A Frabjous Day: The Siege of Calais
The turntable set looks much the same from any angle: gutted concrete tenements and perilous alleys, instantly recognizable as a scene of urban guerrilla mayhem.
Questo e Quello
Post-graduate
Happy 80th birthday actor Dustin Hoffman.
The green hills of home
The principal cast members for the week’s Aida are all Wagnerians: Birgit Nilsson, Sándor Kónya, Rita Gorr and Cornell MacNeil.
A midnight girl in a nine o’clock town
Samantha Hankey, so impressive as Diana and Giove-in-Diana in Juilliard’s recent run of Cavalli’s La Calisto, was the perfect Cenerentola.
Exotica
Born on this day in 1876 dancer and spy Margaretha Geertruida ‘Margreet’ Zelle MacLeod aka Mata Hari.
Light the candles
Born on this day in 1911 actress Lucille Ball.
What faith can do
Happy 60th birthday actress Faith Prince.
Her and the man in the moon
Born on this day in 1904 singer and actress Helen Kane.
Three sisters who are not sisters
Due to bandwidth limits “Trove Thursday” must post some more modest offerings in months with five Thursdays.
Beauty comes from the inside out
Born on this day in 1908 actress Dolores del Rio
“And the usherette was all out of raspberry ripple lollies!”
Long-time followers of Norman Lebrecht will not be surprised in the least to hear this.
Fashions fade, style is eternal
Born on this day in 1936 designer Yves Saint-Laurent.
Forging ahead
Let’s listen, cher public, to Siegfried, live from the Bayreuth Festival, starting at 10:00 AM.
Babes in arms
La fille du regiment from Wiener Staatsoper with Julie Fuchs and John Tessier.
Catch a falling tsar
You’d think by now I’d know better than to make snap judgments about an opera or a singer—but apparently not.
Power couple
On this day in 1954 TV host, composer and comedian Steve Allen married actress Jayne Meadows.
Broadcast: Die Walküre
The Bayreuth Ring (and perhaps the parterre discussion?) continues at 10:00 AM.
Goodbye, gorgeous!
Can a surfeit of pleasure become—in the end—unsatisfying?
Broadcast: Das Rheingold
Get your kicks on Siegfried-Wagner-Alee.
Deep in my heart, dear
Born on this day in 1887 composer Sigmund Romberg.
Princess in captivity
A first glimpse of Anna Netrebko‘s styling for her role debut as Aïda at Salzburg.
Consecrating
On this day in 1882 Wagner’s Parsifal premiered in Bayreuth.
Woman on the Vergy
“Trove Thursday” offers Gemma di Vergy with the lovely, largely now forgotten Adriana Maliponte in the title role.
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).