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The Story of Swan Lake

Swan Lake Ballet

Thanks to the film, Black Swan, Tchaikovsky's famous ballet, Swan Lake, has captured a brand new audience full of people unfamiliar with the ballet. If you're one of them, learn the story of Swan Lake in this synopsis!

More About Swan Lake and Ballet
Classical Music Spotlight10

A Synopsis of Bizet's Djamileh

Monday January 23, 2012

Carmen wasn't the only opera written by Georges Bizet.  Djamileh tells the story of a "playboy's" monthly slave, Djamileh.  She falls in love with him, but he trades in his mistresses every month for a "new model."  The playboy's servant loves Djamileh and the two make a deal that if she can't make the playboy love her, she will marry him instead.  Learn how the story ends in this synopsis of Bizet's Djamileh.

A Synopsis of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel

Sunday January 22, 2012

After watching ABC's hit television show, Once Upon a Time, I fell in love with the fairy tales of my childhood all over again.  Not only that, I remembered that the famous story of Hansel and Gretel was adapted for an opera composed by Englebert Humperdinck.  It's a fantastic opera that premiered on December 23, 1893.  To this day, it is traditionally performed during Christmastime.  Read the full synopsis of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel.  Then watch the opening scene to the final act of the opera on YouTube.

2012 Golden Globe Winner for Best Score

Sunday January 15, 2012

The Artist - Ludovic Bource

Normally, I have trouble predicting the winner of an an award, whether it's an Oscar, Golden Globe, or Grammy. This year's winner for the Golden Globe for best film score, however, was a no-brainer. The moment I heard the music, I instantly fell in love, and I knew others would too. I didn't even need to hear the other 2012 Golden Globe nominees. If you haven't had a chance to listen to Ludovic Bource's The Artist, you simply must. You can preview, purchase and download tracks at Amazon, or you can listen to one of my favorite tracks on Youtube.

Cosi fan tutte Synopsis

Sunday January 15, 2012

Wolfgang Amadeus MozartMozart's famous opera, Cosi fan tutte, or "Women are like that" tells the story of two men and the faithfulness or "supposed faithfulness" of their fiancées.  After making a bet with a bitter old man, the two men craft a plan to dupe their fiancées into quickly exchanging their steadfast love for other men when the two officers claim to have been sent off to war.  Despite the opera's not-so-perfect view of women, it's one of Mozart's most beloved operas, and has been since its creation in 1790.  Read the entire Cosi fan tutte synopsis.

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