The Spanish tenor Francisco Ortiz has died at the age of 82. Born in 1938, his debut took place in Prague, in 1968, in a production of Verdi’s Aida. A few months later, the Teatro de La Zarzuela hired him for a year as first tenor. Laster made his breakthrough in Europe and sung in London, Paris and other major international venues, inducing the Met in New York. Read More →

Sound studio at the Philharmonie in Berlin
(c) Stefan Höderath

With the introduction of Hi-Res Audio, the Berliner Philharmoniker’s Digital will be the world’s first video stream on demand with audio track in lossless studio quality, the orchestra says. Read More →

Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari: Violinkonzert op. 26, Divertimento op. 20; I Gioielli della Madonna-Suite; Alban Beikircher, Violine, Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra, Chuhei Iwasaki; 1 CD Ars Produktion 38590; Aufnahme 12/2020; Veröffentlichung 06.2021, 02.07.2021 (F) - (74‘52) – Rezension von Uwe Krusch

Im viersätzigen Divertimento hören wir Wolf-Ferrari als unterhaltsamen Komponisten ‘gehobener Unterhaltung’. Die abschließende Fuge kann man als Referenz auf seinen Lehrer Joseph Rheinberger hören, den Komponisten mit dem Spitznamen Fugenseppl. Die Suite I gioielli della Madonna (Die Juwelen der Madonna) aus seiner fünften Oper im Stil des Verismo schildert das wimmelnde Straßenleben von Neapel. Read More →

Alessandro Stradella: Sinfonias für Violine & Bc Nr. 1-12 + Sinfonia a tre Nr. 1; Ensemble Giardino di Delizie, Ewa Anna Augustynowicz; 2 CDs Brilliant Classics 96079; Aufnahme 11.2020, Veröffentlichung 04.06.2021 (115'31) – Rezension von Remy Franck

Alessandro Stradella (1639-1682), über dessen Ermordung durch einen Attentäter die Musikgeschichte manche mögliche und etliche eher unwahrscheinliche Versionen überliefert hat, ist vor allem als Vokalkomponist bekannt. Dieses Doppelalbum wendet sich seiner Instrumentalmusik zu. Read More →

Polish conductor Marzena Diakun and Italian conductor Valerio Galli (*1980) have been appointed to lead the Toulon Opera Orchestra. The two conductors will take their position in September 2021. They will succeed Jurjen Hempel, who held this position since 2018. Read More →

Glass Marcano

The young Venezuelan conductor Glass Marcano, 24 has been named Principal Guest Conductor at the Orchestre Symphonique Région Centre-Val de Loire, alongside the General Director Laurent Campellone. She will take up her position in January 2022 and will conduct four symphony series per season.

Todd Craven

The Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra (NFSO), resident at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center in Niceville, has appointed Todd Craven as Music Director. Todd Craven is the winner of the 2019 Los Angeles Conducting Competition and has held the positions of Assistant Conductor of the Buffalo Philharmonic, Assistant Conductor for the Florida Grand Opera. He is he co-Founder and Music Director of the Orlando Contemporary Chamber Orchestra.

New York City Opera has announced the appointment of Constantine Orbelian, 64, as the company’s Music Director and Principal Conductor. Orbelian will conduct his first NYCO production this summer when the company performs a newly created version of Rigoletto on Sunday, August 29 at the Phoenicia International Festival of the Voice in Kingston, New York, followed by an encore performance of the opera on Friday, September 3 as part of Bryant Park’s annual Picnic Performance series. Read More →

Philharmonie Luxembourg
(c) Wade Zimmermann

During the pandemic, the Philharmonie Luxembourg and the Luxembourg Philharmonic have considerably expanded their diverse digital offer. Live broadcasts of concerts with and without live audiences, videos for the entire family, artist interviews, interdisciplinary formats and some developed especially for the digital space – all that is featured on the Philharmonie’s and OPL’s website and social media channels. Read More →

Alexander Zemlinsky: Der König Kandaules; James O'Neal (Kandaules), Monte Pederson (Gyges), Nina Warren (Nyssia), Klaus Hager (Phedros), Peter Galliard (Syphax), Mariusz Kwiecien (Nicromedes), Kurt Gysen (Pharmaces), Simon Yang (Philebos), Ferdinand Seiler (Sebas), Guido Jentjens (Archelaos) Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, Gerd Albrecht; 2 CDs Capriccio C5443; Liveaufnahme 10/1996, Wiederveröffentlichung 04.06.2021 (127'40) – Rezension von Remy Franck

Alexander Zemlinskys unvollendete Oper Der König Kandaules entstand auf ein eigenes Libretto des Komponisten und ist eine Adaption von André Gides Drama Le Roi Candaule. Die Geschichte ist ein schon bei Herodot erwähnter Sagenstoff aus Kleinasien, den André Gide in seinem Theaterstück als Suche nach dem Glück thematisiert. Read More →