That girl!
On this day in 1983 soprano Aprile Millo made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Amelia in Simon Boccanegra.
Questo e Quello
Silver lies hidden in the core of dreams
parterre box published its first issue on December 3, 1993. That date was chosen because Our Own JJ wished to honor the 70th anniversary of the birth of Maria Callas.
Video webcast: Otello
The thrilling trio of Jonas Kaufmann, Gerald Finley (pictured) and Anja Harteros star in the Bayerische Staatsoper’s production of Otello.
Things unseen
Sources in whose reliability La Cieca has an almost holy faith suggest turning one’s perfect vision westwards.
Höchste Lust!
Karita Mattila has just rather casually let slip that she has “signed in for [her] first Isolde.”
Broadcast: Mefistofele
Today at 1:00 PM, Boito’s Mefistofele kicks off the Met’s 88th year of live Saturday broadcasts over the Toll Brothers–Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network.
Death be not proud
The New Camerata Opera performs a double bill of John Blow’s Venus and Adonis, sometimes dubbed the first English opera, and Gustav Holst’s Savitri.
Broadway melodies
On this day no skies are gray on that great white way.
Parce qu’il fait froid et qu’il n’y a plus de feuilles
On this day in 1962 conductor Ernest Ansermet made his in-house Metropolitan Opera debut conducting Pelléas et Mélisande.
Man of the camellias
Tuesday the Met unveils its sixth new production of La Traviata since moving to Lincoln Center.
The Met in low def
On this day in 1948 Verdi’s Otello was the first opera to be telecast from the Met.
Broadcast: Les Pêcheurs de Perles
The last broadcast this season of the Bizet tuner starts at 7:30 PM for your listening and discussing pleasure.
The beautiful voice is
“This lavish new production stars Opera legend and Tony Award nominee RENÉE FLEMING.”
Love walked in
Born on this day in 1904 soprano Helen Jepson.
The hills are alive with the sound of muumuus
Now that you know what the costume is supposed to represent, it’s time to offer suggestions (with images if you like) as to what her outfit actually looks like.
Which pleased me most
On this day in 1843 Michael Balfe’s The Bohemian Girl premiered in London.
Fish are jumping
The ever-astonishing Cecilia Bartoli riffs on the Gershwins’ “Summertime.”
Rara avis
On this day in 1961 soprano Joan Sutherland made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Lucia di Lammermoor.
She swam the moat
On this day in 1959, the musical Once Upon a Mattress transferred uptown to Broadway.
War horses
The proceedings took the virtue of longevity too much to heart; the night stretched on interminably.
Broadcast: Hadrian
Twitter legend Karita Mattila, elegantly muumuu’d Thomas Hampson and Les Boys headline Rufus Wainwright‘s grandiose opera Hadrian.
Poesia
On this day in 1938, two Met debuts in La bohème: tenor Jussi Bjoerling and soprano Mafalda Favero.
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).