It took Richard Wagner the better part of 26 years to complete Götterdämmerung (Twilights of the Gods). This final opera in the Ring cycle was originally called “Siegfried’s Tod,” and the resources and stamina demanded by the work from both

During the winter, the beach is a lonely wind-swept place. The sea shore piles up with the detritus of the waves: old shells and ragged seaweed. A beach along England’s Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was used as

He single-handedly revolutionized the world of opera by applying an unprecedented entrepreneurial philosophy to arts management. Giulio Gatti-Casazza managed La Scala in Milan for a decade, and he also served as the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera of New

Sergei Rachmaninoff was born in 1873 in Russia. He became one of the greatest pianists of his generation, as well as one of the most famous composers. Here are a few facts about Rachmaninoff’s life and music: Rachmaninoff’s music is

For 30 years, the British recording label “NMC Recordings” has specialized in recording works by living composers from the British Isles. A veritable national archive for new and contemporary music, it marked its 20th Anniversary in 2009 with a special

Recognised as one of Gioachino Rossini’s most brilliant and innovative comedies, Il Turco in Italia (The Turk in Italy) is a laugh-out-loud opera buffa, full of energetic and buoyant music. With a libretto by Felice Romani, the work first sounded

A barque is a three-masted sailing ship in its original definition, but by the end of the 19th century, it had become downgraded to refer to a small boat or even a rowing boat for inland waters. The idea of

Nicholas Smith went to China over 30 years ago, his Cambridge music degree fresh in his hand, initially as a VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) volunteer with a two-year contract in China to teach English. Teaching English led to learning Chinese