A selection of M&V 'life' articles

Ensemble. A Perfect Falstaff - Giuseppe Pennisi visits the Vienna State Opera

Ensemble. Black Comedy - Prokofiev's 'The Gambler' impresses Robert Hugill

CD Spotlight. Musical Finesse - Songs by Gregg Kallor, recommended by Howard Smith. 'Go to the top of the class.'

CD Spotlight. Nearly Unknown - Bologna's Renaissance music, heard by Giuseppe Pennisi. '... an efficient and effective local ensemble ...'

Ensemble. The Quality of the Cooks - Verdi comic operas on stage, tasted by Giuseppe Pennisi

CD Spotlight. Fifty Years - Celebrating Lyrita's recordings of British music, by George Balcombe. '... a meticulous reproduction of orchestral sound ...'

DVD Spotlight. Tragic Power - Handel's 'Tamerlano', reviewed by Robert Anderson. 'The simplicity of the production is welcome ...'

Ensemble. A Double Farewell - Henze and Mahler in Rome, reported by Giuseppe Pennisi

The Christmas Piano - Carolyn Ellis visits the ghosts of Christmas past

CD Spotlight. Insistent Patterns - Music by Yuanlin Chen, recommended by Ron Bierman. '... marvelous textures ...'

CD Spotlight. Fine-honed Skill - Alessandro Scarlatti's 'Davidis pugna et victoria', heard by Robert Anderson

CD Spotlight. A Superb Work - Thomas Arne's 'Artaxerxes', heard by Robert Anderson. 'Roy Goodman and his team give their all ...'

Ensemble. A Sizzling Rendition - 'Carmen' from Phoenix Opera impresses Maria Nockin

CD Spotlight. Thoroughly Intelligent - Schumann and Beethoven songs, reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... he is undoubtedly more comfortable in his baritone register.'

Ensemble. Robust Voices - Susan Hampton visits Boston for Puccini's 'La bohème'

Finding My Medium - Carolyn Ellis writes about her love affair with the piano

Ensemble. A Fine Rendition - 'Così fan tutte' at Arizona Opera, reviewed by Maria Nockin

Ensemble. Life-enhancing - Mike Wheeler listens to the Atrium Quartet

Ensemble. An Enthralling Performance - Robert Hugill reviews Handel's 'Flavio'

Ask Alice - On parents and prose style, with classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh

Arts and the Colour of Politics - Béla Hartmann muses on growing social equality and democratization

CD Spotlight. Very Powerful - Orchestral music by Vytautas Bacevicius, reviewed by Gordon Rumson. 'He had much to say and said it very well.'

Editorial musings with Basil Ramsey. Professionalism - The Editor finds himself perturbed, and asks for a reaction from readers

Editorial musings with Basil Ramsey. Nourishment - the new year as a challenge