Podcasts

Back over the rainbow bridge Back over the rainbow bridge

“Let’s start at the very beginning” of Kent Nagano’s pioneering complete Ring project which was recently discussed here in depth in Montagu James’s review of Die Walküre.

Stage animal control Stage animal control

Following Gundula Janowitz and Janet Baker, Chris’s Cache sends birthday greetings to another favorite diva—Karita Matilla—with a quartet of broadcasts.

Letter rip Letter rip

One of the goals of both Trove Thursday and now Chris’s Cache has been to share pirate recordings of the valuable NYC groups that have presented concert operas over the decades.

Interplanet Janet Interplanet Janet

Chris’s Cache celebrates the 91st birthday today of Janet Baker, one of my favorite singers.

Spyres of ascension Spyres of ascension

Chris’s Cache steps up with a recording of Michael Spyres in Lohengrin, as well as with a capture of Spyres in the title role of a 2017 La Clemenza di Tito.

Fête-a-fête Fête-a-fête

Rameau is in the news—at least in France!

Utterly unique, occasionally off-putting Utterly unique, occasionally off-putting

Chris’s Cache wishes Gundula Janowitz a happy 87th birthday today with three early live broadcasts of a favorite soprano in works by Pergolesi, Haydn, and Schumann.

The servant of two last names The servant of two last names

“In over nine years you’ve never posted an opera by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari,” no one has ever said.

Written in the tsars Written in the tsars

Not so many live primetime Bolshoi Opera performances were recorded, but when the company went on tour it always brought its very best singers, and often pirates were there to capture them.

I would they had changed voices too! I would they had changed voices too!

Chris’s Cache follows up its Gounod R&J installment with a widely varied quintet of additional Romeos and Juliets

One that was a woman One that was a woman

Earlier this month the opera world was stunned to learn of the death of Belgian soprano Jodie Devos who died of breast cancer at just 35, and Chris’s Cache remembers her with a broadcast from last November of Devos as Ophélie in Hamlet, her only US appearance.

What’s natural comes hard What’s natural comes hard

Chris’s Cache offers two live recordings of Sondheim’s first two solo (as both composer and lyricist) Broadway shows: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Anyone Can Whistle

The secret seven The secret seven

Chris’s Cache offers four iterations of Bartók’s one-act masterpiece with Evelyn Lear & Thomas Stewart; Tatiana Troyanos & Siegmund Nimsgern; Agnes Baltsa& Samuel Ramey; and Nina Stemme & Gerald Finley

Nach mir wird Einer kommen, der ist stärker als ich Nach mir wird Einer kommen, der ist stärker als ich
A second Parisian Salome, in crisper sound, has surfaced for the perverse pleasure of cher public
Ich will dir alles geben, was dein Herz begehrt Ich will dir alles geben, was dein Herz begehrt

A parterre box exclusive: a live recording of Lise Davidsen‘s first Judean princess

A mouth so fair it must be kissed A mouth so fair it must be kissed

“What a day, what a day for an Auto-da-fe!” and it’s also always a good day for Candide, so Chris’s Cache presents a pirate recording of a 1971 staging starring Mary Costa, Frank Porretta, and William Lewis.

Seiji’s angels Seiji’s angels

Inspired by Christian’s expansive Seiji Ozawa survey, Chris’s Cache serves up the late maestro collaborating with (in alphabetical order): Martina Arroyo, Hildegard Behrens, Montserrat Caballé, Maureen Forrester, Jessye Norman, and Leontyne Price.

Je sens une force nouvelle Je sens une force nouvelle

Chris’s Cache offers three striking interpretations of another Gluck masterpiece Alceste from Janet Baker, Anna Caterina Antonacci, and Véronique Gens

Look there, look there! Look there, look there!

Chris’s Cache features a pair of performances of Iolanta with Tamara Milashkina and Asmik Grigorian

Grigorian chant Grigorian chant

In advance of her Metropolitan Opera debut, Chris’s Cache showcases Asmik Grigorian’s versatility with broadcasts of Halévy, Giordano, and Korngold

Love triangle below canal Love triangle below canal

Chris’s Cache offers three more street-singers: a live Renata Tebaldi performance–without Franco Corelli; Tebaldi cover Milka Stojanovic with Corelli; and Ghena Dimitrova’s second local appearance in which she was menaced by Piero Cappuccilli

Sensory overload Sensory overload

Having relished last week’s American Symphony Orchestra “once-in-a-liftetime” Gurrelieder (my third, in fact), I wanted to keep enjoying Schönberg’s lush early epic.

Spit or swallow Spit or swallow

Next week Puccini’s La Rondine returns to the Met for the first time in eleven years, so Chris’s Cache offers three quite diverse sopranos as Magda: Ljuba Welitsch, Virginia Zeani, and Cristina Gallardo-Domâs.

The real and the ideal The real and the ideal

Chris’s Cache offers a Leoncavallo double-bill: Aprile Millo in Zazà and Jon Vickers and Carol Vaness in Pagliacci