Find articles | Stephen Raskauskas

There’s nothing like a trip to The Barber to refresh you. This season, the Metropolitan Opera revives Bartlett Sher’s 2006 production of Rossini’s comic masterpiece, The Barber of Seville. 

Verdi’s Aida has been performed over 1,000 times at the Metropolitan Opera, making it the most commonly revived work after Puccini’s La bohème. Because Aida is so regularly programmed, I usually walk rather than run to see this opera.

Hearing Russian opera performed by the forces of the Bolshoi makes for a special experience for New York audiences. 

Taking risks has mixed results in A Coffin In Egypt.

Solo lute concerts of this repertoire, or lute recitals of any kind for that matter, are rare on this side of the Atlantic. Lucky audiences in Philadelphia heard an exceptional recital of French lute repertoire by Paris-based lutenist Miguel Yisrael.

Stéphane Denève’s astute dramatic sensibilityis to the fore in dance-related Prokofiev, Poulenc and Stravinsky in Philadelphia.

Tony Award winning production of Porgy and Bess that wowed audiences across the country has just landed at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. 

Sunday afternoon in the Perleman Theater, harpist Catherine Michel joined the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia for the world première of Michel Legrand’s Harp Concerto. The winner of three Oscars, five Grammys, and heaps of other awards, Legrand is certainly one of the most influential and prolific composers living today.

Pennsylvania Ballet serve up a wonderfully curated menu of works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Michael Kamen, and Jiří Kylián. Reviewed by Stephen Raskauskas at Merriam Theater, Philadelphia. 

The grand finale of this year's Montreal Bach Festival was the Mass in B minor with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and Kent Nagano, joined by an impressive set of soloists.

Today, you can experience opera from the comfort of your own home – never mind at the opera house. But how was early opera performed? Stephen Raskauskas takes a look at the diverse origins of opera.

As part of Baroque Music Month on Bachtrack, Stephen Raskauskas tells us about a little-known collective of composers who caused some trouble for Handel in the 18th century.

This November, the Opéra de Montréal celebrates Verdi’s bicentennial with a laugh, presenting his comic opera Falstaff. The revival of David Gately’s production, originally produced by Glimmerglass Opera and the recently deceased New York City Opera, received no shortage of snickers during Saturday’s première performance with Opéra de Montréal.

The ensemble XVII-21 Le Baroque Nomade was warmly received in its North American debut Friday evening at Montréal’s Bourgie Hall. Their concert, titled “Venice, Mirror to the World”, was presented in conjunction with the exhibition “Splendore a Venezia: Art and Music from the Renaissance to Baroque in Venice” at the adjoining Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal.

When the nights get longer and the temperatures begin to drop, one of the best ways to cozy up is with a good concert of chamber music. I Musici de Montréal and conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni presented “The Night Transfigured”, a program of works inspired by night to warm audiences at Bourgie Hall on Friday evening.

Stephen Raskauskas examines the term “Baroque” as part of Bachtrack’s Baroque Music Month.

Though museums have long been host to musical events, a partnership between the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal with conductor Kent Nagano and Musée des Beaux-arts de Montréal brought art to the concert hall this Wednesday evening.

Stephanie Blythe appeared in recital with Les Violons du Roy Saturday evening at the Maison Symphonique de Montréal, the second stop in a seven-city tour that the renowned mezzo-soprano is taking with the ensemble this fall. Blythe performed Haydn’s infrequently heard cantata Arianna a Naxos and favorite arias from Handel’s Giulio Cesare.

What do heroin, fish soup, and fairy godmothers have in common? They are all ingredients in choreographer Mats Ek’s reinvention of the ballet Sleeping Beauty, currently being performed through the end of October with Les Grands Ballet Canadiens de Montréal.Though the Sleeping Beauty we know today exists in many versions, the scenario is rarely changed significantly.

On Monday, Gotham Chamber Opera presented Daniel Catán’s opera La hija de Rappaccini (“Rappaccini’s Daughter”) in the Cherry Esplanade at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Spring has sprung and the arts flourish at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Earlier this week, William Christie and his superb ensemble Les Arts Florissants revived Charpentier’s David et Jonathas, first produced at the 2012 Festival d’Aix-en-Provence (review here).

Two years after her untimely death, the world is still celebrating of one of the most influential figures of contemporary dance – Pina Bausch.

The choir of Les Arts Florissants is composed of some of today’s most dynamic singers, who can sing, act, and even appear in two places at the same time. Well, in a matter of speaking.

One of the most sophisticated offerings in the 2012 Festival d’Aix-en-Provence is a new production of Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s David et Jonathas.

The 2012 Festival d’Aix-en-Provence began its four-week feast of opera and music with Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro—and could there be better a way? Nothing can beat the sublime company of Mozart, Da Ponte and Beaumarchais on a summer evening in the open-air Théâtre de l'Archevêché.

Thursday, composer David Ludwig joined Princeton audiences to hear Jonathan Biss perform his newly-penned Lunaire Variations in Richardson Auditorium. Ludwig’s piano cycle, though the shortest work on the program, became the centerpiece of Biss’ recital, which also featured works by Janáček and Beethoven.

