RESOUNDING ECHOES: From August 2022, Robert McCarney's regular series features little-known twentieth century classical composers.
SPONSORED: Think of Something Beautiful - Malcolm Miller pays tribute to contralto Sybil Michelow (1925-2013).
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Ensemble. A Bloody Story of Jealousy - Giuseppe Pennisi witnesses great success for Franco Zeffirelli's return to Rome
Ensemble. Almost as Verdi would have Wanted - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience for 'Aida'
Ensemble. Osborn Triumphs in 'Elisir' - Giuseppe Pennisi is back in his usual seat at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma for Donizetti's melodramma giocoso
Ensemble. A Christmas 'Don Quixote' - Giuseppe Pennisi recommends a visit to the ballet
Ensemble. Spirituality and Revolution - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Rome on Francis Poulenc's 'Dialogues des Carmélites'
Ensemble. In Honour of Carla Fracci - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Adolphe Adam's 'Giselle' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
Ensemble. Gluckian Reform - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on a very special 'Alceste' which effectively closes the opera season of the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
Ensemble. Preljocaj is Back in Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on two contemporary ballets at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
Ensemble. Figaro in Hollywood - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the opening night of a new production of Rossini's 'Il barbiere di Siviglia'
Ensemble. Changing Tastes - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience for Leonard Bernstein's 'Mass'
Ensemble. A Revolutionary Score - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience for Verdi's 'Ernani', back in Rome
Ensemble. Merging Scores with Care - Giuseppe Pennisi enjoys the ballet 'Il Corsaro'
Ensemble. Welcome Back, Puritani - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience, in Rome, for Bellini's last great masterpiece
Ensemble. Conceived for TV - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences Teatro dell'Opera di Roma's 'La bohème'
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Ensemble. Two Performances of 'Turandot' in Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi attended one and saw the other on TV
Ensemble. Three Contemporary Ballets in Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience for 'Herman Schmerman', 'Walking Mad' and 'From Afar', to music by Thom Willems, Maurice Ravel, Arvo Pärt and Ezio Bosso
Ensemble. A Rare Bird - Verdi's 'Luisa Miller', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Káťa Enthralls Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences a Janáček first performance in Italy's capital
Ensemble. A Different 'Nutcracker' - Giuliano Peparini's staging of Tchaikovsky ballet, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi and his grandson
Ensemble. An Unconventional and Complex Score - The first performance of 'Julius Caesar' by Giorgio Battistelli, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Love and Religion - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews Rome's first performance of Verdi's 'Giovanna D'Arco' since 1972
Ensemble. A Modern Thriller - Giuseppe Pennisi was at a performance in Rome of the Italian version of Gian Carlo Menotti's 'The Medium'
Classical music news. The Ideal Bridge - Michele Mariotti is to make his debut at Vienna State Opera with The Barber of Seville
Ensemble. Elegance and Drama - Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed by Roland Petit's two act ballet 'Notre Dame de Paris'
Ensemble. The Orchestra is the Winner - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews 'La bohème' in Rome
Ensemble. A Transgressive Butterfly - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience in Rome
Ensemble. Black and White - Verdi's 'Il trovatore' from Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Chaos Instead of Music? - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Wagner and Shostakovich in a triumphant concert by Alejo Pérez and the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma Orchestra
Ensemble. Teatro dell'Opera di Roma Re-opens - Giuseppe Pennisi was in a box for the opening night
Ensemble. In the Easter Egg - Giuseppe Pennisi takes a critical look at two April 2021 performances of Verdi's 'La Traviata'
Ensemble. Elegant and Innovative - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences Teatro dell'Opera di Roma's Homage to Stravinsky
Ensemble. Arduous and Contrasting Passion - Bellini's 'I Puritani' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, recommended by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Hundreds of Thousands in Line for a Barber - A new Rome production of Rossini's 'Barber of Seville' especially for TV, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Great Emphasis on Detail - Giuseppe Pennisi enjoys streamed performances of a Carmen double bill in Rome
