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Ivan IV (opera)
''Ivan IV'' is an opera in five acts by Georges Bizet, with a libretto by Francois-Hippolyte Leroy and Henri Trianon. Composition history A libretto on the subject of Tsar Ivan IV "The Terrible" of Russia was offered to Charles Gounod in January 1856 by the general administrator of the Paris Opera, François Louis Crosnier. Gounod worked with enthusiasm and press announcements anticipated that rehearsals would begin that November. Although Gounod completed the work in 1857 or 1858, failure to have it performed at the Paris Opera led Gounod to use parts of the score in later works; the Soldiers’ Chorus in ''Faust'' came from ''Ivan the Terrible''. Gounod's score was auctioned in 1963 and destroyed shortly after. Around 1862, with Gounod's encouragement, Bizet began work on the same libretto. In June 1865 the journal ''La France Musicale'' announced that the piece would appear at the Théâtre Lyrique that winter. Delays in getting the piece accepted prompted Bizet to offer the sc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', which has become one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertoire. During a brilliant student career at the Conservatoire de Paris, Bizet won many prizes, including the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1857. He was recognised as an outstanding pianist, though he chose not to capitalise on this skill and rarely performed in public. Returning to Paris after almost three years in Italy, he found that the main Parisian opera theatres preferred the established classical repertoire to the works of newcomers. His keyboard and orchestral compositions were likewise largely ignored; as a result, his career stalled, and he earned his living mainly by arranging and transcribing the music of others. Restless for success, he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Grand Théâtre De Bordeaux
The Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux is an opera house in Bordeaux, France, first inaugurated on 17 April 1780. It was in this theatre that the ballet ''La fille mal gardée'' premiered in 1789, and where a young Marius Petipa staged some of his first ballets. The theatre was designed by the architect Victor Louis (1731–1800). Louis later designed the galleries surrounding, the gardens of the Palais Royal, and the Théâtre Français in Paris. The Grand Theatre of Bordeaux was conceived as a temple of the Arts and Light, with a neo-classical facade. It has a portico of 12 Corinthian style colossal columns which support an entablature on which stand 12 statues that represent the nine Muses and three goddesses (Juno, Venus and Minerva). Pierre-François Berruer made four of the statues, and his assistant Van den Drix carved the others from Berruer's models. The interior grand staircase served as a model for the grand staircase of the Opéra Garnier in Paris. On the ceiling of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Schønwandt
Michael Schønwandt (born 10 September 1953 in Frederiksberg) is a Danish conductor. In Denmark, he studied piano, theory, and composition, and later continued musical studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Biography In 1979, Schønwandt secured a post as 'permanent conductor' by the Royal Opera in Copenhagen. Schønwandt was Music Director of the Royal Danish Orchestra and the Copenhagen Opera House from 2000 to 2011. His work in contemporary opera has included conducting the world premiere productions of Poul Ruders' operas ''The Handmaid’s Tale'' and ''Dancer in the Dark''. In 2006, he conducted the Royal Opera, in a production of Richard Wagner's ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'', released on DVD by Decca. Schønwandt was principal guest conductor of the Théâtre National de La Monnaie from 1984 to 1987, and held the same post with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra from 1987 to 2000. Schønwandt has also served as chief conductor of the Berliner Sinfonie-Orche ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Howard Williams (conductor)
William Howard Williams (born 25 April 1947) is a British conductor, whose international career has ranged from opera and ballet to orchestral and choral work. He conducts throughout Europe, and has especial links with Hungary since his appointment in 1989 as Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Pannon Philharmonic (formerly Pécs Symphony) Orchestra. Education and career Howard Williams was educated at New College School, where he was a chorister from 1955 to 1960, then at The King's School, Canterbury, New College, Oxford, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London) and Liverpool University. While still at school he studied the piano with Ronald Smith and the violin with Clarence Myerscough. Studying Music at Oxford, he began to conduct student orchestras and choirs, including the Schola Cantorum of Oxford. At Guildhall he studied on the Advanced Conducting Course, going on to take a B.Mus. at Liverpool University. While at Liverpool he was Assistant Conduc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ronald Crichton
Ronald Crichton (28 December 1913 – 16 November 2005) was a music critic for the ''Financial Times'' in the 1960s and 1970s. He was a scion of the Earls of Erne. In his ''Times'' obituary he was described as "one of the last of the school of those cultured mandarins who were able to write and talk about all matters concerning the arts."''The Times'' obituary, November 18, 2005, p 69 Education and early career He was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, the son of Colonel Charles William Harry Crichton, DSO (1872-1958), by his wife Dorothy Maud (who died in 1959), daughter of the Hon. Eustace Henry Dawnay, scion of the Viscounts Downe. He was educated at Radley College and Christ Church, Oxford, where he read French, but also discovered opera through the University Opera Club, then in its earliest days. Forbes, Elizabeth'Ronald Crichton' obituary, ''The Independent'', 28 November, 2005/ref> He persuaded the club to mount the first British performance of ''Castor et Pollux'' b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Brecknock
