Ralph P. Locke
When the front page of the newspaper is getting me down, I can feel at least somewhat buoyed by remembering that we live in a world that can produce such profoundly touching and empathetic works of art as Kevin Puts’s “The Hours”.
Long one of the most-performed French operas, “Le Prophète,” thanks to some splendid performances, feels as vivid and relevant as ever.
Much praised by Berlioz and others, this Italian opera (composed for the great mezzo María Malibran) brings a notable female composer out of the shadows.
This world-premiere recording lets us hear one of the most effective recent operas, based on the famous book by Dr. Oliver Sacks.
French opera arias, many recorded for the first time, by the enchanting tenor Cyrille Dubois. The vocal treasures here include a stirring 1842 denunciation of slavery in the Caribbean.
The BEMF performed the work in July 2023 in New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, to enormous enthusiasm.
Rimsky-Korsakov’s delightful village comedy, based on a Gogol short story, receives a modern recording that features a superb international cast.
By Ralph P. Locke An 8-CD set of diverse and enjoyable works, brought back from obscurity by Aude Extrémo, Roberto Prosseda, and other major performers. Compositrices: New Light on French Romantic Women Composers Cyrille Dubois and Yann Beuron (t), Aude Extrémo (mz), Claire Le Boulanger (fl), Roberto Prosseda, Alessandra Ammara, and Nathalia Milstein (p), and…
The shamefully belated release of the first recording (1992!) of “L’olimpiade,” a major work by Hasse (a renowned contemporary of Handel and Vivaldi), featuring some of the best singers of the day, including male soprano Randall K. Wong.
Much-loved short works by Pergolesi and Mozart storm the stage, thanks to spiffy French dialogue between the musical numbers.
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