Opera

Classical music critic reviews a new reissue of recordings by the late contralto Kathleen Ferrier, compiled into a 10-CD box set.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews "X," the opera by composer Anthony Davis, about the life and times of Malcom X. It's just came out on CD. The opera is Wagnerian in scale and style, but it also has allusions to the music of Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Fats Waller, Cab Calloway, and John Coltrane, and others.

Composer Anthony Davis's opera "X" based on the life of Malcolm X, and has just come out on CD. It premiered in 1986. Terry talks with David about what Malcolm X meant to him and why he decided to compose an opera on his life. Davis has received international recognition for his compositions as well as his performances as a solo pianist and the leader of the ensemble Episteme.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new CD of the opera "Lord Byron," by American composer Virgil Thomson. The librettist is actor Jack Larson.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews VHS release of Handel's opera Julius Caesar. It's directed by the innovative Peter Sellars. Schwartz says all five hours just fly by.

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the original cast recording of the Broadway show "The Who's Tommy."

Book critic John Leonard reviews "The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf," by Kathryn Davis.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews the jazz opera "Jonny spielt auf" (pronounced shpeelt auf) of the new series "Entartete" (pronounced ent-ART-a-tuh, London Records). It's a series of music banned during the Holocaust.

Classical Music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new recording of Leonard Bernstein's "On the Town" and the television concert of the same show. (Deutsche Grammophon).

Classical Music critic Lloyd Schwartz on a live performance of Bellini's opera "I Puritani" which features Luciano Pavarotti and Beverly Sills. (Legato Classics)

Poet and Professor of English at Yale, Wayne Koestenbaum explores the affinity of gay men for opera in his new book: "The Queen's Throat: Opera, Homosexuality and the Mystery of Desire" (Vintage). Koestenbaum traces the art-form back to its origins in The Camerata, a 16th century group of Florentine gentlemen, who studied ancient Greek musical theory. A self proclaimed "Opera Queen", Koestenbaum explores this rarely examined territory with what one critic has called "a brilliantly obsessive and funny memoir".

Classical Music critic Lloyd Schwartz has a review of the Metropolitan Opera's televised version of Verdi's fourth opera, "I Lombardi", starring Luciano Pavarotti and bass Samuel Ramey. It airs tonight on most PBS stations.

From the Metropolitan Opera, soprano Dawn Upshaw. She has a new recording of Broadway showtunes, called "I Wish It So." It includes lesser known works by Marc Blitzstein and Kurt Weill as well as songs by Sondheim and Bernstein. Upshaw has played more then 20 roles at the Met, including the current "The Marriage of Figaro" and the recently completed "Idomeneo," both by Mozart.

Classical music Critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new recording of a major Tchaikovsky opera that hasn't gotten much attention in the United States. It's called "Mazeppa."

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews "George Gershwin Memorial Concert," a CD of a radio performance broadcast shortly after the composer's death.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews two new productions by Peter Sellars.

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a reissue by the late mezzo-soprano Cathy Berberian: Luciano Berio's "Recital I for Cathy and Folk Songs." (RCA)

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews recordings by British singers soprano Margaret Tate (stage name Maggie Teyte), and tenor Heddle Nash. (on the British label, Pearl.)

Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz reviews a new 3-CD box set of music by the Soprano Maria Callas, "Maria Callas at Juilliard--The Masterclasses" (EMI)

Mezzo-Soprano Lorraine Hunt. She appeared in Peter Sellars' productions of Handel and Mozart. Hunt has been called the "reigning Handel diva of our day." Hunt's Handel recordings can be found on the Harmonia Mundi label. Her latest is "Handel: Ariodante."