Rule of three Rule of three

Puccini’s Il trittico was most definitely not an overwhelming success when it received its December 1918 world premiere at the Met.

on July 18, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Biblical sense Biblical sense

Shirley Verrett remains one of my all-time favorite artists, and I am pleased to introduce her to my Mixcloud site in one of her parade roles: the femme fatale in Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila.

on July 11, 2016 at 9:00 AM
All shook up All shook up

Subtitled by its creators as “A Fearful Radio Show,” this opera reminded Jerome Robbins of Orson Welles’ 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds.

on July 04, 2016 at 8:27 AM
Nostra e del ciel è gloria Nostra e del ciel è gloria

It’s time to add more legends to my Mixcloud site: Mario Del Monaco, Raina Kabaivanska, and Tito Gobbi star in this 1962 performance of Otello from Covent Garden led by Georg Solti.

on June 20, 2016 at 10:55 AM
Montag mit Marguerite Montag mit Marguerite

Berlioz apparently couldn’t decide if his was an oratorio or an opera, so he labeled it a “légende dramatique.”  Since its 1846 Paris premiere, it remains on both opera stages and in concert halls, with its first Met staging in 1906. 

on June 13, 2016 at 10:30 AM
Old school Old school

This week, I offer you a classic rendition of Richard Strauss’ tale of the House of Atreus starring Ursula Schröder-Feinen, Astrid Varnay, Leonie Rysanek, Theo Adam, and Hans Hopf under Karl Böhm’s direction.

on June 06, 2016 at 9:51 AM
Evensong Evensong

When Neil Shicoff celebrated the 40th anniversary of his 1975 stage debut as Ernani in Cincinnati, no one had any idea that it would, essentially, mark the end of his career.  In 2014 he added the roles of Canio (at Wiener Staatsoper) and Calaf (at Volksoper Wien) to his repertoire to great acclaim. 

on May 30, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Monotheism mit Marianne Monotheism mit Marianne

Philip Glass is indisputably one of the most prolific composers of the last half century, yet none of his more than 20 operas has found a place in the standard repertoire.

on May 24, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Youth served Youth served

Too often I allow my memories of great singers to be dulled by late career behavior, delving into unsuitable roles or just plain laziness.

on May 16, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Forever young Forever young

Perhaps the most admirable project of Dominique Meyer’s Intendanz at Wiener Staatsoper is the traversal of the operas of Leos Janancek,.

on May 09, 2016 at 9:08 AM
The wimple life The wimple life

Francis Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites essentially had three world premieres in 1957: first at La Scala (sung in Italian), then Paris (sung in French), followed by San Francisco (sung in English).

on May 02, 2016 at 10:58 AM
Four conversations are three too many Four conversations are three too many

Which diva gets to sing “I hope you die!  I hope you die soon!  I’ll be waiting for you to die!”

on April 25, 2016 at 9:00 AM
She never sings anything twice She never sings anything twice

Can it all be true? She did what? He said what?

on April 18, 2016 at 1:24 PM
You know, if this was a cowboy movie, I’d give you my boots You know, if this was a cowboy movie, I’d give you my boots

Where were you in 1975?

on April 11, 2016 at 11:17 AM
Look Bacchae in anger Look Bacchae in anger

The weekly “Montag mit Marianne” stream continues with a performance of Szymanowski’s Krol Roger.

on April 04, 2016 at 10:00 AM
Keenly missed Keenly missed

Simon, Simon, Simon: how we do love you (and miss you)!

on March 28, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Sie ist ein Ungeheuer, deine Tochter Sie ist ein Ungeheuer, deine Tochter

The focus in this 1974 performance of Salome from Orange is (mostly) on the Herodes of Jon Vickers.

on March 21, 2016 at 9:00 AM
These old bards These old bards

It’s time for celebrations!

on March 14, 2016 at 9:00 AM
What is a youth? What is a youth?

Here’s our beloved Juan Diego Flórez last week, continuing his voyage into heavier repertoire as the titular love-sick teenager in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.

on March 07, 2016 at 9:13 AM
If I were king If I were king

We have a major discovery (well, to me at least) of a spectacular talent: American tenor Michael Spyres.

on February 29, 2016 at 9:00 AM
I shall marry the Miller’s daughter I shall marry the Miller’s daughter

I grew up with the Anna Moffo recording of Luisa Miller, so it was fortuitous that the Met gave the premiere of a new production in 1968, around the time RCA released the album.

on February 22, 2016 at 9:00 AM
We have begun to celebrate the different ways We have begun to celebrate the different ways

Nixon in China is one of several titles that when I tell people that it’s on my Top Ten Favorite list of operas, I get strange looks.

on February 16, 2016 at 12:17 AM
Out of the passerine Out of the passerine

Here’s a lesser piece by a great composer, single-handedly “rescued” for our generation by Angela Gheorghiu.

on February 08, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Unfiltered Unfiltered

t’s with great joy that I am able to give you Carmen, sung in Italian, from La Scala in 1931.  I love this kind of stuff.

on February 01, 2016 at 9:00 AM
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