review / performance

Unqualified triumph Unqualified triumph

Since I began regularly attending performances at Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1999, I have been a great admirer of director Francesca Zambello’s productions.

on March 18, 2024 at 9:00 AM
<em>Femenine</em> mystique <em>Femenine</em> mystique

“What I am trying to achieve is to be what I am to the fullest. Black to the fullest, a musician to the fullest, a homosexual to the fullest.”

on March 15, 2024 at 10:00 AM
The artist is present The artist is present

And is this ‘Orpheus’ in the room with us right now?

on March 14, 2024 at 10:00 AM
Bird brain Bird brain

Opera at the Kennedy Center has been in hibernation this winter.

on March 13, 2024 at 10:09 AM
Muti point Muti point

It would be enough to compare his official studio recording of this work with the recent performances in Turin to confirm that today Riccardo Muti is no longer totally ‘Mutian’

on March 13, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Color me impressed Color me impressed

Bay Area audiences starved for vocal fare during its opera’s winter/spring hiatus recently experienced two exceptional concerts with distinguished singing at the Davies Symphony Hall.

on March 12, 2024 at 9:00 AM
A fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes A fire sparkling in lovers’ eyes

It’s not hard not to feel jaded about Romeo and Juliet.

on March 11, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Garden varieties Garden varieties

Those of us in New York City who relish 17th century Italian vocal music were offered an enticing banquet over the past few weeks.

on March 07, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Diplomatic immunity Diplomatic immunity

Émigré, unfortunately, fails to do justice, either musically or theatrically, to this group of refugees or to the Shanghainese who took them in.

on March 06, 2024 at 10:00 AM
Have a napkin, have a chopstick, have a chair Have a napkin, have a chopstick, have a chair

From a musical perspective, the evening came together admirably. As a work of theater, though, it was as stale as last week’s takeout.

on March 04, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Divine mother Divine mother

What does it mean to be a “gender transcendent diva?”

on March 01, 2024 at 10:00 AM
Sack of Rome Sack of Rome

Finding Britten’s The Rape of Lucretia on the Academy of Vocal Arts calendar was both a pleasure and something of a surprise—the latter because the work is far from central repertoire, even in a conservatory.

on March 01, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Destiny’s child Destiny’s child

While you may need to bring along your Dramamine, the Met’s new production of La forza del destino, does—eventually—spin fast enough to achieve escape velocity.

on February 28, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Small but mighty Small but mighty

One of the first things James Conlon did when he took over the reins as Music Director of LA Opera was create the “Recovered Voices” project, producing operas that had been suppressed by the Nazis.

on February 27, 2024 at 9:00 AM