NEW YORK—The operas of Dutch composer Michel van der Aa are known for their unconventional inclusion of film content. Van der Aa stands out in this respect because most composers don’t also have an expertise in filmmaking. By … » Read

LONDON--The Royal Opera has done well by Britten’s (and Britain’s) most revered opera, and over the years each new production has been indelibly associated with its inaugural fisherman. First was Peter Pears in 1947, not long after … » Read

Comprehension was only a nominal objective and not particularly necessary in Book of Mountains & Seas the new stage work by composer Huang Ruo and director/designer Basil Twist that was salvaged from the COVID-cancelled Prototype Festival and … » Read

Time was when an integral performance of Schumann’s four symphonies would, as a matter of course, be accompanied by a response to attacks that Schumann lacked ability as a symphonist and, especially, as an orchestrator.  In an extreme … » Read

PARIS--Reactions to Leonard Bernstein’s late-life output vary according to taste, both ours and his. That goes for his compositions as well as his conducting, since the creative spirit that had wowed the world with a flow of unpretentious … » Read

LONDON--Few orchestras understand the meaning of invasion, occupation, and oppression like the Czech Philharmonic, as well as appreciating the power of music when it comes to making a stand. In its 126-year history it has programmed patriotic … » Read

Opera-in-concert is an essential component of a major orchestra’s programming arsenal and often a high point. In May, Franz Welser-Möst leads the Cleveland Orchestra in Verdi’s Otello . The Chicago Symphony follows suit in June … » Read

On Monday, the Metropolitan Opera used its power, its people, and its international profile to pay tribute to and raise funds for Ukraine as it resists the Russian invasion. Before a sold-out (within hours, apparently) house of 3,200 and an … » Read

LOS ANGELES – Though the inexhaustibly gifted Johann Sebastian Bach never wrote an opera, his mighty St. Matthew Passion comes close enough to tempt an opera company to try it on for size. So LA Opera rolled the dice Saturday night (Mar. … » Read

SAN FRANCISCO--The evening opened with a dream and ended with fireworks. With Stravinsky as the main attraction, the San Francisco Symphony spun out a spectrum of gratifying musical amplitude on March 11 at Davies Hall. If the large and … » Read