Sissy that Walküre Sissy that Walküre

The tiny but mighty Divas In Drag Italian Opera Company returns with a true Gaysamtkunstwerk.

on February 22, 2021 at 3:23 PM
What’s my motivation? What’s my motivation?

Wagner must intrude at some point because he invented film music.

on July 17, 2020 at 11:02 AM
World of Wunders World of Wunders

For an ecstatic outburst lasting less than a minute I swiftly gathered up an exaltation of Sieglindes from live performances spanning nearly 80 years. In fact, there were so many I decided to split up the quiz into three parts.

on May 04, 2020 at 10:00 AM
A dark drab dud A dark drab dud

I never imagined I’d see such a rote park-and-bark Wagner production created in 2020!

on March 03, 2020 at 12:16 PM
Bleak house Bleak house

Karita Mattila’s Ortrud, taut conducting, and a remarkable debut emerge from Richard Jones’s dreary Lohengrin Konzept.

on November 25, 2019 at 9:26 AM
Winterstorms that go bump in the night Winterstorms that go bump in the night

A hefty thunderclap shook Tanglewood’s Koussevitzky Shed just as Andris Nelsons raised his baton for the third act of the weekend’s concert Die Walküre.

on July 31, 2019 at 10:31 AM
It’s the Minnesinger not the song It’s the Minnesinger not the song

Tannhäuser pales beside the other great Wagnerian operas in the degree to which it has innovated the Regisseur’s vocabulary for set design and dramaturgy.

on July 16, 2019 at 10:24 AM
Tales of the Golden Motel Tales of the Golden Motel

The gods get their kicks on Route 66.

on June 02, 2019 at 12:44 PM
Get in the ‘Ring’ Get in the ‘Ring’

Wagner’s Ring is an artistic masterpiece that is peerless in its ability to continually reveal layers of musical, theatrical, and philosophical insight

on March 18, 2019 at 4:09 PM
Ohne Meiden, ohne Scheiden Ohne Meiden, ohne Scheiden

Yusif Eyvazov just let slip what we must assume is a very long-term project indeed for himself and Anna Netrebko: the title roles in Tristan und Isolde.

on February 07, 2019 at 2:16 AM
The rich are different from you and me The rich are different from you and me

Whether you love the 2018 Berlin Staatsoper Tristan and Isolde depends on what you think the opera is about.

on December 15, 2018 at 10:00 AM
Broadcast: Lohengrin Broadcast: Lohengrin

Live video stream from the Staatsoper Stuttgart starting at 11:00 AM.

on October 20, 2018 at 9:00 AM
Burning woman Burning woman

I count myself as privileged to have witnessed Götterdämmerungat the Royal Opera House during this season’s revival of Keith Warner’s Ring.

on October 05, 2018 at 12:49 PM
Tristan up close Tristan up close

Sunday, August 26, marked the inaugural performance for the newly-created The Claude Heater Foundation with a concert performance of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde in the Herbst Theatre. 

on September 04, 2018 at 8:00 AM
Broadcast: Tristan und Isolde Broadcast: Tristan und Isolde

Act Two of Wagner’s music drama with the Boston Symphony.

on April 07, 2018 at 8:15 PM
Fifty shades of Grail Fifty shades of Grail

The Met’s magnificent revival which opened on Monday night with a superb cast under the mesmerizing leadership of Yannick Nézet-Séguin nearly converted me into a devoted Parsifal disciple.

on February 06, 2018 at 11:04 AM
Phone rings, door chimes, in comes Sängerkrieg! Phone rings, door chimes, in comes Sängerkrieg!

“Heinrich, come on over for dinner! / We’ll be so glad to see you!”

on October 16, 2017 at 10:36 AM
Tragedy tonight Tragedy tonight

In May of last year tenor Piotr Beczala and soprano Anna Netrebko sang in Lohengrin for the first time under the baton of Christian Thielemann in his home house at the Staatskapelle Dresden.

on July 18, 2017 at 10:00 AM
Sausendes, brausendes Rad der Zeit Sausendes, brausendes Rad der Zeit

At long last, cher public, a finale to our Senta’s Ballad quiz, nearly a month late! The name of the winner and the complete lists of sopranos after the jump. 

on May 23, 2017 at 8:00 AM
Ein Wolf war er feigen Füchsen! Ein Wolf war er feigen Füchsen!

Here’s Matt Baume enjoying Der Fluch Des Engelhart,

on February 04, 2017 at 11:36 AM
Trauermarsch Trauermarsch

I can scarcely remember a performance where so many conflicting thoughts raced through my mind as happened Thursday night during the Met Orchestra’s “bleeding chunks” of Wagner’s Ring at Carnegie Hall.

on May 27, 2016 at 2:33 PM
Tanks a lot, but no tanks Tanks a lot, but no tanks

The production by Sebastian Baumgarten is the type of regietheater that’s not a rethinking or reconstruction, but just a hot mess.

on August 31, 2015 at 11:15 AM
Herrn Tristan bringe meinen Gruss Herrn Tristan bringe meinen Gruss

Our dear friends over at Opera Depot are slashing prices in half on all their recordings of Tristan und Isolde in honor of the music drama’s 150th anniversary.

on June 11, 2015 at 11:00 AM
Love it to death Love it to death

Mariusz Trelinski will direct Tristan und Isolde for Metropolitan Opera in a production that will premiere there on opening night 2016.

on February 04, 2015 at 4:46 PM