“An der schönen blauen Donau” is arguably one of the most popular pieces of music in the classical repertoire; a waltz composed in 1866 by the Austrian composer Johan Straus II and first performed in 1867 in Vienna. Curiously, the initial performance was not the overwhelming succes you might have thought it to be. A disappointed Strauss is reputed to have lamented: “The devil take the waltz, my only regret is for the coda, I wish that had been a […]
Today, June 6th, is a day of remembrance. Eighty years ago to the day, the Normandy landings signified the start of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation. No piece of music is more associated with this day than Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Most people will remember it as the main theme used in the 1962 movie The Longest Day: This association goes back much further in time though. I was surprised to learn that in fact it all started
“Vieni, vieni, o mio diletto” is an aria from Vivaldi’s opera “Ercole su’l Termodonte”. It was believed that the score of the opera had been lost, but the archives still contained 30 arias and 2 duets, and Alessandro Ciccoloni restored the score from the fragments found. The opera tells about the ninth feat of Hercules, in which he obtained the sword of the Amazon queen Antiope. Together with Hercules, other heroes are sent, who, as they fight the Amazons, fall
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Lakmé is an opera in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet and Philippe Gille. The opera includes the popular “Flower Duet” for a soprano and mezzo-soprano, performed in act 1. The Hindus go to perform their rites in a sacred Brahmin temple under the high priest, Nilakantha. Nilakantha’s daughter Lakmé, and her servant Mallika, are left behind and go down to the river to gather flowers where they sing together the “Flower Duet”. This