Italy

Classical music and opera are integral parts of Italy's social identity, with social, political and cultural issues often being expressed through music. Opera was developed in Italy in the late sixteenth century, and the country has been a classical music hub for many centuries. Italian classical music is known for its melodic and Romantic style.

 

A selection of articles about Italy

Spotlight. Rare but Lovely - Gerald Fenech recommends Catalani's 'La falce'. 'Performances are excellent in every sense and Fabrizio Da Ros keeps things moving without undue fuss.'

Ensemble. A Sure Feel for Dramatic Pacing - Mike Wheeler reviews Opera North's Mascagni/Rachmaninov double bill

Spotlight. A Near Unforgettable Experience - Gerald Fenech praises Krijn Koetsveld and Le Nuove Musiche for their new Monteverdi recording. '... breathtaking precision and technical proficiency that are simply stunning.'

Ensemble. A Fascinating Mix - Mike Wheeler listens to a joint concert by Derby Cathedral Choir and Sinfonia Viva

Spotlight. Neither Romantic nor Modern - Gerald Fenech recommends Francesca Dego's new recording of violin concertos by Brahms and Busoni. '... splendidly recorded and annotated ...'

Ensemble. A Terrific Concert - Ron Bierman listens to Gill Shaham and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rafael Payare

Spotlight. Fire and Brimstone - Gerald Fenech marvels at Alpesh Chauhan's new Tchaikovsky recording with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra for Chandos. '... Chauhan's passionate approach is consistently vibrant, sensitive and fastidiously attentive to orchestral details.'

A Crack in Time? - A rare Leap Day editorial from Keith Bramich

Spotlight. A Wonderful Tribute - Endre Anaru praises Francesco Cera for his performance of The Well-Tempered Clavier: Part 2, Book 2. '... Cera has ascended two vast Himalayan peaks and is to be congratulated for this achievement.'

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 ...'

Ensemble. Something Remarkable - Mike Wheeler listens to mostly avian music from Edouardo Strausser and the CBSO

Spotlight. Sumptuously Fragile Sounds - Gerald Fenech joyously recommends keyboard music from Handel's home in London. 'Technically flawless performances ...'

Spotlight. A Romantic Piano Master - Esdras Mugatik listens to Shura Cherkassky. '... a magical capacity to differentiate levels of sound ...'

Spotlight. Most Satisfying - Geoff Pearce highly recommends Andrius Puskunigis' recording of Handel oboe concertos. 'This disc is one of the finest I have heard of an oboist playing Baroque music on a modern instrument.'

Classical music news. New Releases for February 2024 and Later - Browse a selection of new recordings

Spotlight. Sensitively Beautiful - Gerald Fenech recommends two albums from Signum Classics, marking this year's Puccini anniversary. '... an irresistible programme full of shimmering melodies ...'

Spotlight. Virtuosic Flair - Gerald Fenech recommends dance music played by Daniel Hope and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. 'Daniel Hope's fiddle-playing is just phenomenal ...'

Ensemble. No Lack of Stylistic Variety - Mike Wheeler listens to music for two harps and various percussion from the Chroma Harp Duo

Spotlight. Warmth and Sonoric Exuberance - Gerald Fenech heartily recommends Tugan Sokhiev conducting brass arrangements of well-known overtures. '... exhilarating, spectacular, absorbing.'

Classical music news. New Releases for January 2024 and Later - Browse a selection of new recordings

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.'

Ensemble. Splendidly Thought-out - Mike Wheeler listens to music by J S Bach, Howells, MacMillan, Puccini, Reger, Sibelius and Vaughan Williams from the Sitwell Singers and friends

Spotlight. Largely Traditional - Keith Bramich listens to Christmas music recorded in 1975 in Atlanta, Georgia. '... an intriguing glimpse of the work of Robert Shaw and his Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus from nearly fifty years ago.'

Classical music news - International Opera Awards - A series of organisations and individuals were honoured at a ceremony in Poland on 9 November 2023, plus other news

Spotlight. Uncanny Precision - Gerald Fenech recommends Frieder Bernius' recording of 'L'Olimpiade' by Hasse. 'Frieder Bernius has a convincing way with Hasse.'

Ensemble. Miraculous Orchestration - Mike Wheeler enjoys Opera North's production of Giuseppe Verdi's 'Falstaff'

Spotlight. Nonexistence Reconsidered - John Dante Prevedini listens to a recording of John Aylward's opera 'Oblivion'. '... enigmatic and philosophically challenging ...'

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.'

Spotlight. Engaging, Interesting and Thoughtful - Endre Anaru is inspired by Francesco Cera's performance of The Well-Tempered Clavier: Part 1, Book 1. 'He gives voice to the voices and instead of just a dry plain reading we hear an enlivened elocution. It is as if he recited the music for us.'

Ensemble. Magical Effect - Mike Wheeler listens to Mozart, Richard Strauss and Gustav Holst from Sinfonia Viva

Ensemble. Propulsive Energy and Contemplative Interludes - Mike Wheeler listens to the Coull Quartet

Spotlight. Groundbreaking Extremes - Gerald Fenech unreservedly recommends recordings of eighteenth century 'sturm und drang' music. 'Ian Page and his Mozartists deliver performances of the highest artistic standards ...'

Classical music news - October 2023 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Classical music news - Quebec Appointment for Strategic Reflection - Composer Simon Bertrand is appointed as interim artistic director of the Société de musique contemporaine du Québec

Spotlight. A Gloriously Captivating Voice - Gerald Fenech listens to tenor Jonathan Tetelman singing Puccini. '... a must for all Puccini fans ...'

Spotlight. Imaginative and Colourful - Gerald Fenech finds the latest in Chandos Records' series of film music mouth-watering. 'Performances are consistently alive, vibrant and rhythmically exciting, and Marco Albonetti's virtuosity makes the music sound even more passionate and intense.'

CD Spotlight. A Fine Interpreter - Geoff Pearce is impressed by Carlo Alberto Bacchi's recording of sonatas by Muzio Clementi. '... pianist Carlo Alberto Bacchi performs with assurance, grace and mastery.'

Classical music news - The Compleat Busoni and other delights - A book launch, first performance and signing will take place this month in Canberra, Australia

CD Spotlight. An Enticing Disc - Gerald Fenech is impressed by the music of Handel and his London colleagues. 'Boundless enjoyment from beginning to end.'

CD Spotlight. Grace and Elegance - Italian concertos heard by Gerald Fenech. 'Boundless enjoyment from beginning to end.'

Classical music news - Pafio e Mirra - A rediscovered Salieri ballet was 'hiding in plain sight'

Classical music news - Rossini Opera Festival - The programme for next year's Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro is announced during this year's festival

Classical music news - August 2023 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Ensemble. Extra Joys - Salieri at Bampton, enjoyed by Roderic Dunnett

Ensemble. Delightfully Unusual - Ron Bierman listens to some 'Fantastic Tales' at the La Jolla Music Society's Summerfest

CD Spotlight. Awesome Power - Orchestral music from Finland, strongly recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... energetic performances that consistently engage the listener ...'

Ensemble. Unexpected Pleasures - Ron Bierman was at the opening of La Jolla Music Society's Summerfest season

Classical music news - Previews - Looking ahead to events during the 2023/24 season

Ensemble. Another Case of Mendelssohn's Influence? - Mike Wheeler listens to Verdi and Borodin from the Victoria String Quartet at the Buxton Festival

Ensemble. Misunderstandings and Jealousy - Mike Wheeler reports on the gender-politics of the Buxton Festival's production of Bellini's 'La Sonnambula'

Caccini - A classical music word-puzzle by Allan Rae

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.'

Ensemble. A Treat - Roderic Dunnett is dazzled by Rossini's 'La Cenerentola' at Neville Holt Opera

CD Spotlight. Impassioned Advocacy - Music by Pasquale Anfossi, highly recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... animated performances full of verve and spirit.'

Music as a Form of Magic - Larry Sitsky: Late Piano Pieces - Second Series 2022-2023

Agnesi - A classical music word-puzzle by Allan Rae

CD Spotlight. Depth of Feeling and Maturity - Geoff Pearce is impressed by Christian Li's new album for Decca Classics. '... assured technique, passion, agility and grace ...'

CD Spotlight. A Glorious Compilation - Italian baroque music heard by Gerald Fenech. '... flawless, full of technical prowess, virtuosic flair and great creative energy.'

CD Spotlight. A De-orchestration? - Keith Bramich listens to Richard Blackford's new version of Verdi's Messa da Requiem. '... Richard Blackford is a respected and experienced composer, and this is no mere thinning of the texture ...'

CD Spotlight. Immense Dramatic Power - Gerald Fenech listens to Berlioz. '... an interpretation overflowing with passion and flair ...'

CD Spotlight. Exceptional Poise and Musicality - Operatic arias played on trumpet, highly recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'Matilda Lloyd performs these phenomenal pieces with a captivating enthusiasm and irresistible grace ...'

CD Spotlight. More Operatic than Liturgical - Geoff Pearce listens to Mercadante's Messa Solenne. '... a most welcome recording of music by what is today a relatively little-known composer.'

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - A hundred not out

Ensemble. A Backwards Bohème - Adam J Sacks reports from Opera Philadelphia

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - The home country grown strange

Classical music news. The Pursuit of Musick - Some new publications and other news

CD Spotlight. Insightful and Compelling - Geoff Pearce is impressed by this Chandos recording of Shostakovich's Symphonies Nos 12 and 15. 'The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra is totally committed to these works and the playing, both solo and in ensemble work, is of the highest order.'

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Per Giuseppe

Classical music news - April 2023 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

CD Spotlight. In a Class of its Own - Recordings of Clara and Robert Schumann's piano concertos impress Gerald Fenech. 'Beatrice Rana's magical playing is complimented by incisive support from Yannick Nézet-Séguin and his Chamber Orchestra of Europe ...'

Ensemble. Appealing Voices with Exceptional Power - Ron Bierman is entertained by San Diego Opera's production of Puccini's 'Tosca'

Profile. Big Roles - Ron Bierman talks to American soprano Michelle Bradley

Ensemble. Celestial Spheres - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to two British composers - Thomas Adès and Gustav Holst - in Rome

CD Spotlight. Glittering and Colourful - Orchestral music by Respighi, heard by Geoff Pearce. 'This is a lovely disc which will delight most listeners ...'

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Randomness Run Riot

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.'

Ensemble. Charm and Elegance - Mike Wheeler is impressed by German baroque music from Sinfonia Viva

CD Spotlight. Caruso 150 - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Urania Records' new Caruso tribute album. 'One of the first major singing talents to be commercially recorded ...'

Ensemble. Do You like Chung? - Myung-whun Chung conducts Brahms symphonies, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Puccini Duo - Ron Bierman was in the audience for San Diego Opera's 'Suor Angelica' and 'Gianni Schicchi'

Ensemble. A Meditation on Human Fragility - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on a special performance in Rome of Verdi's Requiem

Ensemble. Unstoppable Panache - Mike Wheeler listens to Amy Dickson and Martin Cousin

Ensemble. 'Doktor Faust' returns to Florence - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on Ferruccio Busoni's opera

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - What's in a number?

CD Spotlight. Simply Mesmerizing - Riccardo Chailly conducts Verdi choruses, impressing Gerald Fenech. '... oozing energy from beginning to end.'

Ensemble. Rediscovering Scriabin - Italian pianist Mariangela Vacatello plays Scriabin from memory, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Almost as Verdi would have Wanted - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience for 'Aida'

Ensemble. Absolute Brahms - Nineteenth century chamber music in Rome, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Precious Testimony - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to the complete string quartets of Dmitri Shostakovich

CD Spotlight. Challenges Aplenty - Music by Francesco Veracini, strongly recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... Federico Guglielmo rises to the occasion with an awareness that is enthusiastically sensitive ...'

Ensemble. Twentieth Century Colours - Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed by a concert given by the orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

Ensemble. Not To Be Missed - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from a performance of Vivaldi's pastiche 'Tamerlano'

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Sound Below Zero

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. Don Carlo in the Mists - Giuseppe Pennisi visits Florence for a performance of Verdi's most complex and monumental opera

Classical music news - English Touring Opera - New productions of Donizetti's 'Lucrezia Borgia' and Rossini's 'Il viaggio a Reims' will tour in Spring 2023

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Extraordinary Adventures

Classical music news - January 2023 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Classical music news - January Newsletter and December Obituaries - Our January 2023 PDF newsletter has just been published, along with a summary of those the classical music world lost in December 2022

Ensemble. A Christmas Gift - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences some rare music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

CD Spotlight. Rarities and Discoveries - Gerald Fenech listens to some unusual Verdi. 'A memorable programme, passionately performed and splendidly recorded ...'

Ensemble. A Christmas 'Don Quixote' - Giuseppe Pennisi recommends a visit to the ballet

Ensemble. Chopin Forever - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Gloria Campaner

Ensemble. Charm, Skill and Versatility - Ron Bierman listens to Isabel Leonard and Pablo Sáinz-Villegas in festive mood

Ensemble. 'Boris' at La Scala - Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed by the HD transmission from Milan of Modest Musorgsky's opera

Ensemble. Particularly Special - Mike Wheeler finds real character in a Derby performance of Verdi's Requiem

Ensemble. Absolutely Chopin - Giuseppe Pennisi is treated to a Chopin recital in Rome by Leonora Armellini

CD Spotlight. Themes of Love and Loss - Music by Berlioz impresses Gerald Fenech. 'John Nelson's supreme mastery of these scores draws peerless performances full of exciting moments from the Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg, while bringing to the fore all the innovative details of orchestration and harmony.'

Classical music news. December 2022 Newsletter - Our December 2022 PDF newsletter has just been published

Ensemble. Spirituality and Revolution - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Rome on Francis Poulenc's 'Dialogues des Carmélites'

CD Spotlight. A Dark Nordic Kingdom - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Verdi's 'Gustavo III' ('Un ballo in maschera'). '... a good recording to remember a much expected but somewhat disappointing performance.'

Ensemble. The Sheer Cynicism of a Hedonistic World - Mike Wheeler experiences Alessandro Talevi's revised production of Giuseppe Verdi's 'La traviata'

CD Spotlight. Spiritual Gravitas and Edifying Beauty - Gerald Fenech is moved by Johann Michael Haydn's vocal and choral music. 'Roberta Paraninfo and her Italian choristers deliver riveting performances full of immaculate singing that penetrates straight to the heart, and Michael Haydn's superb choral writing is brought to the fore with flowing simplicity.'

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - The Mouth of Hell

Classical music news - November 2022 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Ensemble. Paths of Excellence - Giuseppe Pennisi reports via live stream on the Ravenna Festival Mozart/Da Ponte Trilogy

CD Spotlight. A Voice Well Lent - John Dante Prevedini listens to Bruno de Sá with Il Pomo d'Oro directed by Francesco Corti. '... a noble and unique collective effort painstakingly researched and brilliantly executed.'

CD Spotlight. Simplicity and Innocence - Robert McCarney listens to volume one of the complete piano music of Niccolò Castiglioni. 'Aldo Orvieto ... definitely has the measure of Castiglioni's unique universe and does this music proud.'

Ensemble. In Honour of Carla Fracci - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Adolphe Adam's 'Giselle' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

Ensemble. Full of Panache - Giuseppe Pennisi writes about a recent performance of 'Don Giovanni' in Rome

CD Spotlight. A Touch of Immortality - Gerald Fenech listens to Rossini's 'Messa di Gloria'. '... heartwarming performances full of glowing fervour and devotional ardour.'

CD Spotlight. A Great Pairing - Geoff Pearce listens to orchestral works by Debussy. 'This recording will be one that delights you again and again.'

Ensemble. Gluckian Reform - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on a very special 'Alceste' which effectively closes the opera season of the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

CD Spotlight. Irish Coffee - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Puccini's 'La bohème' from Irish National Opera. 'The excellent Italian diction of all the singers, both the protagonists and those in secondary roles, is remarkable.'

CD Spotlight. 'La fille' in Cuba - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Donizetti. '... a good memory of a very good joint production.'

CD Spotlight. Full of Colour - Geoff Pearce enjoys music by Alberto Hemsi. 'The performers show a real affinity with this music and deliver a sparkling and vivacious performance that is full of character at every turn.'

Classical music news. October 2022 Newsletter - Our October 2022 MP3 newsletter has just been published

CD Spotlight. Dante's Paradise in Three Parts - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to music by Salvatore Sciarrino. '... the three soloists depict the protagonists of the journey to the top of Paradise very well.'

Ensemble. Schubert's Octet and the Spirit of Vienna - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from the final concert of a Schubert festival in Rome

CD Spotlight. Beautiful and Well-crafted - Gerald Fenech listens to Johann Simon Mayr's opera 'Alfredo il Grande'. 'This is a gem of a premiere recording that should enhance Mayr's reputation as a truly fine opera composer which he richly deserves.'

CD Spotlight. A Plethora of Influences - Robert McCarney roundly congratulates Chandos and all involved with this CD. 'The playing by the various members of the ARC Ensemble is excellent throughout and the recording is crystal clear and atmospherically spacious.'

CD Spotlight. Absolutely Compelling - Cherubini, Méhul and Beethoven, recommended wholeheartedly by Gerald Fenech. 'Bernhard Forck leads with engrossing enthusiasm, and his Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin responds with some truly exhilarating performances that sweep you off your feet.'

Ensemble. Preljocaj is Back in Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on two contemporary ballets at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

Ensemble. Baroque Music in Siena - Giuseppe Pennisi returns for the last weekend of the Chigiana International Festival and Music Academy

Echoes of Oblivion by Robert McCarney - Seven Tuscan Nights

CD Spotlight. Double Affection - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Malipiero. '... played impassionately ...'

Ensemble. A Family Portrait in Hell - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences an excellent 'Otello' at the Rossini Opera Festival

Ensemble. An Opera in Need of a Haircut - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on the Rossini Opera Festival's second production of 'La gazzetta'

Ensemble. Unabashedly Erotic - The Rossini Opera Festival begins with a new production of 'Le Comte Ory', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Figaro in Hollywood - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the opening night of a new production of Rossini's 'Il barbiere di Siviglia'

Ensemble. Handel vs Bononcini - Mike Wheeler listens to the English Concert and soprano Anna Dennis at the Buxton Festival

Ensemble. Full of Vitality - Mike Wheeler listens to the Solus Trumpet Ensemble at the 2022 Buxton Festival

CD Spotlight. Nobler in the Mind? - Giuseppe Pennisi finds Joseph Summer's 'Hamlet' a musical hodgepodge. '... almost in late Romantic style.'

Ensemble. Sit Back and Enjoy the Ride - Mike Wheeler experiences 'Viva la Diva' at Buxton

Ensemble. Taut and Focused - Mike Wheeler reports from the Buxton Festival on Rossini's 'La Donna del Lago'

CD Spotlight. Champagne Stuff - Gerald Fenech listens to Rossini's 'La Scala di Seta'. 'José-Miguel Pérez-Sierra's vivid conducting draws from both singers and Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra players performances full of delectable charm and infectious pleasure ...'

Ensemble. Beyond Earthly Existence - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on the International Chigiana Festival and Summer Academy

Ensemble. Changing Tastes - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience for Leonard Bernstein's 'Mass'

Ensemble. Songs of the Distance - Giuseppe Pennisi describes how American music is back, alive and well at the Spoleto Festival

Ensemble. Commemorating Malcolm Goldring - The Sitwell Singers pay tribute to their former conductor, with help from various friends and colleagues, including a new work written for the occasion by Bob Chilcott, heard by Mike Wheeler

CD Spotlight. Delicately Sensitive Performances - Operatic fantasies by Sigismond Thalberg, strongly recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... characteristically intense and warm ...'

Classical music news - June 2022 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Ensemble. Passionate Conducting - Daniel Harding concludes the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia's 2021-22 symphonic season in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Polish Style in the Gardens of Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to sixteenth and seventeenth century Polish Baroque music

CD Spotlight. Fresh and Interesting - Music by Ghedini and Hindemith, wholeheartedly recommended by Geoff Pearce. '... there are some truly lovely moments ...'

Ensemble. Three Days at the Ravenna Summer Festival - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from 'The Italian Salzburg'

CD Spotlight. Beauty to Entice the Ears - Gerald Fenech listens to a compilation mass from Antonio Vivaldi's music. '... vibrant playing full of unalloyed joy.'

Ensemble. A Revolutionary Score - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience for Verdi's 'Ernani', back in Rome

Ensemble. Van Zweden and the Double Fifth - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to two symphonies in Rome

CD Spotlight. Star of the North - Gerald Fenech strongly recommends Meyerbeer's 'L'Étoile du Nord' on Naxos. 'Vladimir Jurowski conducts the piece with natural gusto and sparkling flair ...'

Ensemble. Major Success for a Young Orchestra - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Mozart, played by the Canova Chamber Orchestra

Ensemble. Merging Scores with Care - Giuseppe Pennisi enjoys the ballet 'Il Corsaro'

Ensemble. Absolute Ravel - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to music by Maurice Ravel played by Neapolitan pianist Roberto Cominati

Ensemble. The Complete Shostakovich String Quartets - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Quartetto Prometeo in Rome

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. Borrowing Music by Other Composers - Gerald Fenech unreservedly recommends the compilation opera 'Caio Fabbricio'. '... brilliant performances from both singers and players ...'

Ensemble. Winter and Spring - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to orchestral music in Rome

CD Spotlight. Passion, Intensity and Verve - Gerald Fenech listens to Giordano's 'Siberia'. '... full of emotional warmth and heartfelt fidelity.'

