Parterre Box

Lady in waiting Lady in waiting

One Italian soprano continues to save the day in bel canto roles at La Scala; this week Parterre Box features Marta Torbidoni.

Fabio Luisi is a great opera conductor Fabio Luisi is a great opera conductor

Many years ago, when the Met was deciding who the next principal conductor/music director was going to be, it seemed to be a tie between YN-S and Fabio Luisi.

Daniel Barenboim is a great opera conductor Daniel Barenboim is a great opera conductor

Daniel Barenboim’s Tristan und Isolde is a performance I keep coming back to, again and again.

Seiji Ozawa was a great opera conductor Seiji Ozawa was a great opera conductor

I first experienced the magic of Seiji Ozawa in 1972 when I was 12 years old.

<em>Box</em> Braid <em>Box</em> Braid

Ambur Braid‘s biggest dramatic soprano assignment yet — the Dyer’s Wife in Aix — is occasion for Parterre Box to feature her in some of her old repertoire.

Aix and you shall receive Aix and you shall receive

Mesdames et Messieurs, this summer’s broadcasts from the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence begin this weekend!

Giuseppe Patanè was a great opera conductor Giuseppe Patanè was a great opera conductor

I think Patanè did far more than just hold it together: he did full honor to Verdi.

Herbert von Karajan was a great opera conductor Herbert von Karajan was a great opera conductor

He has conducted some of my favorite opera recordings.

Ernest Ansermet was a great opera conductor Ernest Ansermet was a great opera conductor

Although Ernest Ansermet is most often associated with orchestral music, his 1964 recording of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande is still my favorite.

Yannick Nézet-Séguin is a great opera conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin is a great opera conductor

Historically, conductors were often viewed as rigid, authoritarian figures. Yannick Nézet-Séguin completely subverts this stereotype.

Goodnight, Irene Goodnight, Irene

Grand Tier Grab Bag features the American Zwischenfach mezzo Irene Roberts ahead of an eclectic season of Wagner.

Patrizia Ciofi should have made it to the Met Patrizia Ciofi should have made it to the Met

The artist who I feel should have made it to the Met is Patrizia Ciofi.

Andrée Esposito and Alain Vanzo should have made it to the Met Andrée Esposito and Alain Vanzo should have made it to the Met

This Mireille duet unites Andrée Esposito and Alain Vanzo and shows the timbral and stylistic qualities that made them exemplary.

Poetic license Poetic license

Parterre Box shines a light on Liparit Avetisyan, who made his Met debut as Alfredo earlier this spring.

Sena Jurinac should have made it to the Met Sena Jurinac should have made it to the Met

Sena Jurinac, a celebrated Mozart and Strauss singer here as the Composer, a signature role.

Janet Baker should have made it to the Met Janet Baker should have made it to the Met

The divine Dame Janet Baker never sang at the Metropolitan, sadly for American audiences.

Dorothy Maynor should have made it to the Met Dorothy Maynor should have made it to the Met

We had to wait for Marian Anderson to break the color barrier at the Met and many great Black opera singers never had a chance there.

Leyla Gencer should have made it to the Met Leyla Gencer should have made it to the Met

Leyla Gencer had a long European career but never sang at the Met.

Hina Spani should have made it to the Met Hina Spani should have made it to the Met

A full century after her heyday, Argentine soprano Hina Spani still moves us thanks to her vivid recordings and the savants who have cherished and shared them.

Frau Miina-Liisa will es werde Nacht Frau Miina-Liisa will es werde Nacht

Parterre Box features soprano Miina-Liisa Värelä, making her title role debut in Die Walküre in Munich next week, in a performance of Tristan und Isolde from 2021.

Anna Caterina Antonacci should have made it to the Met Anna Caterina Antonacci should have made it to the Met

The one who got away was Anna Caterina Antonacci, a thrilling performer.

Extraordinary conduct Extraordinary conduct

Conductors, schlock, and 26-27, oh my! Make sure to weigh in on our next edition of The Talk of the Town.

Lina Bruna Rasa should have made it to the Met Lina Bruna Rasa should have made it to the Met

In the case of Lina Bruna Rasa, the reasons why she never sang at the Met are painfully clear.

Conchita Supervia should have made it to the Met Conchita Supervia should have made it to the Met

For vibrato fanciers, of course, discovering Supervia is like hitting the mother lode.