Who was the first Don Giovanni?
Mozart’s premieres often featured the stars of his day. There was one exception, however: Don Giovanni.
Bach’s early years – 9 facts you didn’t know yet
For a long time, virtually nothing was known about Johann Sebastian Bach’s early years. Since the mid-2000s, however, the sources have been getting better and better. Reason enough to take a closer look at Johann Sebastian Bach’s childhood and teenage years.
Bayreuth Festival 2021: all operas, all stars
The Bayreuth Festival 2021 starts on July 25, 2021 and delights all opera fans with the works of German composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883) until August 25. So here on the StarkConductor blog I’m giving an overview of the Bayreuth Festival 2021. In the course of this you can read here which pieces will be performed this year and who is in the cast.
Doctrine of Affects: what is that?
The doctrine of affects was used in the Baroque and Classical periods to trigger emotions in the listeners. This was achieved thanks to precise musical tools. What exactly the doctrine of affects was, which affects were triggered with music and which clever people wrote about it, you can read below.
How a shoebox took classical music to a new level in Dallas
Dallas, 1980: The Dallas Symphony Orchestra plays day after day and week after week in the Music Hall at Fair Park. The problem: you can’t hear a thing.
Papageno, who are you?
Papageno is half man and half bird, loves wine, women and music and is the secret star of Mozart’s Magic Flute. In this blog post you will learn more about Papageno and his role in perhaps Mozart’s most famous opera.
Singspiel – what is that?
Singspiele were extremely popular in the opera houses of the 18th century. But what is a Singspiel anyway? Find out in this blog post.
You can also read why the middle class of the 18th century preferred to go to the Singspiel instead of the court opera, how Joseph II set up what was perhaps the first cultural funding pot of all time, and which Singspiele you absolutely have to know.
Teatro La Fenice – A Drama in Three Fires
The Teatro La Fenice in Venice is one of the most important opera houses in the world. To be able to build and maintain this good reputation, perseverance and optimism were necessary – because this opera house has been burned down and rebuilt several times. In this blog post, I tell the story of Teatro La Fenice. A drama in three fires.
Theater an der Wien – the Most Famous Suburban Stage in the World
Suburban stage, world centre for German-language musicals and Vienna’s third opera house: the Theater an der Wien can look back on a truly eventful history. A portrait.
