Don Giovanni was commissioned for the opera in Prague, where Figaro had just been a phenomenal success. The main theme was a familiar one, the story of the conquest of innumerable ladies by Don Juan and a statue that comes to dinner! Read on. The opera is a story of social class and, especially, sexual … Read more
The 3-Act Opera Il Pastor Fido (The Faithful Shepherd) was the second opera composed by Handel after his arrival in England. It was first performed at the Queens Theatre, Haymarket , London in 1712. In 1734 Handel brought out two revisions, one being in the form of an extended Ballet entitled “Terpsichore“. The original “orchestral … Read more
Gustav Mahler was born in 1860, the son of an innkeeper in the Bohemian town of Iglase (now Jolhava). He was a citizen of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and one of fourteen children. From childhood he was fascinated by folklore, and the sights and sounds of the countryside. At the age of 15 he became a … Read more
