Questo e Quello
This is the tenth season of the Met’s HD broadcasts, not that I would know it.
For all their orchestral and vocal attractions, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s 15 operas are rarities in the West.
I guess you have spoken: “Bring us insane divas in operas we already know!”
Here you are, cher public, your ten most popular parterre box postings (by numbers of pageviews) for the week of September 27-October 3, 2015.
On this day in 1969 the first episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus aired on BBC One.
This weekend Il Trovatore outgrossed the The Walk, a new IMAX film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ben Kingsley.
Born on this day in 1880 journalist and author Damon Runyon.
On this day in 1970 the musical Coco closed at the Mark Hellinger Theater after 333 performances.
“Met Music Director James Levine has decided to lighten his workload by removing the new production of Berg’s Lulu from his schedule so that he may focus his energies completely on Wagner’s epic drama Tannhäuser.”
“Roberto Aronica will sing Cavaradossi in the first five performances of Puccini’s Tosca at the Met this season—October 16, 21, 24 matinee, 29, and November 2—replacing Massimo Giordano, who is ill.”
Forget the hurricane preparations for a few hours this afternoon and enjoy the live webcast of Les Contes d’Hoffmann from the Komische Oper Berlin, starting at 12:55 PM.
“The Kaiser’s Royal Opera of Berlin, which has been a hotbed of jealous intrigue ever since the invasion of American singers began a few years ago, is agitated afresh.”
Happy 77th birthday critic and interviewer Rex Reed.
Yes, obviously it’s La traviata, but where?
Gotham Chamber Opera is ceasing operations and will be closing.
“Taylor Stayton will sing the role of Percy in this evening’s performance of Donizetti’s Anna Bolena, replacing Stephen Costello, who is ill,” says the Met press office.
La Cieca (pictured, in her dreams) would like to pause just a moment in her editrixing duties for a spot of housekeeping.
Leave it to the New York Times to present a hard-hitting, no-holds-barred debate on the explosive subject of race, with Anthony Tommasini and Ben Brantley boldly in agreement throughout.
Tenor Paolo Fanale rehearses the Rossini Stabat Mater with Jesús López Cobos and L’Orchestre de Paris.
Although it falls into the 18th century opera-comique tradition, Tom Jones is actually a comédie mêlée d’ariettes, a comedy mixed with brief arias.
On this day in 1907 the Plaza Hotel opened.
“This throwback to the golden age of opera—superhuman singing greeted with frenzied ovations—was a function of a perfect storm of excitement.”
The opening night of the Bayerische Staatsoper’s new production of Aïda, featuring Jonas Kaufmann in his staged role debut as Radamès, was captured informally on audio, and can be heard in full after the jump.
Does the above photo depict a) the first day of rehearsals of Mefistofele at the Bayerische Staatsoper, or, b) a Deee-Lite reunion tour?
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
