The action of the opera takes place in Naples and tells the story of the cynical Don Alfonso who convinces the officers Ferrando and Guglielmo that no women can be trusted.

The dissolute knight, Sir John Falstaff, unable to pay his bills at the Garter Inn, decides to exert his charms on Mistress Ford and Mistress Page, wives of wealthy merchants. The two women, aided by Mistress Quickly, devise a plot to outwit him. But…

Based on Hogarth's series of prints, "The Rake's Progress" combines the eighteenth century with the twentieth. The highly individualized set of this production, designed by David Hockney, reflects perfectly the "spikiness" of the music, combined with…

Mozart's 'Don Giovanni', "the opera of all operas", as E.T.A. Hoffman once called it, is a work with many meanings. Peter Hall and Bernard Haitink's interpretation of the Mozart cycle was enthusiastically received at the Glyndebourne festival.

Glyndebourne's 1978 production of Mozart's "Die Zauberflöte" received as much critical acclaim for the imaginative David Hockney sets as for the operatic performances. Hockney emphasised the magical and mystical qualities of one of Mozart's best…

Sir Peter Hall's outstanding Glyndebourne Festival Opera production of "Fidelio" remains remarkably faithful to the way Beethoven intended the opera to be. He managed to inject fresh excitement and suspense into "Fidelio", providing a perfect…

Mozart's "Die Entführung aus dem Serail" is best loved for its memorable music and lively wit. The opera tells the story of the efforts of a Spanish nobleman to rescue his betrothed who is held captive against her will in a Turkish harem.

Top orchestral soloists and performers from around the world have combined to form the unique World Philharmonic Orchestra. In this concert recorded in Stockholm, the WPO performs in aid of international charities. Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 8

Schwetzingen is a tiny town near Heidelberg which has a famous palace with magnificent gardens, not unlike those at Versailles. The Schwetzingen Festival is held every Spring in the palace and commissions a small-scale opera for the palace's…

Top orchestral soloists and performers from around the world have come together to form the unique World Philharmonic Orchestra. In this concert recorded in Rio de Janeiro, the WPO performs in aid of international charities.