We begin with a tale of sorcery, epic battles, and love. This opera was inspired by the epic fairy tale poem of the same name by Alexander Pushkin, where the brave hero Ruslan sets out to rescue his ...

Co-hosts Michael Stern and Dan Margolies celebrate the birthdays of Bedřich Smetana, Maurice Ravel, Samuel Barber and Béla Bartók. We'll hear works such as Smetana's crowd-lpleasing "Overture to the ...

The death of Ataúlfo Argenta at the age of 44, in 1958, robbed the world of a major talent. His recording career was already well underway, and he was due to record the Brahms symphonies with the ...

Comic operas rarely seem comic, but this overture's riotous tempo hints at a farcical story of frivolity. Smetana adds a dollop of Czech dances to the mix and cooks up a fun-filled feast.

Bedrich Smetana is one of the most beloved Czech composers -- two others are Antonin Dvorak and Leos Janacek -- and particularly admired for the orchestral cycle "Ma Vlast" ("My Country") and the ...