Il Trovatore
Starring Anna Netrebko, Dolora Zajick, Yonghoon Lee, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, conducted by Marco Armiliato. Production by Sir David McVicar. From October 3, 2015.
La Cieca
James Jorden (who wrote under the names "La Cieca" and "Our Own JJ") was the founder and editor of parterre box. During his 20 year career as an opera critic he wrote for the New York Times, Opera, Gay City News, Opera Now, Musical America and the New York Post. He also raised his voice in punditry on National Public Radio. From time to time he directed opera, including three unsuccessful productions of Don Giovanni. He also contributed a regular column on opera for the New York Observer. James died in October 2023.
Un ballo in maschera
Starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Kathleen Kim, Stephanie Blythe, Marcelo Álvarez and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, conducted by Fabio Luisi. Production by David Alden. From December 8, 2012.
Sonya Yoncheva in Germany
Sonya Yoncheva sings Verdi, Puccini, Massenet and much more!
La traviata
Starring Natalie Dessay, Matthew Polenzani, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, conducted by Fabio Luisi. Production by Willy Decker. From April 14, 2012.
Ernani
Starring Angela Meade, Marcello Giordani, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and Ferruccio Furlanetto, conducted by Marco Armiliato. Production by Pier Luigi Samaritani. From February 25, 2012.
Isn’t it bliss?
On this day in 1973, the Prince-Sondheim musical A Little Night Music opened at the Shubert Theatre, to run 601 performances.
Eugene Onegin
Starring Renée Fleming, Ramón Vargas, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, conducted by Valery Gergiev. Production by Robert Carsen. From February 24, 2007.
Put a ‘Ring’ on it
The eventually reopened Metropolitan Opera promises a swift return to its status quo ante as a farm team for the English National Opera, sharing the London company’s new Ring cycle directed by vieillard terrible Richard Jones.
The Makropulos Case
With Laura Aikin, Ludovit Ludha, Thomas Ebenstein, Margarita Gritskova, Markus Marquardt and Heinz Zednik.
The Queen of Spades
Starring Galina Gorchakova, Elisabeth Söderström, Plácido Domingo, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Nikolai Putilin, conducted by Valery Gergiev. Production by Elijah Moshinsky. From April 15, 1999.
Il Trovatore
The Met kicks their off Dmitri Hvorostovsky Week with a performance also starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Dolora Zajick and Marcelo Álvarez, conducted by Marco Armiliato. Production by Sir David McVicar. From April 30, 2011.
Sissy that Walküre
The tiny but mighty Divas In Drag Italian Opera Company returns with a true Gaysamtkunstwerk.
Starry heavens
From the Bayerische Staatsoper, an all-Beethoven program featuring Edwin Crossley-Mercer and Lise Davidsen.
La Rondine
Angela Gheorghiu is Magda de Civry at the San Francisco Opera, 2007.
Carmen
With Anita Rachvelishvili, Piotr Beczala, Erwin Schrott, Vera-Lotte Boecker. Musical Direction: Andrés Orozco-Estrada. Production: Calixto Bieito.
Pretty in pink
Born on this day in 1953 Broadway diva Christine Ebersole.
Carmen
Starring Angela Gheorghiu, Waltraud Meier, Plácido Domingo, and Sergei Leiferkus, conducted by James Levine. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From March 25, 1997.
Salome
Live from La Scala with Elena Stikhina, Wolfgang Koch, Gerhard Siegel and Linda Watson. Zubin Mehta Riccardo Chailly conducts.
Go west
On this day in 2020 a restudied production of West Side Story opened on Broadway.
Don Giovanni
Starring Carol Vaness, Karita Mattila, Dawn Upshaw, Jerry Hadley, Samuel Ramey, Ferruccio Furlanetto and Kurt Moll, conducted by James Levine. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From April 5, 1990.
Young Toscanini
For your afternoon delight: the campy 1988 Franco Zeffirelli biopic starring C. Thomas Howell, Elizabeth Taylor and the decidedly un-campy singing of Aprile Millo.
Das Wunder der Heliane
Conductor: Marc Albrecht; Director: Christof Loy – With Sara Jakubiak, Josef Wagner, Brian Jagde, Okka von der Damerau, Derek Welton, Burkhard Ulrich, Gideon Poppe; Chorus and Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
Aida
At the Opéra Bastille, Verdi’s masterpiece is directed by Lotte de Beer and performed by Sondra Radvanovsky, Ksenia Dudnikova, Jonas Kaufmann and Ludovic Tézier. Conducted by Michele Mariotti.
Cavalleria rusticana / Pagliacci
Starring Tatiana Troyanos, Jean Kraft, Plácido Domingo, and Vern Shinall; Teresa Stratas, Plácido Domingo, Sherrill Milnes, and Allan Monk, conducted by James Levine. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From April 5, 1978.
I’ll take the fall
The days are getting shorter, but you can keep the prattle going this fall’s Talk of the Town! You will, you can, you must join in the discussion about: Great mezzo soprano performances (October),
Gained in translation (November), Teleport me back to… (December).
Win a Free Ticket to Opening Night at the Met!
Quinn Kelsey and Lise Davidsen star in the Met's new Macbeth. We're giving away one ticket, so screw your courage to the sticking place and enter now!
