Reviews

Immersed in eternal light Immersed in eternal light

Christian Gerhaher delivers a Kindertotenlieder of such conciliatory tact that it erases all others.

Puppets and cherry blossoms Puppets and cherry blossoms

I find it difficult to experience Madama Butterfly without also experiencing an odd fracturing of the self.

Quicksilver messenger Quicksilver messenger

At the Park Avenue Armory, Barbara Hannigan chose to sing works that tested her metal in odd corners of vocalism.

A life for the zarzuela A life for the zarzuela

In El Barbero de Sevilla, as given through the weekend by the New Camerata Opera, there is far too much comic dialogue, all of it in English and none of it sparkling.

Over the garden wall Over the garden wall

Hannah Lash’s latest opera, which premiered at the Miller Theater on Wednesday night, was a musical and dramatic misfire.

You better shop around You better shop around

Little Shop of Horrors loses its necessary edge when it’s wrested from the gritty world of its creation.

Storm of the century Storm of the century

A sense of celebration was definitely in the air last Thursday at the Vienna State Opera.

Ray of ‘Light’ Ray of ‘Light’

An opera company presenting a Broadway musical that centers around a woman of a certain age travelling to Italy with her young daughter might seem more a vehicle for a great diva of a certain age.

The Wurm turns The Wurm turns

Luisa Miller snowballs toward disaster and death.

Suddenly spinto Suddenly spinto

When soprano Yihan Duan started to sing her aria, you could feel an almost electric charge that something special was happening.

A whole new world A whole new world

The Paris Opera assembled an all-French cast to stage arguably the most well-known example of opéra-ballet, Jean-Philippe Rameau’s Les Indes Galantes.

Killer queen Killer queen

Rossini’s Semiramide is a highly original and imaginative work of theater that impresses for its creative and beautifully scored orchestration, incisive recitatives and ensembles, and theatrically intriguing characters.

Orientation Orientation

There were plenty of Turan-do’s and only a few Turandon’ts at the Met’s Turandot Sunday afternoon.

The other woman The other woman

I can’t think of an opera this year that I’ve enjoyed as much as Tuesday’s Met Macbeth, thanks especially to the smashing house debut of Italian soprano Anna Pirozzi as its blazing Madame M.

From a distance From a distance

The opening night of the Canadian Opera Company’s 2019-20 season was all about the Wilsons.

Sparkle, Lyric, sparkle! Sparkle, Lyric, sparkle!

It’s an old chestnut of a joke that applies even more to opera than to the theatre: A veteran actor is on his deathbed.

The Philadelphia stories The Philadelphia stories

As we also saw last year, Festival O19 ended on a sweetly quiet note, movingly connecting Opera Philadelphia with the larger city and our musical future.

Sleeper Sleeper

As the Netrebko-crowned Macbeth took to the stage at the Met, just a few blocks away, Teatro Grattacielo presented its 25th Anniversary Gala Concert.

If I had a photograph of you If I had a photograph of you

I’m certain I wasn’t the only one thrilled to bits to see LA Opera’s production of La Bohème finally retired after 26 years and seven mountings.

Wait and see Wait and see

Erwartung and Bluebeard’s Castle returned to Lincoln Center Thursday night in a musically scintillating if theatrically mild double-bill by the New York Philharmonic.

Roman holiday Roman holiday

A brace of Handel operas at the George Enescu International Festival.

Portrait of a Lady on fire Portrait of a Lady on fire

My blood sure boiled at this revival of the Met’s utterly punchable production of Macbeth.

When a man loves a woman When a man loves a woman

At the Met’s performance of Manon Tuesday evening, Michael Fabiano made as good a case as any for renaming the opera Chevalier des Grieux.

All I cared about was Bess All I cared about was Bess

Opera’s latest superstar, Angel Blue, in a compleat and enthralling portrayal, gloriously sung and rivetingly acted.