Christopher Corwin began writing for Parterre Box in 2011 under the pen name of “DeCaffarrelli.” He has lived in New York City for over 25 years where he attends opera and other performing arts events regularly. Like many, he came to opera via the Saturday Met Opera broadcasts which he began listening to at age 11. Thanks to the rich collection of LPs at his local library he learned and grew to especially love 17th and 18th century opera.
Christopher Corwin
Two of today’s most compelling divas tackle a hair-raising early 20th century German masterpiece for “Trove Thursday”—Karita Mattila in Schönberg’s Erwartung conducted by Susanna Mälkki and Anna Caterina Antonacci in Hindemith’s Sancta Susanna led by Carlo Rizzi. Read more »
Just over a month ago the great Catalan soprano Montserrat Caballé died at age 85. “Trove Thursday” joins many other salutes with a recording of one of her fabled early NYC bel canto concert appearances – in 1969 she sang Alaide in Bellini’s La Straniera for I believe the first and only time. Read more »
This riotous opera transports the Oedipus tale to an apocalyptic 1980s London, plagued by police violence, racism, and socioeconomic decay. Intrepid composer Mark-Anthony Turnage’s (Anna Nicole) 1988 breakthrough brilliantly combines cockney-accented profanity and irreverent drama with an audacious score and outstanding four-person cast. Eddy (tenor Alex Otterburn), our modern-day Oedipus, dreams of a better life. After hearing a fortune teller’s disturbing prediction, he resolves at all costs to avoid shagging his own mum (soprano Susan Bullock) and inadvertently killing his father (tenor Andrew Shore). But he is unable to outrun fate, landing in the prophetically maternal arms of an East End café manager (mezzo soprano Allison Cook). Thirty years later, Greek still resonates, offering an incisive, brash contemporary statement on accountability and family. Read more »
These days labeling something “old-fashioned” usually comes across pejoratively. But while most everything about the Hungarian State Opera’s Die Königin von Saba Friday was old-fashioned it was the most sheerly enjoyable night at the opera I’ve spent this whole year! Read more »
“Trove Thursday” keeps the evil deeds going this All Saints’s Day with a vintage La Scala broadcast of Arrigo Boito’s only completed opera Mefistofele.
The Hungarian State Opera and Hungarian National Ballet opened their visit to Lincoln Center Tuesday night with the US stage premiere of their “national opera” Bánk Bán.
“Trove Thursday” offers due local Lombardi: one with Renata Scotto and José Carreras, the other with Aprile Millo and Carlo Bergonzi.
“Trove Thursday” presents Karl Goldmark’s Die Königin von Saba in a broadcast with Anja Silja, Sabine Hass, Siegfried Jerusalem and Wolfgang Brendel conducted by Julius Rudel.
Cher Public