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Whittington (opera)
''Whittington'' is an opera (described in the premiere programme as 'A New Grand Opera Bouffe Feerie, in Four Acts and Nine Tableaux) with music by Jacques Offenbach, based on the legend of ''Dick Whittington and His Cat''. It was premiered in a spectacular production at the Alhambra Theatre, London, on 26 December 1874. ''Whittington'' is the only major work of Offenbach to have received its premiere in London, and came between the incidental music for ''La Haine'' and his third version of ''Geneviève de Brabant''. Background The work was commissioned by Wood & Co, publishers for the Christmas season at the Alhambra, Leicester Square. Based on a scenario by H. B. Farnie, a French libretto was prepared by Charles-Louis-Étienne Nuitter and Étienne Tréfeu (who had previously given Offenbach ''Il signor Fagotto'', ''Le Fifre enchanté'', ''Coscoletto'', ''La princesse de Trébizonde'' and ''Boule de neige''), and then translated into English by Farnie for the production in Londo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jacques Offenbach By Nadar
Jacques or Jacq are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over one hundred identified noble families related to the surname by the Nobility & Gentry of Great Britain & Ireland. Origins The origin of this surname comes from the Latin 'Jacob (name), Iacobus', associated with the biblical patriarch Jacob. Ancient history A French knight returning from the Crusades in the Holy Lands probably adopted the surname from "Saint Jacques" (or "James the Greater"). James the Greater was one of Jesus' Twelve Apostles, and is believed to be the first martyred apostle. Being endowed with this surname was an honor at the time and it is likely that the Church allowed it because of acts during the Crusades. Indeed, at this time, the use of biblical name, biblical, Christian name, Christian, or Hebrew names and surnames became very popular, and entered the Eur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daniel Auber
Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (; 29 January 178212 May 1871) was a French composer and director of the Paris Conservatoire. Born into an artistic family, Auber was at first an amateur composer before he took up writing operas professionally when the family's fortunes failed in 1820. He soon established a professional partnership with the librettist Eugène Scribe that lasted for 41 years and produced 39 operas, most of them commercial and critical successes. He is mostly associated with opéra-comique and composed 35 works in that genre. With Scribe he wrote the first French grand opera, ''La muette de Portici, La Muette de Portici'' (The Dumb Woman of Portici) in 1828, which paved the way for the large-scale works of Giacomo Meyerbeer. Auber held two important official musical posts. From 1842 to 1871 he was director of France's premier music academy, the Paris Conservatoire, which he expanded and modernised. From 1852 until the fall of the Second French Empire, Second Empire i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diapason (magazine)
''Diapason'' is a monthly magazine, published in French by Italian media group Mondadori. The magazine focuses on classical music, especially classical music recordings and hi-fi. The magazine was created by Georges Chérière in Angers, France under the title ''Diapason donne le ton dans l'Ouest'' (''Tuning Fork Sets the Tone in the West'') and the first issue was published in Paris, 1956. The critics of ''Diapason'' review internationally released classical CDs and DVDs each month, and the best ten albums are awarded by the prestigious Diapason d'Or. The award is comparable with those given by the ''BBC Music Magazine'' and '' Gramophone''. ''Diapason'' provides information online via two websites. The principal French language alternative to ''Diapason'' was ''Le Monde de la musique'', but that magazine ceased publication in 2009. Much of its readership then transferred to ''Diapason'', increasing the circulation there. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bloomsbury Theatre
The Bloomsbury Theatre is a theatre located on Gordon Street in Bloomsbury, within the London Borough of Camden. It is owned by University College London. The Theatre has a seating capacity of 541 and offers a professional programme of innovative music, drama, comedy and dance throughout the year. It also provides a space for student-led productions. Funded by a UGC grant and a considerable private donation, the theatre was opened in 1968 under the name Collegiate Theatre and was renamed the Bloomsbury Theatre in 1982. From 2001 to 2008, the theatre was known as The UCL Bloomsbury, to emphasise its connection to UCL, which uses the venue for student productions for 12 weeks a year. The Bloomsbury Theatre recently returned to the logo designed by cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, which had been using for nearly twenty years until 2001. The main theatre was closed for renovation in 2015 and reopened in February 2019. The basement below the Theatre holds the Bloomsbury Studio, a black bo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
University College Opera
University College Opera, or UCOpera, is the student opera company of University College London. The operas are staged by professional singers, directors and designers, with the orchestra, chorus and some singers drawn from the student body. Founded in 1951, UCOpera is renowned for its productions of under-performed operas, which include the stagings of 3 world premières and 23 British premières to date. On 10 March 2008, UCOpera staged the UK première of Édouard Lalo's '' Fiesque'', at the Bloomsbury Theatre. 2009 saw another British première, Ernest Bloch's ''Macbeth''. UCOpera extended its list of British premières by staging Gounod's '' Polyeucte'' at Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2018, Smetana's Czech national opera ''Libuše'' in 2019, and Robert Ward's ''The Crucible'' in 2024. In 2025, UCOpera held the European première of Gregory Spears' Fellow Travelers. History The brainchild of the conductor Anthony Addison, ( UCL's then Director of Music), University ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Opera (British Magazine)
