Questo e Quello
Will tonight’s Met broadcast (at 8:00 PM) be croce or delizia?
Happy 79th (or so) birthday soprano/mezzo-soprano Anja Silja.
Opera premieres on this day…
Christian Thielemann is widely regarded as our time’s preeminent master of the Austro-German symphonic ensemble.
Born on this day in 1843 novelist Henry James.
Stefan Vinke’s Siegfried was not so much brawny and terrestrial, but heady and mercurial
“It has left older generations feeling they deserve the same treatment…”
On this day in 2016, James Levine announced his retirement as Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera to become music director emeritus.
Good morning, good morning!
Happy 61st birthday soprano Aprile Millo.
“Paul Appleby will sing Don Ottavio in tonight’s performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni, replacing Pavol Breslik, who is ill,.”
Born on this day in 1933 soprano Montserrat Caballé.
Sunday’s “Rising Stars in Concert”, featuring the Ryan Opera Center ensemble and members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra, was a stirring and entertainingly musical afternoon.
Peter Mattei, one of my two favorite baritones these days, in an unexpected title role, Britten’s Billy Budd.
On this day in 1975 soprano Katia Ricciarelli made her Met debut as Mimi.
“What you may not realize is that most of the sound effects and background music have been made entirely from a base of recorded clusters of notes sung by Ms. Fleming.”
On this day in 1996 tenor Roberto Alagna made his Met debut as Rodolfo.
Zelmira, a work of 1822, was the last of the eight operas Rossini composed for the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, then the largest opera house in Italy—perhaps in Europe.
On this day in 1964, Richard Burton opened in Hamlet at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre.
“The first person walks out of this preview performance about 30 minutes in…”
Another new role!
Ivo van Hove really seems to be everywhere lately.
Born on this day in 1921 tenor Franco Corelli.
The Richard Tucker Music Foundation announced today that Lisette Oropesa has been named as the winner of the 2019 Richard Tucker Award.
Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.
