Inside the score

Decoding the classical voice: A guide to vocal classifications

From Queen of the Night to Carmen and Calaf, each voice type has a story. Explore the system behind classical voice classifications and learn how range, timbre, and style define the stars of opera.

By Kim Hunter

Reading time estimated : 11min read

How to stage a controversy: Carl Nielsen’s Aladdin

Carl Nielsen’s Aladdin score is astonishingly evocative and shamelessly theatrical. But it’s not just the music that made a lot of noise at the 1919 premiere…

By Leah Broad

Reading time estimated : 6min read

Notes from History: The premiere of Berg’s incomplete Lulu

Berg’s Lulu is perhaps one of the most important works of the 20th century. The “exterminating angel” of Schoenberg’s protégé inhabits a morally decaying world, and one that was utterly repellent to…

By Paul Kilbey

Reading time estimated : 5min read

Listen Closer: Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2

Before becoming a piano icon, Chopin composed his Piano Concerto No. 2—a work that reveals his emerging style. A perfect listening key to understand how Chopin balanced dazzling technique, lyrical…

By Alix Haywood

Reading time estimated : 4min read

How can you turn as gruesome a tale as Hansel and Gretel into an opera?

How did Hansel and Gretel go from chilling folk tale to holiday classic and beloved opera? This enduring story owes as much to 19th-century German folklore as it does to…

By Paul Kilbey

Reading time estimated : 9min read

Notes from History: The opening of Carnegie Hall

On May 5, 1891, Carnegie Hall opened its doors for the first time, Tchaikovsky ushering in a thriving new age of live music and public events in New York City.

By Paul Kilbey

Reading time estimated : 4min read

In good harmony: Mozart’s most famous operatic duets

Mozart’s operatic duets capture the full spectrum of human emotion—love, betrayal, longing, and joy—through stunning musical interplay. From the seductive La ci darem la mano to the playful Papagena! Papageno!,…

By Kim Hunter

Reading time estimated : 6min read

Ravel’s challenges and obsessions

Maurice Ravel was a composer who thrived on constraint. Far from hindering his creativity, self-imposed challenges became the fuel for his musical innovation. From the hypnotic rhythms of…

By Karol Beffa

Reading time estimated : 9min read

Maria Callas and her greatest rivals: Opera’s most legendary divas

Explore the legendary rivalries of Maria Callas with Renata Tebaldi, Joan Sutherland, and more. Discover how these iconic sopranos shaped opera’s golden era.

By Editorial Team

Reading time estimated : 6min read

Listen Closer: Bizet’s Carmen

Bizet’s Carmen is filled with memorable tunes, but L’amour est un oiseau rebelle deserves special attention. This aria reveals how Bizet combined simple melodies, exotic rhythms, and bold harmonies to…

By Alix Haywood

Reading time estimated : 4min read