Classical music news. Music Competitions - Here are details of various music competitions taking place during the coming months

Ensemble. Welcome Back, Puritani - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience, in Rome, for Bellini's last great masterpiece

CD Spotlight. The Joy of Harpsichord - Margherita Porfido plays music from the south of Italy, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi. '... fundamental to the understanding of music between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries in southern Italy.'

Ensemble. An Interesting Contamination of Genres - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from the first Italian performance of 'The Passion according to St Mark' by contemporary Polish composer Paweł Mykietyn

Classical music news. Obituary - Karl Korte (1928-2022)

Ensemble. Conceived for TV - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences Teatro dell'Opera di Roma's 'La bohème'

CD Spotlight. On the Border between Innovation and Experimentation - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to music by Giacinto Scelsi. '... possessed by sounds, trapped in fingertips that are constantly forced to move.'

CD Spotlight. A Verdi Avenue - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Francesco Meli. '... a demonstration of Meli's ability but also of his genuine love for Verdi ...'

CD Spotlight. An Immense Achievement - The final disc in Naxos' series of John Philip Sousa wind band music, recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... Keith Brion and his players do themselves proud with some superb playing full of dash and swagger ...'

Classical music news. April 2022 Newsletter - Watch and listen to our April 2022 newsletter

Ensemble. Two Performances of 'Turandot' in Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi attended one and saw the other on TV

CD Spotlight. A Spicy, Sexy Comedy - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Saint-Saëns' 'Phryné'. '... a very happy discovery where Greek myth marries French opéra comique.'

Ensemble. Symbolism and Realism - Mike Wheeler experiences Opera North's new production of Verdi's 'Rigoletto'

Profile. Behind the Words and Between the Lines - Ron Bierman talks to Canadian conductor Yves Abel

CD Spotlight. Helen (without Troy) - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Johann Simon Mayr's 'Elena'. 'Even if I doubt that this Elena will ever be staged again, this CD is a good way to appreciate Mayr's strengths and weaknesses.'

CD Spotlight. Much to Enjoy - Violin concertos by Vivaldi, Locatelli and Leclair senior delight Gerald Fenech. 'Théotime Langlois de Swarte despatches these pieces with glorious dexterity, and the freshness of his playing is so engaging that you never tire of listening.'

CD Spotlight. An Operatic Oratorio - Attilio Ariosti's 'La Profezia d'Eliseo', recommended by Giuseppe Pennisi. 'The rendering is very good: ensemble and singers are Baroque specialists.'

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

Classical music news. March 2022 Newsletter - Watch and listen to our March 2022 newsletter

Ensemble. The Magical Countertenor Voice - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Raffaele Pé

In Memoriam – Joseph Horovitz (1926-2022) - Malcolm Miller writes about the British Vienna-born composer, conductor, pianist and teacher

Ensemble. A Fascinatingly Piquant Sound-world - Music for saxophone and harp, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Modern Madrigals in the Seventeenth Century - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to vocal music by Gesualdo and some of his contemporaries

Ensemble. A Rare Bird - Verdi's 'Luisa Miller', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. A Young Saxon's Occasional Opera - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to 'Enea in Caonia' by Hasse. 'Stefano Montanari conducts ... skilfully, mostly in support of the voices.'

Classical music news - February 2022 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Ensemble. Pierrot in Rome - Music by Arnold Schoenberg, Sylvano Bussotti and Giacomo Puccini, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Multiple Aesthetic References - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to music by Alessandro Perini. '... an excellent reading ...'

Ensemble. Káťa Enthralls Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences a Janáček first performance in Italy's capital

CD Spotlight. Vivacious Performances - Music from Scotland, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... a spectacular album full of inspirational melodies that go straight to the heart.'

Ensemble. An Italian Creation - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Giuseppe Carpani's Italian language version of Haydn's oratorio

CD Spotlight. Sex, Jealousy and the Sea - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Hans Werner Henze's 'Das verratene Meer'. '... an excellent reading ...'

Ensemble. Musical Fairy Tales - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to ballet music in Rome

Ensemble. A Different 'Nutcracker' - Giuliano Peparini's staging of Tchaikovsky ballet, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi and his grandson

CD Spotlight. Hugely Educational - Christiane Karg's new album, heard by Keith Bramich. '... great clarity and precision in Christiane Karg's voice and sensitive support from Gerold Huber ...'

Ensemble. Two Young Stars in the Musical Firmament - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to cellist Zlatomir Fung and pianist Richard Fu

Ensemble. A Splendid Achievement - Fareed Curmally listens to the Chamber Orchestra of the Symphony Orchestra of India

CD Spotlight. Music to Unite People - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to music by Arvo Pärt. '... an excellent selection ...'

CD Spotlight. Exceptionally Convincing - Masses by Johann Simon Mayr, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... Franz Hauk is completely committed to the cause, drawing some truly memorable singing from soloists and chorus alike.'

Ensemble. Josquin 500 - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to the Tallis Scholars in Rome

Ensemble. Firmly Projected - Mike Wheeler listens to Schumann and Musorgsky from Sicilian-born pianist Giuseppe Guarrera

Ensemble. Gardiner's Falstaff - Giuseppe Pennisi visits Florence for a new production of Verdi's comic opera

Classical music news - October and November 2021 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this and last month

Ensemble. An Unconventional and Complex Score - The first performance of 'Julius Caesar' by Giorgio Battistelli, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Winningly Interpreted - In his first report for Classical Music Daily, Fareed Curmally describes a magical afternoon of orchestral music in Mumbai

Ensemble. Earth and the Future of Mankind - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences 'Koyaanisqatsi', by Philip Glass, in Rome

Ensemble. Experimental to Classical - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Rome's Istituzione Universitaria dei Concerti

CD Spotlight. Vibrantly Glowing Renditions - Virtuosic eighteenth century Italian violin concertos inspire Gerald Fenech. 'Čičić ... surmounts all the monstrous challenges with prodigious dexterity.'

Ensemble. With Pope Francis' Blessing - The first performance of 'L'ultima estate - Memorie di un mondo che non c'è più' by Marcello Filotei, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Vienna in Rome (with a Surprise) - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Giuseppe Gipponi, Lorenzo Viotti and the Santa Cecilia Symphony Orchestra

CD Spotlight. Balance and Moderation - Handel's 'Aci, Galatea e Polifemo', heard by Gerald Fenech. '... under the sensitive conducting of Luca Guglielmi, both singers and ensemble are able to display a presence and virtuosity that are just outstanding.'

Ensemble. Still Young After Two Hundred Years - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on a special anniversary season of the Accademia Filarmonica Romana

CD Spotlight. Chinese Contemporary Music - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Xiaoyong Chen. 'The mixture of colours is very interesting.'

Classical music news. November 2021 Newsletter - Watch and listen to our November 2021 newsletter

CD Spotlight. After the End of the Reign of Terror - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to 'La fille de Madame Angot' by Charles Lecocq. '... not only a musicological revival but also nearly two hours of very enjoyable listening.'

CD Spotlight. Welcome back Lord Berners - Gerald Fenech listens to two stage works by an enigmatic English composer. 'Soloists and chorus deliver some flawless singing, and their great attention to the text creates a sense of reverential homage to the sacred.'

Ensemble. A Masterly Balance - Mike Wheeler listens to J S Bach, Liszt and Schubert from Emmanuel Despax

Ensemble. Love and Religion - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews Rome's first performance of Verdi's 'Giovanna D'Arco' since 1972

Ensemble. Highly Effective - Chamber music from members of Sinfonia Viva, heard by Mike Wheeler

CD Spotlight. Balancing Intimacy with Incisiveness - A new recording of Rossini's 'Petite messe solennelle', recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'Soloists and chorus deliver some flawless singing, and their great attention to the text creates a sense of reverential homage to the sacred.'

CD Spotlight. Dreams and Tales - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to piano music by Musorgsky and Scriabin played by Michele Campanella. '... the different touch from previous renderings makes this CD very well worth listening to.'

CD Spotlight. Rococo Charm - Boccherini quintets, heard by Gerald Fenech. 'These are finely polished scores and Les Ombres oblige with some sparkling virtuosity that is a pleasure for the senses.'

Ensemble. Not Just a Recital - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews a concert in Rome dealing with contrasted passions of love

Ensemble. A Triumph of Mahler and Hrůša - Giuseppe Pennisi was at one of the opening concerts of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia's new season

Ensemble. A Modern Thriller - Giuseppe Pennisi was at a performance in Rome of the Italian version of Gian Carlo Menotti's 'The Medium'

Ensemble. A Star is Born - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Enrico Saverio Pagano and Orchestra Canova

CD Spotlight. Orientalism in Paris - 'La Princesse Jaune', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi. '... an excellent vehicle for discovering a little known facet of Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns.'

Classical music news. The Ideal Bridge - Michele Mariotti is to make his debut at Vienna State Opera with The Barber of Seville

Classical music news. Obituary - Sylvano Bussotti (1931-2021)

Ensemble. Elegance and Drama - Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed by Roland Petit's two act ballet 'Notre Dame de Paris'

CD Spotlight. A Masterpiece Re-discovered in Wexford - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to the opera 'Risurrezione' by Franco Alfano. 'Francesco Lanzillotta conducts the orchestra of the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino skilfully.'

CD Spotlight. Reich through German Eyes and Ears - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to a Steve Reich anthology. '... a very dramatic reading with a small number of instrumentalists ...'

CD Spotlight. Overtly sentimental? - Bellini's 'I Puritani', heard by Gerald Fenech. '... the chemistry between conductor and performers cannot be faulted.'

CD Spotlight. Modelled on Bach - Krebs' harpsichord music, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... brimming with colour, energy and rhythmic beauty ...'

Ensemble. Greek Tragedies and Musical Theatre - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences two unusual performances in Syracuse, Sicily

Ensemble. Regietheater at the Rossini Opera Festival - Giuseppe Pennisi discusses recent performances of 'Il Signor Bruschino' and 'Elisabetta, Regina d'Inghilterra'

Ensemble. A Great Rossini Opera Festival Opening - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews 'Moïse et Pharaon'

Classical music news - August 2021 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

CD Spotlight. An Exquisite Compilation - A selection of popular orchestral music, recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'Spiritedly performed and superbly recorded ...'

CD Spotlight. Tibet in Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to piano music by twentieth century Italian composer Giacinto Scelsi. 'The rendering by Sabine Liebner is spotless, in spite of the many traps of both scores.'

CD Spotlight. Sensual Serenades - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to music by Stradella. '... an excellent way to get to know Stradella ...'

Ensemble. Particularly Striking - Mike Wheeler listens to the Richard Roddis Singers, performing for the first time in over two years

Ensemble. The Orchestra is the Winner - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews 'La bohème' in Rome

Ensemble. Old and New - Giuseppe Pennisi returns to the Chigiana Festival

Ensemble. The Early Bird Arrives - Two more concerts at the 2021 Buxton Festival, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Profile. Francesco Azopardi - A snippet of a Maltese classical composer, introduced by Simon Farrugia

Ensemble. The Scent of Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to two concerts on the same evening in Italy's capital city

Ensemble. A Transgressive Butterfly - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience in Rome

CD Spotlight. The Sound Frontier - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to music for orchestra and electronics by Nicola Sani. '... of undoubted interest to all those who explore the new frontiers of sound.'

Ensemble. A Long Love Affair - Giuseppe Pennisi attends the Stravinsky anniversary celebrations in Rome

Ensemble. Everything you know is wrong! - Mike Wheeler listens to The Sixteen in Derby

Ensemble. The Seven Year Itch - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the Chigiana International Festival and Summer Academy

CD Spotlight. What to do with Bach? - Patrick Maxwell listens to the 'Goldberg Variations' on the accordion. 'Telari plays with an alluring sensitivity ...'

Ensemble. Catching Up - Giuseppe Pennisi attends the final two concerts of the Musica d'Amare Festival in Rome

Classical music news - Newsletter plus June Obituaries - Classical Music Daily's July 2021 Newsletter, has just been published, along with a summary of musicians the classical music world lost last month

CD Spotlight. Many Hidden Nuances - Monteverdi organ works, reviewed by Gerald Fenech. 'Kriju Koetsveld is a keen advocate of this repertoire ...'

Ensemble. When I'm Sixty-Four - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the Spoleto Festival

Ensemble. Seven Siblings - Mike Wheeler listens to performances by members of the Kanneh-Mason family

Ensemble. Star Wars - Giuseppe Pennisi recommends listening to but not watching Maggio Musicale Fiorentino's production of Verdi's 'La forza del destino'

CD Spotlight. Extremely Rare - 'Mademoiselle de Belle-Isle' by Spyridon Samaras, heard by Gerald Fenech. 'Performances are excellent ...'

CD Spotlight. A Strong Partnership - Riviera Lazeri and David Boldrini play Martinů Cello Sonatas, heard by Geoff Pearce. '... the performances on this disc are truly very admirable.'

Ensemble. Black and White - Verdi's 'Il trovatore' from Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Down with the Piano Lid - Mike Wheeler listens to Ivan Hovorun

Ensemble. Three Days in Ravenna - Giuseppe Pennisi samples Northern Italy's high profile and wide-ranging arts festival

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

Classical music news. Defining Our Field - Classical Music Daily's June 2021 Newsletter is a panel discussion led by John Dante Prevedini, and has just been published as a video podcast

Classical music news - May 2021 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Ensemble. A Ukrainian Star in Rome - Oksana Lyniv makes her Rome debut, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Three Divas - Maria Nockin reviews a streamed recital from Versailles, given by Ailyn Pérez, Nadine Sierra, Isabel Leonard, Vlad Iftinca and Pablo Sáinz-Villegas

Ensemble. Robert, Clara and the Others - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on an Accademia Filarmonica Romana concert in Rome

Ensemble. Teatro dell'Opera di Roma Re-opens - Giuseppe Pennisi was in a box for the opening night

Ensemble. Figaro via Laugh-in - Ron Bierman reviews San Diego Opera's parking-lot production of Rossini's 'The Barber of Seville'

Ensemble. The Right Touch - Gaetano Donizetti's 'The Elixir of Love', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Rollicking Comedy - Maria Nockin reports from San Diego Opera's drive-in performances of Rossini's 'The Barber of Seville'

Ensemble. Pelléas in the Waters - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences a new Italian production of Debussy's opera via TV

CD Spotlight. A Dazzling Career and a Dissolute Life - Two versions of Alessandro Stradella's serenata 'La Circe', reviewed by Gerald Fenech. 'Estevan Velardi executes this rare programme with exceptional insight and skill ...'

Classical music news - April 2021 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

A Thriller about a Score - Giuseppe Pennisi explores a new critical edition of Palestrina's 'Missa Papae Marcelli'

CD Spotlight. A Jewel Box of Opera Rarities - Giuseppe Pennisi explores a CD set marking the Orfeo International label's first forty years. '... at least two masterpieces emerge ...'

Ensemble. In the Easter Egg - Giuseppe Pennisi takes a critical look at two April 2021 performances of Verdi's 'La Traviata'

Ensemble. A Call from On High - Mike Wheeler listens to the Sinfonia Viva Brass Quintet

Ensemble. Easter Concerts - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences two recent performances broadcast on Italian TV

Classical music news. Creativity, Innovation and Re-invention - Classical Music Daily's April 2021 Newsletter has just been published as a video podcast

Ensemble. Deadly Sins - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on a Weill/Brecht double bill from La Scala Milan

Ensemble. Questionable Stage Direction - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews Riccardo Muti's 'Così fan tutte' at Teatro Regio di Torino

Ensemble. Elegant and Innovative - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences Teatro dell'Opera di Roma's Homage to Stravinsky

CD Spotlight. Mascagni in a New Garb - Gerald Fenech recommends a new recording of Pietro Mascagni's 'Iris'. 'Krieger's exhilarating conducting draws from both his singers and players some truly sublime performances, full of unbridled enthusiasm.'

Ensemble. Half and Half - Giuseppe Pennisi is not entirely convinced by Teatro San Carlo di Napoli's new production of Gioacchino Rossini's 'Il Turco in Italia'

CD Spotlight. Miniature Gems - Gerald Fenech listens to music by two neglected Italian Baroque composers - Alessandro Stradella and Giovanni Lorenzo Gregori. '... precise yet stylish playing ...'

Ensemble. Change of Perspective - Mike Wheeler reviews Sinfonia Viva's streamed performance from Chatsworth House in Derbyshire, UK

CD Spotlight. Lusciously Fragile - Music by Ottorino Respighi, enjoyed by Gerald Fenech. 'Davide Alogna performs the Concerto with unbridled dexterity ...'

Ensemble. A Half-Successful Experiment - Teatro Comunale di Bologna's new production of Cilea's 'Adriana Lecouvreur', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Benjamin Britten and James Joyce - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to two sets of English folk and other songs. '... very good listening ...'

CD Spotlight. Saying Goodbye - Music in response to Debussy's early death, reviewed by Geoff Pearce. 'The performances are great all round, and this is a useful addition to anyone's collection.'

Ensemble. A Revolutionary 'Ernani' in Palermo - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on a production modified for TV and streaming

Classical music news. Hang in there together - Classical Music Daily's March 2021 Newsletter has just been published as a video podcast

CD Spotlight. Awesome Stuff - Gerald Fenech is impressed by Ilya Gringolts' performances of three violin concertos by Pietro Locatelli. 'Ilya Gringolts' playing is phenomenally spellbinding, and his scintillating virtuosity and flawless execution are absolute joys and wholly worthy of constant admiration.'

Ensemble. Lolita in Jerusalem - Elena Stikhina in Teatro alla Scala's new production of 'Salome' by Richard Strauss impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Mixed Feelings - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews the new Opéra de Paris production of 'Aida'

Classical music news - February 2021 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Ensemble. Appreciation of Nature - Maria Nockin reviews a 'Met Stars' online concert from the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, featuring Anna Netrebko, Elena Maximova and Pavel Nebolsin

Ensemble. An Opera for Voices - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews Vincenzo Bellini's rarely-staged 'Il Pirata'

Ensemble. Fit for Streaming? - Giuseppe Pennisi investigates various current and recent opera productions

Ensemble. Bohème dated 1896 - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews Puccini, broadcast from Teatro Regio Torino in Italy

Classical music news. Singing in Cars? - Classical Music Daily's February 2021 Newsletter has just been published as a video podcast

Ensemble. Twilight of Dreams - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences a pastiche for our times at the opening of Teatro Massimo di Palermo's 2021 season

Ensemble. Arduous and Contrasting Passion - Bellini's 'I Puritani' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, recommended by Giuseppe Pennisi

Profile. A Philological Discovery - Giuseppe Pennisi writes about the seventeenth century Italian architect and global musician Carlo Rainaldi

Ensemble. Mariotti and The Ninth - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews Michele Mariotti's January 2021 Beethoven performance in Parma

CD Spotlight. Great Entertainment - SOMM Recordings' second volume of film music, enjoyed by Gerald Fenech. 'Iain Sutherland and his Promenade players display no want of energy and each track is tackled with effervescence and enthusiasm, making the music sound even more exciting than it was thought to be.'

Salzburg 2021 - Giuseppe Pennisi looks forward to the Salzburg Summer Festival which has Peace as its theme

CD Spotlight. A Double Rescue - Meyerbeer's little-known opera 'Romilda e Costanza', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi. '... a rescue opera which is worth saving from oblivion.'

Classical music news. Upgrading to the Visual - Classical Music Daily's January 2021 Newsletter has just been published in a new video podcast format

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

CD Spotlight. Christmas Night - Seventeenth and eighteenth century Italian festive music, strongly recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'This is a compilation full of craft and ingenuity ...'

Ensemble. The Greatest La Scala Extravaganza - An unusual opening to La Scala's season in Milan, reported 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. Modern Italian Music in Rome - Works by Francesco Pennisi, Goffredo Petrassi and Marcello Panni, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Zubin's Otello - Giuseppe Pennisi watches a new Florence production of Verdi's 'Otello' on Italian TV

Classical music news. Personal, Political and Social Lockdown - An assortment of short news items, plus 'Seven Deadly Sins', Classical Music Daily's December 2020 Newsletter, just published in a new audio podcast format

Classical music news - November 2020 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Ensemble. ROF is Back and in Good Spirits - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on 'Il barbiere di Siviglia' and the Rossini Opera Festival's current performances

Ensemble. An Innovative Approach - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences three operas from the 2020 Donizetti Opera Festival

CD Spotlight. Revisiting the Close Bond of Violin and Guitar - Kim Sjøgren and Lars Hannibal play music by Paganini and Sarasate, heard by Ona Jarmalavičiūtė. '... very elegant, vibrant, virtuosic and illustrative.'

Ensemble. Great Emphasis on Detail - Giuseppe Pennisi enjoys streamed performances of a Carmen double bill in Rome

CD Spotlight. Liszt the Pilgrim - Michele Campanella's recording of Liszt's 'Années de pèlerinage', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi. '... a virtuoso rendering with a very personal touch.'

Ensemble. Horns and Headlights? - Ron Bierman reports on San Diego Opera's 'La bohème' from a parking lot in San Diego

CD Spotlight. A Philological Discovery - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to a Naxos boxed set of Monteverdi madrigals. 'I think it was successful and is worth listening to by those accustomed to different ways of performing Monteverdi.'

CD Spotlight. Love, Jealousy and Madness - Music inspired by Ariosto's poem 'Orlando Furioso', heard by Gerald Fenech. 'Filippo Mineccia sings with an exceptional timbre that is sensual and luminous, mixing virtuosity with sensitivity, while Pablo Garcia and his ensemble give sympathetic support with their insightful playing.'

