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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 

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.

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.

According to BBC Music magazine, Raphael Wallfisch will record these 2 concertos "this year".  The orchestra is the London Mozart Players, no conductor is mentioned.  "The recording, for cpo, will follow their live performances...at Cellofest in London at the beginning of March."  Cpo have previously recorded Romberg 1 and 5 (iirc) with different forces.

This year's staged opera is Chausson's lush  'Le roi Arthus'.  No cast yet, but the performances are July 24-Aug 2.   Botstein conducts, natch.

No, you read that right.  The conductor Dario Salvi, currently working his way through the vast expanses of Auber's overtures and intermezzi for Naxos, will record Lindpaintner's 4 act 'idealische ballet' 'Danina, oder Joko, der Brasilianische Affe' for the same label in March.  The orchestra is the Prague Philharmonic, according to the conductor's website (to which I was directed by a Rob Maynard review on Musicweb International.). The ballet dates from 1826, and featured choreography by Filippo Taglioni, father of the celebrated ballerina Marie Taglioni.  Filippo was also the choreographer of the original La Sylphide and the ballet of the ghostly nuns in Meyerbeer's Robert le Diable.  Lindpaintner's ballet was successful enough to be published in piano score, though how much of the 4 acts was represented I could not say.  As an admirer of Il Vespro Siciliano, which contains some lively dance numbers, i'm looking forward to this.           Ps. Just to clarify, Mr Maynard's review was of the Auber disc, not Lindpaintner.

Coming in concert from the good people at Bru Zane on June 25, 2020.  This will be the original 1857 version with some additions from the 1875 revision.  They will also publish the score and parts.  No mention of a recording, though.  Personally, I'd like to see a resurrection of Thomas' last opera "Francoise de Rimini" but I'll take what I can get from this fine composer.  The cast is first-rate and includes Jodie Devos and Karine Deshayes.

Announced for Aug.2:    A Song of Agincourt, Verdun, Overture in the Style of a Tragedy,  A Welcome March, Fairy Day.  Howard Shelley conducts the Ulster Orchestra.

In concert, Monday, October 28, 2019.  From a press release: "This eagerly awaited project, supported by a major grant from the Arts Council of Ireland, will be conducted by David Brophy and include several distinguished Irish singers."  Eagerly awaited by UC, and the Stanford Society, certainly!  Hopefully, VP will get the same treatment as 'Eithne' and broadcast and cd release announcements will follow.   Best, David

On my way home from today's excellent semi-staged performance of The Tsar's Bride at Bard.   Delighted to see that the theme of next year's festival will be "Korngold and His World".  No hint as to whether Heliane will be a run of staged performances or a single concert.  Exciting stuff, either way.           David

April 27and 28, 2019 at the Fisher Center:  Raff's 'De Profundis'.  Part of Botstein's TON (The Orchestra Now) series.

Also on Dutton's list is Gilbert and Cellier's 'The Mountebanks', first produced in 1892, the year after Cellier's death from tb.  The disc also includes Cellier's earlier Suite Symphonique.  Add to this next year's release of Cellier's smash hit comic opera 'Dorothy' on Naxos (Bonynge conducting Majella Cullagh and others assembled by Victorian Opera Northwest) and we'll have a nice sample of a composer once famous but now little more than a name.  Btw, Alfred Cellier was succeeded as conductor at D'Oyly Carte by his brother Francois, grandfather of actor Peter Cellier (still going at age 89) of Yes Minister, etc, fame...

I was delighted to see that the Feb. program of the New York Choral Society includes Stanford's wonderful Songs of the Fleet.  The theme of the afternoon is "inspired by the grandeur of the sea".  Jarrett Ott is the baritone soloist.  Feb 11@3pm.     Best, David

In his pre-concert talk on Dvorak's Dimitrij today, L Botstein mentioned that next summer's staged opera will be Anton Rubinstein's the Demon.  A must-see, imho.

Last night was the final performance of Bel Canto at Caramoor (Bellini's Il Pirata with Angela Meade) as the 20 year old annual celebration of early 19th century opera will be moving to a new home on the campus of SUNY Purchase.  Competition for resources was too severe at Caramoor where conductor Will Crutchfield has led 2 concert performances of opera every summer alongside a mix of other events: classical, jazz, folk, and pop.  The old venue is a lovely estate in Westchester, with extensive gardens, but the new venue is nearby, will offer 9 days of singer training, workshops, concerts and 2 semi-staged operas under the name "Teatro Nuovo".  The program is ambitious, with Crutchfield raising 2 million to get it off the ground.  Original instruments will be used, and Crutchfield will not be the only conductor. 

The Caramoor programs were often adventurous, with some 40 operas being done over the years, but there were limits...rarities tended to be by name composers.  (Meyerbeer was proposed several years, but never made the final cut.)  By contrast, the first 2 operas of Teatro Nuovo will be Tancredi (not very rare) and G S Mayr's Medea in Corinto (very rare).  Mercadante has been mentioned for future seasons...

The inaugural festival will run July 28-Aug 5, 2018.  Www.TeatroNuovo.org

Promising stuff!

David

On Thursday, May 4 the New York Scandia Symphony will give a concert entitled " The Danish Golden Age" at Symphony Space on the upper west side of Manhattan.  The program will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Niels Gade, and will consist of the "Echoes of Ossian" Overture, the 2nd Symphony and the violin concerto (with Stephanie Chase as soloist.). Tickets are $25, $15 for students and seniors. Starting time is 8pm.  The orchestra is a 50 piece group conducted by Dorrit Matson, about whom I know nothing.  But I'll be there, especially since it's just around the corner from me...

Pianist Simon Callaghan, among other things a Coke specialist, goes into the studios July 19-22 this year with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Martyn Brabbins to make a concerto recording for Hyperion.  Can this be the much hoped-for disc of Coke 3, 4 and surviving movement from 5?  Best, David

[Mataswintha]

A thousand apologies if this link is inappropriate, but I just stumbled on a radio(?) broadcast of this overture on Youtube.  The orchestra is Detroit Symphony and the conductor is Karl Krueger, who was music director there from 1943-49.  The sound is primitive, so it will be helpful to already know the piece.   I have loved this overture for years, and played/hacked through it many times since acquiring an old vocal score of the opera in the late 1970's.  I was surprised at how little the recent Naxos recording captured its magic, but as this older performance clocks in at 10:00...almost 3 minutes longer than the Poznan Phil. version, tempo is obviously a consideration.  Anyway, far from perfect, but fascinating...at least to a Mataswintha fan...

David

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2QQblID6_Y

[Dorothy Howell: Piano Concerto in D minor]

The Hopekirk Fantasiestuck (is this the Rhapsody?), Chaminade Concertino and Beach Concerto project for the Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto series will go into the studio this coming August.  Danny Driver is the pianist, with Rebecca Miller conducting the BBC Scottish symphony.  Info from the conductor's website...

David

Please note: the contents of this CD will be:

Amy Beach: Piano Concerto in C-sharp minor, Op. 45
Cécile Chaminade: Concertstück in C sharp minor, Op. 40
Dorothy Howell: Piano Concerto in D minor

Alan Howe, December 2016