Two on the Nile Two on the Nile

A pair of Hasse works: the all-male oratorio I Pellegrini al Sepolcro di Nostro Signore, plus the popular serenata Marc’Antonio e Cleopatra.

Wall to wall Wall to wall

Thursday evening Piramo e Tisbe demonstrated that its assembled forces were the little opera theatre of ny that could.

The most dangerous game The most dangerous game

“Trove Thursday” presents a recording of the rare L’Olimpiade featuring Joan Caplan and Rita Shane in the two leading castrato roles.

Veni, vidi, Vinci! Veni, vidi, Vinci!

Not only cursed to bear a name nearly identical to that of one of the greatest geniuses who ever lived, Leonardo Vinci also had the misfortune to die just three months after the premiere of his greatest opera, reportedly murdered with a cup of poisoned chocolate at the age of 36.

Citius, Altius, Fortius Citius, Altius, Fortius

Of all the Olympics-related products created to honor the upcoming summer games in London, surely one of the oddest must be a brand new pasticcio just released on a two-CD set by Naïve—L’Olimpiade.

Baroque, back

This Cleofide must have been conceived as a perfect target for haters of Italian baroque opera.  While many might (grudgingly?) acknowledge that Handel is indeed an important operatic composer, here we have a virtually unknown name often relegated to dusty music history books. Not only has no one ever heard (nor probably even heard of)…