Classical music news. November 2020 Newsletter - 'Time and Space', Classical Music Daily's November 2020 Newsletter, has just been published, along with an assortment of short news items

Ensemble. Italy's Last 'Traviata' (For a While) - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on Verdi's opera in Rieti

Ensemble. A Nuanced, Idiomatic Portrayal - San Diego Opera's first drive-in opera - 'La bohème', appreciated by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. A Delightful Morning - Diana Damrau and Joseph Calleja sing live from Caserta in Italy as part of Met Stars Live in Concert, experienced by Maria Nockin

Classical music news - Muti Returns to Palermo - Riccardo Muti will be back in Palermo for three concerts and will be granted freedom of the city

CD Spotlight. Don Giovanni's Ancestor - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to the seventeenth century 'L'Empio Punito' by Alessandro Melani. '... a real discovery for opera lovers who have not experienced a live performance.'

Ensemble. A Survival Strategy - Giuseppe Pennisi writes about the current music scene in Italy, touching on recent notable performances

Ensemble. A Fine Balance - Mike Wheeler listens to Thomas Hawkes playing J S Bach, Percy Fletcher, Pietro Yon, Johannes Brahms, C S Lang and Louis Vierne on the Compton Organ at Derby Cathedral

CD Spotlight. Ready for a Revival - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to 'Phèdre' - a rare opera by Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne. 'The distinct feature of Lemoyne's opera is the weight and importance given to the protagonist. The role is sung by the Dutch soprano Judith van Wanroij: it fits her perfectly as can be felt in her initial major arias, with chorus as well as with other members of the cast.'

CD Spotlight. Graceful and Charming - Gerald Fenech enjoys orchestral operatic music by Auber, recorded in the Czech Republic. 'An excellent compilation ... of some really bouncy music in good sound and annotations.'

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

CD Spotlight. Lightness and Joyousness - Geoff Pearce strongly recommends Josephine Knight's recordings of works for cello and orchestra by Robert Schumann and Alfredo Piatti. 'This is a beautifully presented disc, the orchestra and soloist work very well together, are in very fine fettle and the recordings could easily be put up there with the very best.'

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 - Eleonora Perretta - A young Neapolitan guitarist wins the 2020 Mottola Guitar Competition in south-east Italy

CD Spotlight. Between Centuries and Cultures - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Johann Simon Mayr's 1814 opera 'Le due duchesse'. 'The richness is clear from the Sinfonia.'

Ensemble. Experimental Music in Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi drops in to the ArtScience Festival and the Roman Philharmonic Academy's Garden Festival

CD Spotlight. A Multifaceted Intellectual - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Saint-Saëns' opéra fantastique 'Le timbre d'argent'. 'From the very start of the overture, the listener feels that this is a brisk and expert ensemble.'

Ensemble. It Pays to be Brave - George Frideric Handel's 'Rinaldo' in Florence, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. A Swiss Household Name - Music for guitar by Hans Haug and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... the enchanting playing of Marisa Minder is memorable throughout.'

CD Spotlight. In Tune with the Changing Times - Giuseppe Pennisi discovers the eighteenth century Neapolitan composer Girolamo Rossi. '... an important discovery.'

Ensemble. Soft Romanticism - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Schubert, Wagner and Mozart from Daniele Gatti and the Mozart Orchestra at the Ravello Festival

Ensemble. Innovative for the Time - Giuseppe Pennisi discovers Nicola Bonifacio Logroscino's Stabat Mater at the Ravello Festival

Ensemble. Ariadne, Phaedra and Dido - Giuseppe Pennisi visits Spoleto to experience the first performance of a new work by Silvia Colasanti

CD Spotlight. An Unusual Debut - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to music by Ravel, James Francis Brown and Liana Alexandra, performed by Andrea Oliva and the Hemisphaeria Trio. '... an innovative program by a very promising ensemble.'

CD Spotlight. Well Worth Supporting - Geoff Pearce listens to the third symphony by Italian-born American composer John A Carollo. '... a distinct, assured musical voice which is not quite like anyone else I have heard.'

Ensemble. The Belcanto Concerts - Giuseppe Pennisi sends his last report from this year's Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro

Ensemble. Rossini's Last Sin - Giuseppe Pennisi attends a very special performance at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro

Ensemble. Promised in Marriage - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro

Ensemble. Respecting the Spirit of The Merry Widow - Giuseppe Pennisi relates how 'Die lustige Witwe' is enthralling Rome

Ensemble. A Soothing Balm on our Troubled Time - Maria Nockin connects to Renée Fleming and Robert Ainsley's Metropolitan Opera recital from the Dumbarton Oaks Museum music salon in Washington DC

Ensemble. Pappano's 'Ninth' - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on Beethoven from Rome's Parco della Musica

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'

Ensemble. Each Performance is a Unique Event - Mike Wheeler watches the film 'Adrian Kelly and Jacopo Spirei - La donna del lago and the role of the stage director' from the Buxton Festival's online offering

Ensemble. 'New Music' in Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from the last of the Accademia Filarmonica Romana's summer concerts

CD Spotlight. A Powder-keg of Uncontrolled Passions - Gerald Fenech is impressed with this new recording of Korngold's 'Violanta'. '... Pinchas Steinberg's insightful reading draws some hot-blooded singing and playing.'

Classical music news - July 2020 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Ensemble. Siena Wins a Heroic Bet - Giuseppe Pennisi attends the opening performance of the completely re-designed Chigiana International Festival and Summer Academy

Classical music news. Obituary - Ennio Morricone (1928-2020)

Ensemble. An Opera Staging Inside-out - Mike Wheeler is impressed by Lynne Marsh's film 'Tragedy', which provides an altered experience of Opera North's production of Verdi's 'La traviata'

Ensemble. A Miracle in Ravenna - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from a modified Ravenna Festival

After the Pandemic - Giuseppe Pennisi describes what looks like being a busy musical summer in Rome

Classical music news - Donatella Flick Conducting Competition - The deadline for the 2021 Donatella Flick Conducting Competition has been extended until 13 August 2020

CD Spotlight. Fierce Criticism - Gerald Fenech listens to orchestral music by Rodion Shchedrin and Ottorino Respighi. '... a fitting tribute to Mariss Jansons ...'

CD Spotlight. Out of the Ordinary - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to a new recording of Verdi's 'Otello'. '... a new and beautiful reading ...'

CD Spotlight. Full-blooded Italianate Roots - Stephen Francis Vasta listens to Donizetti's 'La favorite'. '... Fabio Luisi projects the score with refinement and character.'

Drastically Revised - Giuseppe Pennisi looks at the detail of the replanned 2020 Salzburg Festival

Classical music news - June 2020 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Classical music news. Obituary - Marcello Abbado (1926-2020)

Classical music news. June 2020 Newsletter - 'The Art of Thinking', Classical Music Daily's June 2020 Newsletter, has just been published, along with an assortment of short news items

Classical music news - Alienati - Coccia Theatre, Novara, Italy presents the first Smart Working Opera

CD Spotlight. Imperial Music - Giuseppe Pennisi enjoys a recital by Karina Gauvin. 'Here the listener can appreciate Karina Gauvin's superb phrasing and elegant coloratura.'

Summer Festivals in Europe - Giuseppe Pennisi investigates the fast-evolving festival scene

With Great Caution - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on the gradual reopening of Italian Summer Festivals

CD Spotlight. A Musical Goldmine - Gerald Fenech enjoys music by Giovanni Battista Vitali. '... gorgeously crafted music full of melodic sweetness and intensely passionate emotions.'

CD Spotlight. An Unmissable Issue - Gerald Fenech explores the music of Marc'Antonio Ingegneri. 'The repetition of phrases in the musical exchange between the two choirs becomes almost hypnotic for the listener, and one feels totally engrossed in the Eucharistic mystery.'

CD Spotlight. Full of Colours and Flavour - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to music from Sharon Isbin and the Pacifica Quartet. '... an original program and excellent rendering make very pleasant listening.'

Classical music news - May 2020 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world has lost this month

Classical music news - April 2020 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world lost last month

Music and the Pandemic - Giuseppe Pennisi puts the case for Italy

Beethoven 250 - In this year of celebration, Giuseppe Pennisi muses on Ludwig van Beethoven's modernity

Classical music news - Bocelli: Music for Hope - Andrea Bocelli and Emanuele Vianelli performed live from the Duomo in Milan on Easter Sunday

A Double Career - Giuseppe Pennisi describes his life as an economist in the world of music

CD Spotlight. The Charm of 'La Nuova Commedia Dell'arte' - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Busoni's 'Turandot' and 'Arlecchino'. '... this is a book and two CDs to enjoy and to make an elegant gift.'

CD Spotlight. A Good Anthology - The story of Dido, Queen of Carthage, as seen by eight Baroque composers, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi. '... this is a book and two CDs to enjoy and to make an elegant gift.'

CD Spotlight. Of Considerable Interest - Music by Gian Francesco Malipiero, heard by Geoff Pearce. 'This excellent Naxos disc is well worth exploring, and performances from all concerned are very fine indeed.'

CD Spotlight. Touching the Heart - Choral music by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'David Shuler and his choristers deliver interpretations of sheer beauty brimming with natural and musical phrasing, spot-on-intonation and a glorious tonal blend ...'

CD Spotlight. A Precious Recording - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Offenbach's 'Maître Péronilla'. '... this is a book and two CDs to enjoy and to make an elegant gift.'

Classical music news - February 2020 Obituaries - Our summary of those the classical music world lost last month

Classical music news. Guido Cantelli - The Italian conductor's international conducting competition comes back to life

Ensemble. Compositional Fury - More Beethoven string quartets in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Traditional and Modern - Tchaikovsky's 'Eugene Onegin' returns to Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Romantic Ideals - Patrick Maxwell visits Vienna for Puccini's 'Tosca'

Ensemble. Gesualdo and Friends - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Les Arts Florissants

Ensemble. Beethoven String Quartets - Giuseppe Pennisi attends two concerts marking this year's Beethoven anniversary

Classical music news. Obituary. Mirella Freni (1935-2020) - The Italian soprano died on 9 February 2020

Classical music news. Stjepan Hauser - The Croatian cellist performs with orchestra at Egypt's Soma Bay in April 2020

Classical music news. Obituary - Nello Santi (1931-2020)

Ensemble. Darmstadt is Dead - A performance of 'Hyperion' in Rome celebrates Bruno Maderna's centenary, and Giuseppe Pennisi is in the audience

Ensemble. Opium and Eros - Richard Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde' in Bologna pleases Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Wagner's Revenge - Giuseppe Pennisi is puzzled by a political and contemporary reading of 'Parsifal'

Ensemble. Bel Canto Marvels - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences Bellini's rare opera 'I Capuleti e i Montecchi'

Ensemble. Gruesome and Engrossing - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences Franco Alfano's rarely performed opera 'Risurrezione' in Florence

Ensemble. From Chaos to Ecstasy - Haydn's 'The Creation' in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Intimate Suffering - Tchaikovsky's 'Swan Lake' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

120 Years Ago - A snapshot of the musical world at the turn of the twentieth century, by George Colerick

Ensemble. Memorable and Entertaining - Australia's first production of 'Il viaggio a Reims', reviewed by David Mitchell

Ensemble. A Portrait in Courage - Giuseppe Pennisi celebrates Christmas with Ezio Bosso and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

Ensemble. The Dame Wears Black - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on Tchaikovsky's 'Pique Dame' in Naples

Ensemble. Trade Secrets - Mike Wheeler listens to guitarist Craig Ogden and friends

Ensemble. Bold and Engrossing - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews Verdi's 'Les Vêpres Siciliennes' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

Ensemble. Pearls on the Thread of Recitative - David Mitchell reviews Pinchgut Opera's production of Vivaldi's 'Farnace'

CD Spotlight. Gounod's First Faust of 1859 - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Christophe Rousset's new recording from Bru Zane. 'Everything is lighter, softer, more sensual.'

CD Spotlight. Judged to Perfection - Baroque oboe sonatas played by Xenia Löffler, strongly recommended by Geoff Pearce. '... played very pleasingly with great style and panache by all instruments concerned.'

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

CD Spotlight. Arrangements for Chamber Orchestra - Gerald Fenech listens to scaled-down Busoni, Debussy and Mahler. 'All four works retain a certain freshness in their new garb, and despite the sound world created being slightly less opulent than their orchestral originals, they still acquire a more fully-fleshed structure than some keyboard reductions.'

Light and Shade - George Colerick writes about idealised beauty alongside the grotesque in the 1951 film 'The Tales of Hoffmann'

Ensemble. A Dramatic Requiem - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Verdi in Rome

Classical music news. Obituary - Cecilia Seghizzi (1908-2019)

Ensemble. Contemporary Premieres - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences three new operas in Rome

Ensemble. Economical but Effective - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews the new production of Puccini's 'Trittico' in Florence

Ensemble. Affectionate Complicity and Tensions - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews Mozart's 'Idomeneo' in Rome

Ensemble. An Autumn Trilogy - 'Norma', 'Aida' and 'Carmen' in Ravenna, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Fresh and Natural - Leila Schayegh plays Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons', heard by Gerald Fenech. '... she succeeds brilliantly with some magical playing full of "joie de vivre" and silhouetted tone painting.'

Ensemble. A Winning Team - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to a pre-tour concert by Martha Argerich and Antonio Pappano, with the Symphony Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

CD Spotlight. Handel and the Roman Baroque School - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Lorenzo Tozzi's Romabarocca Ensemble. '... a precious CD from which to learn little known aspects of baroque music ...'

Ensemble. Promised in Marriage - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Rome on Rossini's first staged opera, asking who pays 'The Promissory Change'?

Ensemble. 'Don Quixote' Returns - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Rome's Opera House on the Ludwig Minkus ballet

Classical music news. Obituary - Raymond Leppard (1927-2019)

Profile. A Silver Age - George Colerick writes about Franz Lehár, probably the greatest twentieth century composer of operettas

Ensemble. Florence Rediscovers a Masterpiece - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Gaspare Spontini's 'Fernand Cortez ou La Conquête du Mexique'

Ensemble. Tremendous and Sublime - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Berlioz's 'Grande Messe des morts'

CD Spotlight. To Be or Not To Be - Franco Faccio's opera 'Amleto', heard by Gerald Fenech. 'A must for all opera lovers, particularly those interested in nineteenth century Italian repertoire.'

Ensemble. 'New Music' in Palermo - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Ludovico Einaudi's opera 'Winter Journey'

Classical music news. Obituary - Marcello Giordani (1963-2019)

CD Spotlight. Impressive and Delightful - Geoff Pearce listens to Martin Setchell playing the Christchurch Town Hall Rieger organ in New Zealand. '... a wide range of organ music that I am sure will delight lovers of fine organ playing.'

Ensemble. Don Giovanni's Forefather - Giuseppe Pennisi writes about a performance of 'L'empio punito' by Alessandro Melani

Ensemble. Take A Sabbatical - Giuseppe Pennisi has some advice for Graham Vick, based on the latter's latest production of 'Don Giovanni'

CD Spotlight. Vintage Rossini - A Munich recording of the early opera 'Sigismondo', heard by Gerald Fenech. 'Keri Lynn Wilson paces the work with an uncanny tempo that strikes an ideal balance between the psychological and musical aspects of the opera, and her conducting is consistently sensitive to the nuanced phrasing and textures of the score.'

Ensemble. Hausmusik in the Palatine Hall - by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Blaringly Unusual - Maria Nockin listens to Pittance Chamber Music's opening concert

Ensemble. In the Vatican Basilicas - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews a special concert

Ensemble. Back to the Future - Giuseppe Pennisi attends a gala evening in Rome dedicated to two experimental works

Ensemble. A Star is Born - Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed by Enkeleda Kamani as Gilda in Verdi's 'Rigoletto' at La Scala, Milan

Ensemble. An Engrossing 'Simon' - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on one of Verdi's 'cursed' operas at the Salzburg Festival

Ensemble. Myths and Modernity - Giuseppe Pennisi sends his first report from the 2019 Salzburg Festival

CD Spotlight. Imaginative Touches - Rossini's 'Eduardo e Cristina', recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... sensitively dramatic singing, invigorating playing and some glowing conducting from Gianluigi Gelmetti ...'

Ensemble. Young Rossini's 'Comedy for Adults' - Giuseppe Pennisi sends his final report from Pesaro

Ensemble. Rossini's Adolescent Opera - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Pesaro on 'Demetrio e Polibio'

Ensemble. Sex and Power in Pesaro - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on a new production of 'Semiramide' at the Rossini Opera Festival

Ensemble. In Many Respects a Success - Longborough Festival Opera's wacky production of Cavalli's 'La Calisto', reviewed by Roderic Dunnett

Ensemble. A Double Bridge - Giuseppe Pennisi attends 'Sarang è Amore' at the Korean Cultural Institute in Rome

Classical music news. ROF at Forty - Giuseppe Pennisi looks forward to the Rossini Opera Festival, 11-23 August 2019, and explains why investing in Rossini can be profitable

Ensemble. Breathless Excitement - In the last of his reports from the 2019 Buxton Festival, Mike Wheeler listens to music by Jean-Féry Rebel, Telemann, Marco Ucellini, J S Bach, and an improvisation on 'La Folìa', played by Improviso

Classical music news. Giovanni Sollima - The first performance of Giovanni Sollima's 'Tarantulae Cadenzas' took place at the Küstendorf Klasik Russian Music Festival in July 2019

Ensemble. Very Sensual - Giuseppe Pennisi steps up to Caetani Castle to listen to madrigals by Gesualdo

Ensemble. Mastery and Versatility - Giuseppe Pennisi attends three Tokyo Ballet performances in Rome

Ensemble. Airborne Twice - Giuseppe Pennisi attends a cello and piano recital unexpectedly

Ensemble. Baroque Oratorios in Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to selections of music by Alessandro Scarlatti, Bernado Pasquini and George Frideric Handel

Ensemble. In a Pleasure Garden - Music by Michele Dall'Ongaro and Verdi in a chamber music format, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Out of Nature - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the opening concert of the 2019 Chigiana International Festival

Ensemble. A Different 'Aida' - Denis Krief's new production in Rome, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. 'Proserpine' in Spoleto - An opera by Italian composer Silvia Colasanti, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Repertory 'Tosca' - Giuseppe Pennisi considers Puccini's opera as a real orchestral masterpiece

Classical music news. Obituary - Franco Zeffirelli (1923-2019)

Sacred and Secular - Rossini's 'Petite Messe Solennelle' from Derby Bach Choir, Richard Roddis and friends, appreciated by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Passion and Enthusiasm - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to an all-Beethoven programme from Gustavo Dudamel and the Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

Ensemble. 'Music Makes a Town' - Anett Fodor reports from the opening gala of the 2019 Bartók Plus Opera Festival

Ensemble. A Mechanical Toy Box - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences the revival in Rome of Rossini's 'La Cenerentola'

Classical music news. Bartók Plus - A short preview of the Bartók Plus Opera Festival in Miskolc, Hungary

Microtonal Trills and Tremolos - Luca Luciano pushes the boundaries of clarinet playing, impressing Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. On the High and Open Sea - Giuseppe Pennisi samples Italy's 2019 Ravenna Summer Festival

CD Spotlight. Lauded all over Europe - Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... performances are passionately committed, resonating continuously the collective emotion that is mystical and festive, painful and joyous, surprising and disturbing.'

Ensemble. Mahler's 'Resurrection' - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on an Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia performance in Rome

Ensemble. Nothing but Praise - Opera North's concert-staged 'Aida', reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Supernatural Glow - Giuseppe Pennisi describes the Fiery Angel that hangs over Rome

Ensemble. In Full Swing - Bellini's 'La Straniera' at Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Classical music news. Olympic Voices - A new competition for baroque voices will be held in Vicenza, Italy, from 1-7 November 2019

Ensemble. Tradition and Passion - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews a revival of Wagner's 'Die Walküre' in Naples

Ensemble. The Best Buy - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on the last 2018-19 subscription concert of Rome's Istituzione Universitaria dei Concerti, given by Giuliano Carmagnola and Concerto Köln

Ensemble. Heavenly Sex - Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed by Handel's 'Semele' from John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi ensembles

Classical music news. Chagall Quartet Tour - The Chagall String Quartet from Italy will tour China in October 2019

Ensemble. A Superb Mix of Music and Visuals - 'Snow White' danced to music by Gustav Mahler, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. A Sense and Taste for the Infinite - Choral music by Rautavaara, Wennäkoski and Livorski impresses Gerald Fenech. 'For those who love contemporary choral singing, this disc should prove a real revelation ...'

Ensemble. A Rather Peculiar Opera - The new production of 'Ariadne auf Naxos' at La Scala Milan, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Fully Engaged - Richard Dacey steps down from his post as musical director of Derby Choral Union with a concert of Mozart, Vivaldi and Beethoven, heard by Mike Wheeler

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

CD Spotlight. A Thrilling Musical Discovery - Violin Concertos by Giovanni Giornovich, heard by Gerald Fenech. 'Bojan Čičić has this repertoire in his blood, and this shows in performances of exhilarating beauty.'

Ensemble. Three Premieres in Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to music by Ivan Fidele, Taneyev, Scriabin and Stravinsky

Ensemble. A Timeless Composition - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to interweaved movements from Beethoven and Ligeti, played by Herbert Schuch

Ensemble. Petrenko's Highly Dramatic 'Ninth' - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on a special concert in Rome

Ensemble. A Contemporary 'Stabat Mater' - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to a new work by Nicola Piovani

Ensemble. Sir John and Romantic Music - Giuseppe Pennisi describes an English conductor's visit to Rome

Ensemble. A Noble Simplicity - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the Roman debut of Gluck's 'Orfeo'

Ensemble. A Clear Success - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to contemporary music in a baroque setting

Elective Affinities - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to German pianist Alexander Lonquich

CD Spotlight. Improvisatory Freedom - Gerald Fenech listens to pianist Myron Romanul. 'Romanul's playing brims with an expressive power that generates its own excitement and self-belief ...'

