The art of celebration is one part tradition, one part separation from the utilitarian world of daily life, and one part gratitude. The th...

For their 2015 Halloween episode, Jeopardy   featured a category of opera-inspired clues with Alex Trebek donning authentic Metropolitan O...

Bergman's opening scene to Mozart's final opera is itself a miniature masterpiece. We begin with the Three Ladies veiled ...

The point of Figaro  is not that the Count repents, or that contrition is a virtue. The point is not that he is forgiven, nor even that...

Nine great Don Giovannis sing the famous Champagne aria. Only one will emerge victorious. . . A fun treat, enjoying as we do comparisons...

Maestro James Levine on his start, conducting, teaching, getting into opera, and a lifetime of music. Since his start in 1971 Levine has co...

223 years ago today Don Giovanni premiered at the Estates Theater in Prague. We discuss the opera here from time to time (See the Mozart ...

Mozartian Counterpoint Part I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII We have, as we noted at the outset, not been comprehensive. We overlooke...

A preliminary excursion to the crossroads of individual taste, society, culture, and art. We'll look at these ideas in greater detail...

By chance this morning, I came across a recording of Kerstin Thorborg (1896-1970), a Swedish contralto, singing Erda's warning to Wotan,...

Updated: Please see below. I feel remiss for not mentioning in our recent discussion of Santayana's Three Philosophical Poets: Lucre...

I was doing some research and came across this painting which seems not at all to be mentioned on the internet, or at least not identified. ...

The music of Richard Wagner and the writing of J. R. R. Tolkien are both considerable interests of mine so you can expect substantial writin...

Mozart Overtures Idomeneo | Die Entführung aus dem Serail Le nozze di Figaro | Don Giovanni | Così fan tutte Le clemenza di Tito | Die...