In this morning’s lecture, Dr Rosamund Bartlett and pianist Maria Levandovskaya take us back to the glory days of imperial St Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre, highlighting the composers, directors, singers and conductors who helped to build its international reputation. The wonderful music of Russia’s golden period is brought to life in a fascinating morning, illustrated with rare period photographs, set designs and historic recordings and set off with music from Tchaikovsky, Borodin and Glinka amongst others. This exploration of the most glittering period of Russian musical innovation promises to sparkle and delight the audience, enticing us back to the glamour of the imperial era and the creative brilliance that emerged from it.
Rosamund Bartlett is a cultural historian of Russia with expertise in music, art, and literature. Her publications include ‘Wagner and Russia’ and ‘Victory Over the Sun: The World’s First Futurist Opera’, as well as biographies of Chekhov and Tolstoy, whose works she has translated for Oxford World’s Classics. She is regularly invited to contribute to broadcasts on BBC Radio 3, and to the programmes of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and in 2017 was commissioned by the Salzburg Festival to complete a new translation of the libretto to Shostakovich’s ‘Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk’.
This morning’s lecture explores the process of preparing and performing widely different repertoire, from dazzling coloratura roles to dramatic characters, to the intimate setting of a song...
Wagner was obsessed with Beethoven. He arranged the 'Choral' Symphony for piano, wrote a novella in which Beethoven anointed him his successor, and paid elaborate musical homage over his entire...
'La loge' by Renoir is one of the most famous works in The Courtauld’s collection and considered a masterpiece of the Impressionist movement. In today’s lecture recital, Dr de Mille will...
A lecture on Bizet's 'The Pearl Fishers' (1863), a work from relatively early in his career where he first uses many of the techniques that later became his hallmark. It was the first of his operas...
A lecture on Bizet's 'Djamileh' (1870), with its Wagnerian harmony that is rarely associated with Bizet or French opera. Despite its shortcomings as a dramatic piece we will hear some of the most...
A masterclass with the esteemed vocal coach Susanna Stranders, Head of Music at Garsington Opera.
In a world of endless auditions, it is rare to receive any tangible feedback from those making the...
Dame Anne Evans will kindly lead this morning’s event with emerging young singers: Alice Privett (soprano) and three past and present International Opera Awards Foundation Bursary Winners, Ricardo...
The operatic canon overflows with male composers, and there is no shortage of female roles. Today’s lecture explores the relationships between some exceptional women and the composers who, inspired...
Prévost’s L'histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut made an outrageous appearance on the literary scene in 1731 detailing the exploits of the young, beautiful, and morally...
Join us for a morning with Sarah Crabtree, Senior Producer for the Royal Opera, where she leads the producing team for the Linbury Theatre. Before joining the ROH, Sarah was one of the driving forces...
The Opera Prelude Song Prize Masterclass with Della Jones.
Now in its fourth year, the Opera Prelude Song Prize offers one of our young singers the unique chance of private masterclasses with...
Jenny Miller, singer, director and founder of Barefoot Opera, returns to Opera Prelude to demonstrate the close relationship between instinct, emotional responses, everyday communication and the art...
Today’s masterclass and discussion celebrates the recent launch of Dame Felicity’s book 'Il nous faut de l’amour', with mezzo Phoebe Haines and accompanied by Maria Levandovskaya.
Stuart Skelton is one of the finest heldentenors on the stage today, critically acclaimed for his outstanding musicianship, tonal beauty, and intensely dramatic portrayals. His repertoire encompasses...
Italian symphonic and operatic conductor, Renato Balsadonna has also held long term positions as Chorus Director at Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels and at the Royal Opera House Covent...
In this talk, Ed Ballard (baritone) explores the early history of opera in London. How did this continental invention first arrive? Who were the singers who performed it, where and for whom? Who was...
In this morning's lecture we will have a look at the operatic creation in Portugal and Spain through the ages. Starting one of Europe's superstar composers in the 18th century - Marcos Portugal - we...
Acclaimed tenor Ben Johnson represented England in BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2013 and won the Audience Prize. A former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist and 2008 winner of the Kathleen Ferrier...
Not only is Jane Austen celebrated on the new £10 note in the bicentennial year of her death: her enduring appeal is further portrayed through words and music by soprano, Sophie Pullen, and...
Sergei Diaghilev was one of the most important impresarios of the 20th century. The central figure in the artistic world of St Petersburg, Paris, London, Rome, Berlin and Madrid, he formed close...
Rosalind Plowright is one of the most celebrated artists of our time. Her career spans more than 35 years. She was acclaimed as one of the world’s great spinto sopranos specialising in roles such...
Taking three of Verdi’s relatively early works we delve into the musical handling of Verdi’s monarchs. In these three operas Verdi’s characters utilise disguise, deception and deceit to fulfil...
Before beginning her current career as soprano and librettist, Becca Marriott read English at Oxford. In this lecture, she returns to her roots, using her extensive knowledge of both literature and...
Following the recent rediscovery of private letters between Giuseppe Verdi and Salvadore Cammarano, Dr Simon Maguire of Sotheby’s will begin this morning’s lecture with the thrilling tale of...
Now in its fifth year, the Opera Prelude Singers’ Prize offers one of our young singers the unique chance of private masterclasses with Della Jones, one of Great Britain’s leading mezzo-sopranos....
Orpheus, the so-called father of song, has reached far from his classical roots to influence music and other art forms right up to the present day. His heady mixture of bravado, passion, charm and...
Alex Otterburn (baritone) is one of Scottish Opera’s Emerging Artists for the 2017/18 season and is described by them as a 'name to watch'. He has most recently played the role of Eddy in their...
Opera: the most complete art form, and (most of the time) a stunning blend of music, stagecraft, lighting and passion – but what happens when it all goes wrong? Ask any singer and they will have a...
Tosca, plummeting to her doom from the roof of the Castel Sant’Angelo; Juliette, stabbing herself to be reunited with her dying lover Romeo; Rodrigo, shot in front of his powerless best friend;...
Dame Anne Evans kindly leads this morning’s event with emerging young singers.
She made her debut as Countess Ceprano in _Rigoletto_ in 1967 in Geneva and went on to make her debut in a leading...
