10 of opera’s greatest tenor roles
20 June 2017
Our favourites of the undisputed kings of opera, from Idomeneo to Peter Grimes via Siegfried and Otello.
Holding up a mirror: How opera composers reflect community and society
19 November 2015
Composers have long experimented with different ways of giving a sense of community, often using the chorus to highly dramatic effect.
Some things are better left unsung: Why composers use speech in opera
2 November 2015
Composers have long explored the gamut of vocal expression from a whisper to a scream.
The Shipping Cues: Why ships on stage make great drama
17 February 2015
Building a ship on stage might be a stage designer’s nightmare, but life on or by the sea has made ideal material for some of opera’s greatest stories.
Stormy Weather #2: Smart techniques for bringing a storm to the stage from history's great composers
23 January 2015
Beethoven inspired a host of operatic composers including Rossini, Verdi and Weill in musical methods for creating an operatic storm.
Why are parties in opera always doomed to end in tears?
5 December 2014
Curses, seduction and murder are just the tip of the iceberg.
Britten and ballet: A surprisingly rich relationship
31 October 2014
Although he only created one full-length ballet, the composer had more to do with dance than you might think.
Voices Off: Famous examples of offstage voices in opera
6 March 2014
Some of our favourite examples of the power of the unseen singer.
Happy 100th birthday Benjamin Britten
22 November 2013
Music and life of one of the greatest composers of the 20th-century marked by live performances and broadcasts.
Opera's Madmen
11 October 2013
From Russian tsars to Suffolk fishermen, Alban Berg's Wozzeck isn't the only opera character to be driven insane.