On Saturday, Philippe Herreweghe conducted the season’s most solemn yet spectacular oratorio concert in New York – a performance of J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. Scored for two choirs, two orchestras, and soloists, this almost operatic depiction of Christ’s Passion was performed by Herreweghe’s Collegium Vocale Gent Choir and Orchestra.

An outstanding lineup of soloists joined Bernard Labadie at Carnegie Hall Sunday for a performance of J.S. Bach’s St. John Passion. Hearing Labadie conduct his own ensemble Les Violons du Roy and the chamber choir La Chapelle de Québec with such a superb group of soloists was truly a treat indeed.

On Thursday 15 March, the Jerusalem String Quartet strode onto the stage of Richardson Auditorium all wearing the same smart suits. The four young players played a pleasant program of early string quartets by Beethoven, Debussy, and Brahms.

Even Mikhail Baryshnikov was curious to stop by the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) on Thursday March 1st to the witness the world premiere of Mark Morris’ A Choral Fantasy. The work sets movement to the score of Beethoven’s Fantasy in C minor for piano, chorus, and orchestra, Op. 80.

Is there a better way to spend a Sunday evening than with William Christie conducting “An Evening of Handel” at Carnegie Hall? The Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale and Yale Choral Artists were lucky to perform under his baton, and sounded glorious playing and singing works by il caro Sassone, Mr. Handel.Christie himself earned a degree from the Yale School of Music before emigrating to France.

In recent decades, the infatuation with youth and beauty has affected many industries including classical music. In fact, it seems that classical musicians must begin their studies practically while they are still breast-feeding in order to ensure any kind of career at all. Bright stars burn out quickly, however, and few Wunderkinder show signs of true artistry and sophistication.

Eurpoa Galante, directed by violinist Fabio Biondi, performed a program of baroque concerti at the McCarter Theatre on a world tour that includes stops at some highly prestigious venues.Ever since Biondi formed his ensemble in 1990, he has been known for performing imaginative renditions of baroque favorites.

Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, one of the most popular and enduring ballets, was performed by the State Ballet Theatre of Russia in a charming rendition at the McCarter Theatre on Saturday night.Many audiences are surely familiar with the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, as well as Prokofiev’s setting.

On February 2, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society produced its first-ever solo lute recital, featuring Hopkinson Smith. The concert took place in the intimate Benjamin Franklin Hall at the American Philosophical Society, allowing audiences to enjoy the subtle sounds of the instrument.

Noche Flamenca, one of Spain’s most successful touring companies, presented an evening of music and dance at the McCarter Theatre. The performance featured the acclaimed Soledad Barrio and guest artist Alejandro Granados.For many Americans, ‘flamenco’ means stereotypical Spanish dance. In reality, flamenco is a combination of poetry, music, and dance, with cross-cultural roots.

Tragicomedia presented a jewel-box of baroque cantatas at Gilder Lehrman Hall at the Morgan Library Museum. The elite ensemble, directed by Stephen Stubbs, includes some of America’s finest Baroque musicians, who can improvise in the style as well. Friday evening’s concert also featured soprano Shannon Mercer and bass-baritone Douglas Williams.

Robert Spano conducted the Orchestra of St. Luke's and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chamber Chorus in an ambitious concert in Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall. The results were as mixed as the programming, which featured J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto no. 3 and Magnificat, alongside Messiaen's Trois petites liturgies de la Présence Divine.

The Tallis Scholars enraptured a sold-out Alexander Hall at Richardson Auditorium in Princeton, living up to the high standards that audiences have set for the world-renowned ensemble. Their wide-ranging repertoire was reflected in Monday’s performance, which offered a mix of traditional pieces by composers such as Palestrina as well as contemporary works.

The Nutcracker is as familiar as holiday leftovers. Even in years when you decide to forgo seemingly obligatory performances of The Nutcracker, The Messiah, and other ‘seasonal’ works, you can’t escape hearing snippets of the music in shopping malls, elevators, or cell phone ring tones. Tchaikovksy's ballet adapts E.T.A.

The Canadian orchestra Tafelmusik has long reigned as one of North America’s most exciting period ensembles. For its return to Carnegie on Friday 12 November 2011, the orchestra delivered fresh and stylish playing to a sold-out Zankel Hall.

“A revival of a revival of a revival” might describe Handel’s practice of reviving his own works. This highly acclaimed revival production of Handel's Xerxes received it best performance to date with a star-studded cast.Xerxes tells the tale of two brothers, Xerxes and Arsamenes, both competing for the same bride – Romilda.

Everything about Tuesday evening’s concert by The Theatre of Early Music at Carnegie Hall was intimate.Today, we associate the operas of Handel with music and drama on the grandest scale. However, the performance in Weill Recital Hall gave modern audiences a glimpse into how Handel’s audiences would have consumed this music in coffee houses, concert halls, and in the home.

Dazzling. Sensual. Penetrating. Not all modern performers on the harpsichord can employ the instrument’s powerful range of expressive techniques. Jory Vinikour, however, wowed audiences with spectacular displays of virtuosity and subtle dramatic expression in a solo harpsichord recital at the Yale University Collection of Musical Instruments on Sunday 16 October.

The Emerson String Quartet played a spectacular concert to a sold-out house for the Princeton University Concerts series 117th season on Thursday, October 6, 2011, providing a promising beginning to an exciting line-up of star-studded concerts.