Although François Couperin won his reputation as an esteemed composer at the
ostentatious and vainglorious court of Versailles, under the patronage of Louis XIV, the ‘un King’ his work is often surprisingly discreet and intimate. 
The operas of a composer born before the settlement of Jamestown face dim prospects of getting staged at the larger American houses. 
Opera has never been an art form to hold anything back. But even within the
genre itself, Salome is — literally — one tough, depraved act to
follow.
Déja vu. Well, sort of. Last time around (2006) there was a Carmen and then another who canceled leaving San Francisco Opera in the lurch. Imagine a tuneful eighteenth-century “ballad opera” of country
life, say Stephen Storace’ enduringly popular No Song No
Supper, cross it with Cavalleria Rusticana, throw in a bit of
Rocky for good measure, and you have some idea of Ralph Vaughan
Williams’ first opera, Hugh the Drover, a “Romantic
Ballad Opera.”More than a gala for Milan and for Italy, this wonderful Don Giovanni at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, was a gala for all the world, broadcast live internationally.The Wigmore Hall marks the 75th anniversary of the death of Maurice Ravel with a series of concerts that run through to June 2012.The English Oratorio season at the Barbican Hall, London continued with Gerald Finley and two very different approaches to Belshazzar’s Feast — William Walton and Jean Sibelius. This latest instalment of Ian Bostridge’ ‘ncient and Modern’series juxtaposed the tender melancholy of the Elizabethan age with the modernist anxieties of the early twentieth century, revealing both a sensitivity to textual nuance and profound human sensibilities which transcend temporal epochs.
For its first production of the new season, Jacques Offenbach’
Les Contes d’offmann, Lyric Opera of Chicago assembled a
distinguished roster of soloists with the Lyric Opera Orchestra under the direction of Emmanuel Villaume. 
http://astore.amazon.com/operatoday-20/detail/B005TOXTG4
The swift return to the Coliseum of Catherine Malfitano’s production of Tosca, premiered in 2010, contrasts strongly with the increasingly disposable nature of many recent ENO productions. Jean-Philippe Rameau, an organist and music theoretician, was active for much of his life in musical centers distant from the cultural juggernaut of Paris. 
At one point in The Met’s history, Faust was performed so frequently that one critic in mocking reference to Wagner’s opera house at Bayreuth coined the theater Faustophilhaus. 
http://astore.amazon.com/operatoday-20/detail/B0050GPG12Brad Mehldau seems to be the “go to” jazz pianist for classically trained singers who want to venture into other musical territory than opera and lieder. In contrast to much music-making on the continent, English composers born in the last quarter of the sixteenth century seem to have embraced a notable degree of stylistic continuity. 
Perhaps it’s no accident that Graham Vick’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg returns to the Royal Opera House for the Christmas season. Red, green, gold, sumptuous colours that warm a long, grey evening.
If this generation were to stake a claim to its own classical vocal music “Golden Age,” Christine Brewer presents a strong case. In 1983, Karita Mattila was the first singer to win the Cardiff Singer of the World competition. Combining innate musicianship and superb technique, Anne Schwanewilms showed once again that she can run the emotional gamut from light-hearted joy to deep anguish in this flawless performance with pianist, Charles Spencer.
The magnificent David Hockney Turandot production burst again onto the War Memorial stage with a new cast and conductor that recaptured its potential to make this fairytale into great opera.I have somehow managed to miss Sir Colin Davis’ London performances of L’nfance du Christ, making it one of the final major Berlioz works I have heard in the flesh. 
http://astore.amazon.com/operatoday-20/detail/B004M8Y4Y4Soprano Felicity Lott has concentrated her career in her UK homeland and in Europe, although she certainly has had her share of US appearances. Opera North holds a special place in my affections: my first full opera in the theatre was the company’s Wozzeck, which I saw as a schoolboy at the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield. Lyric Opera of Chicago staged Gaetano Donizetti’ Lucia di
Lammermoor as its second production of the current season with Susanna
Phillips taking on the role of the heroine torn between romantic love and familial pressures. 
Richard Eyre’s 1994 staging of Verdi’s La Traviata may have been revived many times, but this production reveals striking new depths of interpretation. Ruggero Leoncavallo’s name is forever tied to that of Pietro Mascagni. 
At the November 12, 2011 world premiere of Silent Night at the Ordway Theatre in St. Paul, a buzz of energy filled the audience. 
No cuts, not a single one, nearly four hours of non-stop arias, and its only hit tune happens within the first five minutes.In Wilhelm Weitsch’s well-known painting of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, the eldest son of Johann Sebastian seems far distant from the cantorial world of his father. Homage could take diverse forms in Counter-Reformation Rome, and this excellent recording by ensemble officium, Messa di Santa Cecilia, focuses on a particular instance that was interestingly polyvalent. 
Concertgoers this past weekend might have spotted something unfamiliar and intriguing in the lobby of Abravanel Hall - an interactive, educational display presented by our Symphony Season Sponsor – UBS. We’ve been working with UBS for the past few months on the project, and we’re thrilled to present Classical Connections ...
Happy Belated Birthday to German pianist and composer Fanny Mendelssohn, who was born 206 years ago. Fanny was the older sister of Felix Mendelssohn, but she was a talented composer and pianist in her own right.
Fanny Mendelssohn's musical talent was tolerated by her father, but she didn't receive the musical ...
We are very excited for the performance this weekend - Berlioz' Childhood of Christ. If you've noticed a bit more Berlioz being programmed lately, it's because our Music Director, Thierry Fischer, is a huge Berlioz fan. In his own words:
"I don't just like Berlioz, I need to perform Berlioz very ...
We would like to share a moment with you in observation of Veterans Day. Echoing President Woodrow Wilson's words when it was first proclaimed, we are filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who have served and died for our country.
It took a while to come up with ...
Join us this Saturday, January 28, 2012 at the Arid club. come dressed as your favorite french icon, from Edith [...]
Every opera deserves to be celebrated and what better way to do so than over a finely crafted martini. To raise our spirits, we are hosting “Operatini Parties.” come listen [...]Opera Idaho Children’s Choruses Concert
Don’t miss your opportunity to see Boise’s best children’s choruses in performance!
December 14, 6:00pm
$5 family members
$10 non-family members
The Egyptian Theatre
Tickets sold at the