Brian Robins presents such a vivid and expressive portrait of the English composer that if it were a painting John Michael Wright would have signed it.

The acts commemorating the 400th anniversary of the publication of Don Quixote are drawing to an end and we would like to join in the celebrations. Begoña Lolo presents a well-documented essay tracing music from all over the world inspired by the adventures and misfortunes of the Ingenious Knight.

Following our presentation of Busenello as the first true opera librettist in history in Issue 36, comes Olivier Rouvière’s essay about Metastasio, the playwright and poet whose texts made a decisive contribution to the reformation, evolution and supremacy of Italian opera. His librettos were used profusely by composers stretching from Caldara to Mozart.

One of the most frequently asked questions is how the modern orchestra was formed. The manner in which the orchestra reached its present configuration and its development are basic issues to the comprehension of the evolution of symphonic music and the larger orchestral ensembles. These issues are addressed in John Spitzar and Neal Zaslaws’ essay titled Orpheus’s Lute. Analysing the performance of different Orfeos between 1600 and 1791, they provide a very original description of the evolution and development of the modern orchestra.

Our featured performer is Vincent Dumestre, the French leader of Poeme Harmonique, a promising young artist who has already made a name for himself. Dumestre is capable of facing challenges and projects very few would dare to tackle and of coming out triumphant.