Ensemble. A Popular Music Drama - Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed by Musorgsky's 'Khovanshchina' at La Scala Milan

Ensemble. A Roman Pietas - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Petrassi and Shostakovich in Rome

CD Spotlight. Fascination and Influence - Gerald Fenech is impressed by Lucille Boulanger and friends. 'The talented foursome heard here rise brilliantly to the hurdles presented and performances are consistently full of charm and warmth, wrapped up in an aura of unmitigated sensitivity.'

Classical music news. January 2019 Classical Music Obituaries - A look at some of the figures who passed away during January 2019

Ensemble. A Special Feature - Giuseppe Pennisi describes how Cagliari awakens Antônio Carlos Gomes' 'Lo Schiavo' after a long sleep

Ensemble. A Coloratura Contest - Giuseppe Pennisi witnesses a true triumph with Donizetti's 'Anna Bolena' in Rome

Ensemble. A Children's Game - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to special Rossini in a special place

Ensemble. An Anthem to Innocence - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences the Italian version of Benjamin Britten's 'The Little Sweep'

CD Spotlight. Highlights of a Composer - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to music by Nicola Sani. 'The performances by Roberto Fabbriciani and Alvise Vidolin, frequent collaborators of Nicola Sani, were just superb.'

Ensemble. A Brand New 'Carmen' Ballet - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from the opening night at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

Profile. Prodigious appetite for repertoire - Ron Bierman talks to coloratura soprano Alisa Jordheim

Of Major International Interest - Giuseppe Pennisi looks forward to a summer of opera in Italy

Classical music news. Towards the Light - Helsinki Chamber Choir's new CD will be released on 1 March 2019

Ensemble. An Odd Couple? - Kurtág and Brahms in concert, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Extreme Staging - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Palermo on the opening of Teatro Massimo's 2019 opera season

Ensemble. An Endurance Test - Rossini, Monti, J S Bach, Mozart, Handel, Vaughan Williams and Dave Maslanka from the Syzygy Quartet, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. For Students to Complete? - Accademia Bizantina's 'The Art of Fugue' enthralls Rome and Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. The Tragedy of Not Dying - A new Florence production of Wagner's 'The Flying Dutchman' impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. The Touch of Gatti - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Wagner and Mahler from the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome

Somewhat Delayed Reviews - The Beauty of Italy Captured in Sound - Arabella Teniswood-Harvey plays piano music from Italy, impressing Richard Meszto

Ensemble. Simply Glorious - Verdi's 'La Traviata', live in high definition from New York Metropolitan Opera, heard by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Skills and Elegance - Teatro dell'Opera di Roma's new production of 'Swan Lake' impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Extreme Tension - Janácek's 'Kát'a Kabanová' impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Vienna at Santa Cecilia - Manfred Honeck conducts, and Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience

Ensemble. Strong and Intense - Giuseppe Verdi's 'Attila', opening La Scala's 2018-19 season, enthralls Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Rigoletto and the Fascists - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the opening night of Teatro dell'Opera di Roma's new season

Ensemble. Verdi in Ravenna - An Autumn trilogy of operas, attended by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. An Enthralling Production - György Kurtág's 'Fin de Partie' impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A 'Happy' Tragedy - Leonard Bernstein's 'Trouble in Tahiti' at Rome's Nuova Consonanza Festival, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Intelligence and Beauty of Tone - Maria Nockin experiences Puccini's 'The Girl of the Golden West' in HD from New York Metropolitan Opera

Ensemble. A Different 'Gospel' - Giuseppe Pennisi explores the mesmerising aural world of John Adams

Ensemble. Music in the Pontifical Basilicas - Giuseppe Pennisi attends the inaugural concert of The Rome International Festival of Sacred Music and Art

Ensemble. A Poor Staging - Graham Vick's 'The Marriage of Figaro' in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Tears Behind the Laughter - San Diego Opera's 'The Marriage of Figaro', reviewed by Ron Bierman

Ensemble. Enthralling Seasons - Haydn's oratorio begins one of Rome's major concert seasons, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Turning Point - Leonard Bernstein's 'West Side Story' begins Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia's season, 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. Mixed Feelings - 'Attila' at the Verdi Festival, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Abstract and Utterly Stylized - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences 'Le Trouvère', the last operatic staging in Parma's Teatro Farnese

Ensemble. When Verdi mimics Donizetti - 'Un Giorno di Regno' in Busseto, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Triumph for 'The First' Macbeth - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from the 2018 Verdi Festival

Wild Extravagance - George Colerick investigates Berlioz, Fantasy and Literature

Ensemble. Almost a World Premiere - Gaspare Spontini's 'Le metamorfosi di Pasquale', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Stellar Performances - Handel Cantatas, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... music of the utmost beauty, full of emotional outpourings that cover the whole spectrum of the human condition ...'

Ensemble. War and Peace - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from the Sagra Musicale Umbra Festival

Ensemble. An Impervious Affair - 'Il Trittico' at the Puccini Festival, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Lovers' Opera - Giovanni Pacini's 'Il Convitato di Pietra', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. An Overwhelming Success - Pier Luigi Pizzi's new 'Barber of Seville' enthralls the Rossini Opera Festival, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Sparkling Wine and Wedding Cake - Rossini's 'Adina' in Pesaro, enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Lukewarm Reception - 'Ricciardo e Zoriade' at the Rossini Opera Festival, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

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. An Odd Couple? - Music from Japan and Portugal at Rome's 'Opus' Festival, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Pure Joy - Roderic Dunnett visits Winslow Hall Opera for Verdi's 'Il Trovatore'

Ensemble. Rossini in The Quarry - 'The Barber of Seville' at an unusual venue in Hungary, praised by Anett Fodor

Ensemble. References to Fellini - 'La Traviata' in 'La Dolce Vita', by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Pleasure Garden - Two summer concerts on an evening in Rome, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Daily Puccini - Malcolm Miller enjoys an opera lollipop recital in the city of the composer's birth

CD Spotlight. Imaginative Vigour - Meyerbeer's opera 'Margherita d'Anjou', heard by Gerald Fenech. 'Fabio Luisi marshalls his forces with aplomb, and his commitment to the work keeps the music moving along with verve and enthusiasm ...'

Ensemble. Richness of the Score - Puccini's 'La bohème' in Rome, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. American Light Opera - Opera North enthralls the audience at the Ravenna Festival in Cole Porter's 'Kiss me Kate', by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Timeless Staging - Giuseppe Pennisi visits Bologna for a very political 'Don Carlo'

Ensemble. The Endless Darkness of Light - Adriano Guarnieri's new opera at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Different 'Manon' - Kenneth McMillan's ballet on Massenet's music arrives in Rome, enthralling Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Candid Simplicity - Choral music by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, investigated by Gerald Fenech. 'Friedrich Haider and his team give sympathetic performances full of committed endeavour and unbridled enthusiasm ...'

Ensemble. An Odd Couple - A Hindemith and Mascagni double bill in Cagliari, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Long Overdue - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience for the first performance in Rome of Benjamin Britten's 'Billy Budd'

Ensemble. Born Again - Hindemith's 'Cardillac' at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Opera versus Mafia - Giuseppe Pennisi talks to Francesco Giambrone, Superindent of Teatro Massimo di Palermo

Ensemble. Is 'Carmen' for Children? - Giuseppe Pennisi attends a special Opera Domani performance

Ensemble. Blood and Orgasms - Dmitri Shostakovich's 'Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District' in Naples, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Rare Bird - Riccardo Zandonai's 'Francesca da Rimini' at La Scala, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Revival or World Premiere? - 'I Puritani in Palermo', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Protests in Rome - A mixed reception for 'Cav and Pag' at Teatro dell'Opera, by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Invaluable and Timely - Nicola Porpora's 'L'Amato Nome', enjoyed by Gerald Fenech. 'Stile Galante deliver performances that are sensitive, intelligent and beautifully controlled with the singing in particular being stylish and elegant yet consistently expressive and linguistically meticulous.'

Ensemble. Choral Interventions - Wagner's 'Der fliegende Holländer' at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Compelling Production - Verdi's 'Un Ballo in Maschera' at Opera North, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. An Exciting Whirlwind - Constantinos Carydis conducts Russian and Greek music in Rome, impressing Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Sex and Modernism - A triptych of modern ballets, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Faith and Revolution - Poulenc's 'Dialogues des Carmélites' in Bologna, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Short Bittersweet Opera - Stravinsky's 'A Soldier's Tale', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Pure Joy - Puccini's 'La bohème' in high definition from New York Metropolitan Opera, heard by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Bold and Daring - Contrasting Busoni and Puccini in Cagliari, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Late Romanticism - Giuseppe Pennisi is moved by Richard Strauss and Schoenberg played by the Stradivari Sextet

Ensemble. Carnal Passion and Religion - Giuseppe Pennisi is more impressed by the musical than the visual aspects of Donizetti's 'La favorite' in Florence

Ensemble. A Slice of Life - Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed with the first performance of Marco Tutino's 'Miseria e Nobilità'

Ensemble. A Doll's House - A new production of Bellini's 'La Sonnambula', experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Whirlwind of Slapstick - French Carnival Operettas in Venice, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Angel of the Apocalypse - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Messiaen in Rome

Ensemble. Debussy Perspective - Giuseppe Pennisi samples a concert series marking the one hundredth anniversary of the French composer's death

Ensemble. Romanticism and Rock - Lalo and Pink Floyd ballets in Rome, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Dramatic Passion - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Bernardo Pasquini's 'La Sete di Cristo'

Ensemble. A Gradual Maturing - Giuseppe Pennisi describes the recent performance history of Rossini's 'William Tell' and reviews Palermo's 2018 production

Ensemble. Bandits in Rome - Giuseppe Pennisi describes the stormy reaction to Verdi's 'I Masnadieri'

CD Spotlight. Welcome Indeed - Judith Aller plays Corelli and Kreisler, highly recommended by the late Howard Smith. 'How gratifying to discover another fine, established American violinist who did not emerge from the Galamian-DeLay assembly line.'

Ensemble. Sublime Romanticism - Valery Gergiev conducts Tchaikovsky's 'Iolanta', impressing Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. The Romantic Connection - Kodály, Glass and Bruckner, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Sophisticated Elegance - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to music by Giacinto Scelsi

CD Spotlight. Heart-wrenching Scenes - Leonardo Vinci's 'Didone Abbandonata', recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'Superbly performed and recorded, this set is a must for all opera lovers who are genuinely interested in discovering a work that has been hidden for too long despite its extreme beauty.'

Ensemble. Rendered in Masterly Fashion - An anthology of twentieth century music impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. An Exceptional Violinist - Lisa Batiashvili plays Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, and Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed

Ensemble. A Sumptuous Production - La Scala revives 'Andrea Chénier', reviewed via live HD projection by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Much Applauded - The Joy of Marionette Operas, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. The Egyptian - Early twentieth century French music by Ibert, Saint Saëns, Debussy and Ravel, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Lavish and Effective - Marco Tutino's 'La Ciociara' comes to Italy and impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Autumn Trilogy - Giuseppe Pennisi writes about three operas on the brink of the twentieth century, performed as a cycle in Ravenna

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. The Triumph of Music - The first performance of Salvatore Sciarrino's 'Ti vedo, ti sento, mi perdo', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Modernizing Monteverdi and Mozart - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences two very different performances

Ensemble. Pity for the Misbegotten - Salvatore Sciarrino's opera 'Superflumina', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Transatlantic Operatic Cooperation - Giuseppe Pennisi on Puccini's 'La fanciulla del West' in Cagliari

Ensemble. Vocally Splendid - Giuseppe Pennisi visits Florence, where the audience is enthralled by the first performance there of Puccini's 'La Rondine'

Ensemble. A Voices Opera - Gaetano Donizetti's 'Pia de' Tolomei' in Pisa, but on its way to Charleston, South Carolina, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Surreal Atmosphere - Daniel Auber's 'Fra Diavolo' is back in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Weak Videos - Szymanowski's 'Król Roger', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Infinite Disappearances - An opera about the Italian theoretical physicist Ettore Majorana, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Cruel 'Traviata' - Giuseppe Pennisi returns to the 2017 Verdi Festival

Ensemble. Grand Tableaux - 'Jérusalem' at the 2017 Verdi Festival, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Hypnotic Beauty - Giuseppe Verdi's 'Don Carlo', heard by Gerald Fenech. '... a performance full of dramatic passion and unbridled commitment that keeps the tension at fever-pitch throughout.'

Ensemble. Concerts in Bucharest - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Russian orchestral music at the George Enescu Festival

Ensemble. Very Moving - A Roland Petit soirée at Opera di Roma, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Standout Performances - Donizetti's 'Rosmonda d'Inghilterra', strongly recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... Sebastiano Rolli keeps things ticking over nicely, thus never diminishing the boiling undercurrents that continually simmer in the protagonists' spirits.'

CD Spotlight. Dramatically Nuanced - Rossini's 'Sigismondo', heard by Gerald Fenech. '... an excellent live recording of a rare bel canto gem that deserves serious scrutiny by all those interested in Italian melodrama.'

Ensemble. Opera Philology - Rossini's 'Torvaldo e Dorliska', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. High Society Two Centuries Ago - Giuseppe Pennisi comments on Rossini's 'La Pietra di Paragone' in Pesaro

Ensemble. Third Time Lucky - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on the first performance of the original version of Rossini's 'Siege of Corinth'

Ensemble. Psychoanalysis and 'Turandot' - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from the Macerata Opera Festival

Ensemble. Updating Tosca - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

Ensemble. Very Human - Carlo Boccadoro's chamber opera 'Shi', based on Matteo Ricci's Jesuit mission in China, impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A bitter-sweet 'Swallow' - 'La Rondine' at the Puccini Opera Festival impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Altogether Invigorating - Gabriele Baldocci's Kabalevsky and Beethoven/Liszt at the BPSE Summer Festival impress Malcolm Miller

Ensemble. A Keen Interest - A new 'Turandot' at the Puccini Festival, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Renewed International Chigiana Prize - Giuseppe Pennisi was in Siena for the Chigiana Award concert

Ensemble. Sensual and Immoral - A new production of 'Carmen' stirs a mini-International Controversy, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. 1917 and Dante's 'Divine Comedy' - Giuseppe Pennisi samples the two themes at this summer's Ravenna Festival

Ensemble. Heavy Stage Direction and Sets - Rossini's 'Il viaggio a Reims' in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Rigoletto on the Beach - Verdi in Sardinia, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Mirror of Time - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on a trendy concert series in Rome

Ensemble. Tender and Engrossing - Benjamin Britten's 'Peter Grimes' in Bologna impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Well-deserved Ovations - 'Lulu' lands in Rome after fifty years, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Visions of Human Suffering - Lyric Verdi, and a great success, but in some ways a 'Don Carlo' of losers at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Civil Engagement - Giuseppe Pennisi discusses operas representing intrigues which couldn't be discussed in public

Ensemble. A Lovely Evening - William Walton's 'Façade' in Rome, alongside a symphony by Alfredo Casella, appreciated 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 Great Success - Antonio Pappano's St John Passion impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Extreme Tensions - Richard Strauss' 'Elektra', back in Naples, impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Duel of Voices - Donizetti's 'Maria Stuarda' in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Dynamic Performances - Vladimir Jurowski conducts Zemlinsky and Mahler, appreciated by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Fun and Games - Mike Wheeler enjoys Opera North's take on Rossini's 'La Cenerentola'

Ensemble. 1917 - A Different Revolutionary Music - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Yuri Bashmet and his Moscow Soloists ensemble

Ensemble. Invincible Physical Barriers - Willy Decker's production of Giuseppe Verdi's 'La traviata' in HD from New York Metropolitan Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Innate Musicality - The Eight Seasons of Vivaldi and Piazzolla, recommended by Giuseppe Pennisi. '... Yury Revich is a superb soloist, a real virtuoso with tremendous imagination and a splendid use of his instrument.'

CD Spotlight. Celebrity Bass - Music for strings by Domenico Dragonetti, heard by the late Howard Smith. 'John Feeney reveals double bass capabilities required of a symphony orchestra's lowest strings once in a blue moon.'

CD Spotlight. Public Taste - Madrigals from Monteverdi's Venice period, highly recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'Paul Agnew and his famous choristers give highly exciting performances, with every poetic nuance exploited to maximum musical effect.'

Ensemble. Sex, Blood and Power - Tchaikovsky's 'The Enchantress', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Tenderness and Hatred - Janácek's 'Kát'a Kabanová' in Turin impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. The Mercy of God - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Robert Schumann's oratorio 'Das Paradies und die Peri'

Ensemble. Inner Struggle - Giuseppe Pennisi watches and listens to Tchaikovsky's 'Sleeping Beauty'

Ensemble. Full of Irony - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences a different 'Sleeping Beauty', Ottorino Respighi's 'La Bella Addormentata nel Bosco', at the Lyric Theatre in Cagliari

CD Spotlight. Musical Extremities - Works by Schoenberg and Portera, heard by Gerald Fenech. 'Performances are satisfyingly macabre in Schoenberg's work, while Portera's piece is given a well-rounded and detailed interpretation.'

Ensemble. Tannhäuser in the Dark - Giuseppe Pennisi visits Venice, one of Richard Wagner's favourite cities

Ensemble. Sex and Power - Verdi's 'Macbeth' in Palermo, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Controversial Così - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma

Ensemble. A Great Revival - Leonardo Vinci and Pietro Metastasio's 'Didone Abbandonata', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Two Bats - 'Die Fledermaus' on Twelfth Night, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Vagaries of Love - Baroque music from Dominique Labelle and Musica Pacifica stimulates Gerald Fenech. 'A beautiful issue that is as heartwarming as it is stimulating.'

CD Spotlight. Completely Unknown - Violin and piano music by René de Boisdeffre, heard by Paul Sarcich. 'To describe Boisdeffre as "worthy but dull" would be doing him a disservice ...'

Ensemble. A New Year's Eve with 'Die Fledermaus' - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Rome

Peace through Music - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on Christmas concerts in the Holy Land

Ensemble. A Dark 'Trovatore' - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on Verdi from Cagliari

CD Spotlight. Devotional Piety - Music by Niccola Monti, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... distinctive and brilliant, rich in operatic and chromatic devices with an orchestration that is harmonically well-balanced and full of melodic touches of the utmost beauty.'

Ensemble. A Rare Butterfly - Giuseppe Pennisi was at La Scala for the start of the new season in Milan

Ensemble. Little to do with Shakespeare - A strong production of Rossini's 'Otello' opens Teatro San Carlo's new season in Naples, reported by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Death and the Maiden - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Patricia Kopatchcinskaja and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra

Ensemble. Rich Baroque - 'La Liberazione di Ruggiero dall'Isola di Alcina' by the almost forgotten Francesca Caccini, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Very Interesting Discovery - The first performance in modern times of Bellini's 'Adelson e Salvini', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Flooding Venice - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews the first performance of Filippo Perocco's opera 'Aquagranda'

Ensemble. An Engrossing Premiere - Janácek's 'Jenufa' in Palermo impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Love and Freedom - Beethoven's 'Fidelio', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. The Joy of Operetta - Giuseppe Pennisi visits Ravenna for a trilogy of Danube stage works

Ensemble. 'Un Ballo' Returns Home - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews Verdi in Rome

Ensemble. The Right Touch - Giuseppe Pennisi enjoys the baroque show 'Aria' in Rome

Ensemble. Astonishing Work - 'Giovanna D'Arco' in the Farnese Theater, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Born Again - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the revitalised Verdi Festival in Parma for 'Don Carlo'

Ensemble. A Different 'Swan Lake' - Tchaikovsky in Rome impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. The Old and the New - Contrasting concerts at the Sagra Musicale Umbra, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Light from on High - Giuseppe Pennisi's first of two reports from the Sagra Musicale Umbra

Ensemble. Dido Reconstructed - Henry Purcell, arranged by Atilio Cremonesi, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Very Rich Menu - Giuseppe Pennisi attends two first performances at the Pergolesi Spontini Festival in Jesi

CD Spotlight. Breathtaking Depth - Sacred music in seventeenth century Rome, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... performances of celestial beauty ...'

Ensemble. An African 'Norma' - Giuseppe Pennisi compares La Fenice's Bellini revival with an earlier production in Naples

Ensemble. Echo of Globalization - France at the Festival of Nations, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Rossini on a Movie Set - 'Il Turco in Italia' and 'Ciro in Babilonia' at the Rossini Opera Festival, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. An Engrossing Idea - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro for an original and moving 'La Donna del Lago'

Ensemble. Old and New - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Siena's Chigiana International Festival

Ensemble. Not Entirely New - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences a double 'Barber of Seville' in Rome

CD Spotlight. Rare Emotional Content - Sacred music by Gaetano Veneziano, highly recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... this music took me completely by surprise ...'

Ensemble. Nabucco goes to War - Giuseppe Pennisi was in the audience in Rome

Ensemble. Musically Exceptional - San Francisco's starry Don Carlo, seen by James Sohre

Ensemble. Mixed Feelings - Mozart's 'Così fan tutte', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Thoroughly Captivating - Seventeenth century Italian solo sonatas, admired by the late Howard Smith. '... Caudle's irreproachable grasp ... invites admiration throughout ...'

