I’m still thinking about George Tabori’s Pagliacci
I love Tabori—his staging of Bluebeard’s Castle and Erwartung are among my five favorite opera performances of all time.
By Remko Jas
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Parterre Box
Out of the mouths of babes
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.
I’m still thinking about Laurent Pelly’s Il turco in Italia
Ha ha ha, so gorgeous!
By grimoaldo2
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Oceanic feeling
Grand Tier Grab Bag features a complete performance of Ernest Chausson‘s Poème de l’amour et de la mer ahead of a particular year for both its soloist and conductor.
I’m still thinking about Martin Kusej’s Rusalka
The production is based on the Elisabeth Fritzl story, and it really made me reconsider this opera’s fairy tale storyline.
By Ivy Lin
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I’m still thinking about Peter Sellars’s Così fan tutte
I never thought an opera production could be this well done.
By Brian Newhouse
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We’re still thinking about Robert Carsen’s Mefistofele
Les Camilles both agree on this one. And WHY? You ask??!
By Les Camilles
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I’m still thinking about Krzysztof Warlikowski’s Lulu
Barbara Hannigan‘s Lulu is the greatest live performance I’ve seen.
By Kevin Ng
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Closer to fine
Grand Tier Grab Bag looks forward to a big week for Umberto Giordano by sharing Sondra Radvanovsky and Gregory Kunde performing the final duet from Andrea Chénier.
I’m still thinking about Hans Neuenfels’s Lohengrin
Who are the rats? Why are their tails getting longer? Is Lohengrin a rat trying to free himself from a maze?
By Rowna Sutin
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I’m still thinking about Bob Wilson’s Le trouvère
At every turn, the preconceived notion of Trovatore was denied, right down to the boxing during the ballet.
By Harry Rose
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I’m still thinking about David McVicar’s Giulio Cesare
With Cesare’s old-school rules of war set spinning by Cleopatra’s Bollywood-inspired manipulations, a Da Capo aria has never felt more dangerous
By Baritenor
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On the chase
Grand Tier Grab Bag marks the Metropolitan Opera return of Daniele Rustioni with a zippy performance of the Royal Hunt and Storm from Les Troyens recorded in 2022 in Munich.
I’m still thinking about Barrie Kosky’s Dialogues des Carmélites
Barrie Kosky’s incredible production widened and universalized the ending.
By Jon Taylor
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I’m still thinking about John Dexter’s Dialogues of the Carmelites
The opening of John Dexter‘s production of The Dialogues of the Carmelites (originally produced in English) is one of the most arresting and memorable images I have ever seen.
By Michael MacMullen
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I’m still thinking about Laurent Pelly’s The Golden Cockerel
In a lifetime of opera going I suppose I have seen many transformative productions, but this recent one seems, in the light of the increasing disaster enfolding this country, uncannily pertinent.
By Belfagor
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I’m still thinking about Richard Jones’s Hansel und Gretel
I saw this production in HD, and it really shocked me because I was used to the cackling mezzo witch, guardian angels, and gingerbread figures.
By Scott Grunow
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Step-mothers and sons
Rachel Willis-Sørensen and Stephen Costello make their returns to the Met later this month and Grand Tier Grab Bag anticipates their performances by sharing them in the Act II duet from Don Carlo recorded in Munich this spring as well as a taste of Willis-Sørensen’s Liebestod
I’m still thinking about John Dexter’s I vespri siciliani
My first reaction in 1974 wasn’t good. The production was full of stairs, and I was afraid Montserrat Caballé would fall at any moment.
By Gregory B. Mowery
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I’m still thinking about Barrie Kosky’s Semele and Saul
My experiences with live performances of Handel’s operas/oratorios has been hit or miss, mostly miss.
By James Laferla
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I’m still thinking about John Cox’s The Rake’s Progress
I came to The Rake’s Progress with a huge “Show Me” chip on my shoulder.
By Peter Russell
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I’m still thinking about Lotte De Beer’s Aïda
Lotte De Beer‘s astonishing reading of Aïda at the Paris Opera was a victim both of Covid and the culture wars.
By Ben Miller
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I’m still thinking about Stefan Herheim’s La bohème
Death is the prima donna in this opera, and Herheim doesn’t let you forget it.
By Leyla Gender-Bender
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Nothing makes me feel better than the Von Karajan Trovatore
For me, one of the greatest recordings is the Von Karajan Il trovatore. You have four incredible singers in their top form.
By Mr.Portafiori
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