Adrian Mourby

The Holy Roman Ring Road

Emperor Franz Joseph officially opened the Ringstrasse on May 1st, 1865. Adrian Mourby looks at its 150 years as a Viennese landmark.

Wagner’s Unsung Heroine

Bayreuth has much for which to thank Richard Wagner, but the determination of a Prussian princess to create something out of her dull and provincial 18th-century marriage helped make the city the place it is today, says Adrian Mourby.

Opera’s Second Coming

Adrian Mourby welcomes a new wave of opera houses around the world, and compares this with the previous surge in the late 19th century.

Troy, City of Dreams

Adrian Mourby visits the site of a city that continues to inspire grandiose visions, as it has done for almost 3,000 years.

Alexandria's Library Rises Again

The ancient library of Alexandria, destroyed by fire in AD270 is to be replaced by a new great library in the city to open this year, which will also serve as a local city museum.

Schiller’s List

Adrian Mourby looks at the long line of history operas inspired by the works of the German romantic poet Friedrich Schiller and finds Hollywood is still inspired by Schiller’s style.