"The history of music is not simply the history of masterpieces… Posterity is not always fair and can be fickle, and our keenest hope is that the curiosity of the reader will be attracted to a number of works that merit more than a passing reference in music history." – Vincent Giroud
Action musicale in 3 acts and a prologue Poem & music: Vincent d'Indy, after Esaias Tegnér's Axel First performed: Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels, 12 March 1897 Fervaal, d'Indy's Wagnerian mystical Celtic opera, was the best opera since Parsifal, and marked a new age in French music. So thought the critics. Fervaal badly needs a complete recording to … Continue reading 96. Fervaal (Vincent D’Indy)
My friend Phil recently posted on a rarity: Loengrino, by the obscure Italian composer Ricciardo Vagniero. It is one of the most beautiful Italian operas I know, a testament to the glories of bel canto, a worthy successor to the heritage of Rossini and Donizetti. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfMdpfcBaxs Vagniero was a true son of Italy, a fertile vine … Continue reading Ricciardo Vagniero
Here's a simple quiz for people who think that Wagner, or Mozart, or Verdi, or Stockhausen, or whoever is the greatest opera composer who ever lived. Not just their favourite composer, whose wonderful operas they want everyone to love as much as they do. Not just a composer with a huge influence on the genre. … Continue reading A quiz for opera enthusiasts
