting fill this disc of overtures and preludes, all conducted by Tullio Serafin.

HANSON: Merry Mount

A frequent complaint about contemporary operas — or most any after Puccini’s Turandot — is the lack of that memorable lyricism found in the standard repertory.

Verdi: La Forza del Destino

From a relatively obscure label — Osteria — comes this 1962 live recording of Verdi’s La Forza del Destino, featuring a relatively obscure soprano, GrÈ Brouwenstijn.

Classics for Pleasure opera highlights: Puccini

With single CD versions of full-length operas, isn’t the term “highlights” presumptuous?

Best of British from the BBC Proms 2007

The BBC Proms webcasts all of its performances, and many are available for extended periods through BBC Radio’s archives.

The Opera Gala — Live from Baden-Baden

As evidence of Deutsche Grammophon’s proud status as a classical record label of the “old school,” there appears this CD document of a typical opera gala affair, from July of 2007 in Baden-Baden.

Los Angeles Opera: March 1 & 2, 2008

James Conlon has become the artistic heart and soul of Los Angeles Opera in his second season as music director.

The Sea Hawk and Deception

A typical film soundtrack today might not fill the length of a CD, while being padded with any pop music hits for which the producers would cough up the money…