Opera Prelude:The Mozart Code: Lessons in the 18th-Century Art of Melody

Nicholas Baragwanath, scholar of music history and theory, amazes and astounds as he demonstrates the art of instant improvisation and embellishment of famous operatic melodies.

The Morning’s fascinating talk is drawn from his acclaimed book appearing in May 2020 with Oxford UP (The Solfeggio Tradition), and introduces the audience to the incredible rags to riches story of how most of the great virtuosi and maestri of the 18C were either streetkids or orphans (think Paisiello, Salieri, Pergolesi etc) and how they were trained in orphanages ('conservatori') to be musicians learning skills in improvisation and composition.

He has received two international prizes in musicology and regularly presents on BBC Radio 3. An exhibition of his research on 18th-century ‘conservatori’ will feature at The Foundling Museum in autumn 2021: ‘Streetkids to Superstars: Orphanages and the X-Factor’.

Opera Prelude is a small charity passionate about supporting young professional opera singers who give recitals in London. These friendly and inclusive events will introduce you to the international opera singers of tomorrow by way of recitals, concerts and masterclasses.