Ensemble. Divine Providence - Giuseppe Pennisi is impressed by Donizetti's religious opera 'Linda di Chamounix'

Ensemble. A Modern Tragedy - Salvatore Sciarrino's 'Luci mie traditrici', one of the most performed contemporary operas, finally reaches a major Italian opera house, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Fast Forward - Giuseppe Pennisi assesses three works at a contemporary music festival in Rome

CD Spotlight. Powerful Music - Wolf-Ferrari's 'The Jewels of the Madonna', recommended by Geoff Pearce. 'Special praise should be given to the musical director, Friedrich Haider ...'

CD Spotlight. Into the Unknown - Music by Luigi Gazzotti, recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... meltingly tender renditions ...'

Ensemble. High Fashion - A new production of 'La traviata' in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Delight - 'Albert Herring' in Florence impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Turandot for Children - Giuseppe Pennisi investigates a Puccini production with one hundred and fifty performances in twelve months

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

CD Spotlight. Unmissable Stuff - Music by Antonio Lotti, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... excitement, poignancy and luscious harmonic sounds ...'

Ensemble. A Precursor to Decadentism - Tchaikovsky's 'Iolanta' in Florence, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Sinopoli's Loneliness - A concert in memory of the Italian conductor, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. In Two Parts - Puccini's 'Il Trittico' as seen by Michieletto and Rustioni, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Unmistakeably Italian - Alfredo Casella's fairy tale 'La Donna Serpente', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Double Revival - Respighi's 'Sunken Bell' in Cagliari, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Sensitive Expression - Puccini's 'Manon Lescaut' live in HD from New York Metropolitan Opera impresses Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Genius and Intemperance - Berlioz's 'Benvenuto Cellini', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A 'Portable' Devil - Giuseppe Pennisi visits Pisa for Arrigo Boito's 'Mefistofele'

DVD Spotlight. Mantle of Wagner - 'Feuersnot' by Richard Strauss, impresses Geoff Pearce. '... the orchestra was sumptuous.'

Ensemble. Sincere Conversion - Mahler's 'Creation', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Monumental and Hieratic - Stravinsky's 'Oedipus Rex', recommended by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Great Success - Eleonora Abbagnato's 'Four Great Choreographers' at Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, appreciated by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Different 'Norma' - Giuseppe Pennisi visits Naples

Rossini's Revenge - The first of three new 'Barber of Seville' productions marking the opera's bicentenary, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Carnival in Venice - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews Hervé's 'Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde'

Ensemble. Transcendental Dawn - Handel's 'Il Trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno' impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Musical Invention - Orchestral music by Ottorino Respighi excites Gerald Fenech. '... passionately performed and sumptuously recorded ...'

Ensemble. A Successful Challenge - Wagner's 'Götterdämmerung' ends the Palermo 'Ring' cycle, 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

Ensemble. 'Fantasia' Around The World - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the big screen in Rome

CD Spotlight. Consistently Inventive - Viola d'Amore concertos by Vivaldi, recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'Rachel Barton Pine gives committed performances full of virtuosic brilliance ...'

For the New Year - Unusual ballet productions in Italy, seen by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Rebel with a Cause - Teatro Massimo di Palermo's 'Siegfried', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Very Special - Christmas music in Rome impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Passion and Commitment - Verdi's 'Giovanna D'Arco' at La Scala, recommended by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Enthralling Music - Hans Werner Henze's 'The Bassarids', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Luxuriant Orchestration - Mozart's 'Idomeneo', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. An International Co-production - Donizetti's 'Don Pasquale' impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. The Downfall - Richard Strauss' 'Elektra' in Bologna, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. To the glory of St John Paul II - Giuseppe Pennisi samples The Vatican's recent festival of sacred music and art

Ensemble. Accolades and Ovations - Antonio Pappano's 'Beethoven and the Contemporaries', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Towards the Abyss - Alban Berg's 'Wozzeck' at La Scala, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Two Ballets - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences a new dance in Rome

Ensemble. Sacred and Profane - Symphonies, cantatas and concertos by J S Bach, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Faultless Artistry - Maria Luigia Borsi sings Italian arias, recommended by the late Howard Smith. '... outstanding in every respect.'

Musical Prowess - Robert Anderson's 'Opera Nights and Nightmares', read by Gerald Fenech

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. A Turning Point - The first in a series of orchestral concerts in Rome, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. An Outstanding Success - The Tallis Scholars celebrate Arvo Pärt's eightieth birthday at Italy's Sagra Musicale Umbra, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Something Magical - Music by Malipiero, recommended by Geoff Pearce. '... the forces on this disc are well up to the challenge.'

Ensemble. Intricately Tuneful - Giuseppe Pennisi reviews John Adams' opera 'I Was looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky'

CD Spotlight. Star Musicians - Piano trios by Saint-Saëns, heard by the late Howard Smith. '... tonal variance and measured passion ...'

Ensemble. With You, Armenia - Giuseppe Pennisi was present when La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra visited Rome

CD Spotlight. Fantastic Stuff - Busoni piano music, recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... gripping music making ...'

CD Spotlight. Consummate Skill - Boccherini chamber music, heard by Gerald Fenech. '... exquisite stuff from beginning to end ...'

Ensemble. Semi-serious Rossini - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro

Ensemble. A Long Musical Summer - Giuseppe Pennisi attended the Chigiana International Festival in Siena

Ensemble. Far from Traditional - Puccini operas in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Flawed Production - Mike Wheeler has some reservations with Donizetti's 'Lucia di Lammermoor' at Buxton

DVD Spotlight. An Ancient Character - Rossini's 'Semiramide', reviewed by Howard Smith. '... traditional elements alongside innovative ones.'

DVD Spotlight. Telling Effect - Gaetano Donizetti's 'La Favorite' impresses Gerald Fenech. '... lovingly produced and passionately executed ...'

Ensemble. Americans in Rome - Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia's Gershwin Gala, attended by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Dark Lady - Tchaikovsky's 'Queen of Spades' appeals to Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Visionary Creation - Alessandro Solbiati's 'Il Suono Giallo', enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Eclectic and Attractive - Giorgio Battistelli's new opera for Expo Milano 2015 impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Posthumous Debut - Giorgio Strehler's 'Marriage of Figaro' finally reaches Rome, enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A 3D Fairytale - Mozart's 'The Magic Flute' from Bologna impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Musical Homecoming - Myung-Whun Chung returns to Rome to conduct Beethoven and Mahler, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Two Stages - Manfred Honeck conducts Mozart and Mahler, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Troubles in Florence - Maggio Musicale Fiorentino's 'Fidelio' is performed under difficult conditions, described by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Long Nocturne - Giuseppe Pennisi describes an intimate 'Aida' in Rome

Ensemble. A Timeless Message - 'Jenufa' at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Wealthy Maverick - Music by the French composer George Onslow, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Dramatic Temperament - 'Euridice' according to Salvatore Sciarrino, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. 'Lucia' in the Madhouse - Giuseppe Pennisi attends a memorial to Luca Ronconi

Ensemble. Not to be Missed - The French ensemble Les Paladins, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Philological 'Tosca' - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Rome

Ensemble. Women are Stronger - Mozart's 'Lucio Silla' at La Scala, enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Particularly Enticing - Antonio Vivaldi flute concerti, recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'Steger is a likeable exponent ...'

Ensemble. Skillfully Adapted - Gluck's 'Orfeo e Euridice' in Palermo, in the Berlioz version, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Romantic Premonitions - Bellini's 'I Puritani', enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Real Joy - 'Le Ventre de Paris', praised by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. An Unusual Reading - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences an icy Paris/Milan production of Monteverdi's 'L'incoronazione di Poppea'

Ensemble. A Triumph - Hans Werner Henze's love for Italy, and 'Gisella!' in Palermo, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Werther's Dream World - Willy Decker's production of Massenet's opera finally reaches Rome, by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Operatic Riches - Arias by Handel, Bononcini and Ariosti, heard by Gerald Fenech. 'Lawrence Zazzo has a bright and clear timbre ...'

Ensemble. A Stage Direction to Forget - Verdi's 'Un ballo in maschera' in Bologna, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Real Enchantment - Pergolesi Chamber Cantatas, enjoyed by Robert Anderson. '... episodes of tender pensiveness ...'

Ensemble. True Passion - 'Traviata' on the lagoon, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Bold Decision - 'Il Trovatore' in Naples, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Unmistakably French - Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Imaginative Programming - Zenia Löffler's Venetian concerti impress Geoff Pearce. 'This disc will not fail to please ...'

Ensemble. The Ambiguity of 'Fidelio' - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the opening night of La Scala's opera season

Ensemble. Back in the Lagoon - Giuseppe Pennisi visits La Fenice for Verdi's 'Simon Boccanegra'

Ensemble. Engrossing Performance - Dvorák's 'Rusalka' in Rome impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

LP Spotlight. Unusual Transparency - Orchestral music by Ottorino Respighi, heard by Stephen Francis Vasta. '... first-class performances ... in excellent sound.'

Ensemble. Eros and Gospels - Giuseppe Pennisi was in Naples for Richard Strauss' 'Salome'

Ensemble. Troubles in Rome - Verdi's Rigoletto, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. On the Mountain Top - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the opening concert of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia's season

Ensemble. Human Tragedy - Stefano Ranzani conducts Verdi's 'Simon Boccanegra', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Wildly Beautiful - Witches dressed as village ladies of the 1950s as New York Metropolitan Opera begins its HD broadcast season with Verdi's Macbeth, described by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. God's Forgiveness - A journey to the Almighty with Verdi's 'The Force of Destiny', highly rated by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Sex and Violence - Graham Vick's 'Don Giovanni', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Full of Irony - De Giosa's 'Don Checco', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. First Rate - Harp music from early baroque Naples, recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'Margret Köll's performances have an ethereal aura ...'

Ensemble. A Thin Connection - Purcell's 'King Arthur' travels to Italy, and is experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Extraordinary Artistic Freedom - The Francesco Siciliani Prize at Sagra Musicale Umbra, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Tolerance and Enlightenment - 'Die Entführung aus dem Serail' at Sagra Musicale Umbra enthralls Giuseppe Pennisi

Profile. A Very Lucky Man - Albanian lyric tenor Saimir Pirgu talks to Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Blown Away - Marina Piccinini plays Paganini, recommended by Howard Smith. '... hypnotic interpretative gifts ...'

Ensemble. Sorrows of Young Rossini - Giuseppe Pennisi sends a second report from the 2014 Rossini Opera Festival

Ensemble. Avant-garde and Fun - 'The Barber of Seville' at the Rossini Opera Festival, enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Daring and Bold - 'Madama Butterfly' and 'Il Trittico' at the Puccini Festival, discussed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Euro Folk Champions - The Apollo Chamber Players, impress Howard Smith. '... this scantily adorned traditional music derives straight from the heartbeat of regions in Southern, Eastern, and Central Europe.'

DVD Spotlight. Much Courage - Alfredo Catalani's 'La Wally', reviewed by Robert Anderson. 'This Tyrolean team has made fine music ...'

CD Spotlight. Universal Americanism? - Classical-dance fusion, heard by Howard Smith. 'Councell-Vargas performs all the pieces with flair.'

Ensemble. A Gasparini Renaissance - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences 'Il Bajazet'

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

DVD Spotlight. First Rate - Richard Strauss' 'Salome', recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... fine and emotionally sapping ...'

Ensemble. Orpheus versus Orpheus - Giuseppe Pennisi enjoys 'Orfeo e Euridice' at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, and surveys the different versions of Gluck's opera

Ensemble. Champagne not Orange Juice - Prokofiev's 'The Love of Three Oranges', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. A Mixed Bag - Ian Hominick plays Clementi, heard by Andrew Schartmann. 'At times, his playing is sensitive and exact.'

Ensemble. From chains to the Almighty - Twentieth century operas in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Existential Tragedy - A new Italian production of Don Giovanni, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Hugely Entertaining - Orchestral music by Knecht and Philidor, heard by Gerald Fenech. 'Performances are consistently breezy and light-hearted ...'

Ensemble. Near Perfect - Rossini's 'La Cenerentola', reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Carefully Mixed - Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore in Rome, enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Metaphysical Realm - Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde' impresses 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. Passage from Anger - Andrea Molino's Qui non c'è perché impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Traditional and Bold - Berlioz's Les Troyens, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Wonderfully Amusing - Maria Nockin visits Mexico for Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore

Ensemble. Fourteen People and a Dog - Brits in Rome, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Clash of Civilizations - Rossini's 'Maometto II', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Decadent and Sarcastic - A Zemlinsky-Puccini double bill in Turin, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Rather Classical - Silvia Colasanti's 'La Metamorfosi', experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Truly Memorable - Power, technology and sex in Rimsky Korsakov's 'The Tsar's Bride', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Double Melodrama - Giuseppe Pennisi was at Puccini's 'Manon Lescaut', performed under difficult conditions in Rome

Ensemble. Quite Different - A special 'Otello', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

A Compelling Overall Experience - Mike Wheeler listens to Italian pianist Leonora Armellini

Ensemble. A Tremendous Success - Rome's 'Controtempo' contemporary music festival, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Unlucky in Love - Giuseppe Pennisi visits Pisa for The Tales of Hoffmann

Ensemble. Chung vs Pappano - Giuseppe Pennisi compares versions of Mahler's Resurrection Symphony

Ensemble. Vivid and Entertaining - Giuseppe Pennisi attends a Ravel double bill in Rome

Ensemble. A Sexy Summer Night - 'Feuersnot' by Richard Strauss, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Bold and Daring - A new production of Wagner's 'Parsifal', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Perfect Settings - New Year in Italy, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Alive and Well - Comic operas in Berlin, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Feminism and Anti-colonialism - Meyerbeer's L'Africaine, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

DVD Spotlight. Panache and Style - Janácek's 'The Cunning Little Vixen', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... much bewitching music ...'

Ensemble. Innovation and Tradition - Verdi's 'La Traviata' at the start of La Scala's new season, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Intergenerational Conflict - Giuseppe Pennisi attended a successful performance of Verdi's 'Ernani' in Rome

Ensemble. Brilliant Ideas - Verdi's Shakespeare trilogy in Ravenna, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Play, Reggio, Play! - Marching in the name of music, with Karen Haid

Ensemble. A Conductor's Opera - Verdi's 'Falstaff' at Los Angeles Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Pure Enjoyment - 'Simon Boccanegra' in Turin, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Grand Sea Symphony? - Giuseppe Pennisi was at a concert performance in Rome of Britten's 'Peter Grimes'

Ensemble. Good Sense - Turandot in Rome as written by Puccini, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Better Fit - Wagner and Britten in the Umbrian Hills, reported by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Joy for the Soul - Giuseppe Pennisi visits Sagra Musicale Umbra

Ensemble. Extremely Visual - Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele at San Francisco Opera, heard by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Gripping and Engrossing - 'Otello' in an immigration camp at the Enescu Festival in Bucharest, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Turning Point - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the 2013 Torre del Lago Festival for a new international production of 'Tosca' and a performance of 'Rigoletto' with young singers

Ensemble. Good Music makes Good Money - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the 2013 Rossini Opera Festival

Ensemble. A Rich Musical Season - Summer opera in Rome, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Crystalline Intensity - La Nuova Musica's Vivaldi and Handel impresses Howard Smith. '... recommendable for its baroque verisimilitude and clarity.'

Ensemble. Different Women - 'Electra' and 'Elena' at Aix-en-Provence, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Jaw-droppingly Compelling - A Sciarrino and Maxwell Davies double bill from Music Theatre Wales, by Mike Wheeler

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. Real Power - Three one act operas exploring the condition of women, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Different Styles - Antonio Pappano's 'Un Ballo in Maschera' impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Enjoyable Performances - Tasmin Little plays Strauss and Respighi, heard by Ron Bierman. '... a winning program ...'

DVD Spotlight. Imperial Power - Pergolesi's 'La Salustia', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... much memorable singing ...'

Ensemble. Fighting for Freedom - A new start for 'Il Trionfo di Clelia'? Giuseppe Pennisi has his doubts

Ensemble. Political Allegory - Wagner's 'Götterdämmerung' at La Scala Milan, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Memorable Rendition - Puccini's 'Tosca' at Los Angeles Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Political Tragedy - Giuseppe Pennisi attended a performance of Wagner's 'Rienzi' in Rome

Ensemble. Troubles in Florence - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the opening night of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

DVD Spotlight. Considerable Turmoil - 'La Battaglia di Legnano', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... Verdi patriotic is not necessarily Verdi at his most subtle.'

Ensemble. Vibrant and Wild - Wagner's 'Flying Dutchman' enthralls Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Rhythm and Irony - Eighteenth century Neapolitan cello concertos fascinate Giuseppe Pennisi

DVD Spotlight. An Operatic Cinderella - Verdi's 'Il Corsaro' impresses Robert Anderson. '... a very sensitive staging ...'

DVD Spotlight. Quite Riveting - Pergolesi's 'L'Olimpiade' impresses Gerald Fenech. '... sound and visuals are top-drawer stuff.'

Ensemble. A Complex Plot - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the opening night of Verdi's 'Don Carlo' in Turin

Ensemble. Black and White - Saint-Saëns' 'Samson' as envisaged by La Fura dels Baus, enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Truly Powerful - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences Ravenna's first performance of Britten's 'The Rape of Lucretia'

Ensemble. Theatrical Genius - Rossini's 'La Cenerentola' delights Maria Nockin

Ensemble. A Real Thriller - Makropoulos in the Lagoon, with Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Cosmic Pessimism - Verdi's rarely performed 'I Due Foscari', experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

DVD Spotlight. A Real Achievement - Gioacchino Rossini's 'Adelaide di Borgogna', recommended by Robert Anderson. '... the Bologna singers and players ... respond finely to every nuance ...'

Ensemble. Anything Goes - A shocking 'Die Walküre', experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Much Awaited - Bayreuth's 'Das Rheingold' previewed in Rome, as experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Big Splash - Maria Nockin watches 'Rigoletto' from the Met, live in HD

Ensemble. Sweet and Sour - Adolphe Adam's 'Giselle', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Especially Brilliant - An evening of piano music from Giuseppe Andaloro, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Unsex Me Here - Verdi, Shakespeare and Macbeth's lust for power, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Swift and Corrosive - Giuseppe Pennisi takes a sniff at Shostakovich's 'The Nose'

Ensemble. Luscious Vocal Colors - 'Tosca' at AZ Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. A Key Flaw - If 'Das Rheingold' becomes a comedy, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Poignant Heroine - Donizetti's 'Maria Stuarda' in HD from New York Metropolitan Opera, enjoyed by Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Quite Sublime - Sacred music by Antonio Maria Bononcini, recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... an issue that oozes beauty ...'

Ensemble. New Tricks? - Giuseppe Pennisi discusses a sexy 'Falstaff' at La Scala

Ensemble. Sophisticated Musical Evenings - The legacy of Giacinto Scelsi twenty-five years on, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Still Radical - Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

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

Ensemble. Very Emotional - Concerts in Rome for Peace, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Big Voices - Verdi's 'Aida', live in HD, reviewed by Maria Nockin

DVD Spotlight. Tangled History - Verdi's 'I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... expertly conducted by Daniele Callegari and imaginatively staged by Lamberto Puggelli.'

CD Spotlight. Gallic Sheen - Christmas choral music from Arsys Bourgogne, heard by Keith Bramich. '... a well-recommended stocking-filler ...'

Ensemble. Philologically Correct - A sexless 'Traviata' opens San Carlo's new season in Naples, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Forbidden Questions - A controversial 'Lohengrin' at La Scala, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Bounce and Swagger - Musica Donum Dei's 'Handel and Other Visitors to London', heard by Mike Wheeler

DVD Spotlight. Heartfelt Agitation - Rossini's 'Mosè in Egitto', reviewed by Robert Anderson. 'Musically all is well ...'

Ensemble. Sonorities of Great Beauty - Malcolm Miller listens to the mandolin

CD Spotlight. Powerful Drama - Puccini's 'Suor Angelica', heard by Robert Anderson. '... Nelsons and the WDR Symphony Orchestra of Cologne have done their best for Puccini ...'

Psychological Evolution - 'Simon Boccanegra' in Rome impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Achingly Beautiful - Agostino Steffani's 'Orlando Generoso', experienced by Roderic Dunnett

Lucidity of Touch - Leonora Armellini plays for the Keyboard Trust, heard by Bill Newman

Ensemble. Opulent Tone - Anna Netrebko in Donizetti's 'L'elisir d'amore' live in HD from New York, reviewed by Maria Nockin

DVD Spotlight. Chamber Opera - Works by Sciarrino and Messiaen, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi. '... quite eclectic ...'

Ensemble. An Elegant Staging - Chinese National Opera's 'Turandot' on tour, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. An Erotic Flavour - Rome's new production of Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Angels and Demons - Giuseppe Pennisi visits Sagra Musicale Umbra 2012

Ensemble. A Taste for Melody - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on Spontini's recently discovered comedy 'La Fuga in Maschera'

CD Spotlight. Fine Judgment - Wolf-Ferrari wind concertinos, heard by Robert Anderson. '... soloist and orchestra tease each other in mutual delight.'

Ensemble. Great Appeal - Taormina Teatro Antico's 'Norma' in HD, reviewed by Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Supreme Skill - Leonardo Vinci's 'La Partenope', heard by Robert Anderson. '... Vinci at his best.'

