There are many reasons to study ancient Rome. Rome's span was vast. In the regional, restless, and shifting history of continental Europe, the Roman Empire stands as a towering monument to scale and stability. At its height, the Roman Empire, unified in politics and law, stretched from the sands of Syria to the moors of Scotland, and it stood for almost 700 years. Rome's influence is indelible. Europe and the world owe a huge cultural debt to Rome in so many fields of human endeavor, such as art, architecture, engineering, language, literature, law, and religion. In this course you see how a small village of shepherds and farmers rose to tower over the civilized world of its day and left an indelible mark on history.
The distinguished American mezzo-soprano Barbara Conrad has appeared regularly with the Metropolitan Opera since her début as Azucena in Il trovatore. She has appeared at the same opera-house in Der Rosenkavalier and Les Troyens, both also telecast, in Porgy and Bess, L'enfant et les sortilèges and Aida. A native of Texas, Barbara Conrad has been active with the University of Texas at Austin, where she was awarded the prestigious Texas Distinguished Alumnus Award, and enjoys an international career in opera that has taken her to the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, to Frankfurt and to Cologne, and to major opera-houses in America, with concert engagements in Europe and the Americas and recordings that include her performance as Gertrude in the Hamlet of Ambroise Thomas with Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge.
This debut album represents the rich history of the Sphinx Organization and the vibrant future of classical music by centering the artistry of extraordinary composers and artistic visionaries of color.
Irreverent yet accurate, Mark Steele takes people who have made a mark in history (or at least are mentioned often enough that their names are familiar) and gives you the highlights of their lives in a way that makes you remember the important bits.