BACH: Alles mit Gott

A little over a year ago Bach scholar Michael Maul found himself in the exceedingly unusual position of having discovered a hitherto unknown Bach composition, a birthday ode for Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Weimar, entitled “Alles mit Gott und nichts ohn’ ihn.

SCHUBERT: Die schˆne M¸llerin

Franz Schubert’s song cycle Die schöne Müllerin has received, in recent years, frequent attention with several fine recordings having been issued during this period.

Orchestral Excerpts from Wagner Operas

Among the plentiful selections of orchestral music from the operas of Richard Wagner, it is rare to find recordings that truly stand out, and this recent release of performances conducted by the late Klaus Tennstedt merits distinction.

Turn of the Screw at Kennedy Center

On May 22, the Kennedy Center’s Fortas Chamber Music Series and the Chateauville Foundation co-presented a fully staged production of Benjamin Britten’s haunting chamber opera The Turn of the Screw, conducted by Lorin Maazel. Here are three reviews:

Rolando VillazÛn ó Opera Recital

I’ve carefully listened several times to this new solo album (his third) by Rolando VillazÛn and it grows on you, though there are a few weaknesses.

PUCCINI: Turandot

This must be the first Turandot that has in the sleeve notes three photographs of the soprano who sings Liu compared to two of the lady in the title role.

Glyndebourne opens with CosÏ fan tutte

Glyndebourne opened this year’s festival with “a new production of Mozartís CosÏ fan tutte, subtitled ëThe school for loversí, will open the 2006 Festival. This masterpiece includes some of Mozartís most exquisite music, and CosÏís now established popularity, following comparative neglect in the 19th century, is partly due to Glyndebourneís championing of the work since the opening of the Festival in 1934.” Here are some initial reviews:

Placido Domingo ó Great Scenes

Domingo-fans probably have all complete performances from which these scenes were culled, as they were widely broadcast in Europe during the eighties.

HALFFTER: Don Quijote

I can’t imagine a more utopian enterprise for a composer than writing an opera at the end of the twentieth century.

VERDI: Don Carlo

For a time this Don Carlo was a return to times people thought long gone. As always, Dutch papers covered beforehand this new Decker production in depth, as the theme of liberty is an important one.