Holding out for a hero
Clémence de Grandval’s Mazeppa gets the superhero treatment in Dortmund.
Recent Stories
One man’s Junker
Handel’s Deidamia — and one of its current champions, soprano Sophie Junker — are the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
A favorite Verdi performance from Quinn Kelsey
I’ve looked to Sherrill Milnes many a time for insight and guidance whenever I’ve added a new Verdi role to my repertoire.
By Quinn Kelsey
34 comments
Broadcast
Tancredi / Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
Carlo Vistoli sings the title role in a live broadcast from Rome
Streamed May 19, 2026 at 2:00 PM
2 comments
Crete-ed rivalry
Soprano Amanda Forsythe as Ilia and tenor David Portillo in the titular role were highlights of Washington Concert Opera’s robust Idomeneo.
A favorite Verdi performance from Leyla Gender-Bender
Stiffelio has always been the dark horse of early Verdi operas.
By Leyla Gender-Bender
71 comments
A favorite Verdi performance from Lou Ann Darras
I have very few opportunities to see real-life opera divas, but when Natalie Dessay chose to debut her first Traviata at Santa Fe, there was no way I was going to miss it.
By Lou Ann Darras
32 comments
A favorite Verdi performance from Astyanax
The air held a real charge that night in SF’s War Memorial Opera House.
By Astyanax
88 comments
Felicity Lott 1947-2026
The English soprano, famed for her interpretations of twentieth-century composers like Strauss, Britten, and Poulenc, as well as Mozart and operetta, died yesterday only a few days after announcing that she had a terminal cancer.
Broadcast
Don Carlo / Metropolitan Opera
Jussi Björling sings the title role in an archival performance from 1950.
Streamed May 16, 2026 at 1:00 PM
236 comments
Joie de vivre
Erin Morley, Lawrence Brownlee, and Malcolm Martineau put on a jolly good show at the 92nd Street Y.
Broadcast
Macbeth
Antonio Pappano conducts Lise Davidsen and Quinn Kelsey in a broadcast from Denmark recorded last night
Streamed May 16, 2026 at 1:20 PM
32 comments
A favorite Verdi performance from Ivy Lin
This is one of those rare performances that makes you believe that everything Verdi was greater Way Back When.
Broadcast
Macbeth / Teatro Carlo Felice - Genova
George Gagnidze and Jennifer Rowley and the Thane and his Lady in a live broadcast from Genoa
Streamed May 15, 2026 at 2:00 PM
15 comments
No need to grin and bear it
An exciting cast digs their claws into a heady production of La Calisto at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées.
A favorite Verdi performance from Mister Snow
Nothing prepared me for the Soviero experience
By Mister Snow
18 comments
Broadcast
El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego / Metropolitan Opera
The opening night of Gabriela Lena Frank and Nilo Cruz's opera, live from New York
Streamed May 14, 2026 at 7:30 PM
82 comments
Three faces of Violetta
Christopher Corwin surveys the three Traviata casts — led by Lisette Oropesa, Rosa Feola, and Ermonela Jaho — at the Met this spring.
Es gibt ein Reich (jenseits von Manhattan)
The Bronx Opera‘s Ariadnes auf Naxos is well worth the subway ride. Plus, two strong premieres at the Brooklyn Art Song Society.
A favorite Verdi performance from Tildy Diva
A well-known Met Aïda with a starry cast from 1967 is TildyDiva’s Favorite Verdi Performance
By Tildy Diva
36 comments
Broadcast
La traviata / Metropolitan Opera
Ermonela Jaho leads a live broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera
Streamed May 13, 2026 at 7:25 PM
66 comments
Broadcast
Stiffelio / Theater an der Wien
Luciano Ganci and Joyce El-Khoury star in a live broadcast from the Theater an der Wien
Streamed May 13, 2026 at 1:00 PM
44 comments
Don’t cry because it’s over
Grand Tier Grab Bag hearkens back to the days when Sondra Radvanovsky — who is singing no Verdi at all next season — seemed like the Verdi soprano of reference.
A favorite Verdi performance from Arrigo
My favorite Verdi performance is Claudio Abbado Don Carlo opening of the Scala.
By Arrigo
48 comments