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PROVOCATIVE THOUGHTS:
The late Patric Standford may have written these short pieces deliberately to provoke our feedback. If so, his success is reflected in the rich range of readers' comments appearing at the foot of most of the pages.
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