Martial “La”
I’ve never had a better time in an opera house.
Recent Stories
Let the river run
In its Met premier, neither a talented cast nor some beautiful musical moments were enough to make Florencia feel new or vital.
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).
A season in hell
On this day in 1907 bass Fyodor Chaliapin made his Met debut as Boito‘s Mefistofele
Le Grand Macabre
Pablo Heras-Casado conducts Georg Nigl, Sarah Aristidou, Andrew Watts, Maria Nazarova, Isabel Signoret, Wolfgang Bankl, and Hans Peter Kammerer in a broadcast from Vienna.
See the pretty girl in that mirror there
On this day in 1962 soprano Regine Crespin made her Metropolitan Opera debut as the Marschallin.
L’Aube rouge
Guillaume Tornaire conducts Andreea Soare, Andrew Morstein, Philippe-Nicolas Martin, Ava Dodd, Hannah O’Brien, Emma Jüngling, and Dominica Williams in Camille Erlanger‘s 1911 opera from this year’s Wexford Festival
È vin di Spagna
On this day in 1974 tenor Jose Carreras made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Cavardossi
Unchanged for good
No show should last 20 years.
The Greek Passion
On this day in 1968 the Kander-Ebb musical Zorba opened on Broadway
Florencia en el Amazonas
Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Ailyn Pérez, Gabriella Reyes, Nancy Fabiola Herrera, Mario Chang, Michael Chioldi, Mattia Olivieri, and Greer Grimsley in the Met premiere of Daniel Catán and Marcela Fuentes-Berain‘s opera.
Prick and choose
Heartbeat Opera knows how to party.
A sad sort of clanging
On this day in 1926 the US Premiere and first Metropolitan Opera performance of Puccini‘s Turandot
To forgive, divine
Leos Janacek’s 1904 opera Jenufa could be a rather grim affair.
Everything’s waiting for you
On this day in 1918 soprano Rosa Ponselle made her Metropolitan Opera debut and her first appearance in opera as Leonora
Not since Nineveh
Franz Liszt attempted practically every musical genre in vogue in the nineteenth century, although it is undeniable that a handful of the genres he only sampled (like string quartet) or adapted to his own temperament in original ways (like the symphony).
Ein Geburtstag bricht an!
Born on this day in 1926 soprano Leonie Rysanek
Ashes to ashes
Gioachino Rossini’s adorable adaptation of Cinderella famously dispenses with a slipper in favor of a bracelet to lead the Principe Ramiro back to his Cenerentola. If only this performance had benefitted from such a glittering guiding hand.
By the goona goona goona lagoon
On this day in 1937 the National Broadcasting Company formed a full-sized symphony orchestra
Popp culture
Born on this day in 1939 soprano Lucia Popp
Le nozze di Figaro
Raphaël Pichon conducts Andrè Schuen, Adriana González, Sabine Devieilhe, Krzysztof B?czyk, and Lea Desandre in a performance recorded at this year’s Salzburg Festival.
Moonstruck
On this day in 1993 Dvorak’s Rusalka finally appears at the Met.
Before we croak
Aristophanes’ The Frogs is a comedy with a lump in its throat – laughter coming from tears.
Scholarly pursuits
“What would you do if the world you knew was suddenly gone and you were thrown into the deepest abyss stripped of all humanity? Would you fight to remember who you were?”