''Opera'' is a monthly British magazine devoted to covering all things related to opera. It contains reviews and articles about current opera productions internationally, as well as articles on opera recordings, opera singers, opera companies, opera directors, and opera books. The magazine also contains major features and analysis on individual operas and people associated with opera. The magazine employs a network of international correspondents around the world who write for the magazine. Contributors to the magazine, past and present, include William Ashbrook, Martin Bernheimer, Julian Budden, Rodolfo Celletti, Alan Blyth, Elizabeth Forbes, and J.B. Steane among many others. Format ''Opera'' is printed in A5 size, with colour photos, and consists of around 130 pages. Page numbering is consecutive for a complete year (e.g. September 2009 covers pages 1033–1168). All issues since February 1950 are available online to current subscribers (through Exact Editions). His ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
City Of London Sinfonia
City of London Sinfonia (CLS) is an English chamber orchestra based in London. CLS is orchestra-in-residence at Opera Holland Park since 2004 and holds a residency at St Paul's Cathedral. CLS also performs regularly across the city of London in venues from East London clubs to traditional Central London concert halls. It is a registered charity under English law. CLS performs chamber orchestra and ensemble repertoire from the Baroque period to the present day, and has a programming focus on the human voice. History Richard Hickox founded City of London Sinfonia in 1971 and remained its music director and artistic director until his death in November 2008. Past principal guest conductors have included Marin Alsop and Douglas Boyd. In November 2009, CLS announced the appointment of Stephen Layton as its second artistic director, effective with the 2010–2011 season. Simultaneously, CLS announced the appointment of Michael Collins also as principal conductor, effective in S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Suchet
John Aleck Suchet ( ; born 29 March 1944) is an English author, television news journalist and presenter of classical music on Classic FM. His journalistic career began when he worked as a graduate trainee at the Reuters news agency in 1967 and later joined BBC News as a sub-editor for the '' Nine O'Clock News'' from 1970 to 1971. Suchet worked at Independent Television News (ITN) as a scriptwriter/sub-editor from 1972 and was a newsreader and reporter until his retirement from ITN in 2004. Suchet has two brothers, one of whom is the actor Sir David Suchet. Early life Suchet was born in London, the son of Joan Patricia (née Jarché; 1916–1992), an actress, and Jack Suchet (1908–2001), who emigrated from South Africa to England in 1932, and trained to be a doctor at St Mary's Hospital, London in 1933. Suchet's father was a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, working with Alexander Fleming on the role of penicillin in treating venereal disease. His maternal grandf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Constance Hauman
Constance Hauman (born 1961) is a soprano. She attended Northwestern University. Constance Hauman performed the title role in the live recording of Alban Berg's ''Lulu'' (Chandos) made in Copenhagen in 1996 at the Queen of Denmark's Castle. Shifting from her longstanding classical career, Constance Hauman's first full-length release of original songs, ''Falling into Now,'' was chosen by the Guardian UK Music Critic Caroline Sullivan as one of the top 10 best pop albums of 2015, coming in at No. 8 between Mark Ronson and Florence and The Machine. Overview Constance Hauman has over 2500 international performances to her credit, portraying over 70 diverse roles in opera, music theater and symphonic works. December 2019 she made her Vienna Statsoper ( Vienna Opera) debut in the role of Queen Elizabeth, Purity and Friend of Orlando's son in Olga Neuwirth's world premiere of Virginia Wolff's ''Orlando''. She was featured as Artist of the week in Opera Wire for these roles and her u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mansion House, London
The Mansion House is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of London. It is a Grade I listed building. Designed by George Dance in the Palladian style, it was built primarily in the 1740s. The Mansion House is used for some of the City of London's most formal official functions, including two annual white tie dinners. At the Easter banquet, the main speaker is the Foreign Secretary, who then receives a reply from the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, i.e. the longest-serving ambassador. In early June, it is the turn of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to give his or her "Mansion House Speech" about the state of the British economy. The most famous was the Mansion House Speech of 1911 by David Lloyd George, which warned the German Empire against opposing British influence during the period leading up to the First World War. History The Mansion House was built between 1739 and 1752, in the Palladian style, by the surveyor and architect George Dance the Elder. The Master ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
City Of London Festival
The City of London Festival was an annual arts festival that took place in the City of London, England, over two to three weeks in June and July. The Festival was strongly geared towards classical music, but also offered a programme that included jazz, world music, opera, film screenings, lectures and guided tours. Performances were usually held within local venues including some of London's ornate churches, St Paul's Cathedral and Livery Company Halls. In 2016 the festival announced it was closing, stating: "However over the years the funding landscape has become ever more competitive and despite achieving support from a range of valued sponsors and supporters it has become increasingly difficult to attract the level of funding necessary to stage the annual festival." Many events were free with the aim being to make the arts accessible to a larger proportion of the City's population. These were often held outdoors in the City's streets, squares and gardens. These venues include ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