Ensemble. A Survival Strategy - Giuseppe Pennisi writes about the current music scene in Italy, touching on recent notable performances
Ensemble. A Touch of Verdi in Rossini's Last Work - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Opera Roma's grand performance of Petite Messe Solennelle in Rome
Ensemble. Respecting the Spirit of The Merry Widow - Giuseppe Pennisi relates how 'Die lustige Witwe' is enthralling Rome
Ensemble. Dancing Vivaldi during Social Distancing - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Teatro dell'Opera di Roma's Circus Maximus
Ensemble. Once Upon a Time in Mantua - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the re-opening of Teatro dell'Opera di Roma for Verdi's 'Rigoletto'
After the Pandemic - Giuseppe Pennisi describes what looks like being a busy musical summer in Rome
Music and the Pandemic - Giuseppe Pennisi puts the case for Italy
A Double Career - Giuseppe Pennisi describes his life as an economist in the world of music
Ensemble. Traditional and Modern - Tchaikovsky's 'Eugene Onegin' returns to Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Bel Canto Marvels - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences Bellini's rare opera 'I Capuleti e i Montecchi'
Ensemble. Intimate Suffering - Tchaikovsky's 'Swan Lake' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Bold and Engrossing - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews Verdi's 'Les Vêpres Siciliennes' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
Ensemble. Contemporary Premieres - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences three new operas in Rome
Ensemble. Affectionate Complicity and Tensions - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews Mozart's 'Idomeneo' in Rome
Ensemble. Take A Sabbatical - Giuseppe Pennisi has some advice for Graham Vick, based on the latter's latest production of 'Don Giovanni'
Ensemble. Back to the Future - Giuseppe Pennisi attends a gala evening in Rome dedicated to two experimental works
Ensemble. A Different 'Aida' - Denis Krief's new production in Rome, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Repertory 'Tosca' - Giuseppe Pennisi considers Puccini's opera as a real orchestral masterpiece
Ensemble. A Mechanical Toy Box - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences the revival in Rome of Rossini's 'La Cenerentola'
Ensemble. A Supernatural Glow - Giuseppe Pennisi describes the Fiery Angel that hangs over Rome
Ensemble. Easter Mozart - Ton Koopman conducts the Mass in C and the Jupiter Symphony, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Not so Merry Widow - Damiano Michieletto's joint venture with La Fenice is not a success in Rome, as described by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Contemporary 'Stabat Mater' - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to a new work by Nicola Piovani
Ensemble. A Noble Simplicity - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the Roman debut of Gluck's 'Orfeo'
Ensemble. A Coloratura Contest - Giuseppe Pennisi witnesses a true triumph with Donizetti's 'Anna Bolena' in Rome
Ensemble. An Anthem to Innocence - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences the Italian version of Benjamin Britten's 'The Little Sweep'
Ensemble. A Brand New 'Carmen' Ballet - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from the opening night at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
Ensemble. Skills and Elegance - Teatro dell'Opera di Roma's new production of 'Swan Lake' impresses Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Rigoletto and the Fascists - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the opening night of Teatro dell'Opera di Roma's new season
Ensemble. A Poor Staging - Graham Vick's 'The Marriage of Figaro' in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Magical Zauberflöte - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the opening of Teatro dell'Opera di Roma's autumn season
Ensemble. Ulysses' Homecoming - Giuseppe Pennisi was expecting a graduate performance of Monteverdi, but experienced a masterpiece
Ensemble. No Sex Please, We're Romeo and Juliet - Giuseppe Pennisi was at Rome's Terme di Caracalla for a new production of Prokofiev's ballet
Ensemble. References to Fellini - 'La Traviata' in 'La Dolce Vita', by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Richness of the Score - Puccini's 'La bohème' in Rome, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Different 'Manon' - Kenneth McMillan's ballet on Massenet's music arrives in Rome, enthralling Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Long Overdue - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience for the first performance in Rome of Benjamin Britten's 'Billy Budd'
Ensemble. An Exciting Whirlwind - Constantinos Carydis conducts Russian and Greek music in Rome, impressing Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Doll's House - A new production of Bellini's 'La Sonnambula', experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Romanticism and Rock - Lalo and Pink Floyd ballets in Rome, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Bandits in Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi describes the stormy reaction to Verdi's 'I Masnadieri'
