It would be presumptuous of me to go through the entire plot of The Magic Flute, given its historical and popular significance with all classical music devotees.
Category: Reviews
GALLO: Opera ó The Basics
Is it possible to say something new and fresh about opera? While many books have been written about the artform, it is rare to find an introductory text that serves its subject well.
Les Violons du Roy and Magdalena Koûen· at Carnegie Hall
On Sunday, 28 February 2006, Carnegie Hall presented Les Violons du Roy, Bernard Labadie, Music Director and Conductor, with Magdalena Koûen·, Mezzo-Soprano, featuring works by Rameau and Gluck. Here are two reviews.
BACH: Works for Trumpet
This recording is a grouping of various compositions by J.S. Bach, which are not solely dedicated to the trumpet, but provide some of the most demanding repertoire for the instrument prior to the nineteenth century.
Ewa Podles in New York ó Two Reviews
On 26 February, Constantine Orbelian led the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, marking its 50th anniversary this season, in works by Haydn, Prokofiev, Rossini, Shostakovich, and Mussorgsky, with the renowned contralto Ewa PodlÈs. Here are two reviews.
La Forza del Destino at the Met ó Four Reviews
METROPOLITAN OPERA: “Commissioned for St Petersburg (the premiere was in 1862), La Forza del Destino was based on a play by the Duke of Rivas, and was at first only a moderate success. Although Verdi revised it for Milan in 1869, it took a long time for audiences to come to appreciate the sprawling drama; several years take place between the first and last scenes, and the number of coincidences in the plot stretches credulity to the limit. But the overture, the arias for Leonora (including ìPace!î), and the duets for tenor and baritone have ensured that the opera remains popular whenever it is revived.” Here are four reviews.
VIVALDI: Concerti con molti strumenti, vol. 2
Vivaldi was very impressed with the sound and performances of the Dresden court orchestra when they visited Venice in 1716.
SCH‹TZ: Symphoniae Sacrae III
The tragic ravages of the Thirty Yearsí War explicitly shaped the musical output of Heinrich Sch¸tz.
ARIOSTI: ìThe Flowering and Fading of Loveî
Musicologists should be eager to welcome the ìfirst modern recordingsî of any work; surely having the opportunity to hear a long-lost musical treasure, rather than having it stare off the page in black-and-white, is something to be celebrated.
VIVALDI: Concerti e Cantate da Camera III
As the Vivaldi edition continues, Opus 111 is releasing a series of individual volumes dedicated to cantatas interspersed with other chamber works.