Jos Dobbelstein

Absolutely the most famous 'Canzone Napoletana' is 'O Sole Mio' composed by the Italian singer and songwriter Eduardo di Capua (1865-1917) in 1898. The lyrics were written by Giovanni Capurro. Though...

If we say that zarzuela is Spanish light opera with spoken dialogue we shall be near the mark. Geronimo Gimeniz is a Sevillan composer of many Zarzuela's. The short temperamental aria Zapatuedo is fro...

The Austrian composer Carl Zeller (1842-1898) did contribute a great part to the glory of the Golden Era of the Viennese operetta in which Johann Strauss jr., Franz von Suppé and Karl Millöcker were t...

Absolutely the most famous "Canzone Napoletana" is "O Sole Mio" composed by the Italian singer and songwriter Eduardo di Capua (1865-1917) in 1898. The lyrics were written by Giovanni Capurro. Though...

Ludwig August Lebrun (1752 -1790) was a German oboist and composer. He started playing with the orchestra at the court of the Prince-Elector Carl Theodor in Mannheim at the age of 12 and became a full...

Italian composer Luigi Denza (1846-1922) is best remembered for 'Funiculì, Funiculà' (1880), a humorous Neapolitan song inspired by the inauguration of a funicular at the summit of the 'Vesuvius'. Bes...

Karl Millöcker (1842-1899) was one of Johann Strauss II's greatest rivals in his lifetime, but his music is almost unknown in England. Der Bettelstudent (The Beggar Student) is an operetta in three ac...

Der Zigeunerbaron is Strauss's second most popular operetta after Die Fledermaus. Its 1885 premiere had political resonance; the plot popularized the Dual (Austro-Hungarian) Monarchy which was to come...

Soprano, Choir and Symphonic Band Emmerich Kalman's most beloved operetta 'Die Csardasfürstin' had its first performance at the Vienna 'Johann Strauss-Theater' in November 1915. Only in the German sp...

Ruperto Chapí y Lorente (1851-1909) was a Spanish composer who wrote a large number of symphonic, band, choral and chamber works, as well as zarzuelas and operas and is considered one of the most popu...

Otto Nicolai's last opera 'Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor' is the only one left and also his only one in German language. It is still one of the most performed opera's in German opera houses. The lib...

Otto Nicolai's last opera 'Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor' is the only one left and also his only one in German language. It is still one of the most performed opera's in German opera houses. The lib...

'Orphée aux enfers' (Orpheus in the Underworld), is a comic operetta composed by Jacques Offenbach. The operetta is an irreverent parody and scathing satire on Gluck and his 'Orfeo ed Euridice' and cu...

'Orphée aux enfers' (Orpheus in the Underworld), is a comic operetta composed by Jacques Offenbach. The operetta is an irreverent parody and scathing satire on Gluck and his 'Orfeo ed Euridice' and cu...

The Domine Deus from Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle is sung by the tenor in the Gloria of the mass.

The Domine Deus from Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle is sung by the tenor in the Gloria of the mass.

The cavatina Fac ut portem is the 7th movement from Rossini's Stabat Mater and sung by a mezzo-soprano.

The cavatina Fac ut portem is the 7th movement from Rossini's Stabat Mater and sung by a mezzo-soprano.

Orphée aux enfers' (Orpheus in the Underworld), is a comic operetta composed by Jacques Offenbach in 1858. The operetta is an irreverent parody and scathing satire on Gluck and his 'Orfeo ed Euridice'...

Orphée aux enfers' (Orpheus in the Underworld), is a comic operetta composed by Jacques Offenbach in 1858. The operetta is an irreverent parody and scathing satire on Gluck and his 'Orfeo ed Euridice'...

Giuseppe Giuseppe Verdi's romantic opera Il Trovatore lives by its streams of memorable melodies. One of those is the the 'Miserere' wich is placed in the fourth and final act. A chorus of monks begin...

Giuseppe Giuseppe Verdi's romantic opera Il Trovatore lives by its streams of memorable melodies. One of those is the the 'Miserere' wich is placed in the fourth and final act. A chorus of monks begin...

Much of Schubert's songs do have a simple strophic character. These verses stand half-way between 'Art-song' and 'Folk-song'; the melody seems to be drawn from nature. Schubert marvellously achieved t...

Much of Schubert's songs do have a simple strophic character. These verses stand half-way between 'Art-song' and 'Folk-song'; the melody seems to be drawn from nature. Schubert marvellously achieved t...

If we say that zarzuela is Spanish light opera with spoken dialogue we shall be near the mark. Frederico Chueca composed many Zarzuela's. The aria Schotis del Eliseo madrileno is from his zarzuela La...