Richard Wagner | Ride of the Valkyries

The Ride of the Valkyries (German: Walkürenritt or Ritt der Walküren) is the popular name of the prelude to the first scene of the third and last act of Die Walküre, the second of the four epic music dramas that constitute the operatic cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen (English: The Ring of the Nibelung), composed by Richard Wagner.

As a separate piece, the "Ride" is often heard in a purely instrumental version, which may be as short as three minutes.

Peter Nicolai Arbo (Norwegian historical painter, 1831-1892) | The Valkyrie

Paul Seignac | Genre painter

During the 19th century, genre scenes were a popular subject throughout Europe.

The French painter Paul Guillaume Seignac (1826-1904) specialized in genre paintings depicting children, rural life and everyday scenes.

A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, incidental music by German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) written to accompany performances of Shakespeare’s play "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" at the Prussian royal court.

Mendelssohn became familiar with Shakespeare by reading German translations as a boy, and in 1827, at age 17, he was inspired to write a piece capturing the atmosphere of Shakespeare’s comedy.

The piece, a concert overture, quickly became a popular favourite throughout Europe.

Marc Chagall | La branche de gui or Le rêve, 1928

Giotto (1267-1337) | Gothic painter

Giotto di Bondone, better known simply as Giotto, was an Italian painter and architect from Florence in the late Middle Ages.

He is generally considered the first in a line of great artists who contributed to the Italian Renaissance.

Giotto's contemporary Giovanni Villani wrote that Giotto was:

"the most sovereign master of painting in his time, who drew all his figures and their postures according to nature.

And he was given a salary by the Comune of Florence in virtue of his talent and excellence".

The Story behind "Caruso" song

"Caruso" is a song written by Italian singer-songwriter Lucio Dalla (1943-2012) in 1986.

It is dedicated to Enrico Caruso, an Italian operatic first lyric tenor then dramatic tenor.

Following Lucio Dalla's death, the song entered the Italian Singles Chart, peaking at number two for two consecutive weeks.

The song simply tells about the pain and longings of a man who is about to die while he is looking into the eyes of a girl who was very dear to him.

The lyrics contain various subtle references to people and places in Caruso's life.

Ferdinando Sapio | Sorrento