Ensemble. The Romantic Connection - Kodály, Glass and Bruckner, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Rendered in Masterly Fashion - An anthology of twentieth century music impresses Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Innovative and Enthralling - Berlioz's 'La damnation de Faust' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma impresses Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A New Don Quixote - Giuseppe Pennisi describes the opening of Teatro dell'Opera di Roma's new ballet season, with a new version of Ludwig Minkus' work, creating a stylised and colorful fairytale world
Ensemble. A Surreal Atmosphere - Daniel Auber's 'Fra Diavolo' is back in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Very Moving - A Roland Petit soirée at Opera di Roma, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Updating Tosca - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
Ensemble. Sensual and Immoral - A new production of 'Carmen' stirs a mini-International Controversy, by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Heavy Stage Direction and Sets - Rossini's 'Il viaggio a Reims' in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Mirror of Time - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on a trendy concert series in Rome
Ensemble. Well-deserved Ovations - 'Lulu' lands in Rome after fifty years, by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Back in Rome - Giordano's 'Andrea Chénier' returns to the Teatro dell'Opera after more than forty years, impressing Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Duel of Voices - Donizetti's 'Maria Stuarda' in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Inner Struggle - Giuseppe Pennisi watches and listens to Tchaikovsky's 'Sleeping Beauty'
Ensemble. A Controversial Così - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
Ensemble. A New Year's Eve with 'Die Fledermaus' - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Rome
Ensemble. Abstract and Symbolic - 'Tristan und Isolde' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma enthralls Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Different 'Swan Lake' - Tchaikovsky in Rome impresses Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Dido Reconstructed - Henry Purcell, arranged by Atilio Cremonesi, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Not Entirely New - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences a double 'Barber of Seville' in Rome
Ensemble. Nabucco goes to War - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience in Rome
Ensemble. Divine Providence - Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed by Donizetti's religious opera 'Linda di Chamounix'
Ensemble. Fast Forward - Giuseppe Pennisi assesses three works at a contemporary music festival in Rome
Ensemble. High Fashion - A new production of 'La traviata' in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Great Success - Eleonora Abbagnato's 'Four Great Choreographers' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, appreciated by Giuseppe Pennisi
Rossini's Revenge - The first of three new 'Barber of Seville' productions marking the opera's bicentenary, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Surrealist Pop - Rossini's 'La Cenerentola' in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Mirrors of Time - Special concerts in Rome, enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi
For the New Year - Unusual ballet productions in Italy, seen by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Very Special - Christmas music in Rome impresses Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Enthralling Music - Hans Werner Henze's 'The Bassarids', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Two Ballets - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences a new dance in Rome
Ensemble. The End of Utopia - 'The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny' by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Intricately Tuneful - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews John Adams' opera 'I Was looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky'
Ensemble. Far from Traditional - Puccini operas in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Dark Lady - Tchaikovsky's 'Queen of Spades' appeals to Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Long Nocturne - Giuseppe Pennisi describes an intimate 'Aida' in Rome
Ensemble. Engrossing Performance - Dvorák's 'Rusalka' in Rome impresses Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Troubles in Rome - Verdi's Rigoletto, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Open-air Performance - A triptych of ballet on tour, with dancing in the monumental Roman ruins, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. More Powerful - 'Carmen' in Bizet's original version, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Carefully Mixed - Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore in Rome, enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Double Melodrama - Giuseppe Pennisi was at Puccini's 'Manon Lescaut', performed under difficult conditions in Rome
