MET STARS: From 2002 until 2021 the late Maria Nockin reported from Arizona, mostly on live opera productions.
DISCUSSION: Composers Daniel Schorno and John Dante Prevedini discuss creativity, innovation and re-invention with Maria Nockin, Mary Mogil, Giuseppe Pennisi and Roderic Dunnett.
SPONSORED: Ensemble. Unjustly Neglected - In this specially extended feature, Armstrong Gibbs' re-discovered 'Passion according to St Luke' impresses Roderic Dunnett.
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Mozart in Italy - Mike Wheeler, in the first of several visits to this year's Buxton Festival, listens to a discussion between Jane Glover and Leah Broad
Spotlight. Drama and Emotion - Gerald Fenech finds much to enjoy and discover on this recent Verdi album from Freddie De Tommaso, Riccardo Chailly and colleagues at Teatro alla Scala, Milan. '... Chailly's spirited empathy for these pieces is evident throughout, and the La Scala forces respond with flair and vigour, as does tenor Freddie de Tommaso.'
Classical music news. Toradze International Music Festival - The Toradze Foundation presents the second edition of its music festival in the Georgian capital Tbilisi
Spotlight. Imagination, Humour and Depth - Gerald Fenech listens to oboe concertos by eighteenth century German composer Ludwig August Lebrun. 'Nancy Ambrose King's flawless technique allows the music to flow with a strong sense of drama ...'
Spotlight. Vitality and Freshness - Gerald Fenech is delighted by Bojan Čičić and Steven Devine's recording of Handel's violin sonatas. '... infectious warmth and extraordinary dexterity ...'
Spotlight. Overwhelmingly Thrilling - Gerald Fenech is impressed by Ivan Repušić's recording of Verdi's 'I lombardi alla prima crociata'. 'Another triumph in Repušić's ongoing cycle of early Verdi in excellent sound and annotations.'
Spotlight. Dramatic and Passionate - Gerald Fenech ardently recommends extracts from operas in the Italian verismo tradition. 'Hindoyan gets superb playing from his Liverpudlians, and the white-hot streak of the music is delivered with unabashed virtuosity.'
CD Spotlight. A Trailblazer of Classical Expression - Anett Fodor encourages music enthusiasts to experience 'Il Boemo – The Czech'. '... a gateway, unveiling hidden treasures from a bygone era.'
Profile. Big Roles - Ron Bierman talks to American soprano Michelle Bradley
Ensemble. A Bloody Story of Jealousy - Giuseppe Pennisi witnesses great success for Franco Zeffirelli's return to Rome
CD Spotlight. Unjustifiably Neglected - Gerald Fenech is impressed with orchestral music by Carlos Gomes. 'I encourage you to invest in this beautiful album which will definitely sweep you off your feet.'
Classical music news - January 2023 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month
CD Spotlight. Rarities and Discoveries - Gerald Fenech listens to some unusual Verdi. 'A memorable programme, passionately performed and splendidly recorded ...'
Ensemble. 'Boris' at La Scala - Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed by the HD transmission from Milan of Modest Musorgsky's opera
Ensemble. Paths of Excellence - Giuseppe Pennisi reports via live stream on the Ravenna Festival Mozart/Da Ponte Trilogy
CD Spotlight. 'La fille' in Cuba - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Donizetti. '... a good memory of a very good joint production.'
CD Spotlight. Dance or Die - Gerald Fenech enjoys a disc exploring the influence of Italy on Austrian and German composers. '... performances full of rhythmic energy, explosive colours and, above all, harmonic ingenuity.'
CD Spotlight. Passion, Intensity and Verve - Gerald Fenech listens to Giordano's 'Siberia'. '... full of emotional warmth and heartfelt fidelity.'
