review / performance
They used to say of the island of Crete that it produces more history than can be consumed locally.
By John Yohalem
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“[W]omen are interesting and important in real life. They are not an afterthought of nature, they are not secondary players in human destiny, and every society has always known that.” — Margaret Atwood, February 2017
It takes a lot to stop a show with a few minutes of music—and that is exactly what Leah Hawkins did during the 2019 run of Porgy and Bess at The Metropolitan Opera.
By Emma Hoffman
It was an unexpected tone for the cold stone and moody ambiance of the catacombs—an odd juxtaposition that I’m not sure really worked.
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It was as though they had released us from an enchantment and we all woke up giggling and surprisingly well rested.
By Annie Levin
Overall, this was a superb achievement and a thrilling season opener for the San Francisco Opera.
But pressing questions remains: Why? Who is this Figaro for?
Unlike more surface-level historically informed practice which has become the norm in early music ensembles, this project stands out in its surprisingly deep engagements with the ethical and practical challenges posed by “recreating” Wagner’s sound.
Two experimental new works from thingNY explore decadence, quarantine, digestion, and lineage at The Exponential Festival.
By Annie Levin
Only by knowing what went on around the great composers is it possible to truly understand why they are great and why their operas have come down to us (and why dozens of other titles have been left behind).
When the subject of New York City Opera comes up, you always hear the same query: “What happened to City Opera? Are they even performing these days??”
By Eli Jacobson
Dmitri Tcherniakov’s interpretation of Wagner’s Der Fliegende Höllander presents an engrossing character study about Senta and the Dutchman’s struggles against their insular community’s stifling conformism.
Love makes fools of us all – that seems to be the theme of this summer’s Glimmerglass Festival.
By Eli Jacobson
Don’t cry for me, Birgit Nilsson
By Patrick Mack