Ensemble. Vivid and Entertaining - Giuseppe Pennisi attends a Ravel double bill in Rome
Ensemble. Perfect Settings - New Year in Italy, by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Good Sense - Turandot in Rome as written by Puccini, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Rich Musical Season - Summer opera in Rome, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Deeply Moving - Britten's 'Curlew River' in Rome, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Bitter Reflection - A half-baked 'Don Pasquale', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Dramatic Effect - Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas' in the Roman Gym impresses Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Political Tragedy - Giuseppe Pennisi attended a performance of Wagner's 'Rienzi' in Rome
Ensemble. Black and White - Saint-Saëns' 'Samson' as envisaged by La Fura dels Baus, enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Cosmic Pessimism - Verdi's rarely performed 'I Due Foscari', experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Sweet and Sour - Adolphe Adam's 'Giselle', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Swift and Corrosive - Giuseppe Pennisi takes a sniff at Shostakovich's 'The Nose'
Ensemble. Highly Appreciated - Music by Vivaldi in the churches of Rome, enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Very Elegant - Minkus' 'Don Quixote' in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Psychological Evolution - 'Simon Boccanegra' in Rome impresses Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. An Erotic Flavour - Rome's new production of Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Very Juicy - Summer Opera in Rome, enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Quite Different - Britten's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Musical Credibility - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the opening night of Teatro dell'Opera di Roma's production of Verdi's 'Attila'
Ensemble. All the Ingredients - Giuseppe Pennisi describes a rather half-baked 'Barber of Seville'
Ensemble. Fairytale Atmosphere - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on the opening night of 'Die Zauberflöte' in Rome
Ensemble. A Japanese Tragedy - A new 'Butterfly' production in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Useful Spice - Giuseppe Pennisi discovers, via Bernstein's 'Candide', why we don't live in 'the best of all possible worlds'
Ensemble. A Variety of Events - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on music for the Christmas and New Year period in Italy, for children and for those who love children
Ensemble. A Triumphant Macbeth - Under Riccardo Muti's baton, Verdi's first Shakespearean opera inaugurates Rome's opera season, by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Memorable Evening - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on the Richard Strauss masterpiece co-produced by Rome's Teatro dell'Opera and the Salzburg Festival
Ensemble. A Delicate Balance - Giuseppe Pennisi has mixed feelings about 'Aida' at the Baths of Caracalla
Ensemble. A Conductor's Opera - A new production of Puccini's 'La bohème' at Rome's Teatro dell'Opera, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. When Verdi Slept - 'La Battaglia di Legnano', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Simple and Effective - A new production of Verdi's 'Nabucco' celebrates the 150th anniversary of Italy's Unification, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Drama and Comedy - British humour under the Neapolitan sun, in 'L'Elisir d'Amore' in Rome and San Francisco, by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Unmistakably American - William Bolcom's 'A View from the Bridge', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Mediterranean Splendour - Dancing to Bizet's 'L'Arlésienne' and 'Carmen', by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Difficult Cocktail - Rossini's 'Moïse et Pharaon', assessed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Superb from the word 'go' - Donizetti's last Tudor Queen returns to Rome, and Carmela Remigio enchants Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Young Eroticism in the Third French Republic - Massenet's 'Manon' returns to Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. An Excellent Staging - 'Madama Butterfly' at Rome's Teatro dell'Opera, appreciated by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Successful Production - Sixty Leitmotives for 'Tosca', by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. The Devil and the Bourgeoisie - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Arrigo Boito's 'Mefistofele'
Ensemble. The Quality of the Cooks - Verdi comic operas on stage, tasted by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Alive and Well - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences Zeffirelli's latest 'La traviata'
Ensemble. A Rare Treat - A New Jersey 'Magic Flute', reviewed by Maria Nockin