Russian conductor Mikhail Agrest and Russian soprano Veronika Dzhioeva come to Taipei bringing a veritable cornucopia of treasures from nineteenth-century Italian opera (and two from Dvořák). Veronika Dzhioeva sings six well-known arias including the sumptuously beautiful “Casta Diva” from Bellini’s Norma, the lustrous “Tacea la notte” from Verdi’s Trovatore, and the touchingly sincere “O mio babbino caro” from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. As a sort of prelude to each of the six vocal gems ̶ all centerpieces of a soprano’s repertory – the NSO offers a short orchestral excerpt either drawn from the opera whose aria will follow, or another appropriate number. Connoisseurs will delight in rarely-heard orchestral music by Catalani (a warmly sentimental piece by a composer remembered only for his opera La Wally), Puccini (his first published composition), and Dvořák (a short symphonic poem).