ContactMusic — Moviemaker and Monty Python star Terry Gilliam signed up to direct an opera in London to pull himself out of a deep depression. The Brit agreed to take charge of The Damnation of Faust at the English National Opera in during an emotional slump - and ... more info

Guardian Music — Palace Theatre, ManchesterDamon Albarn discusses the making of the opera It is perhaps as much a disservice to call the 16th century alchemist and astrologer John Dee a Renaissance man as it is to refer to Damon Albarn as the former frontman of Blur... more info

Guardian Music — The opera world's leading mezzos choose their favourite living performers in their rangeChristine Rice on Janet BakerIt's one of my great regrets that I never saw Janet Baker perform live, but her recordings were absolutely formative for me when I w... more info

Guardian Music — Williams/BBC Singers and SO/de Ridder(NMC, 2 CDs)Robert Saxton's "radio opera" took a long time – more than 20 years – to reach fruition. Commissioned by the BBC, it was assembled in the studio and first broadcast on Radio 3 last year, and this i... more info

Guardian Music — Royal Festival Hall, LondonEver since they first worked together in the 1960s, there has been a great bond of mutual admiration and respect between Daniel Barenboim and Pierre Boulez. Barenboim has championed Boulez's music, and regularly invited him... more info

Guardian Music — ENO, Coliseum, London; Grange Park Opera, HampshireIs English National Opera trying to do too much? Some desperate ticket offers on current productions suggest life is not easy. Four ambitious new shows in rapid succession might be considered sane in... more info

Guardian Music — Damon Albarn's new show explores the Elizabethan thinker and magician John DeeJohn Dee was born in 1527 to one of Henry VIII's courtiers. Growing up with a voracious intellect, he collected a huge library of rare and esoteric material over his lifeti... more info

Guardian Music — Coliseum; St John's, Smith Square; Royal College of Music, all LondonMess with Britten at your peril. You can guarantee the claque will be out, cat-calling, waving handbags and crying "the horror" as if civilisation had yielded to the barbarians. At ... more info

Guardian Music — Information and lineups for the UK's best day festivalsThe Big MixWhen: 18 JuneWhere: Shoreditch, LondonWhat: Formerly known as The Brick Lane Takeover. Music, comedy, fashion, art and cabaret in various venues around east London in aid of Macmil... more info

Guardian Music — Margiono/Cole/Quasthoff/Huijpen/Netherlands Radio Choir and PO/Haitink (Challenge Classics, two CDs)Whatever the impact of the recent round of Arts Council cuts, British music has yet to encounter any threat on the scale of that currently faced by mu... more info