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Extending his run of French Romantic revivals, Botstein will bring Prophete to New York audiences for the first time since the Met's drab production of the 1970s.  Probably in mid/late July.  Not my favorite of Meyerbeer's big French works, but very welcome all the same.... Best, David 

I go next Sunday, so I'm relieved to hear that Henry will not be dressed as a space alien.

Vaughan Williams and His World is the subject of this year's Bard Festival and as usual, the crowning event is an opera-in-concert: I'm delighted that VW's Falstaff opera has been chosen.  New Yorkers have had several chances to hear this tuneful and heartwarming opera in recent years,  as Bronx Opera has brought it out in at least 3 seasons.  Botstein's performance will be Aug. 13 and i believe tickets go on sale to the public March 9.  The rest of the festival will feature VW chamber, vocal and orchestral works, panel discussions and music of relevant contemporaries.

Starting July 26 there will be a run of staged performance of Saint-Saens' grand opera.  Eleven years ago, Botstein led a gripping concert performance of this fine work (somewhat let down by an inadequate Henry), we hope for even better this time.  Tickets go on sale to the public March 9.

What a marvelous cover photo!  He looks like he hasn't taken his meds in weeks...i've got to get this!

No Bertin for me, thanks.  Esmeralda gave me a rash.  Very curious about Holmes' opera, though.

It's easy enough to skip over the topics people are 'unenthusiastic' about, I do it all the time.  I for one am grateful for this information...

US Amazon release date Nov 5.  I've preordered.  Should be very enjoyable.

This is very exciting...thanks for all your efforts!

What is a "wordless play"?

The Dutton version of the "Norwich" is far better played and conducted than the Marco Polo version, imo.

The performances will be in Liege, Namur and Paris next May and June.  Recording will presumably  follow.  The cast, with the exceptions of Jennifer Holloway and Veronique Gens, are new to me.  The Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Lieges and its conductor, Gergely Madaras, are also unfamiliar.

My French is pretty rusty, but I'm pretty sure "versión integrale sans coupure" indicates that the recording will be of the Prologue + 4 acts original version, not the abreviated Monte Carlo Hulda.

The Bru Zane people are at it again!  This time they're sponsoring a concert performance and recording of Cherubini's grand 1813 opera "Les Abencerages". The performance will take place in Budapest on March 10, 2022 and features the Orfeo Orchestra and Purcell Choir under their leader Gyorgi Vashegyi, forces which have brought us wonderful performances of Rameau, Mehul, Lemoyne, et al.  Very exciting, as Cherubini's operas have been rather underserved in the catalogue over the years.

The pianist, Christopher Hinterhuber, is the same fellow who recorded all the Ries concertos for Naxos.  Two more different ideas of Romanticism would be hard to find!