Against the picturesque backdrop of the Vesuvius, the ancient Roman Theatre of Pompeii hosts a colourful open air event in honour of Pablo Picasso. Celebrating the centenary of his visit to Italy, two ballets with sets and costumes designed by this legendary Spanish artist are put on stage: "Parade", with music by Erik Satie, and Igor Stravinsky's "Pulcinella". The choreography of both works has been created by Russian ballet star Leonide Massine. It is performed by the Corps de Ballet of the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma under the direction of Paris Opera prima ballerina Eleonora Abbagnato and Leonide Massine's son Lorca as choreographer. 100 years ago, together with Jean Cocteau, Picasso undertook a journey to Naples and Pompeii in order to work on "Parade". An avantgarde ballet commissioned by Serge Diaghilev, director of the famous Ballets Russes, which was supposed to be inspired by Neapolitan folklore and the commedia dell'arte. The stage curtain of "Parade" is the largest work Picasso ever completed, measuring about 11 meters high by 17 meters wide. Cocteau's libretto tells the story of a troupe of street artists, who parade in front of a crowd of onlookers, in an attempt to attract an audience for their show. Picasso would have celebrated his 140th birthday on 25. October 2021

SCHUMANN'S GENOVEVA - A MODERN-DAY DRAMA OF THE SOULOn 25th June 1850, Schumann, Robert's only opera, Genoveva, received it's first performance at Leipzig State Theatre. It was a much-awaited event, as Schumann, widely regarded as the leading German instr

In this recording, Jana'ek's great choral work, the Glagolitic Mass, is performed by the Czech Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra, conducted by Vaclav Neumann, with Jan Hora on the organ. The soloists are Gabriela Benackova (soprano), Drahomira Drobkova (

Carl Heinrich Graun (1704-1759) wrote a total of 27 operas for the Berlin court and not least for Frederick II. In 1742 his Cleopatra e Cesare" was performed at the opening of the Haus Unter den Linden", and in 1755 he wrote his most impressive work -

This Opera de Paris staging of Jean-Philippe Rameau's burlesque on the vicissitudes of love, is a pure joy from start to splashing finish" (Wall Street Journal Europe). Laurent Pelly's staging of Platee is an exhilarating display of gags and West Side S

This production of Bellini's famous masterpiece Norma was extraordinary in many aspects. Staged by Italian director and filmmaker Roberto Ando at the Teatro Regio in Parma, it gathered international stars like American soprano June Anderson and shooting s

Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni's incomparable partnership as Rodolfo and Mimi, the tragic lovers in Puccini's much-loved bittersweet opera, is captured for posterity in this live recording from the San Francisco Opera. Francesca Zambello's production

After it's first performance in Vienna, the operetta Die Fledermaus set out to conquer the world. It is one of the few operettas which are regularly staged by the great opera houses of the world such as the New York Metropolitan Opera, the Milan Scala, The

When Canadian opera director Robert Carsen produced his intense and cogent staging of Poulenc, Francis's compelling opera Les Dialogues des Carmelites at the Nederlandse Opera in Amsterdam in 2001, it impressed audiences and critics alike, and also gained

Mozart's masterpiece is presented in a version shortened to 60 minutes for the youngest (from 5 years), young and also adult audiences, thus providing children with their first insight into the fascinating world of opera. Papageno is the presenter, who a

Arthaus Musik presents a DVD release of Weber's masterpiece Der Freischutz in a production by the legendary director Ruth Berghaus. Chorus and orchestra of the Zurich opera are conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt, universally celebrated for the structural t

Philippe Jordan ranks among the most established and moust sought-after conductors of his generation. As Music Director of the Paris Opera he performed the complete symphonies of Tchaikovsky in total three concerts at the Opera Bastille and the Philharmonie de Paris from October 2017 to May 2018. What makes this cycle special is Jordan's combination of the less well-known first three symphonies with the final three "great" symphonies in every concert. Jordan has chosen to bring together the third and sixth as they represent milestones in the symphonic ensemble. The second and fourth share a proximity in writing (one rewritten in 1879 reflects the other created in 1878); the first, the most imaginative, and the fifth, the most positive, constitute an introduction to the cycle. The Swiss conductor appreciates Tchaikovsky as one of the most important Russian composers and his aim was to perform the complete symphonies with his Paris Opera Orchestra. All works underline the exceptional talent of Tchaikovsky as composer. The latest cycle of Tchaikovskys symphonic masterworks featuring Jordan and his Paris Opera Orchestra is available for the first time on DVD and Blu-ray

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MICHAEL NYMAN SONGBOOK

MICHAEL NYMAN SONGBOOK