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Opera
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Bel Canto Explained: Style, Singers and Landmark Works
A plain guide to bel canto: what the term means, how the style sounds, its main composers and its decline…
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Wagner’s Ring Cycle: A Plain-English Overview
A plain-English guide to Wagner’s four-opera Ring cycle: the story, the music, the first performances and how a newcomer can…
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Soprano to Bass: A Guide to Opera Voice Types
Soprano, mezzo, tenor, baritone and bass explained, with the Fach system and examples from Mozart.
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Serious or Comic? Opera Seria and Opera Buffa Compared
A clear comparison of serious and comic Italian opera of the 18th century: plots, voices, structure and how the two…
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The History of Opera: From Florentine Camerata to the Modern Stage
A clear guide to the history of opera, from the Florentine Camerata and Monteverdi through Venice, Gluck, Mozart, Verdi and…
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The Story Behind Verdi’s La Traviata
How Verdi’s La traviata grew from a French play into an opera that failed in Venice in 1853 and triumphed…
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La Scala Through the Centuries: A Short History
A short guide to La Scala’s history, from its 1778 opening to wartime damage and modern restoration.
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Dafne and Beyond: Which Work Counts as the First Opera?
Dafne, Euridice and L’Orfeo each have a claim to being first. Here is how to tell them apart.
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The Castrati: Voices of the Baroque Opera Stage
A short guide to castrato singers: who they were, why Baroque audiences prized them, and how the tradition ended.