LONDON—The new year looks set to open with a slew of original vocal albums. Take Brooklyn Serenade , an eclectic collection of songs from Zachary Wilder. Most people will know the silken-voiced tenor as an accomplished baroque music … » Read

DETROIT—On Dec. 13, Detroit Opera Artistic Director Yuval Sharon joined two company staffers and guest musicologist Naomi André for a pre-show talk. Between the discussion points, Sharon’s interlocutors showered him with … » Read

MILAN—By the time of his death five years ago, at age 91, Ennio Morricone had achieved unrivalled recognition in the world of film music, winning a long list of prizes for soundtracks including Cinema Paradiso, The Mission, and a series of … » Read

LONDON—Aside from the orchestral forces, the new Royal Opera House Ariodante  retains two key elements from its 2020 concert performances during the pandemic. First, tenor Ed Lyon returns as Lurcanio, our hero’s brother; second, … » Read

LONDON—It’s not uncommon for opera companies to investigate a composer’s first thoughts, early versions of works supplanted by what most would consider musical or dramatic improvements. Curiously, in the case of La Rondine , … » Read

CHICAGO—Antonio Salieri may be the most famous classical composer whose music you’ve never heard. Chicago Opera Theater (COT) remedied that situation last week with the local premiere of Falstaff , Salieri’s lithe 1799 opera … » Read

The 1977 book The Faggots and their Friends Between Revolutions , a product of the early post-Stonewall years of gay liberation, offers a fey parable about gender roles and sexuality. Larry Mitchell’s text and Ned Asta’s … » Read

LONDON—The reign of Elizabeth I was as fertile a time for composers as it was for other artists in England. After all, as Mahan Esfahani points out, it was the same age and creative milieu—political, philosophical, and … » Read

CHICAGO-- The Perfect Tuba , the latest book by veteran journalist Sam Quinones, is the perfect book for those days when the weight of the world makes it hard to get out of bed. A few years ago, Quinones was feeling that weight. As a reporter for … » Read

The success of Fedora at the Metropolitan Opera two years ago with Sonya Yoncheva and Piotr Beczala made the prospect of another opera by Umberto Giordano with the same pairing a tempting one, and not just because of their star power. Fedora , … » Read