John Leighton Brecknock (29 November 1937 – 30 May 2017) was an English operatic tenor. He was born at Long Eaton, Derbyshire, joined the chorus of Sadler's Wells Opera in 1967 and graduated to small solo roles. He made his Covent Garden debut in 1974 as Fenton in Verdi's ''Falstaff'' with Tito Gobbi. In 1977 he co-starred at the Paris Opéra with Teresa Berganza in Rossini's ''La Cenerentola'', and in 1978 sang Don Ottavio in Mozart's ''Don Giovanni'' at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, to the Donna Anna of Joan Sutherland, who wrote of his "beautiful glossy voice and easy technique". In London he performed at English National Opera, the Royal Opera and the Proms."John Brecknock: Tenor with the ENO known for his 'beautiful glossy voice", ''The Daily Telegraph'', 16 June 2017, p. 29 Among Brecknock's Mozart roles were a priest and an armed man in ''The Magic Flute'', Ferrando in ''Così fan tutte'' and Belmonte in '' The Seraglio''. In the Italian repertoire, his roles inclu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jeanette Scovotti
Jeanette Scovotti (born December 5, 1936 in New York City) is an American coloratura soprano. Life and career In 1956 Scovotti was in the ensemble of the original Broadway cast of ''Li'l Abner''; the only Broadway production she ever appeared in. In 1959 she won the New York Singing Teachers' Association contest and presented a solo recital at Town Hall. That same year she made her debut at the New York City Opera as Monica in Gian Carlo Menotti's ''The Medium''. In 1960 she made her debut with the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Olga Sukarev in Umberto Giordano's ''Fedora''. In 1962 she made her San Francisco Opera debut as Blonde in Mozart's ''Die Entführung aus dem Serail'' and her Metropolitan Opera debut as Adele in Johann Strauss II's ''Die Fledermaus''. She became a regular at the Met from 1962-1966 appearing in 86 performances. Her roles at the Metropolitan Opera include Echo and Zerbinetta in ''Ariadne auf Naxos'', Lisa in ''La sonnambula'', Oscar in ''Un ballo in maschera'', X ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Noble (baritone)
John Noble (2 January 1931 – 21 March 2008) was an English baritone. He was Ralph Vaughan Williams's favourite in the title role of the composer's opera ''The Pilgrim's Progress''. Early life Born in Southampton, the son of a gardener, Noble's love of music and performance began at Godalming Grammar School, Surrey. He gained a scholarship to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, where he graduated in geography. While there, he studied singing with the baritone Clive Carey, and George Guest arranged for him to join the choir of St. John's College for a postgraduate year. Career In 1954, Noble took the title role in Dennis Arundell's production of Ralph Vaughan Williams's ''The Pilgrim's Progress'' at the Cambridge Guildhall. The composer's wife, Ursula Vaughan Williams, recalled that Noble brought "a touching and dedicated dignity as the Pilgrim", and after the production's opening Vaughan Williams said, "''This'' is what I meant."Ursula Vaughan Williams. ''RVW: A Biography of Ralph ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bryden Thomson
Bryden Thomson (16 July 1928 – 14 November 1991) was a Scottish conductor remembered especially for his championship of British and Scandinavian composers. His recordings include influential surveys of the orchestral music of Hamilton Harty and Arnold Bax. He was principal conductor of several British orchestras, including the Ulster Orchestra, which flourished under his tenure. Biography Early life and studies Bryden ("Jack") Thomson was born in Ayr and grew up playing the violin and cello. Soon after entering the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow on a scholarship at the age of 15, he was called up to serve in the Highland Light Infantry, where he played the piano in the regimental band and taught himself the clarinet. After the war, he returned to his studies at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music. In 1954, he moved to Germany to study conducting, first with Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt at the newly founded Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg, and then with Igor Markevitch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel, St. Gallen a.o.). , coordinates = , largest_city = Zürich , official_languages = , englishmotto = "One for all, all for one" , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , religion = , demonym = , german: Schweizer/Schweizerin, french: Suisse/Suissesse, it, svizzero/svizzera or , rm, Svizzer/Svizra , government_type = Federalism, Federal assembly-independent Directorial system, directorial republic with elements of a direct democracy , leader_title1 = Federal Council (Switzerland), Federal Council , leader_name1 = , leader_title2 = , leader_name2 = Walter Thurnherr , legislature = Fe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Berne
german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese , neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen , website = www.bern.ch Bern () or Berne; in other Swiss languages, gsw, Bärn ; frp, Bèrna ; it, Berna ; rm, Berna is the ''de facto'' capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city" (in german: Bundesstadt, link=no, french: ville fédérale, link=no, it, città federale, link=no, and rm, citad federala, link=no). According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has governmental institutions such as the Federal Assembly and Federal Council. However, the Federal Supreme Court is in Lausanne, the Federal Criminal Court is in Bellinzona and the Federal Administrative Court and the Federal Patent Court are in St. Gallen, exemplifying the federal nature of the Confederation. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 million people in the Cologne Bonn Region, urban region. Centered on the left bank of the Rhine, left (west) bank of the Rhine, Cologne is about southeast of NRW's state capital Düsseldorf and northwest of Bonn, the former capital of West Germany. The city's medieval Catholic Cologne Cathedral (), the third-tallest church and tallest cathedral in the world, constructed to house the Shrine of the Three Kings, is a globally recognized landmark and one of the most visited sights and pilgrimage destinations in Europe. The cityscape is further shaped by the Twelve Romanesque churches of Cologne, and Cologne is famous for Eau de Cologne, that has been produced in the city since 1709, and "col ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