Ensemble. Sex and Bigotry - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on his week at the Rossini Opera Festival

Ensemble. Very Juicy - Summer Opera in Rome, enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Financial Stringency - Giuseppe Pennisi describes how the Puccini Opera Festival is at a turning point

CD Spotlight. Breezy Charm - Piano concertos by Castelnuovo-Tedesco, heard by Bill Newman. '... performances are excellent ...'

Ensemble. Shakespeare and Spielberg - Giuseppe Pennisi describes how Gounod's 'Roméo et Juliette' attracts a new audience in Verona

Ensemble. Eros and the Almighty - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the 2012 Ravenna Festival

Ensemble. Mystery and Drama - Benjamin Britten's chamber opera 'The Turn of the Screw' opens the 55th Spoleto Festival, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Two Celebrations - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on a three-day musical party near Lucca in Tuscany

Ensemble. Intensely Expressive - Italian baroque choral music, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Quite Different - Britten's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Mixed Fellings - An Almodóvar-style 'Elisir d'Amore' from Valencia and Palermo, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. First Class - San Francisco Opera's film of Puccini's 'La bohème', seen by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. A Major Revival - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on bel canto in Europe

Ensemble. Musical Credibility - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the opening night of Teatro dell'Opera di Roma's production of Verdi's 'Attila'

Ensemble. Engrossing and Moving - Giuseppe Pennisi was at La Scala for a new production of 'Peter Grimes'

Ensemble. Life and Death - Zemlinksy's 'Der König Kandaules', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Important Debuts - 'Der Rosenkavalier' at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, a festival with a rich programme but a dire financial situation, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Relatively Coarse - Verdi's 'La traviata' from New York Metropolitan Opera in HD, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. A Special Place - Giuseppe Pennisi was in Ravenna for the revival of a successful production of Handel's 'Rinaldo'

Ensemble. Simply Exquisite - Rossini's 'The Barber of Seville' at San Diego Opera, enjoyed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. All the Ingredients - Giuseppe Pennisi describes a rather half-baked 'Barber of Seville'

Ensemble. Quality of Mercy - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the opening night of the new Parma-Montecarlo production of Verdi's 'Stiffelio'

Ensemble. Historical Tragedy - Giuseppe Pennisi visits Palermo for the critical edition of Musorgsky's 'Boris Godunov'

Ensemble. Fairytale Atmosphere - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on the opening night of 'Die Zauberflöte' in Rome

Ensemble. A Tremendous Production - Strauss's 'woman' on the analyst's couch, by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Esoteric Seasons - Forma Antiqva meets Vivaldi, heard by Howard Smith. '... an 'off-the-wall' take on Le quattro stagioni ...'

Ensemble. Uneven but Gorgeous - Giuseppe Pennisi reports from Naples on 'I Masnadieri' and 'Die Räuber'

Ensemble. Particularly Sumptuous - Verdi's 'Aida' at Arizona Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. After the Earthquake - Operas for reconstruction at L'Aquila, reported by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Spoils of Victory - Handel's 'Germanico', heard by Robert Anderson. '... always exhilarating though less often idiomatic.'

Ensemble. A Japanese Tragedy - A new 'Butterfly' production in Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Emotional Shifts - Verdi's 'Simon Boccanegra' at Los Angeles Opera, enjoyed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Apocalypse Now - Franz Schmidt's 'The Book with Seven Seals', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. New Respect - Rossini's 'The Barber of Seville' at New York Metropolitan Opera, reviewed by Gregory Moomjy

Ensemble. Pretty Good - A Neapolitan 'Threepenny Opera', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Great Evening - Beethoven and Dallapiccola from Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia Orchestra, heard by Bill Newman

Ensemble. Wonderfully Unusual - Vivica Genaux and Europa Galante, heard by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Joy and Sadness - A shock to the normally conservative audience at Rome's Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, reported by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. An Interesting Ambience - Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly' at Arizona Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Some like it Old-fashioned - Verdi's 'Aida' began the 2012 season at Parma's Teatro Regio, and Giuseppe Pennisi was there

Ensemble. Useful Spice - Giuseppe Pennisi discovers, via Bernstein's 'Candide', why we don't live in 'the best of all possible worlds'

Fun-and-games Time - Mike Wheeler listens to Venetian pianist Alessandro Taverna

Ensemble. The Turning Point - Giuseppe Pennisi was in eastern Sicily for the opening night of Teatro Massimo Bellini's 2012 season - a low cost but high quality 'Carmen'

CD Spotlight. Comparing Lockets - Giuseppe Verdi's 'Simon Boccanegra', heard by Robert Anderson. '... Boccanegra is sung by Tito Gobbi, notable in any context ...'

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

Successful and Fulfilling - On the rediscovery of the Italian symphonic tradition, by Giuseppe Pennisi

DVD Spotlight. Brilliant Sounds - Pergolesi's 'Adriano in Siria', reviewed by Robert Anderson. 'The music is as bewitching as the story is dotty.'

Ensemble. A Triumphant Macbeth - Under Riccardo Muti's baton, Verdi's first Shakespearean opera inaugurates Rome's opera season, by Giuseppe Pennisi

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

CD Spotlight. Previously Unknown - Music by Silvius Leopold Weiss, heard by Ron Bierman. '... difficult to improve upon ...'

Ensemble. Believable Characters - Handel's 'Rodelinda' at New York Metropolitan Opera, reviewed from the HD transmission by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Tormented Souls - Sex and power in the aftermath of a Middle Eastern war, when 'Semiramide' opens the opera season in Naples, reported by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Wonderfully Alert - Handel Works for Italy, heard by Robert Anderson. 'Lucy Crowe has the range, agility, and subtlety ...'

CD Spotlight. Sheer Conviction - Handel's 'Agrippina', heard by Robert Anderson. '... Handel's music survives gloriously, with singers and orchestra at top voltage.'

CD Spotlight. Imitative Textures - Choral music by Giaches de Wert, heard by Robert Anderson. 'The singing is of the standard King's College effortlessly produces.'

Ensemble. The Lady without the Lake - Rossini at La Scala, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. The Future? - A performance by Operama, reviewed by Karen Haid

Ensemble. Nearly Late Romantic - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the opening night of the new production in Florence of Janácek's 'The Makropoulos Case'

Ensemble. Complex Orchestration - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the Verdi Festival, which is short of money but not of ideas

CD Spotlight. Most Electrifying - Toscanini's Verdi Requiem from Carnegie Hall, enjoyed by Howard Smith. '... I find the 1951 adrenalin rush positively exhilarating.'

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. A Memorable Evening - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on the Richard Strauss masterpiece co-produced by Rome's Teatro dell'Opera and the Salzburg Festival

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. Superb Realms - Puccini's 'Il Trittico', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. To the Glory of God - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the Sagra Musicale Umbra, celebrating old and new continents

Ensemble. A Double Experiment - Avant-garde and late romanticism at La Sagra Malatestiana, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Full Immersion - Giuseppe Pennisi reports on 'La Salustia' and 'La Serva Padrona' from the Pergolesi Festival

Ensemble. Illuminating the Spectrum - Contemporary music at Salzburg, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Great Things to Come - Malcolm Troup listens to a recital by the all-conquering but still largely unsung pianist Gloria Campaner

Ensemble. A Thrill to Watch - Verdi's 'Nabucco' in HD from Sicily, enjoyed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. An Invaluable Experience - 'Ariadne auf Naxos' in New York, appreciated by Gregory Moomjy

Ensemble. Patriot and Terrorist? - New aspects of Rossini brought to light at the 2011 Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, discussed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Real Triumph - The 2011 Sferisterio Festival, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Asian Aid - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the 2011 Puccini Festival

Ensemble. A Delicate Balance - Giuseppe Pennisi has mixed feelings about 'Aida' at the Baths of Caracalla

DVD Spotlight. Seldom Equalled - Michelangeli plays Beethoven, Galuppi and Scarlatti, and impresses Howard Smith. 'His relentless perfectionism allows him spellbinding precision ...'

DVD Spotlight. Blocks of Snow - 'Cavalleria rusticana' and 'Pagliacci', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... not always marooned in frozen wastes.'

DVD Spotlight. Dramatic Truth - Giuseppe Verdi's 'Don Carlo', reviewed by Robert Hugill. '... a strong candidate for the library shelves.'

DVD Spotlight. Wonderfully Resourceful - Rossini's 'Il Turco in Italia', reviewed by Robert Anderson. 'The orchestra under Antonello Allemandi seem to have relished the evening as much as I did.'

Ensemble. The Passing of Time - Donizetti's 'Maria di Rohan' at the Buxton Festival impresses Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. The Quality of Mercy - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the 2011 Aix-en-Provence Festival and reports on four of the six operas

Ensemble. Lasting Magic - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the Italian premiere in Ravenna of Mercadante's 'I Due Figaro'

Ensemble. Exotic Soundscapes - Two London concerts featuring music from the opera to the orient, attended by Malcolm Miller

Ensemble. A Conductor's Opera - A new production of Puccini's 'La bohème' at Rome's Teatro dell'Opera, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Striking Power - Leslie Howard plays Rachmaninov, heard by Howard Smith. '... a staggering technique.'

Ensemble. Artistic Freedom - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the sophisticated music festival in a Tuscan mountain convent and stays for the full three days

Ensemble. Towards a Better World - Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra are currently on a world tour. Giuseppe Pennisi listens to their concert in Rome

Ensemble. When Verdi Slept - 'La Battaglia di Legnano', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Seductive Lyricism - Walton and Barber Violin Concertos, heard by Robert Anderson. 'Bowes is wonderfully convincing on all counts.'

Profile. Humanizing Emotions - American conductor James Conlon talks to Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Original but Controversial - 'Sicilian Vespers' as conceived by Verdi, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Intense Confrontation - Verdi's 'Ernani' - more revolutionary than patriotic, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Very Credible - Verdi's 'Il Trovatore' from New York Metropolitan Opera in HD, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Dramatic Beauty - Works by Eötvös and Bartók, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Christ Re-Crucified - Giuseppe Pennisi was at the Italian première of Bohuslav Martinu's Greek Passion

Ensemble. Extreme Sex - Set in the aftermath of a nuclear war, the first performance of Luca Francesconi's 'Quartett' is reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Rapturous Beauty - Richard Strauss's 'Capriccio', reviewed by Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Inestimable Worth - Joan Sutherland's debut recital, assessed by Howard Smith. 'No other single disc has these historic performances.'

CD Spotlight. A Sympathetic Hand - Jane Glover accompanies Felicity Lott's Mozart, heard by Robert Anderson. '... joyous music-making.'

Profile. A Nurturing Environment - Maria Nockin talks to American mezzo Kate Lindsey

Ensemble. Orchestral Nuances - Thanks to a sparkling 'Barber of Seville', Giuseppe Pennisi rediscovers the beauty of Rossini's orchestration

Ensemble. Too Clever by Half - A very British version of Mozart's 'Die Entführung aus dem Serail' returns to Rome, experienced by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Great Occasion - The Derby Roundhouse debut as a concert hall, described by Mike Wheeler

CD Spotlight. Meant to Last - J S Bach cello suites, enjoyed by George Balcombe. '... brilliance and beauty ...'

Mahler versus Mahler - Two symphony orchestras are playing Mahler in Rome, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Freedom and Passion - A Ferrero / Dallapiccola double bill in Modena, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Wonderful Rendition - Donizetti's 'Lucia di Lammermoor', enjoyed by Maria Nockin

Sex and Absolute Power - Handel's 'Giulio Cesare in Egitto', 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. Different Couples - English Touring Opera's 'La Clemenza di Tito', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Perfection Itself - Michail Lifits at London's Wigmore Hall delights Bill Newman

Ensemble. A Real Triumph - The first Milan performance of Britten's 'Death in Venice' impresses Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Happy Melodies - Rossini's 'Il Turco in Italia' delights Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Full of Irony - Shostakovich's 'The Nose', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. A Strange Choice - Violin concertos by Vivaldi, heard by Howard Smith. '... reliable and persuasive ...'

Ensemble. Stylish and Powerful - Donizetti's 'Belisario', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Absolutely Outstanding - Kotaro Fukuma's performances of Schumann, Chopin and Liszt amaze Bill Newman

Ensemble. Stunning Musical Performance - Donizetti's 'Lucrezia Borgia', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Drama and Comedy - British humour under the Neapolitan sun, in 'L'Elisir d'Amore' in Rome and San Francisco, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Smooth Delivery - Maria Nockin was at San Diego for Puccini's 'Turandot'

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. Opulent and Effective - Puccini's 'Turandot' in Arizona, enjoyed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Unmistakably French - 'Les Nuits d'Eté', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi from Rome's Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

Ensemble. Unmistakably American - William Bolcom's 'A View from the Bridge', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Beautifully Sung - An evening with Juan-Diego Flórez, by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Unmistakably Italian - A fresh start for Gnecchi's 'Cassandra', by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Wonderful Rendition - Puccini's 'La Fanciulla del West' at the movies impresses Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Mediterranean Splendour - Dancing to Bizet's 'L'Arlésienne' and 'Carmen', by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Music and Art - Karen Haid experiences Roma Opera Omnia

DVD Spotlight. The Heart of Opera - Giuseppe Verdi's 'La forza del destino', reviewed by Maria Nockin. '... a rhythmically alert, exciting performance ...'

Ensemble. Stunning Artistry - New York Metropolitan Opera's Verdi's 'Don Carlo' transmission, seen and heard by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. A High-level Production - 'The Merry Widow', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Marvelous Job - Puccini's 'La Fanciulla del West', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

DVD Spotlight. Ho hum! - Vidor Nagy plays Bach and Paganini, reviewed by Howard Smith. '... moments of splendour.'

CD Spotlight. A Noteworthy Introduction - Music by Stravinsky for violin and piano, heard by Howard Smith. '... refreshing naturalness ...'

CD Spotlight. Expressive Power - Vivaldi oboe concertos, heard by Robert Anderson. '... faultlessly delivered ...'

Ensemble. Vibrant Performance - Two concerts by the Symphony of the Americas, reviewed by Lawrence Budmen

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

Ensemble. A Wonderful Surprise - Los Angeles Opera's 'Rigoletto', enjoyed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Brilliantly Dispatched - Ian McEwan and Michael Berkeley's 'For You', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

An Interdisciplinary Field - Two contemporary music festivals in Rome, described by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Profoundly Satisfying - Cherubini's 'Medée', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Unique and Moving - Mahler's Fifth Symphony - a self-metamorphosis from grief to ecstatic energy, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Great Vitality - Verdi's 'Don Carlo', heard by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Soirées musicales - Mariella Devia and the Twilight of Bel Canto, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. What does this symphony mean? - Shostakovich's 'Leningrad', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Real Surprise - Celso Albelo hits Venice as Nemorino in Donizetti's 'L'Elisir d'Amore', by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Memorable Night - The Israel Camerata Orchestra Jerusalem, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Growing Up - Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' thrills children and adults in Florence, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Gripping Intensity - Verdi's 'Macbeth' at New Zealand Opera impresses Howard Smith

A Rich Resource - Teresa Verde explains how Theodore Deacon makes opera come alive

CD Spotlight. Great Purity - Performances by Deborah Roberts and friends, heard by Patric Standford. '... a recording to be treasured ...'

Ensemble. An Epic Opera - Rossini's 'William Tell', from Rome to the BBC Proms, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. An Icy Reception - Giuseppe Pennisi describes the 2010 Parma Verdi Festival's stormy beginning

Heroes Step Up in Crisis - The Muti era lays claim to Chicago, by Barbara Sealock

Profile. Two Americans in Paris - Maria Nockin talks to Vivica Genaux and Lawrence Brownlee

Ensemble. Electronics Prevails - 'Orphée' at the Roma-Europa Festival, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Superb from the word 'go' - Donizetti's last Tudor Queen returns to Rome, and Carmela Remigio enchants Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Firmly in Period - Grange Park Opera's 'Madama Butterfly', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Beautifully Phrased - Los Angeles Opera's 'The Marriage of Figaro', welcomed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Very Welcome - Robert Hugill experiences Stephen Oliver's 'Euridice'

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. Pilgrimages of the Soul - Giuseppe Pennisi visits Italy's Sagra Musicale Umbra

CD Spotlight. Almost a Transformation - David Rubinstein plays Busoni, heard by K C Devereaux. '... Rubenstein's hand is steady on the tiller.'

Ensemble. An Ecstatic Success - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the Sagra Musicale Malatestiana

CD Spotlight. Praise and Attention - Romabarocca Ensemble plays Carlo Rainaldi, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi. '... they will go far in the rediscovery of Baroque music.'

Ensemble. Eminently Believable - Undercroft Opera's 'La Traviata', reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz

CD Spotlight. Beautifully Managed - Music for flute and guitar, heard by Howard Smith. '... reflective and purposeful ...'

Ensemble. Rough and Shining Jewels - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the 2010 Rossini Opera Festival

Ensemble. Painfully Accurate - For Sciarrino, a modern mad scene: non-Kafka lovers, attend at your own risk, by Gregory Moomjy

Ensemble. Truly Fascinating - A Santa Fe Opera digest, including the recent Kaye Edition of 'The Tales of Hoffmann', by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Sex and Heroism - 'Juditha triumphans' at the Sferisterio Festival, appreciated by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Dramatic Strength - The 'Glory of God' through three Verdi operas at the Sferisterio Festival 2010, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

A Performance to Remember - A recital by Emanuel Rimoldi impresses Bill Newman

Ensemble. Pure Joy - Giuseppe Pennisi finds 'Madama Butterfly' at the Puccini Festival a pleasure for the ears and the eyes

Ensemble. Real Poise - Sinfonia Viva at the Buxton Festival, enjoyed by Mike Wheeler

Profile. Finding the Right Voice - Maria Nockin talks to American composer Daniel Catán

Ensemble. Eyes Tight Shut - 'La Fanciulla del West' at the Puccini Festival, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. 'Alceste' in the Madhouse - Giuseppe Pennisi files his last report from the 2010 Aix-en-Provence Festival

Ensemble. Political Overtones - George Benjamin's 'Into the Little Hill', reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Terrific Pace and Direction - Verdi's 'Luisa Miller' at the Buxton Festival, recommended by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Nearly a Male Lulu - 'Don Giovanni' in Aix-en-Provence, a black comedy of sex and loneliness, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Sisters Under the Skin - Donizetti's 'Maria Stuarda' at Opera North, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Opera in the Arena - Rebecca Schmid listens to Renée Fleming and the Berlin Philharmonic

CD Spotlight. Spellbinding Artistry - Jonathan Plowright plays Chopin, recommended by Howard Smith. '... positively hair-raising.'

Ensemble. Darkness to Light - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the Ravenna Festival

Ensemble. Young Eroticism in the Third French Republic - Massenet's 'Manon' returns to Rome, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Great Fun - The Hallé Orchestra ends Nottingham's orchestral season, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Awakening of Nature - Mahler's Third Symphony, appreciated by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Intelligent and Satisfying - English National Opera's new production of 'Tosca', reviewed by Robert Hugill

CD Spotlight. Thoughtfully Appealing - Judith Lambden plays J S Bach, heard by Howard Smith. '... a great deal to admire ...'

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. Clearly Important - The seventh Klavessiinfestival held in Tallinn, Estonia, attended by Peter Howell

Ensemble. Mahler versus Mahler - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Antonio Pappano and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

DVD Spotlight. A Little Wizardry - Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas', recommended by Robert Anderson. '... the playing is stylish and alert throughout.'

Ensemble. Under the Tuscan Sun - Giuseppe Pennisi attends the beginning of the Tiroler Festspiele 2010

CD Spotlight. A Shattered Mirror - Paganini caprices arranged for string quartet, heard by Howard Smith. '... technically cluttered.'

CD Spotlight. Thrilling Mastery - Tanja Becker-Bender plays Paganini, reviewed by Howard Smith. '... sparkling clarity and power ...'

Ensemble. Difficult to Forget - Richard Strauss' 'Die Frau ohne Schatten', enjoyed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Masterly Performance - Massenet's 'Werther' on the psychotherapist's couch, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Major Delights - 'La traviata' from San Diego Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. A Sensitive Account - Choral music by Rossini, Elgar and Handel, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Top-notch Formation - Operas by Zemlinsky and Puccini, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Seething with Evil - Franz Schreker's 'Die Gezeichneten', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Thoroughly Impressed - Maria Nockin talks to baritone Alan Opie, who is about to sing Germont for San Diego Opera

Ensemble. Seldom Performed - 'Lulu' lands at La Scala, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Successful Production - Sixty Leitmotives for 'Tosca', by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Distinctive Fervour - Music for Holy Week sung by the Chapelle du Roi, heard by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Consummate Skill - 'Hamlet' by Ambroise Thomas, heard by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Very Welcome - The bicentennial 'Simon Boccanegra' in Parma, appreciated by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. An Erotic 'Tannhäuser' in Bollywood - Giuseppe Pennisi has mixed feelings about La Scala's new Wagnerian production

Ensemble. An Excellent Performance - Gounod's 'Romeo and Juliet' at San Diego Opera, enjoyed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. The Devil and the Bourgeoisie - Giuseppe Pennisi listens to Arrigo Boito's 'Mefistofele'

Ensemble. Wholly Serious - Handel's 'Tamerlano' at Covent Garden, reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Disillusioning in All its Grandeur - New York Metropolitan Opera's current production of Giuseppe Verdi's 'Attila' elicits a mixed reaction from Rebecca Schmid

Ensemble. Strong Performances - Donizetti's 'Don Pasquale', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Human Nature - A staged 'Così fan tutte' at Severance Hall in Cleveland, enjoyed by Kelly Ferjutz

Ensemble. Unusual and Different - Tan Dun's 'The Banquet', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Shining Beauty - The current Italian season of Mozart's 'Idomeneo', reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ninety Stars are Born - Giuseppe Pennisi tours Austria with a young Italian symphony orchestra

Ensemble. A Perfect Falstaff - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the Vienna State Opera

Ensemble. Fine Drama - Chelsea Opera Group's 'La Traviata', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Black Comedy - Prokofiev's 'The Gambler' impresses Robert Hugill

CD Spotlight. Chicago Baroque - Trio Settecento's A German Bouquet, recommended by Malcolm Tattersall. '... very fine performances of some rarely heard but attractive music ...'

