I've been listening to soprano Natalie Dessay lately, in particular, "Les Oiseaux dans la charmille" from Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann (one of my favorites). I've been humming along with it for the past few years, but recently decided it was time to finally learn the French lyrics. So now, even though I still only hum the song, I know what she is singing! And because I'm so nice, I want to share both the French lyrics and English translation with you. Learn "Les Oiseaux dans la charmille."

Now in it's fourth season, The Met: Live in HD has been broadcasting live performances in high definition to theaters around the world since 2006. This Saturday, November 7th, the Met will present its third Live in HD broadcast of the season, Puccini's Turandot. Saturday's performance will star Maria Guleghina as the Chinese princess, Turandot, and Marcello Giordani as Calàf, the prince whose solos include the famous "Nessun dorma." I'm looking forward to viewing this production, as the last Turandot I saw at the Met was lackluster and pathetic. This year's production, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, who is known for his opulent productions, promises to deliver dramatic visuals along with fantastic music. Learn more about The Met: Live in HD, including upcoming performances, history, and ticket information.

In a recent article by Philip Boroff, it was reported that the average income for a Carnegie Hall stage hand in New York City is $430,543. This proves that being a stage hand isn't as nerdy as some people think!

In just a few weeks, November 10th to be exact, Asia's oldest orchestra, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, will embark on a historic tour of North America, starting at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Under the direction of Maestro Long Yu, the SSO will perform in twelve cities in the US and Canada (listed below) in celebration of the orchestra's 130th anniversary as well as the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. Unfortunately, the SSO will not make it anywhere near the middle of the US, but those of you who live in California and New York have a special chance to see a rare US performance of the Chinese orchestra. The SSO has long been a cultural ambassador, and to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western music, they will perform both styles of music during the tour. Audiences can expect to hear Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, Chen Qigang's Iris dévoilée, and Bao Yuan Kai's China Air Suite.

SSO Performance Dates and Venues

Classical Music CD Review
I finally had the chance to listen to Joshua Bell's latest album, At Home with Friends, and I'm happy I did. As I mentioned a few Sunday's ago, the album features an eclectic blend of music and musicians including Kristin Chenoweth, Sting, Marvin Hamlisch, and more. The flawless and effortless playing of Bell combined with the stellar performances of the guest artists, make for a truly unique and memorable listening experience. Read more...

This year, why not take your family to a Halloween classical music concert? Many of the concerts listed here encourage children to come in costume and participate in pre-concert activities like costume contests, petting zoos, and story telling. Also, the majority of these family Halloween concerts happen about a week before Halloween, meaning that your children won't miss out on an evening of trick-or-treating! For those of you looking for something a little less child-oriented, there are a few Halloween concerts listed here for adults, like the silent horror movie accompanied by live organ at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Read more...

On the 1st of September, 2009, an Empa scientist's modern day violin was tested against a stradivarius violin with a value of over $2 million in a blind listening test with 180 judges. The scientist, Francis Schwarze, engineered a "biotech" violin made from wood treated with fungus. Schwarze partnered with swiss violin maker, Michael Rhonheimer, and made two of these violins along with two other non-treated violins. Their four violins and the stradivarius were played behind a curtain in front of the audience and were judged based on the their tone. The result? The "biotech" violin named Opus. 58 was overwhelming considered to have the best tone with 90 votes. Better yet, 118 people thought Opus. 58 was the stradivarius. What does this mean for future violins? It means that you can get fantastic sounding violins at reasonlable prices. Read the full story at Science Daily.

Those of you who stayed up late last Friday evening to watch Conan O'Brien, got to see Joshua Bell perform "Para Ti" with musical guests Tiempo Libre, from his newest album, At Home with Friends. Released last week, I'm looking forward to listening to the entire album. (Expect a review soon!) At Home with Friends features a variety of music from different genres including classical, pop, bluegrass, jazz, and even world music. Guests artists include Sting, Kristin Chenoweth, Nathan Gunn, Regina Spektor, and more. To watch Bell's up-tempo performance, visit Conan O'Brien on Hulu.com. The performance is at the end of the show, so fast forward it 38:30 mark.

If you haven't already discovered AccuRadio, you're in for a real treat. This easily customizable and free Internet radio station offers tons of high quality classical music (and more) from each classical music period that can be played at home or the office! It was also selected as the number one website for Internet radio by Paul Gil, About.com's Internet for Beginners Guide. Learn more about AccuRadio in this review.

New Release
Renee Fleming: Verismo
Released: September 15, 2009
(Preview, Purchase, and Dowload Verismo)

I haven't had a chance yet to fully listen to Renee Fleming's newest album, Verismo, but having previewed only 30 second samples, I must say, I'm looking forward to hearing the album in its entirety. Ever since my good friend Jimmy introduced me to her almost eight years ago, she's held my number one position for greatest soprano. I could listen to her all day. If you're not sure who Renee Fleming is, catch up on this Renee Fleming biography or this collection of Renee Fleming YouTube Videos.