Podcast / Chris’s Cache

Operatic gems, secret live recordings, and honestly a little filth… from the collection of Christopher Corwin.

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Corriam tutti a festeggiar! Corriam tutti a festeggiar!

Celebrate today the tenth anniversary of curated Parterre Box podcasts and the winding down of Chris’s Cache with two special Met guest performances of Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro led by Carlo Maria Giulini and Georg Solti.

Stormy weather Stormy weather

Chris’s Cache celebrates Karita Mattila, one of its favorite singers, in a special double-bill featuring the soprano performing Janáček, one of her signature composers.

Drink me Drink me

Chris’s Cache offers Nadine Sierra and Xabier Anduaga, the stars of the upcoming production of La sonnambula, in a performance of another favorite bel canto opera

Ptolemy about it Ptolemy about it

Chris’s Cache presents a performance with New York prodigal son Jakub Józef Orliński in a signature role

A matinée, a Pinto play A matinée, a Pinto play

Perhaps a piece of Mahler’s? For Wagner Month, Chris’s Cache offers the unexpected collaboration Die drei Pintos, started by Wagner-predecessor Carl Maria von Weber and completed by one of Wagner’s followers, Gustav Mahler

Pompeo and circumstance Pompeo and circumstance

Chris’s Cache previews the upcoming Bayreuth Baroque Festival with a rare recording of Cavalli’s Pompeo Magno

Gilda! mia Gilda!…È morta! Gilda! mia Gilda!…È morta!

Mexican soprano Gilda Cruz-Romo died on 28 June at the age of 85 and Chris’s Cache remembers her with live recordings of a frequent role and a rather rare one: a last-minute Met Tosca plus perhaps her only stab at the Cherubini Medea.

Mad about <em>Mitridate</em> Mad about <em>Mitridate</em>

Suddenly Mozart’s rare early opera Mitridate, re di Ponto has become popular. Anticipating a Salzburg Festival performance on 4 August, Chris’s Cache offers two recent broadcasts, one from Boston, the other from Montpellier.

Troth or dare Troth or dare

Chris’s Cache would argue that Prokofiev’s Betrothal in a Monastery is a much more enjoyable alternative to the pandemic-canceled Barrie Kosky The Fiery Angel

Elektra becomes mourning Elektra becomes mourning

Chris’s Cache presents for carefree summer listening a delightful 20th century operetta featuring a perhaps unexpected casting surprise in the title role: Lehár’s Die Lustige Witwe starring Hildegard Behrens.

An old-fashioned girl An old-fashioned girl

Perhaps it was the heatwave or the contentment of just having been able to hear her live again, but I went a bit overboard for this week’s Chris’s Cache in assembling an extravagant bouquet of Emőke Baráth, a favorite baroque diva.

I, Claudio I, Claudio

Claudio Abbado made his Met debut on 7 October 1968 conducting Verdi’s Don Carlo, led five more performances through 14 November, and then never returned. Chris’s Cache offers the only complete recording I’ve run across from that run.

Dream girl Dream girl

Chris’s Cache offers an early 80th birthday salute to Jessye Norman with broadcasts of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius, and Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder plus a pair of opera arias by Verdi and Mascagni from a 1979 Atlanta Symphony concert with Robert Shaw.

Faust or famine Faust or famine

In a satanic panic, this week Chris’s Cache presents trio of performances of Mefistofele

Strauss is bustin’ out all over Strauss is bustin’ out all over

This week, Chris’s Cache features five singers in Orchesterlieder by Richard Strauss

Voices of spring Voices of spring

Chris’s Cache marks the arrival of Printemps in its many guises with three beguilingly cast performances of operas by Rimsky-Korsakov, Massenet, and Saint-Saëns

Baroque pearls Baroque pearls

Chris’s Cache looks forward to next month’s Boston Early Music Festival with a comprehensive introduction to German Baroque featuring Sandrine Piau, Jennifer Larmore, and Joan Sutherland

And ten for Mahler! And ten for Mahler!

This week’s Chris’s Cache presents an early May banquet of ten fine singers in eight vocal works of Gustav Mahler.

Die Sterne des Himmels werden zur Erde fallen Die Sterne des Himmels werden zur Erde fallen

Chris’s Cache highlights the erstwhile Chicago Symphony Orchestra @ Carnegie series with not one but two starry operas conducted by Georg Solti: Salome with Birgit Nilsson and a performance of Moses und Aron

Bachelor party Bachelor party

It may be blasphemy to admit—particularly this month—but usually I can either take or leave Donizetti’s serious operas. However, I love the composer in comic mode, so Chris’s Cache runs with that sentiment in offering three recordings of Don Pasquale.

Never enough hours in the days of a queen Never enough hours in the days of a queen

As a preview to a spring of Giulio Cesare, Chris’s Cache offers a rare pirate recording featuring Cecilia Bartoli, Andreas Scholl, and Les Arts Florissants.

T’amo ancora qual t’amava in basso stato T’amo ancora qual t’amava in basso stato

As this is “Donizetti Month” here on parterre box, Chris’s Cache offers the recently deceased Paul Plishka and Opera Orchestra of New York with Carol Vaness in Anna Bolena and with Mariella Devia in the rarely heard Adelia.

New world coming New world coming

This week, Chris’s Cache highlights Bernarda Fink and Inga Kalna in an opera by Johann Gottlieb Naumann

One more souvenir of bliss One more souvenir of bliss

This week, Chris’s Cache offers a performance of Follies from 2007 featuring Lucine Amara as a rarely richly sung Heidi alongside Donna Murphy and Victoria Clark.