Dual Personality? - In the 20th anniversary year of Bernstein's death, Giuseppe Pennisi writes about Italy's homage to Lenny

Ensemble. A Hyperrealistic Setting - Robert Hugill has some reservations about Jonathan Miller's 'L'elisir d'amore'

Ensemble. Close to Perfection - Verdi's 'Simon Boccanegra' broadcast from New York Metropolitan Opera, by Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Nearly Unknown - Bologna's Renaissance music, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi. '... an efficient and effective local ensemble ...'

Ensemble. Sheer Tension - The first performance of the unabridged 'Elektra' enthralls the audience, related by Giuseppe Pennisi

DVD Spotlight. A New Light - La Scala gives 'Maria Stuarda' the royal treatment, by Gregory Moomjy. '... the cast was in fine voice ...'

Ensemble. The Quality of the Cooks - Verdi comic operas on stage, tasted by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Class Of Its Own - Lawrence Budmen listens to the Cleveland Orchestra

CD Spotlight. Fifty Years - Celebrating Lyrita's recordings of British music, by George Balcombe. '... a meticulous reproduction of orchestral sound ...'

CD Spotlight. Precocious and Talented - Music by Anna Bon di Venezia, heard by Ron Bierman. '... nuanced and cleanly articulated ...'

Ensemble. Meticulously Explored - Bellini's 'La Somnambula' provides a long-awaited answer to an age-old question, as experienced by Gregory Moomjy

Ensemble. A Double Farewell - Henze and Mahler in Rome, reported by Giuseppe Pennisi

DVD Spotlight. A Rarity - Jonathan Dove's 'The Adventures of Pinocchio', reviewed by Howard Smith. '... considerable merits on display ...'

CD Spotlight. Diverse and Interesting - Music by John A Carollo, heard by Ron Bierman. 'Only partly my cup of tea ...'

Low cost, but effective - 'Tosca' and 'Butterfly' with live electronics, by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. A Thrilling New Option - 'Il Trovatore' from Barcelona, experienced in Arizona by Maria Nockin

DVD Spotlight. Malignant Fate - Donizetti's 'Maria Stuarda', recommended by Robert Anderson. '... wonderfully alert ...'

DVD Spotlight. Evident Delight - Puccini's 'La rondine', heard by Robert Anderson. '... exciting acrobatics ...'

CD Spotlight. Robust and Spirited - James Tibbles plays J S Bach, heard by Howard Smith. '... worthy of widespread international recognition.'

CD Spotlight. An Exceptional Recording - Mozart's 'Idomeneo', treasured by Patric Standford. '... beautifully paced and crafted ...'

Ensemble. Alive and Well - Giuseppe Pennisi experiences Zeffirelli's latest 'La traviata'

CD Spotlight. Beauty of Timbre - Vivica Genaux sings Vivaldi, heard by Maria Nockin. 'Genaux's diction is excellent ...'

Ensemble. A New Dimension - Giuseppe Pennisi reports that chamber opera is alive and well

Ensemble. Power and Depth - Puccini's 'Il Trittico', reviewed by Rebecca Schmid

Ensemble. A False Start - 'Carmen' at La Scala, reviewed by Giuseppe Pennisi

Ensemble. Invigorating Performance - Sinfonia Viva plays Judith Weir, heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Style and Drama - Gluck's 'Alceste', heard by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. A Sparkling Concert - Sabbath music from the Zemel Choir, enjoyed by Malcolm Miller

Ensemble. A Fascinating Anthology - Music on the theme of angels, heard by Mike Wheeler

CD Spotlight. Fine-honed Skill - Alessandro Scarlatti's 'Davidis pugna et victoria', heard by Robert Anderson

CD Spotlight. A Superb Work - Thomas Arne's 'Artaxerxes', heard by Robert Anderson. 'Roy Goodman and his team give their all ...'

CD Spotlight. Highly Challenging - Music for unaccompanied violin, heard by Howard Smith. '... searching performance ...'

Ensemble. Vivid and Enlivening - Donizetti's 'Maria di Rohan', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Robust Voices - Susan Hampton visits Boston for Puccini's 'La bohème'

CD Spotlight. Splendidly Performed - Baroque music for cello, recommended by Howard Smith. 'An exemplary CD ...'

Ensemble. Dark and Serious - Robert Hugill was at English Touring Opera's 'Tolomeo'

Ensemble. A Different Rendition - Puccini's 'Tosca' on the big screen, reviewed by Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Intense Expressiveness - Music from Venice, reviewed by George Balcombe. '... an amazing display of eighteen short pieces ...'

Ensemble. A Classy Show - Pimlico Opera's 'Rigoletto', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ask Alice - Saying goodbye to Fiori, with classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh

DVD Spotlight. Convincing Forcefulness - A documentary on Puccini's 'Madame Butterfly', seen by Gerald Fenech. '... riveting stuff ...'

Ensemble. A Gala Atmosphere - Maria Nockin reports from Los Angeles Opera's opening night 'L'Elisir d'amore'

CD Spotlight. Utterly Absorbing - A sampler from Cedille Records, enjoyed by Howard Smith. '... top quality standards.'

Ensemble. Powerful Stuff - Howard Smith was at the last Vector Wellington Orchestra programme engineered by Christine Pearce

Ensemble. Sterling Performances - Donizetti's 'Linda di Chamounix', heard by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Brilliant Opportunities - A Rossini double bill, reviewed by Robert Hugill

CD Spotlight. Exceptional Assurance - J S Bach organ sonatas, heard by Howard Smith. '... an immensely satisfying conclusion.'

Highly Articulate - American dramatic soprano Christine Brewer talks to Robert Hugill

Outstanding and unforgettable - Lilya Zilberstein's recital at London's Wigmore Hall impresses Bill Newman

Ensemble. A Magical Week - Maria Nockin reports from Santa Fe

CD Spotlight. Diversely Experienced - Music for bassoon, harpsichord and double bass, impresses Howard Smith. '... an outright "tour de force".'

Marvelously Gifted - Bill Newman listens to pianist Alexander Romanovsky

A Dexterous Journey - Alessandro Taverna at London's Steinway Hall, reviewed by Bill Newman

Ensemble. A Magisterial Presence - William Christie conducts Purcell's 'The Fairy Queen', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Making a Real Fuss - Robert Hugill looks forward to English Touring Opera's HandelFest this autumn

Ensemble. Clarity of Texture - Lawrence Budmen listens to the Remenyi Ede Chamber Orchestra

Ensemble. Grippingly-staged - Mike Wheeler is delighted to be surprised by Donizetti's 'Lucrezia Borgia'

Ensemble. Thrilling Performance - Verdi's Requiem from Derby Bach Choir, appreciated by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Dramatic Essentials - 'Carmen' from Paris, enjoyed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Another Treat - Martinu's 'Mirandolina' at Garsington Opera, by Roderic Dunnett

Ensemble. A Compelling Portrait - Verdi's 'Don Carlos' impresses Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Truly Enjoyable - Maria Nockin was at Los Angeles Opera's 'La Traviata'

Ensemble. Exceptional Gifts - Lawrence Budmen reports from the 2009 Miami International Piano Festival

CD Spotlight. Deceptive Naturalness - Red Priest's 'Nightmare in Venice', entertains Howard Smith. '... irrepressible, chic ...'

Ensemble. Sonic Imagination - Mike Wheeler listens to Horses Brawl

DVD Spotlight. Gripping Throughout - Donizetti's 'Lucrezia Borgia', recommended by Gerald Fenech. 'Dimitra Theodossiou's Lucrezia rivals that of many of her illustrious predecessors ...'

Ensemble. Student Life and Love - Puccini's 'La bohème' from Kentish Opera, enjoyed by Pippa Hare

Ensemble. Dramatic and Responsive - Verdi's 'Simon Boccanegra' from Chelsea Opera Group, reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. A Notable Success - Grange Park Opera's 'Norma', reviewed by Robert Hugill

CD Spotlight. Simply Dazzling - Piazzolla and Vivaldi's 'Four Seasons', heard by Robert Hugill. '... I rather missed the sound of the bandoneon ...'

CD Spotlight. Expressive Beauty - Chamber music by Marjan Mozetich, enjoyed by Howard Smith. '... "Hymn of Ascension" stood out for its power and cogency.'

Ensemble. Ringing Intensity - 'Madama Butterfly' from San Diego Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Wholly Captivating - Rossini's 'Italian Girl in Algiers' impresses Howard Smith

Ensemble. Sometimes Impressive - Bellini's 'Norma' from English Touring Opera, heard by Robert Hugill

CD Spotlight. Consistently Solid - Kurt Masur and others conduct Mendelssohn, reviewed by Howard Smith. '... too often short on graciousness, charm or buoyancy.'

CD Spotlight. Virtuoso Duo - Performances by the Elaris Duo, recommended by Malcolm Tattersall. '... all the passion, drama and integrity one could want.'

Ensemble. New Colours - Leslie Anne Lewis conducts a new chamber ensemble arrangement of Bloch's Sacred Service, reviewed by Malcolm Miller

Ensemble. Outstanding Performance - A San Diego performance of Verdi's 'Rigoletto' impresses Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Motet and Lauda - Cantica Symphonia sing sixteenth century motets, and impress George Balcombe. '... so gentle yet precise ...'

Ensemble. Quite a Charmer - 'Alessandro' at the London Handel Festival, reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Something Different - Rossini's opera 'Ermione', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Rollicking Action - Mozart's 'Marriage of Figaro' in Cleveland, enjoyed by Kelly Ferjutz

Easy Grace - Martyna Jatkauskaite plays Mozart and Schumann, enjoyed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. A Special Privilege - Massenet's 'Don Quichotte' in San Diego, enjoyed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. A Rare Treat - Verdi's 'Aida' from Prescott, reviewed by Susan Hampton

Ensemble. Operatic Passions - Francesco Cilea's 'Adriana Lecouvreur', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Thoroughly Enjoyable - An Arizona winter treat of Verdi's 'Aida', enjoyed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Amazing Clarity - Greer Grimsley sings Scarpia in 'Tosca' from San Diego, experienced by Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. A Mixed Bag - Boston String Quartet's 'Xibus', reviewed by Howard Smith. 'What all this signifies is not at all clear.'

CD Spotlight. Shaken and Stirred - Maurice Steger plays Giuseppe Sammartini, recommended by Jennifer Paull

Ensemble. A Musical Gem - Donizetti's 'L'elisir d'amore', enjoyed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Magical eloquence - The first night of Palm Beach Opera's revival of Bellini's 'Norma' provides a night to remember for Lawrence Budmen

DVD Spotlight. Love Problems - Donizetti's 'l'Elisir d'amore', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... beguiling candour.'

CD Spotlight. A Glistening Treasury - Songs with orchestra from Deborah Riedel, enjoyed by Howard Smith. '... a bounteous seam of unfamiliar, wholly blissful vocal gems ...'

CD Spotlight. Structurally Important - Evgeni Mikhailov's Scriabin sonatas impress Patric Standford. '... commanding performances of powerful works ...'

Ensemble. Infectious Enthusiasm - Marc Minkowski and Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble, heard by Robert Hugill

DVD Spotlight. Insightful Performances - 'Die Walküre' from Provence, experienced by Maria Nockin. 'The cast is excellent.'

CD Spotlight. A Lyric Voice - Arias performed by Vania Vatralova-Stankov, reviewed by Robert Hugill. '... a richness and depth ...'

Record Box. Almost Supersonic - Vivaldi recorder concertos, enjoyed by Robert Anderson

Record Box. Magical and Sensitive - A recording by the National Youth Choir of Great Britain inspires Patric Standford

Record Box. Many Pleasures - Music for guitar quartet, recommended by Ron Bierman

CD Spotlight. Bold and Inventive - Charles Avison's reworkings of Scarlatti, enjoyed by Robert Anderson. 'Avison's deployment of massed strings is wonderfully effective ...'

Ensemble. A Masterly Account - Donizetti's 'Parisina d'Este', heard by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Brilliantly Realised - Bellini's 'I Capuleti e i Montecchi', heard by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Lively Playing - A concert by Zephyr, appreciated by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. A Wonderful Weekend - 'Tosca' and 'Mikado' in Arizona, enjoyed by Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Dancing Goblins - Music by Bazzini, heard by Howard Smith. '... Hanslip brings it off with suitable aplomb.'

Ensemble. A Fascinating Work - The first performance of Gabriel Jackson's Requiem, reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. A Superb Cast - Rossini's 'Mathilde de Shabran' at Covent Garden, reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Vibrant Life - Verdi's 'Rigoletto' at Arizona Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

DVD Spotlight. Some point? - Tony Britten's 'new version' of Verdi's Falstaff, reviewed by Robert Anderson. 'Shame on him ...'

CD Spotlight. Poetic Lyricism - Tim Hugh and Olga Sitkovetsky at London's Wigmore Hall, enjoyed by Howard Smith. '... breathtaking musicianship captured my attention ...'

Ensemble. Mesmerizing Propulsion - 'Cav' and 'Pag' in St Louis, reviewed by Susan Hampton

CD Spotlight. Melodic Impact - Music by Spohr, Rolla and Kalliwoda, reviewed by Howard Smith. '... seasoned insights and faultless empathy.'

Ensemble. A Delicate Balance - Cavalli's 'La Calisto', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Record Box. Virtuosic Turns - Solo sonatas by Benedetto Marcello, reviewed by Gerald Fenech

Ensemble. Inhibited by Cleverness - 'Cav and Pag' at English National Opera, reviewed by Robert Hugill

CD Spotlight. Stylistic Eloquence - Italian arias and madrigals, recommended by Maria Nockin. '... performed with accuracy and grace.'

Ensemble. Vocal Radiance - Maria Nockin reports on the beginning of a new season at Los Angeles Opera

Record Box. Joyful Interplay - Corelli from the Purcell Quartet, heard by Alice McVeigh

Ensemble. Glorious Melody - British Youth Opera's 'La Rondine', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. A Wonderful Experience - Maria Nockin visits Santa Fe for operas by Verdi, Mozart, Britten and Handel, plus the first American performance of Kaija Saariaho's 'Adriana Mater'

Ensemble. Highly Creditable - Puccini's 'Tosca' at the Verona Arena, reviewed by Robert Hugill

DVD Spotlight. New Love - 'La vedova scaltra' by Wolf-Ferrari, recommended by Robert Anderson. '... a captivating performance.'

Ensemble. A World-class Voice - Tess Crebbin experiences Verdi's 'Rigoletto' at the Immling Summer Music Festival

Ensemble. Highly Intelligent - Verdi's 'Don Carlo', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. No Excuses Necessary - Robert Hugill enjoys Puccini's 'La Fanciulla del West' at Grange Park Opera

Ensemble. A Charming Rendition - Puccini's 'La Rondine', reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Dramatically Exciting - Puccini's 'Tosca' at Los Angeles Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Pleasant Meanderings - Easy-listening in Rome's Quirinale Palace, with Karen Haid

Ensemble. A Thrilling Production - Verdi's 'Macbeth' impresses Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Inner Strength - Puccini's 'La bohème' at New Zealand Opera, reviewed by Howard Smith

DVD Spotlight. Sheer Champagne - Rossini's 'La pietra del paragone', enjoyed by Robert Anderson. 'The Madrid cast has proved itself exemplary ...'

CD Spotlight. Musical Enjoyment - Works by Respighi, recommended by Howard Smith. '... impressively alive to each facet of Respighi's aural colourations ...'

Ensemble. New Thinking - Maria Nockin experiences an updated version of Verdi's 'La Traviata'

CD Spotlight. Colour and Flair - Sonatas by Nardini, reviewed by Roderic Dunnett. '... a delightful recording ...'

Ensemble. Doomed Love - Verdi's 'Aida' at San Diego Opera, enjoyed by Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. An Unexpected Pleasure - Wind Concertos by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, enjoyed by Ron Bierman. 'Strongly recommended ...'

Ensemble. A Mirror of Control - Chelsea Opera Group's 'Macbeth', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. A Trip to Heaven - 'Cavalleria Rusticana' and 'I Pagliacci' at San Diego Opera, enjoyed by Maria Nockin

DVD Spotlight. Above Praise - Rossini's 'La Cambiale di matrimonio', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... seductively lyrical where the young Rossini demands.'

Ensemble. Profoundly Satisfying - Donizetti's 'Anna Bolena' from English Touring Opera, reviewed by Robert Hugill

Musically Thrilling - 'Maria Stuarda' at San Diego Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Postlude - Jennifer Paull writes on the 25th Anniversary of the death of Cathy Berberian

Ensemble. An Unusual Production - Verdi's 'Otello' at Los Angeles Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Record Box. Bright Performances - Music for strings by Josef Myslivecek, reviewed by Patric Standford

Ensemble. Absurdly Melodramatic - Mike Wheeler catches up with a touring production of 'La Traviata'

Ensemble. Romantic Love? - 'Lucia di Lammermoor' at English National Opera, reviewed by Robert Hugill

CD Spotlight. A Unique Sound - Italian baroque music played on saxophones, appreciated by Paul Sarcich. '... quality with a very large Q.'

An Authentic Voice - Laura Kennelly visits Cleveland Ohio's latest opera company

CD Spotlight. Substantially Admirable - Vocal music by Puccini, reviewed by Howard Smith. '... more than sufficient ... to recommend unstintingly ...'

Ensemble. An Auspicious Beginning - The first performance of a brand new opera company, marked by Maria Nockin

DVD Spotlight. A Telling Moment - Poulenc's 'Dialogues des Carmélites', appreciated by Robert Anderson. '... finely expressed ...'

Record Box. Passion and Intensity - Vocal music by Gesualdo, reviewed by Robert Hugill

Record Box. For All Tastes - Christmas music from Germany, appreciated by Patric Standford

Artful Phrasing - 'La bohème' at Los Angeles Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Simply Glorious - Los Angeles Opera revives 'Don Giovanni', by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Lively but Disciplined - Robert Hugill reviews a performance of Donizetti's 'Maria Stuarda'

DVD Spotlight. Inevitable Disaster - Verdi's 'Oberto' reviewed by Robert Anderson. 'Vocally they are in full command ...'

Ensemble. Beautifully Judged - Mike Wheeler draws attention to the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Orchestra

Colour, Energy and Warmth - Mike Wheeler enjoys a performance of the Monteverdi Vespers

Ensemble. New Territory - An unusual version of Puccini's 'Turandot', reviewed by Robert Hugill

A Superb Outing - Bellini's 'La Straniera', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. A Full-Blooded Rendition - 'La Traviata' from Southern California, reviewed by Susan Hampton

Ensemble. Occasionally Stunning - Robert Hugill at English National Opera's 'The Coronation of Poppea'

DVD Spotlight. Rags to Riches - Rossini's 'La Cenerentola', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... irresistible throughout ...'

DVD Spotlight. Capital Comedy - 'Don Pasquale' enjoyed by Robert Anderson. 'The cast is admirable ...'

Ensemble. Dramatically Riveting - Maria Nockin at Arizona Opera's 'Lucia di Lammermoor'

Ensemble. A Blockbuster Weekend - Beethoven's 'Fidelio' and Verdi's 'Requiem' at Los Angeles Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Personal Charm - A tribute to Luciano Pavarotti, who died this week, from Tess Crebbin

Ensemble. Precisely Timed - Mester and Slawitschek impress Tess Crebbin at the Thann Festival

Ensemble. A Wonderful Experience - Two productions at Santa Fe Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Perfect All Round - Tess Crebbin visits the Opera Festival at Gut Immling in Bavaria for Verdi's 'Un Ballo in Maschera'

Ensemble. A Must-See - 'Tosca' at the Bregenz Festival, reviewed by Tess Crebbin

DVD Spotlight. Major Delights - Rossini's 'Il Viaggio a Reims' entertains Robert Anderson. '... an evening of pure champagne.'

DVD Spotlight. Dynamism and Subtlety - 'Simon Boccanegra' from the Vienna State Opera impresses Robert Anderson. 'The Work is in the safest possible hands ...'

Ensemble. Conservative or Progressive? - Malcolm Miller attends the historic modern revival of Striggio's sixty-part Mass

Ensemble. Profoundly Moving - Bellini's 'I Capuletti e I Montecchi', enjoyed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Sordid Ferocity - 'Rigoletto' at the Grand Theatre in Leeds, UK. Patric Standford at the revival of last autumn's sensational production

Ensemble. Companion Pieces - A Ravel / Puccini double bill, reviewed by Robert Hugill

DVD Spotlight. Elemental Ferocity - Verdi's 'Otello', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... this Desdemona can float a line with utmost tenderness ...'

Ensemble. An Imaginative Production - 'Il Trovatore' in San Diego, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. A Godsend - Heritage Opera's 'La Bohème', reviewed by Roderic Dunnett

Ensemble. Italianate Sparkle - Opera North's 'The Elixir of Love', reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Dramatic Veracity - Puccini's 'Turandot' from St Louis, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Extremely Traditional - 'Madama Butterfly' in Arizona, reviewed by Maria Nockin

DVD Spotlight. A Memorable Experience - 'Fedora', reviewed by Robert Anderson. 'Giordano's wishes were admirably followed ...'

