Opera Today

Audiences accustomed to hearing the grandeur of Shostakovichís early symphonies may initially be disillusioned when listening to his Thirteenth Symphony for the first time.

With a career spanning the monarchies of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary Tudor, and Elizabeth I, Thomas Tallisís musical pragmatism became both a necessary and distinctive trait.

Among Gaetano Donizettiís compositions are just over a dozen one-act operas. Save for his one (Venice 1818), a genre that many twentieth-century historians considered respectable primarily because of contributions made to it by Gioachino Rossini, the Donizettiís other single-act works generally have been brushed aside as less important than the larger operas.

This recording of Musica Nuptialis celebrates occasional music and does so in a fittingly occasional manner.

Baritone Lado Ataneliís self-titled debut CD contains an impressive selection of arias intended to showcase the singerís style, range, and versatility.

In 1728 John Gayís Beggarís Opera was produced in London as a sardonic response to the ongoing craze for Italian opera seria.