• 4765
• Articles
• 18 Dic 2018

In 1997 I published my first monograph on CD dedicated to Cantatas by Alessandro Scarlatti. I had identified thirteen beautiful Cantatas for Solo Bass (or Baritone) voice at the Conservatorio di San Pietro a Majella Library (Naples), and at the Library of the Academy of Santa Cecilia (Rome). Nine Cantatas with Continuo and four with […]

• 3380
• Articles
• 18 Dic 2018

Alessandro Scarlatti (Palermo, 6.V.1660 – Napoli, 22.X.1725) è compositore di quasi prodigiosa fecondità. La sua produzione, pervenutaci nella quasi totalità in forma manoscritta, è diffusa nelle biblioteche di tutta Europa e non solo. L’attività teatrale del palermitano conta, secondo sue personali dichiarazioni, centoquindici melodrammi, di settanta dei quali abbiamo notizia sicura, mentre trentacinque sono arrivati […]

• 1534
• Articles
• 18 Dic 2018

We are lucky to have so many extant versions of Callas performing La Sonnambula: 1955 at La Scala under Bernstein, 1957 live at Edinburgh, 1957 live at Cologne, and the 1957 studio version (the last three all being under Votto’s baton). This isn’t taking into account the studio excerpts recorded in 1955 under Serafin, which […]

• 3052
• Articles
• 18 Dic 2018

Hector Berlioz (11 December 1803 – 8 March 1869) was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande messe des morts (Requiem). Berlioz made significant contributions to the modern orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation. He specified huge orchestral forces for some of his works, and conducted several concerts with […]

• 1402
• Articles
• 18 Dic 2018

One of the leading German baritones during the interwar period, Heinrich Schlusnus possessed a handsome, beautifully schooled instrument with an unusually free top register. If he lacked great imagination in interpreting his roles and was somewhat compromised by a weak lower register, he nevertheless was a sufficiently polished technician to make important points by vocal […]

• 1751
• Articles
• 18 Dic 2018

Czech soprano Maria Müller (1898 – 1958) was among the most prominent and beloved lyric/dramatic sopranos singing the German repertory in the interwar years. With an attractive instrument and a warm and instantly appealing stage manner, she proved herself an important member of the Metropolitan Opera, Berlin Staatsoper, and Bayreuth Festival during the 1930s. She […]

• 1829
• Articles
• 18 Dic 2018

No doubt, that of Medea is one of the most disconcerting and even contradictory female characters, in antique Greek mythology and Greco-Roman literature. So much, as to grow almost a controversial archetype in later European culture and Western civilization, fine arts or music included [footnote 1]. Still nowadays, the personage occurs to be animatedly debated. […]

• 2181
• Articles
• 18 Dic 2018

Dearest Father-in-law, For a long time it has been an intention of mine to dedicate an opera to you who have been to me at once father, benefactor, and friend. […] Here now is this Macbeth, which I love in preference to my other operas, and thus deem more worthy of being presented to you. […]

• 1552
• Articles
• 18 Dic 2018

This article should have been entitled “Wagner Was Not an Anti-Semite As Far As Individuals Were Concerned.” A new article called “How the Jews Saved The Ring,” along with a related article to be posted soon should set the record straight. I apologize for any misunderstanding. George Hastings —————– Richard Wagner has a notorious reputation […]

• 3798
• Articles
• 17 Dic 2018

“Aureliano in Palmira” (𝟣8𝟣3). Here in the role of Arsace (II Act – “Gran Scena di Arsace”), Martine Dupuy, young and fresh from one of her most important successes, Romeo in Martina Franca. Dupuy did not repeat Arsace on stage, instead performed in concert the arias, which already in 1980 emphasized elegance, softness of emission […]