Parterre Box

Bel canto snarl for bel canto snarl Bel canto snarl for bel canto snarl

Rising stars Chelsea Lehnea and Ricardo José Rivera are the protagonists of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.

Some filth or dementia from Mat Hal Some filth or dementia from Mat Hal

Who doesn’t love a slightly murky archival recording?

Some filth or dementia from Peter Russell Some filth or dementia from Peter Russell

Ma che brutta figura per la lirica!

Some filth or dementia from Mister Snow Some filth or dementia from Mister Snow

I sort of have a love/hate fascination with countertenors/male falsettists.

Some filth or dementia from Myra Norman Some filth or dementia from Myra Norman

Karina Gauvin slays for the slayed. Werk Bitch.

Zubin Mehta is a great opera conductor Zubin Mehta is a great opera conductor

Zubin Mehta was a major part of musical life when I moved to Southern California in 1969, having started his tenure as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Wie tönender Schall schlug’s an mein Ohr Wie tönender Schall schlug’s an mein Ohr

It’s a busy summer for Vida Miknevičiūtė and Eric Cutler, the subjects of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.

Bernard Herrmann was a great opera conductor Bernard Herrmann was a great opera conductor

It is no wonder Bernard Herrmann relishes the wistful lyricism in Barber’s masterwork, as Herrmann’s score for Vertigo is among the most beautiful and haunting of all film scores ever composed.

Maurice Abravanel was a great opera conductor Maurice Abravanel was a great opera conductor

Based on exactly one recording, Maurice Abravanel is my favorite opera conductor.

Ringing them in Ringing them in

Cher public is exhorted to join the Geplauder when the annual week of broadcasts from Bayreuth begins on Saturday

John Barbirolli was a great opera conductor John Barbirolli was a great opera conductor

Fifty some years ago I stumbled on to John Barbirolli‘s recording of matchless Elgar & V-Williams music for strings and discovered my go-to conductor for life.

Noch mein’ ich mir selber so sicher zu sein Noch mein’ ich mir selber so sicher zu sein

Elina Garanča’s aborted first Ariadne may have been the headline item at the Salzburg Festival next month, but this week Parterre Box features the Zerbinetta, Ziyi Dai.

Dimitri Mitropoulos was a great opera conductor Dimitri Mitropoulos was a great opera conductor

Whether an opera by Puccini, Verdi, Wagner, Strauss, or Berg, Dimitri Mitropoulos brought to the podium a total understanding and love for each score he touched.

Rudolf Kempe was a great opera conductor Rudolf Kempe was a great opera conductor

I am once again going to laud the classic Rudolf Kempe commercial recording of Lohengrin (which I have lauded overall) for its conducting.

Roger Norrington was a great opera conductor Roger Norrington was a great opera conductor

Roger Norrington conducted Rossini’s Semiramide in Pesaro ’94 and made the Orchestra part of the drama in a way I still have never heard duplicated in a Bel Canto opera.

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.