Pushkin comes to shove
Onegin, which opens the Met’s season on Monday, has taken an unusually precipitous tumble…
Questo e Quello
The private life of implants
“The queen of tabloid TV arrived at BAM Tuesday night in Anna Nicole, an opera brimming with wit and good taste. In other words, they got Anna Nicole all wrong.”
Happy Birthday Anna Netrebko
The Met’s new Tatiana is 42 today.
It won’t be easy, you’ll think it strange
“Some people said I have to say more,” Netrebko said.
Conjured from the bowels of hell
“JEALOUSY, revenge, hopeless romance and a breathtaking wall of fire bring epic operas Aida and La Boheme to life in award-winning opera producer Ellen Kent’s new tour.”
Spasimi d’amore
“When Vanni Marcoux as Scarpia in Tosca pursued Mary Garden, a Floria Tosca, around his room on the stage at the Boston Opera House a week ago Monday night, seized her in an amorous frenzy and threw her upon a couch, a part of cultured Boston gasped.”
Ina moment now
La Cieca hears that soprano Pretty Yende, a standout Met debutante last season in Le Comte Ory, has signed with the company for for four roles over the next three years: Pamina and Lucia in 2014-2015, Adina in 2015-2016 and Rosina in 2016-2017.
In Ring und Reih’ die Hall’ erfüllen die Helden
Our Own JJ has been thinking about Bayreuth some more, this time in the pages of Musical America.
there s a dance in the old dame yet
Karita Mattila (pictured) sings a little Verdi.
In the Depression was I depressed? Nowhere near.
Put on a happy face, cher public, and discuss off-topic and general interest subjects to your hearts’ content.
Hehr bist du, und heilig gewahr’ ich das Wotanskind
Coincidental with the ongoing parterre discussion about the careers of dramatic sopranos, our friends at Opera Depot are saluting the immortal Astrid Varnay.
Falling in love, never again
Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s opera David et Jonathas, written for a celebration at a Jesuit school in 1688, premiered together with a Latin verse drama, Saul, now lost.
Canard of the “decade”
“Women are lucky if they get a good 10-year run with these big parts like Brünnhilde and Isolde.”
Portrait of a Lady
Congratulations to world’s wittiest diva Martina Arroyo, who has just been named a recipient of the the 2013 Kennedy Center Honors.
Piotr, principally
Vanity project or not, these albums present a sensitive and talented artist showing off two little-seen sides of himself.
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).