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Hervé Niquet on La flûte enchantée
24th Jun 2021by Katherine Cooper
The conductor talks to Katherine about his recording of a new French-language version of Die Zauberflöte with Le Concert Spirituel, following a spectacular production at Versailles last year.
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Mozart: La flûte enchantée
Mathias Vidal (Tamino), Florie Valiquette (Pamina), Marc Scoffoni (Papageno), Lisa Mostin (La Reine de la Nuit), Tomislav Lavoie (Sarastro), Olivier Trommenschlager (Monostatos), Pauline Feracci (Papagena) Le Concert Spirituel, Hervé Niquet
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Ian Page on Arne's Artaxerxes
26th May 2021by Katherine Cooper
The British conductor talks to Katherine about his 2010 recording of Thomas Arne's English-language opera seria about forbidden love and political skulduggery in Ancient Persia, re-released earlier this month on Signum.
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Handel's Rodelinda from Harry Bicket and The English Concert
14th May 2021by Katherine Cooper
Social distancing is no barrier to superb ensemble-playing on this terrific new recording of Handel's 1725 opera, with Lucy Crowe in the title-role and Iestyn Davies as her estranged husband Bertarido.
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Julian Perkins on John Eccles's Semele
18th Mar 2021by David Smith
The conductor and keyboardist talks about his recent recording of John Eccles's tragic Semele with the Academy of Ancient Music.
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Donizetti's Il Paria from Opera Rara
15th Jan 2021by Katherine Cooper
Sir Mark Elder conducts a scintillating account of Donizetti's 1829 opera about religious persecution in sixteenth-century India, starring Albina Shagimuratova, René Barbera, and Misha Kiria.
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Paavo Järvi on Franz Schmidt and Tchaikovsky
22nd Dec 2020by Katherine Cooper
The Estonian conductor talks to Katherine about falling in love with the music of Franz Schmidt, and how Leonard Bernstein reignited his passion for the Tchaikovsky symphonies.
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Simon Rattle conducts Janáček's Sinfonietta and The Cunning Little Vixen
4th Sep 2020by James Longstaffe
Simon Rattle conducts the London Symphony Orchestra and a cast including Lucy Crowe and Gerald Finley in an exquisitely characterful performance of Janáček's opera.
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Janáček: The Cunning Little Vixen & Sinfonietta
Lucy Crowe (Vixen), Gerald Finley (Forester), Sophia Burgos (Fox), Jan Martiník (Badger/Parson), Peter Hoare (Mosquito/Rooster/Schoolmaster), Hanno Müller-Brachmann (Harašta) London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus, Sir Simon Rattle
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Anna Patalong and Benedict Nelson on Miss Julie
20th Aug 2020by Katherine Cooper
The British soprano and baritone (and real-life couple) discuss bringing William Alwyn's unjustly neglected opera to life last year for a concert-performance at the Barbican followed by a studio recording, released on Chandos last month.
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William Alwyn's Miss Julie from Sakari Oramo and the BBC Symphony Orchestra
3rd Jul 2020by Katherine Cooper
Real-life husband-and-wife Anna Patalong and Benedict Nelson star in the English composer's 1977 opera, based on Strindberg's great naturalistic drama from 1888.
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Massenet's Cendrillon from Glyndebourne
19th Jun 2020by Katherine Cooper
Danielle de Niese and Kate Lindsey bring real psychological depth to Cinderella and Prince Charming's relationship in Fiona Shaw's astute and sparkling production, with John Wilson supplying fairy-dust aplenty from the pit.
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Edward Gardner on Schoenberg
9th Jun 2020by Katherine Cooper
The British conductor talks to Katherine about his recording of Erwartung & Pelleas und Melisande, released on Chandos last month, and socially-distanced music-making in Bergen.
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Catherine Foster on Wagner
16th Apr 2020by Katherine Cooper
The British dramatic soprano, who sings Brünnhilde on the Weimar Ring Cycle which is now available on Arthaus Musik, talks to Katherine about her remarkable journey from midwifery to Bayreuth.
