Parterre Box

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.

Gertrud Grob-Prandl should have made it to the Met Gertrud Grob-Prandl should have made it to the Met

Yes, the Met had Birgit Nilsson – so they let the volcano that was Gertrude Grob-Prandl‘s voice slip through their fingers.

Lux aeterna luceat eis Lux aeterna luceat eis

Grand Tier Grab Bag this week honors the late Limmie Pulliam with a bit of his Verdi Requiem.

Eglise Gutierrez should have made it to the Met Eglise Gutierrez should have made it to the Met

So much color in this beautifully agile voice.

Don’t tell me the lights are shining any place but there Don’t tell me the lights are shining any place but there

Opera Theater of St. Louis’s summer festival opened last night and Parterre Box is celebrating by launching a new feature: custom travel guides!

Maria Kanyova should make it to the Met Maria Kanyova should make it to the Met

I’m surprised that American soprano Maria Kanyova has never performed at the Met, even though she has loads of high-profile U.S. opera credits.

Barbara Hannigan should make it to the Met Barbara Hannigan should make it to the Met

The fact that Barbara Hannigan has never performed at The Metropolitan Opera is just plain dumb.

Kathryn the great Kathryn the great

Parterre Box previews Kathryn Lewek‘s upcoming Salome with clips of her as another unhinged lady of antiquity.

Robert Rounseville should have made it to the Met Robert Rounseville should have made it to the Met

From one Mister Snow to another, I salute him.

She speaks! She speaks!

It has become that time of evening… to opine during the latest round of The Talk of the Town.