Meals and food in operas can be dramatic turning points – let’s look at how they can help us understand the character more deeply or provide the push for the action. At the very end of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, the

The iconic Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa is internationally known for his energetic conducting style and his advocacy of modern composers. He attributes his involved podium style to his first conducting teacher, Saito, and to the language barrier he feels he

Itzhak Perlman is one of the world’s most popular classical musicians. “Beloved for his charm and humanity as well as his talent, he is treasured by audiences throughout the world who respond not only to his remarkable artistry, but also

You’ve probably heard the cello on numerous occasions either because you love its deep baritone sounds or because the cello is used whenever someone dies in a movie. The cello—its vibrant sounds so close to the human voice—is the perfect

Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla is, without doubt, one of the most in demand conductors and music directors of our times. Gentle, strong, calm and self-confident, she proudly says, “The only thing that could ever stop me is my own lack of imagination.”

Escaping Nazi oppression, Bohuslav Martinů found refuge in the United States. Struggling financially and eternally homesick, Martinů started to set folk song texts that became a symbolic connection to his beloved homeland. Dejected dreamlike vision of peace and the longing

As we progress further into the 19th century, doctors (be they medical or learned) become more than just figures of fun. In the last article, we saw doctors becoming major characters, if not the central character. In 1850 and beyond,

On 27 August 1900 a massive number of performers assembled at Arènes de Béziers to premiere the tragédie lyrique, essentially the grand cantata Prométhée by Gabriel Fauré. The performing cast, numbering almost 800 participants including two wind bands and 15