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.
FROM ROME: From December 2009 until March 2023, the late Giuseppe Pennisi sent us regular reports from the Italian opera and classical music scene.
Classical music news. The Month of June - A new painting by Jeromyah Jones honours American singer June E Townes, founder of 'Gospera'
Subliminal Messages - Evoke your musical senses with Vermeer, by Ellen MacDonald-Kramer
Ensemble. Simple and Effective - A new production of Verdi's 'Nabucco' celebrates the 150th anniversary of Italy's Unification, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. Brisk and Powerful - 'Carmen' in Tucson, enjoyed by Maria Nockin
Ensemble. Strongly Musical - Handel's 'Radamisto' at the London Coliseum, reviewed by Robert Hugill
Ensemble. Rather Quirky - Massenet's 'Manon' at Covent Garden, reviewed by Robert Hugill
Ensemble. Young Eroticism in the Third French Republic - Massenet's 'Manon' returns to Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi
Ensemble. A Successful Production - Sixty Leitmotives for 'Tosca', by Giuseppe Pennisi
Profile. Encouraging Others - Maria Nockin talks to Stephen Costello and Ailyn Perez, the young couple singing Gounod's 'Romeo and Juliet' this month at San Diego Opera
Ensemble. A Perfect Falstaff - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the Vienna State Opera
CD Spotlight. Nearly Unknown - Bologna's Renaissance music, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi. '... an efficient and effective local ensemble ...'
Ensemble. A Bouquet of Bohèmes - Maria Nockin reviews one opera at two different venues
Ensemble. Compelling Vocal Drama - Lawrence Budmen listens to Measha Brueggergosman and the New World Symphony
Ensemble. Too Good to Miss - Robert Hugill was at the first night of Tchaikovsky's 'The Tsarina's Slippers' at Covent Garden
Arts and the Colour of Politics - Béla Hartmann muses on growing social equality and democratization
The Philosophy of Absence - Jennifer Paull investigates four releases of Cage's Number Pieces
Making a Real Fuss - Robert Hugill looks forward to English Touring Opera's HandelFest this autumn
CD Spotlight. Portraits in Music - 'The Sucker Punch Requiem' by Lisle Ellis, enjoyed by Ron Bierman. 'Recommended ... to classical listeners interested in expanding their listening domain.'
CD Spotlight. Grim and Visceral - Masao Ohki's 'Hiroshima Symphony', reviewed by Howard Smith. 'A blistering 2005 performance ...'
Fair game? - Is a little insanity good for the creative process? D C Ruiz talks to Paul Minotto about the primeTime Sublime Community Orchestra