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Courtly Confusion: Rossini's 'Voyage To Rheims'

The opera has a scatterbrained story, full of decidedly goofy characters. Yet Rossini's gift for musical profiling, plus a raft of bravura arias and ensembles, make this La Scala production a comic gem.

Four For The Fourth: Songs For America

The Fourth of July is a birthday party and the whole country is invited. And every party needs music. Whether meditating on America's landscape, its freedoms or the things about it that frustrate us, America is ripe for inspiration, as evidenced by the songs here.

Maestro Maazel On Life After N.Y. Philharmonic

After conducting the world's most famous orchestra for seven years, Lorin Maazel gave his last performance June 27. Now, at 79, Maazel has launched a two-week festival on a Virginia farm, and he also intends to teach aspiring conductors. Maazel tells NPR what it takes to be a successful conductor.

Aaron Copland's American Vision

Commentator Rob Kapilow explains how Copland's pure, American sound springs from two simple chords that open the ballet Appalachian Spring. Stacked upon each other, the chords reveal a sound like all of America, like the purest values, and like Shaker simplicity.

Rhapsody In Blue: Gershwin At His Greatest

Leonard Bernstein does full justice to the still racy and spontaneous score of Rhapsody In Blue in this 1959 recording. As both conductor and pianist, he brings a smoky, sultry jazziness to the piece.

James Blackshaw: A One-Man Orchestra

James Blackshaw is best known for his lush, symphonic compositions. His impressive technical virtuosity enables him to make his 12-string guitar sound like an entire orchestra. Blackshaw talks with Guy Raz about his musical style and his latest album, The Glass Bead Game.

Yolanda Kondonassis: Impressions Of The Harp

The adventurous harpist joins flutist Joshua Smith and violist Cynthia Phelps in the Performance Today studio to explore the musical connections between two impressionist composers — Toru Takemitsu and his hero, Claude Debussy.

Stile Antico: Young Voices Revive Old Music

With three acclaimed recordings and a recent U.S. debut, the fresh-voiced British choral group has clearly arrived on the early music scene. Stile Antico's latest CD, Song of Songs, explores some of the 16th-century's most sensuous settings of Bible texts.

Quirky Brilliance: Handel's 'Faramondo'

The story of Handel's vibrant, 1738 opera is a bit of a head-scratcher. Yet it's told through some of the composer's finest music, ranging from infectious tunes to profound lyricism. This production from Lausanne features a full cast of brilliant solo performers.

NPR Music Events Calendar

A listing of upcoming concerts webcast live and archived on NPR Music. All the concerts webcast on NPR Music are archived after they air, and most are available in the "Live In Concert from All Songs Considered" podcast.