German composer Richard Wagner was notoriously anti-Semitic, and his writings on Jews were later embraced by Hitler and the Nazis. But there is another, lesser-known side to this story. For years, many of Wagner‘s closest associates were Jews - young…

George Kentros and Mattias Petersson in a live performance of their recomposition of Vivaldi’s "Four Seasons" for violin and live electronics. Originally the album was released 2008 and the biggest Swedish daily paper Dagens Nyheter named this…

In this pilot to a new series about the European musical heritage, soul musician Joy Denalane embarks on a journey to Austria to encounter the world of folk music. For centuries, this musical genre has provided a vital space for love and romanticism…

On 12 September, Gianni Schicchi opened the LA Opera’s 2015/2016 season, which marks its 30th anniversary. The production by director Woody Allen first saw the light of day in LA in 2008, travelled to Teatro Real in Madrid and now returns home…

The collection “Classic Archive” presents great performances by legendary artists, remastered using the latest digital technology and enhanced with commentary for today’s audiences. These jewels of music broadcasting have been salvaged from various…

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…

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…

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…