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

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

Violinist Gérard (Georges) Poulet was born on 12 August 1938 in Bayonne in the south of France, and he won the Paganini Competition in Genoa at the age of eighteen. Poulet was never the most showy violinist, but from the

Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) completed only three operas during his lifetime. By all accounts, Benvenuto Cellini was an outright failure, with the audience hissing at most of the music after the first few numbers. And the epic Les Troyens (The Trojans)

Baritone Simon Keenlyside has been described as “one of Britain’s most sought-after and charismatic singers, noted for his versatility and highly charged performances on stage.” He made his first appearance in a major operatic role in 1987 as “Lescaut” in

Sergeant John de Lancie, born on 26 July 1921 in Berkely, California, eventually became the principal oboist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. However, his greatest claim to fame dates from the time he was stationed in the village of Garmisch Partenkirchen

Leon Fleisher is “one of the most refined and transcendent musicians the United States has ever produced.” A child prodigy of the highest calibre, Fleisher couldn’t remember a time when he wasn’t playing the piano, and Pierre Monteux called him

Premiered on 18 July 1791 at the Théâtre Feydeau in Paris, Luigi Cherubini’s Lodoïska was immediately celebrated as a masterpiece. It ran for roughly 200 performances in Paris and was highly popular in the Germanic countries in the early 19th