Classical music news. Obituary - Sylvano Bussotti (1931-2021)
Ensemble. Pelléas in the Waters - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences a new Italian production of Debussy's opera via TV
Ensemble. Deadly Sins - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on a Weill/Brecht double bill from La Scala Milan
Ensemble. Lolita in Jerusalem - Elena Stikhina in Teatro alla Scala's new production of 'Salome' by Richard Strauss impresses Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Christmas is for Concerts - Giuseppe Pennisi makes his festive choice from the Italian media
The Therapeutic Power of Music - Giuseppe Pennisi writes about Christmas in music for children in Italy
Ensemble. The Greatest La Scala Extravaganza - An unusual opening to La Scala's season in Milan, reported by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Survival Strategy - Giuseppe Pennisi writes about the current music scene in Italy, touching on recent notable performances
Classical music news - MITO SettembreMusica - Hosted by the Italian cities of Milan and Turin, MITO SettembreMusica 2020 was different to all other previous editions of the festival
Classical music news. Obituary - Marcello Abbado (1926-2020)
Music and the Pandemic - Giuseppe Pennisi puts the case for Italy
Classical music news - Bocelli: Music for Hope - Andrea Bocelli and Emanuele Vianelli performed live from the Duomo in Milan on Easter Sunday
Classical music news. Stjepan Hauser - The Croatian cellist performs with orchestra at Egypt's Soma Bay in April 2020
Ensemble. A Real Triumph - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences Puccini's 'Tosca', live in HD at the inauguration of La Scala's 2019-20 opera and ballet season
Ensemble. Contemporary Premieres - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences three new operas in Rome
Ensemble. A Star is Born - Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed by Enkeleda Kamani as Gilda in Verdi's 'Rigoletto' at La Scala, Milan
Classical music news. Bartók Plus - A short preview of the Bartók Plus Opera Festival in Miskolc, Hungary
Ensemble. A Rather Peculiar Opera - The new production of 'Ariadne auf Naxos' at La Scala Milan, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Popular Music Drama - Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed by Musorgsky's 'Khovanshchina' at La Scala Milan
Ensemble. A Special Feature - Giuseppe Pennisi describes how Cagliari awakens Antônio Carlos Gomes' 'Lo Schiavo' after a long sleep
Ensemble. Strong and Intense - Giuseppe Verdi's 'Attila', opening La Scala's 2018-19 season, enthralls Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. An Enthralling Production - György Kurtág's 'Fin de Partie' impresses Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Rare Bird - Riccardo Zandonai's 'Francesca da Rimini' at La Scala, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Sumptuous Production - La Scala revives 'Andrea Chénier', reviewed via live HD projection by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. The Triumph of Music - The first performance of Salvatore Sciarrino's 'Ti vedo, ti sento, mi perdo', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Rare Butterfly - Giuseppe Pennisi was at La Scala for the start of the new season in Milan
Ensemble. Sex and Murder - Giordano's 'La cena delle beffe', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Difficult Score - The new critical edition of Puccini's 'La Fanciulla del West', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Transcendental Dawn - Handel's 'Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno' impresses Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Passion and Commitment - Verdi's 'Giovanna D'Arco' at La Scala, recommended by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Towards the Abyss - Alban Berg's 'Wozzeck' at La Scala, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Eclectic and Attractive - Giorgio Battistelli's new opera for Expo Milano 2015 impresses Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Women are Stronger - Mozart's 'Lucio Silla' at La Scala, enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. An Unusual Reading - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences an icy Paris/Milan production of Monteverdi's 'L'incoronazione di Poppea'
Ensemble. The War is Always On - Zimmermann's 'Die Soldaten' in Milan, enthralls Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. The Ambiguity of 'Fidelio' - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the opening night of La Scala's opera season
Ensemble. Human Tragedy - Stefano Ranzani conducts Verdi's 'Simon Boccanegra', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
DVD Spotlight. Sweeping Drama - Wagner's Götterdämmerung from La Scala Milan impresses Gerald Fenech. 'The singing is at a constantly high level throughout ...'
Ensemble. Traditional and Bold - Berlioz's Les Troyens, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Truly Memorable - Power, technology and sex in Rimsky Korsakov's 'The Tsar's Bride', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Innovation and Tradition - Verdi's 'La Traviata' at the start of La Scala's new season, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
DVD Spotlight. Conviction and Passion - Britten's 'Peter Grimes' at Teatro alla Scala, reviewed by Howard Smith. '... a welcome centenary release.'