Ensemble. Remarkably Attractive - A rare London concert by Schola Pietatis Antonio Vivaldi, reviewed by Robert Hugill

Record Box. Vibrant Presentation - A worthy memorial to William Ferris, reviewed by Patric Standford

Ensemble. A Very Unusual Evening - Monteverdi's 'L'incoronazione di Poppea', reviewed by Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Without Carols - Renaissance music for Christmas, reviewed by Malcolm Tattersall. '... endless web of glorious sound recorded sound ...'

Ensemble. An Electrifying Production - Verdi's 'Rigoletto' from Opera North, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Expansive Romanticism - 'Madama Butterfly' from Long Island, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Infectious Verve - Puccini's 'La bohème' in New Hampshire, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. A Lively Pace - Donizetti's 'Lucia di Lammermoor', enjoyed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Vividly Dramatic - Monteverdi's 'Orfeo', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Lively Pacing - Verdi's 'Macbeth' in Arizona, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Strong Performances - 'Jephte' and 'Dido' from English Touring Opera, reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. A Sumptuous Display - Verdi's 'Don Carlo' at LA Opera, appreciated by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. A Modern Style - Pimlico Opera's 'The Barber of Seville', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Strong Narrative Flow - A new book about Monteverdi's musical dramas, reviewed by Robert Hugill

DVD Spotlight. Teeming Stage Business - Rossini's 'La Gazzetta', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... a mismatch of music and action ...'

DVD Spotlight. Maximum Sensuality - Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... suggests Tristan and Isolde ...'

Ensemble. Fizzing with Energy - The Sitwell Singers celebrate a 40th anniversary, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

DVD Spotlight. Quicksilver Music - Rossini's 'L'occasione fa il ladro', enjoyed by Robert Anderson. '... a performance of bubbling vitality ...'

Ensemble. Enchanting as Ever - Los Angeles Opera's 'La Traviata', reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Taking Comedy Seriously - 'L'Elisir d'Amore' at Grange Park Opera, appreciated by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Fluid Performance - The Chelsea Opera Group's 'I Puritani', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Joyous and Well-paced - A semi-staged Verdi's 'Falstaff' in Cleveland, reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz

DVD Spotlight. An Exciting Performance - Verdi's 'La Traviata', enjoyed by Robert Anderson. '... result of admirable cooperation between the Zürich stage and pit.'

Ensemble. A Must See - Maria Nockin was at Opera Pacific for Verdi's 'Aïda'

Superb Writing - Kelly Ferjutz enjoys the tale of Luciano Pavarotti's rise to fame

CD Spotlight. Widely Divergent Composers - Music for violin and piano, reviewed by George Balcombe. '... clear and consistent ...'

Ensemble. Praiseworthy Style - Maria Nockin was at San Diego Opera for Handel's 'Julius Caesar in Egypt'

Ensemble. Consummate Style - Robert Hugill is won over by English National Opera's 'Orfeo'

DVD Spotlight. Terrifying Intensity - Puccini's 'Turandot', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... brimful of imagination ...'

DVD Spotlight. An Eloquent Performance - 'Adriana Lecouvreur', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... a chorus and orchestra beautifully responsive to the lyrical nuances of Cilea's score.'

Record box. Impressive Refinement - Handel Italian cantatas performed by Arcadia, and reviewed by Patric Standford

The Designer Touch - Tonina Doráti and opera production, as explained to Bill Newman

Ensemble. Spell-binding - Venetian Baroque music from The Derbyshire Singers, reviewed by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Admirably Convincing - English Touring Opera's 'Tosca', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Opulently Staged - Donizetti's 'Lucia di Lammermoor', reviewed by Maria Nockin

DVD Spotlight. Rigidly Puritanical - 'Madama Butterfly', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... a strong yet tender account of Puccini's cunning score.'

Ensemble. To the Manner Born - Marcella Crudeli's recital at London's Leighton House, enjoyed by Malcolm Troup

Ensemble. Fire and Flexibility - Verdi's 'Attila', reviewed by Robert Hugill

DVD Spotlight. Impressively musical - 'La clemenza di Tito' reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... Sylvain Cambreling in sensitive command ...'

Ensemble. Exhilarating Comedy - 'L'Italiana in Algeri' in Arizona, reviewed by Maria Nockin

The Mighty Venetian - Tess Crebbin talks to Charles Beare about the master instrument maker Domenico Montagnana

Ensemble. Dueling Divas - One-act operas by Mozart and Salieri, reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz

DVD Spotlight. Ultimate Destruction - Verdi's 'Macbeth', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... much excitement ...'

Ensemble. Imaginative Artistry - 'Madama Butterfly' in Los Angeles, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Inner warmth - Bellini's 'Norma' in Denver, appreciated by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Worth waiting for - Phyllida Lloyd's production of Verdi's 'Macbeth', reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Accomplished Stagecraft - 'The Barber of Seville' at San Diego Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Great charm - Venetian lute music, reviewed by Peter Howell. '... sensitive playing on a good instrument in real acoustics ...'

DVD Spotlight. Confined to the shades - Monteverdi's 'Orfeo', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... Stephen Stubbs is to be congratulated on an imaginative realisation ...'

Ensemble. Vivid form - 'Il Barbiere di Siviglia' at Covent Garden, reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Style and concept - Two young pianists of outstanding promise, by Bill Newman

Ensemble. One hell of a concert - Hot - An Infernal Cabaret, the latest collaborative project by Peter Wiegold's 'notes inégales' and performance poet Murray Lachlan. Malcolm Miller was there

CD Spotlight. Colourful spirit - Christmas music from the Mediterranean, enjoyed by Patric Standford. '... an intriguing expansion to musical horizons ...'

DVD Spotlight. Idiomatic performance - Monteverdi's 'L'incoronazione di Poppaea', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... highly gifted soloists ...'

Ensemble. Changing moods - The Derwent Singers and Sinfonia Chorale, appreciated by Mike Wheeler

Ensemble. Heavenly exultation - An unforgettable première of Monteverdi's Vespers, reviewed by Lawrence Budmen

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

CD Spotlight. Aesthetic and didactic - Music by Respighi and Mussorgsky, reviewed by George Balcombe. 'Tadaaki Otaka conjures the composer's unique sound ...'

Record box. Rarely-heard Vivaldi - Concertos played by Ensemble Guidantus, reviewed by Malcolm Tattersall

DVD Spotlight. Wonderfully varied - Monteverdi's 'Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... moving drama and notable accomplishment.'

CD Spotlight. Intimate pleasures - Duo LiveOak's 'Piva', enjoyed by Malcolm Tattersall. '... an attractive selection of rarely-heard songs.'

DVD Spotlight. Original groupings - Verdi's 'Don Carlo', reviewed by Robert Anderson. 'The chief glory ... is Zeffirelli's staging.'

Cathy Berberian - Never knowingly misunderstood - Jennifer Paull questions the focus of the lens of musical history

CD Spotlight. Tonal beauty - The first recording of Vivaldi's 'Bajazet', appreciated by Maria Nockin. '... absolutely stunning.'

Cathy Berberian - A musical Columbus - On what would have been Cathy Berberian's 80th birthday, Jennifer Paull explores the life of the artist who died way too soon

Record box. Names and prayers - Music by Victoria Jordanova, reviewed by Patric Standford

Ensemble. Deftly performed - Lyric Opera Cleveland's Barber of Seville, reviewed by Kelly Ferjutz

Ensemble. Stylish and memorable - 'Maria Stuarda' at Grange Park Opera, reviewed by Robert Hugill

DVD Spotlight. Inexplicable passion - Astor Piazzolla in portrait, appreciated by David Wilkins. '... defying category but never defying mastery.'

Ensemble. The extra layer? - Robert Hugill was at Covent Garden's 'Il Turco in Italia'

Ensemble. Oozing with talent - Birmingham Opera Company's 'Ulysses comes home', reviewed by Roderic Dunnett

Ensemble. Handel's Spanish soul - Malcolm Miller attends an inspiring concert at the London Handel Festival 2005

Ask Alice - On Wieniawski at the Pope's funeral, anonymous letters and breaking a leg, with Classical Music Agony Aunt Alice McVeigh

Timings - thoughts about the quirkiness of some of music's hidden secrets - Adding to Adages about Adagios, by Jennifer Paull

Irreplaceable to music - Tess Crebbin describes the memorial service in Munich for conductor Marcello Viotti

Love of music and family - On the death of Marcello Viotti, by Tess Crebbin

Ensemble. Vibrant performance - Bellini's 'I Puritani' in Florida, reviewed by Lawrence Budmen

CD Spotlight. Higher authority - Jacob Heringman plays music from the Siena Lute Book, reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... an infectious zest for the music ...'

DVD Spotlight. Radiance of reconciliation - Puccini's 'La Bohème', appreciated by Robert Anderson. '... never a dull visual moment ...'

CD Spotlight. Considerable pleasure - Emma Kirkby sings music by Cataldo Amodei, reviewed by Patric Standford. '... a CD of rare beauty ...'

Ensemble. Confined to the house - 'Don Pasquale' at Covent Garden, reviewed by Robert Hugill

Ensemble. Sprightly playing - A varied programme from a new chamber orchestra makes a strong impression on Lawrence Budmen

Ensemble. A worthy winner - The Donatella Flick Conducting Competition 2004, reviewed by David Wilkins

DVD Spotlight. Hothouse passions - Karajan's 'Il Trovatore', reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... wonderfully and indeed relentlessly captured ...'

CD Spotlight. A unique achievement - EMI's golden years of the gramophone, reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... total fascination ...'

Ensemble. Musical magic - Round midnight at Festival Miami 2004, reviewed by Lawrence Budmen

Ensemble. Suspending disbelief? - 'Turandot' at Welsh National Opera, reviewed by Rex Harley

In the wings - Tess Crebbin investigates hot new talent in the singing world

Symphonies and letters - Tess Crebbin reports on a new release by 'The Archangel', plus other BMG projects

Profile. A broad career - In the first of a two-part series spotlighting countertenors, Tess Crebbin talks to Flavio Oliver

Ensemble. Poetic Chopin - Lawrence Budmen enjoyed the Seventh Miami International Piano Festival Discovery Series

Profile. Honest work - Maria Nockin talks to American mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux about her life and career

Ensemble. Casting from strength - Chelsea Opera Group's 'Andrea Chénier', reviewed by Robert Hugill

CD Spotlight. Flexibility and beauty - Ramón Vargas sings Rossini and Donizetti arias, recommended by Ron Bierman. '... his singing is wonderfully musical.'

Record box. Efficient and sensitive - A Philip Amalong piano recital, reviewed by Patric Standford

Ensemble. Emotional sound - Tess Crebbin and Sissy von Kotzebue review a Ben Heppner recital in Munich

Verdi discoveries - Tess Crebbin writes about an interesting CD by Riccardo Chailly

Flavio Oliver - Europamusicale performer spotlight

CD Spotlight. On top form - The Italian Girl in Algiers, reviewed by Robert Anderson. 'Its enchantments are as fresh as ever ...'

Ask Alice - 'Slice it how you like', claims Alice McVeigh, Bromley's premier researcher into cello sounds and classical music's world's first agony aunt. 'How kinky is that?'

Record box. Coming clean - John Potter's 'Care-charming sleep' finds Rex Harley unimpressed

CD Spotlight. Vital inspiration - Music by Heinrich Schütz, reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... expressively at one with the music.'

Ensemble. Awesome technique - Lawrence Budmen listens to Romanian pianist Mihaela Ursuleasa

Ensemble. Lack of balance - Rex Harley experiences Il Vero Modo

Ask Alice - On the continued excellence of the cello and the continued bad behaviour of conductors, with classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

CD Spotlight. Fascinating music - Works by Luciano Berio and David Sherr, admired by Patric Standford. '... a great interpreter and technical artist.'

Listening with baroque ears - Robert Hugill investigates the world of collaborative opera

Ensemble. Italian passion - Lawrence Budmen attends a concert performance of Bellini's 'Norma'

CD Spotlight. Wonderful sounds - Aida on Naxos Historical, reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... playing that is supple but capable also of maximum excitement.'

CD Spotlight. Eminently listenable - Vivaldi's concertos dedicated to Johann Georg Pisendel, reviewed by Robert Hugill. '... an attractive and lively group.'

Handel's singers - Robert Hugill investigates the fascinating world of opera in eighteenth century London

CD Spotlight. Tricky work - A recording of Rossini's Petite Messe solennelle, reviewed by Robert Hugill. '... a stunning choral sound ...'

CD Spotlight. Emotional immediacy - Music by Andrea Gabrieli, recommended by Robert Hugill. '... His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornetts play stunningly ...'

Ensemble. A special treat - Maria Nockin enthuses over Ewa Podles' recent recital for San Diego Opera

CD Spotlight. Conjuring tricks - The first in a new series of Vivaldi bassoon concertos, admired by Robert Anderson. 'The virtuosity of Tamás Benkócs is a constant wonder ...'

The Monteverdi allure - On the 360th anniversary of the death of Claudio Monteverdi, Rajgopal Nidamboor pays tribute to the first great composer of opera

Ensemble. Jazz Yatra - The Indian Jazz Festival, reviewed by Colin D'Cruz

Ensemble. Mutual enthusiasm - Rex Harley meets Phoenix Rising

Ensemble. Impressions of Italy - Lawrence Budmen is impressed by Alasdair Neale and the New World Symphony

CD Spotlight. Orchestral panoply - Respighi's Pines and Fountains, appreciated by Robert Anderson. 'Fritz Reiner has the right qualities for this music.'

Ensemble. A pioneering enterprise - David Thompson encounters the Two Barons of Rocca Azzurra

CD Spotlight. Robust charm - Boccherini symphonies reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... maximum virtuosity and élan.'

CD Spotlight. Fire and brimstone? - Fabio Grasso plays Rubinstein, and Gordon Rumson raises some serious issues. '... great elan and vibrancy.'

Record box. Graceful charm - The Talich Quartet plays Mozart, reviewed by Ron Bierman

Ensemble. ... and a dash of chutzpah - Rex Harley listens to the Welsh Baroque Orchestra's 'Concerto Mania'

Ensemble. Musical evangelism - Piers Adams' group Red Priest amazes Keith Bramich

Operatic connections - Roderic Dunnett talks to Tom Hawkes, the director of Castleward Opera's 'La Rondine'

Ask Alice - Practical advice from classical music's agony aunt, Alice McVeigh

CD Spotlight. Fertile imagination - Arrangement with a vengeance from Red Priest, reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... never a dull moment and entertainment value paramount.'

Profile. Luciano Chailly - The career of one of Italy's most striking musical personalities, reviewed by Roderic Dunnett, who met and interviewed him

Ensemble. Comic touches - Roderic Dunnett visits the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, for 'La Cenerentola'

Record box. A different fellow - Clementi in musical flight, by Basil Ramsey

Ensemble. Compelling musicianship - A recital by Ildikó Iván and Tamás Vásáry, reported by Malcolm Miller

Ensemble. Apotheosis of the madrigal - Roderic Dunnett enjoys 'L'incoronazione di Poppea' at London's Royal Academy of Music

Ensemble. Purpose and insight - Malcolm Miller enjoys two outstanding débuts by German and Italian artists

Ensemble. Verging on London standards - Roderic Dunnett visits Dorset and Stowe Opera for productions of 'Norma' and 'Don Carlo'

Record box. Skewering demons - Concert works by film composers, played by the New Art Trio and reviewed by Keith Bramich

Ensemble. Accendo - Music from the time of Claudio Monteverdi at a concert in Cardiff Castle, Wales, reviewed by Rex Harley

CD Spotlight. Arias for Farinelli - The voice of mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux, appreciated by Maria Nockin. '... played, sung and recorded with exquisite artistry.'

Profile. Life in the old tiger - In the second of two articles about the Chisinau National Opera, Moldovan tenor Mihai Muntean talks to Roderic Dunnett

Ensemble. Female insurgence - Roderic Dunnett visits Garsington Opera for a feast of Mozart, Rossini and rare Janácek

CD Spotlight. Breach of conventions? - Handel's opera 'Tamerlano' in a new recording investigated by Peter Dale. '... absolutely convincing ...'

Ensemble. Youthful comedies - David Wilkins visits the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro, Italy

Provocative thoughts, from Patric Standford - operatic folly

Editor's inbox - a selection of letters from our readers

Ensemble. Full circle - Roderic Dunnett enjoys Verdi's 'Macbeth' at Covent Garden

CD Spotlight. French Arias - The singing of Marcelo Álvarez, assessed by John Bell Young. '... in the refined and complex world of art music, intuition is hardly enough ...'

Ensemble. Verismo al fresco - Malcolm Miller enjoys Opera Holland Park's double bill of 'Suor Angelica' and 'I Pagliacci'

Ensemble. Madrigal comedy - Keith Bramich enjoys I Fagiolini's performances of English and Italian music, old and new

Hans Hotter in Munich - an occasional addendum to last year's 'Captivating moments', with Juliet Averay

Site seeing - In another visit to the world of classical music websites, Keith Bramich muses on competition and diversity, and visits the websites of Salvador Clofent, Jan Hart, Duane Peck, A Gioele Simonetto, Bristol Music Services and Japanese composer Tsutomu Tagashira

CD Spotlight - Capritio. Instrumental music from the 17th Century, reviewed by Jennifer Paull. '... ensemble playing at its best. O'Dette is an outstanding performer.'

Profile - And your compere is Paula Robison! Bill Newman talks to the American flautist, campaigner and announcer of the Spoleto Festival's mid-day concerts

Record box - Boldly on. Recent music from Italy, with Basil Ramsey

Profile - music all the time. Bill Newman becomes reacquainted with young French cellist Gautier Capuçon

Site seeing - Ludwig's torso ... another visit to the world of music websites, with Keith Bramich

Ensemble - Star performance. Malcolm Miller at Ware Operatic Society's 'La Traviata'

Ensemble - A friend in need. The Opera Omnibus production of Mascagni's 'L'Amico Fritz', enjoyed by Roderic Dunnett

Profile - A musical enchantress. On the anniversary of Cathy Berberian's death, Jennifer Paull remembers the legendary singer who cast musical spells

Reminiscent retrospectives - Musical language, with Jennifer Paull

Ensemble - Cosseted by Robespierre. Roderic Dunnett visits London's Royal Opera House for a special performance of 'Tosca'

Reminiscent retrospectives - Trails and Euros, with Jennifer Paull

Impulse and space - Richard Hickox talks to Bill Newman at the 2001 Spoleto Festival

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Celebratory Parade - Bill Newman has been to the 2001 Spoleto Festival and reports on his impressions of the surroundings, local artists and international music-making. 1. Praeludium.

Ensemble - Fresh and engaging. Roderic Dunnett reports on Chisinau National Opera's 'Turandot'

Second Sight. Music with Wilfrid Mellers - Mimi's Fate. Opera North's 'La Bohème'. '... alarming topicality and truth.'

The Name of the Game - Oboe d'Amore soloist Jennifer Paull meanders through the maze of musical instrument names

Editor's inbox - a selection of letters from our readers

Record box - Trawling for treasure. Bill Newman seeks out Golden Age performers now reinstated on CD. Michelangeli, Toscanini and Barbirolli on BBC Legends

Record box - Trawling for treasure - Toscanini -

Cultural flowering - Malcolm Miller in conversation with Hanna Munitz, General Director of New Israeli Opera (concluded from last week)

Cultural flowering - Malcolm Miller in conversation with Hanna Munitz, General Director of New Israeli Opera

Second sight - The Tyrant as Hero. Wilfrid Mellers, reflecting on a Handel opera (concluded from last week)

Second sight - The Tyrant as Hero. Wilfrid Mellers, reflecting on a Handel opera

Site seeing - Snow White and the 7th Virus - websites recommended by our readers, with Keith Bramich

CD Spotlight - Beautiful vision. 'This is a spectacularly interesting recital ...' The Golden Voice of the Prague National Theatre, with Roderic Dunnett

Trump card - Howard Smith tells the story of the New Zealand String Quartet's well-kept Hungarian secret

Unusual chemistry - Roderic Dunnett was at the Chisinau National Opera's 'La Bohème'

Moldovan magic - Roderic Dunnett raves about Chisinau National Opera's 'Cavalleria Rusticana' and 'Pagliacci'

Site seeing - Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001), and more top websites

Record box - Brilliantly handled. Roderic Dunnett listens to 'La Contadina' by Hasse

Record box - Spring in his step. Diabelli entertains, with Basil Ramsey

Summer Opera Reviews - Roderic Dunnett looks back at a thumping good summer for opera festivals in Britain and Ireland. Part 3 - Bampton, White Horse and Dorset

Berlin Festival Diary - Five weeks condensed into three, with Bill Newman (continued from last week)

Planning your collection - Busoni, Glazunov, Barber and Hanson

CD Spotlight - A sense of balance. '... authoritative and splendid performances ...' Hummel back in the light, with Basil Ramsey

Second sight - Music with Wilfrid Mellers - The Sun King - Lully's musical homage

Record box - Blowing to good purpose - Brass in consort, with Basil Ramsey

Record Box - Vivaldi in season - Fruitful music, with Basil Ramsey

Maestro - The Menotti Interview, with Bill Newman

CD Spotlight - Defiance and struggle. '... an excellent and polished tribute to an important Italian composer ...' The orchestral music of Ildebrando Pizzetti, with Simon Spencer

Record Box - The born and stillborn - Harping on, with Basil Ramsey

Planning your collection - Global Fascinations and Sophistications - Bill Newman continues his series