One of the world’s most celebrated ensembles, The King’s Singers have a packed schedule of concerts, recordings, media and education work that spans the globe. Championing the work of young and established composers, they remain consummate…

Gennady Rozhdestvensky was the first Russian conductor to be appointed head of major Western orchestras such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra 1978-81 and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra from 1981. Born in 1931, he made his début at the Bolshoi a year…

Iolanta and Perséphone - A double bill consisting of two stage works that “represent an ideal of beauty, poetry and hope” forms this new production in Madrid from the Teatro Real. In both works the progression from darkness to light acts as an…

This series of TV programmes presents the very best of the 16th Verbier Festival with worldwide renowned artists such as Martha Argerich, Mischa Maisky, René Pape, Joshua Bell and Philippe Jaroussky. Together with Malcom Martineau on the piano, the…

Splendid rendition of Ravel’s famous opera staged specially for HDTV and performed by the Atelier de l’Opera de Lyon. This new version of the opera was written for four instruments (two pianos, cello and flute), thus emphasizing the fearful emotions…

Based on the story by H. C. Andersen, “The Nightingale” was transposed for opera by Igor Stravinsky who both composed the music and wrote the lyrics. This new adaptation using computer animation transposes the opera into a world ruled by the power of…

Gennady Rozhdestvensky was the first Russian conductor to be appointed head of major Western orchestras such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra 1978-81 and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra from 1981. Born in 1931, he made his début at the Bolshoi a year…

In 1994, 54-year old José Van Dam undertook to play the role of Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca for the first time, a part that he had refused repeatedly in the past. In April 1995 in Liège, the singer met again with stage director Nicolas Joel for the…

"Livietta e Tracollo" is the intermezzo of Pergolesi's last opera for the city of Naples, Adriano in Syria. Like "La Serva Padrona", "Livietta el Tracollo" enjoyed a long run in the repertoire of the opera houses.

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi became the leading representative of the development of the early Neapolitan Opera Buffa. "La Serva Padrona", his most popular opera until today, caused the "Buffonisten" controversy at its premiere in 1752.