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Wagner: Siegfried (DVD)
Johnny Van Hall (Siegfried), Frieder Aurich (Mime), Tomas Möwes (Der Wanderer), Mario Hoff (Alberich), Hidekazu Tsumaya (Fafner), Catherine Foster (Brünnhilde), Heiki Porsten (Forest Bird), Nadine Weissmann (Erda), Staatskapelle Weimar, Carl St. Clair, Michael Schulz (director)
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Purcell's Fairy Queen from Paul McCreesh and Gabrieli
10th Apr 2020by David Smith
A glorious return to the Restoration stage, with a semi-opera if anything even more vivid than King Arthur - featuring a cast of gods, fairies, peasants, poets and... monkeys?
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Handel's Agrippina starring Joyce DiDonato
31st Jan 2020by Katherine Cooper
The American mezzo sings the title role of the scheming Roman matriarch in a starrily-cast recording of Handel's early opera with Il Pomo d'Oro, conducted by Maxim Emelyanychev.
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Handel: Agrippina
Joyce DiDonato (Agrippina), Elsa Benoit (Poppea), Luca Pisaroni (Claudio), Franco Fagioli (Nerone), Jakub Józef Orliński (Ottone), Andrea Mastroni (Pallante), Carlo Vistoli (Narciso), Biagio Pizzuti (Lesbo), Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Giunone) Il Pomo d'Oro, Maxim Emelyanychev
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John Wilson on Sinfonia of London
30th Jan 2020by James Longstaffe
The British conductor talks to James about his new ensemble and their first two recording projects of music by Korngold plus a selection of French orchestral works.
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Reinoud Van Mechelen on Charpentier
28th Jan 2020by David Smith
The Belgian tenor talks to David about his recent double-bill of Charpentier's settings of the Orpheus myth, with A Nocte Temporis and Vox Luminis.
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Charpentier: Orphée aux enfers
Reinoud Van Mechelen (tenor), A Nocte Temporis, Philippe Froeliger, Déborah Cachet, Geoffroy Buffière, Stefanie True, Clara Coutouly, Raphael Höhn, A Vocte Temporis, Victoria Cassano, Zsuzsi Tóth, Vox Luminis, Lionel Meunier
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Charpentier from Vox Luminis, A Nocte Temporis and Reinoud Van Mechelen
17th Jan 2020by Katherine Cooper
The two Belgian early music ensembles pool their resources for two very different works depicting Orpheus's descent to the underworld, with Van Mechelen on outstanding form as the intrepid hero in each case.
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Angela Gheorghiu on Plaisir d'amour
8th Dec 2019by Katherine Cooper
On the 25th anniversary of the BBC broadcast of her landmark Traviata from Covent Garden, the Romanian soprano reminisces about the production with Katherine and discusses her new recording on Decca Classics.
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Beethoven's Leonore from René Jacobs and the Freiburger Barockorchester
6th Dec 2019by Katherine Cooper
The original 1805 version of Beethoven's only opera is a high-adrenaline experience in the hands of the Belgian conductor and his period-instrument band, with Marlis Petersen in the title-role and Maximilian Schmitt as her imprisoned husband.
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Beethoven: Leonore
Marlis Petersen (Leonore), Maximilian Schmitt (Florestan), Dimitry Ivashchenko (Rocco), Johannes Weisser (Pizarro), Robin Johannsen (Marzelline), Johannes Chum (Jaqino), Tareq Nazmi (Don Fernando), Florian Feth, Julian Popken (Two Prisoners) Freiburger Barockorchester, René Jacobs
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Christophe Rousset on Lully and Gounod
14th Nov 2019by Katherine Cooper
The French harpsichordist and conductor talks to Katherine about recording Lully's 1677 opera Isis (out now on Aparté) and the original 1859 version of Gounod's Faust, released in September on Bru Zane.