Selection includes An Introduction to Debussy: Pelléas et Mélisande.
This CD contains an original commentary and analysis of this work, written by Thomson Smillie and narrated by David Timson.

Includes work(s) by various composers.

Opera Explained: ROSSINI - Tancredi (Smillie)

Monteverdi's Orfeo, first performed in 1607, generates a special excitement because it is the first unquestioned masterpiece of opera. Notable for it's precise orchestration and powerful drama it was a groundbreaking work. It concerns the legend of Orpheus, the demi-god whose music had the power to conquer the forces of Hell and to bring his wife back, briefly, to life. The extracts used in this introduction are from Naxos's full recording; it uses authentic period instruments, which serve to evoke the early Baroque period of the opera's composition.

Opera Explained: PUCCINI - Turandot (Smillie)

Opera Explained: VERDI - Falstaff (Smillie)

Opera Explained: GLUCK - Orfeo ed Euridice (Smillie)

Includes work(s) by various composers. Ensemble: Raphaele Calace Quintet. Soloists: Ugo Orlandi (mandolin), Alessandro Bono, Maura Mazzonetto.