Noblesse her heart
“Being a wife, being a mother, entertaining in the summer, doing the pheasant shoots in the winter.”
Questo e Quello
Conversion narrative
Blood-and-guts singing is the reason to see Nabucco at the Metropolitan Opera this season.
Sulla tua testa vigili la mia benedizion
President-elect Donald Trump has approached crooner Andrea Bocelli to sing at his inauguration.
Drunk to me only with thine eyes
On this day in 1970, Neil Simon’s comedy The Gingerbread Lady opened at the Plymouth Theatre, to run 193 performances.
One can feel nostalgia for places one has never seen
Composer Lisa Bielawa’s Vireo: The Spiritual Biography of a Witch’s Accuser will feature world-renowned opera star Deborah Voigt singing “The Queen of Sweden.”
Will you tell me what it’s all for?
“Good God—an adult musical!”
Wearing of the green
On this day in 1964 filming began for the first Star Trek pilot “The Cage.”
Broadway baby
On this day in 1960 the Cy Coleman musical Wildcat opened on Broadway.
Chat: L’amour de loin
Near, far, wherever you are, you can enjoy today’s 1:00 PM Met broadcast of L’Amour de Loin.
Soprano fegato
“It appears that 12.5 million Italians watched the liver relay of the original version of Madam Butterfly from La Scala,” claims Norman Lebrecht, which is perfectly accurate except that there was no organ meat involved in the telecast.
Daggers are a thane’s best friend
How often do you hear Macbeth with four really good singers in its four big roles?
Wouldn’t the Angels try me just once more
Born on this day in 1830 poet Emily Dickinson.
I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind
La Cieca hears that the dress rehearsal of Nabucco at the Met earlier today came to a halt when the statue of Baal burst into flames.
The expression “and then I clicked close tab” gets thrown around a lot these days…
“An adventurous mix of music by Samuel Barber, Anders Hillborg and Björk…”
Don’t go for second best baby
The big news here surely is that Our Own JJ attempted to drive in Manhattan.
Dancer from the dance
On this day in 1905 Richard Strauss‘s Salome premiered in Dresden.
Hvorostovsky out of Met ‘Onegin’
Dmitri Hvorostovsky has withdrawn from his upcoming opera engagements, including this spring’s Met performances as the title character in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, due to illness.
A girl like I
On this day in 1949 the Jule Styne musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes opened on Broadway.
The young and the restless
“We want to figure out how to create a nationwide change in how people think opera can be done. \“
Of all the queens that ever lived I’d choose you
Born on this day in 1879 composer Rudolf Friml.
Mourning glory
I can think of no other role that provides the most unique promise of humiliation, and consequently the most opportunity for glory.
The naked truth
Highlights of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2019-2020 season, according the always intriguing Met Future Wiki.
I’ll take the fall
The days are getting shorter, but you can keep the prattle going this fall’s Talk of the Town! You will, you can, you must join in the discussion about: Great mezzo soprano performances (October),
Gained in translation (November), Teleport me back to… (December).