MILAN--While 17th- and 18th-century opera has been a staple of European theaters for the last several decades, it is relatively uncommon among Italy’s opera houses. La Scala has been attempting to change that, scheduling a string of … » Read

LONDON--In opera, directorial “concepts” can sometimes be frustrating, distorting or even overwhelming a composer’s intentions. That Daisy Evans’s powerful re-imagining of Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle as … » Read

The San Diego Symphony is on the ascent these days, financially and arguably artistically healthier than ever in its 110-year history. It helps that in 2002 it received $120 million, said to be the largest single gift ever made to an orchestra. … » Read

Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho’s Vista had its belated-due-to-the-pandemic world premiere last May at the Helsinki Philharmonic before making the rounds to the Berlin and Oslo philharmonics. Susanna Mälkki conducted them all, so it … » Read

Though Arvo Pärt enjoys mainstream popularity that has only escalated as he has turned 86, the Sunday afternoon retrospective concert at the Metropolitan Museum of Art shows how much this Estonian composer remains an artistic voice as … » Read

LONDON--Never mind the why and wherefore, but HMS Pinafore is the Gilbert and Sullivan opera I find hardest to love. Perhaps it’s because in their next collaboration, the ever-seaworthy Pirates of Penzance , they trod similar ground with … » Read

MILAN--By choosing to unveil a new era at the Bayerische Staatsoper with Shostakovich’s The Nose , Intendent Serge Dorny did not opt for the easy route. The rarely performed opera is far from a guaranteed crowd pleaser, its enormous score … » Read

For those who prefer their orchestral repertoire more on the recent side of the 20 th century than the past, the New York Philharmonic’s program last week was just too enticing to pass up. Add a conductor in her Phil debut and a clarinet … » Read

Tenor Jonas Kaufmann is arguably today’s reigning opera divo—a magnetic performer who looks every bit as good as he sounds. His appearances in the U.S.—rare in recent years due both to the pandemic and some health … » Read

LOS ANGELES – Gustavo Dudamel’s second subscription program since the Los Angeles Philharmonic returned to Walt Disney Concert Hall aimed at two of his main interests – new music and Mahler. It also marked a re-entry … » Read