Ensemble. Political Allegory - Wagner's 'Götterdämmerung' at La Scala Milan, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. New Tricks? - Giuseppe Pennisi discusses a sexy 'Falstaff' at La Scala
Ensemble. Forbidden Questions - A controversial 'Lohengrin' at La Scala, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Dramatic Singing - 'Peter Grimes' live from Milan in HD, enjoyed by Maria Nockin
Ensemble. Engrossing and Moving - Giuseppe Pennisi was at La Scala for a new production of 'Peter Grimes'
Ensemble. An Immoralist Black Comedy - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on a controversial new production of Mozart's 'Don Giovanni' which opened La Scala's 2011-12 season in Milan
Ensemble. The Lady without the Lake - Rossini at La Scala, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Time is a Strange Thing - Teatro Real, Paris Opéra and La Scala join forces for the centenary of 'Der Rosenkavalier', reported by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. The Grand Inquisitor - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the first performance of Alessandro Solbiati's 'La Leggenda' in Turin, and raises the issue of the replicability of modern grand opera
Ensemble. A Thrill to Watch - Verdi's 'Nabucco' in HD from Sicily, enjoyed by Maria Nockin
Ensemble. Achingly Beautiful - Vivaldi's 'La verità in cimento' at Garsington Opera, reviewed by Roderic Dunnett
Ensemble. Artistic Freedom - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the sophisticated music festival in a Tuscan mountain convent and stays for the full three days
Ensemble. Uncurbed Impulses - Bizet's 'Carmen' at San Diego Opera, appreciated by Maria Nockin
Ensemble. Extreme Sex - Set in the aftermath of a nuclear war, the first performance of Luca Francesconi's 'Quartett' is reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
CD Spotlight. A Sympathetic Hand - Jane Glover accompanies Felicity Lott's Mozart, heard by Robert Anderson. '... joyous music-making.'
Ensemble. Riveting Characterization - Verdi's 'Otello' at Arizona Opera impresses Maria Nockin
Ensemble. A Real Triumph - The first Milan performance of Britten's 'Death in Venice' impresses Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. For King, Country and Sex - Marco Tutino's 'Senso', experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. The Quality of Mercy - Verdi's 'La Forza del Destino', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A New and Better World? - Giuseppe Pennisi was at La Scala Milan for Wagner's 'Die Walküre'
Ensemble. A Difficult Cocktail - Rossini's 'Moïse et Pharaon', assessed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Heroes Step Up in Crisis - The Muti era lays claim to Chicago, by Barbara Sealock
Ensemble. First Class - The new Palermo production of Rossini's 'The Barber of Seville', a casual worker in Almodóvar's Seville, recommended by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Unmitigated Fun - Covent Garden at the cinema, experienced by Maria Nockin
Ensemble. Rough and Shining Jewels - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the 2010 Rossini Opera Festival
Ensemble. An Excellent Staging - 'Madama Butterfly' at Rome's Teatro dell'Opera, appreciated by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. High Expectations - Barenboim's 'Das Rheingold' at La Scala, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Top-notch Formation - Operas by Zemlinsky and Puccini, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Seldom Performed - 'Lulu' lands at La Scala, by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. The Devil and the Bourgeoisie - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Arrigo Boito's 'Mefistofele'
Ensemble. A Fine Performance - Verdi's 'Nabucco' from San Diego Opera, enjoyed by Maria Nockin
Dual Personality? - In the 20th anniversary year of Bernstein's death, Giuseppe Pennisi writes about Italy's homage to Lenny
DVD Spotlight. A New Light - La Scala gives 'Maria Stuarda' the royal treatment, by Gregory Moomjy. '... the cast was in fine voice ...'
CD Spotlight. A Flowing Delivery - Bach Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin, heard by Howard Smith. '... vital technical flair ...'
Ensemble. A Gala Atmosphere - Maria Nockin reports from Los Angeles Opera's opening night 'L'Elisir d'amore'
The Philosophy of Absence - Jennifer Paull investigates four releases of Cage's Number Pieces
Ensemble. Ringing Intensity - 'Madama Butterfly' from San Diego Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin
Ensemble. A Rare Treat - Verdi's 'Aida' from Prescott, reviewed by Susan Hampton
Ensemble. A Musical Gem - Donizetti's 'L'elisir d'amore', enjoyed by Maria Nockin
DVD Spotlight. A Telling Moment - Poulenc's 'Dialogues des Carmélites', appreciated by Robert Anderson. '... finely expressed ...'
Ensemble. Dramatic Veracity - Puccini's 'Turandot' from St Louis, reviewed by Maria Nockin
Ensemble. A Sumptuous Display - Verdi's 'Don Carlo' at LA Opera, appreciated by Maria Nockin
DVD Spotlight. Maximum Sensuality - Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... suggests Tristan and Isolde ...'
Cathy Berberian: Legacy - On the 40th anniversary of 'The Miniskirt Affair', Jennifer Paull sets the mood of the 1960s into which Cathy Berberian's imaginative style of recital programming shook the conventional rafters of 'classical music' through sheer daring - her legacy to music-making
Ensemble. The lady and her entourage - Bill Newman at a concert by the London Chamber Music Group
Record box. Graceful charm - The Talich Quartet plays Mozart, reviewed by Ron Bierman
Profile. Luciano Chailly - The career of one of Italy's most striking musical personalities, reviewed by Roderic Dunnett, who met and interviewed him