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On this day in 1919 the Metropolitan Opera opened its season with a revival of Tosca starring Geraldine Farrar, Enrico Caruso and Antonio Scotti.
San Francisco Opera has unveiled a brand-new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s warhorse classic La traviata, the first “to be built in San Francisco Opera’s scene and costume shops in 35 years.”
On this day in 1953 the Metropolitan Opera opened its season with a new production of Gounod’s Faust.
Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Le Comte Ory was a lovely cake with waaaay too much frosting.
After putting a hiatus on their awards in 2020 and 2021 (for reasons that are all too well-known to all of us), the Richard Tucker Foundation Gala returned on Sunday evening November 13 honoring soprano Angel Blue the 2022 Award winner.
Diva November on Chris’s Cache continues with a half dozen of my favorite singers performing solo concert works you’ve likely never heard them in before: Janet Baker, Cecilia Bartoli, Cathy Berberian, Bernarda Fink, Elina Garanca and Jessye Norman in music by Haydn, Monteverdi, Schoenberg, Wagner, Porpora and Beethoven.
On this day in 1918 soprano Rosa Ponselle made her Metropolitan Opera debut and her first appearance in opera in La forza del destino.
Born on this day in 1926 soprano Leonie Rysanek.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Life imitates art
Life imitates art
With Gustavo Dudamel in the spotlight at Parterre Box this week, Grand Tier Grab Bag foreshadows one of the New York Philharmonic’s upcoming operatic engagements.
With Gustavo Dudamel in the spotlight at Parterre Box this week, Grand Tier Grab Bag foreshadows one of the New York Philharmonic’s upcoming operatic engagements.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Drink me
Drink me
Parterre Box answers the question, “how can a singer do both Tristan and Nemorino within a few month of each other?” with a clip of a recent role debut from Michael Spyres.
Parterre Box answers the question, “how can a singer do both Tristan and Nemorino within a few month of each other?” with a clip of a recent role debut from Michael Spyres.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Otherwise occupied
Otherwise occupied
Parterre Box features a performance from two belcantisti who would rather you not think about their political affiliations.
Parterre Box features a performance from two belcantisti who would rather you not think about their political affiliations.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Northern star
Northern star
Parterre Box previews an upcoming performance of Hercules with Ann Hallenberg in some very unique Baroque repertoire.
Parterre Box previews an upcoming performance of Hercules with Ann Hallenberg in some very unique Baroque repertoire.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Tra voi belle
Tra voi belle
Following the announcement that she’ll make her Met debut next season, Grand Tier Grab Bag brings Italian soprano Erika Grimaldi to your attention with a duet from Manon Lescaut.
Following the announcement that she’ll make her Met debut next season, Grand Tier Grab Bag brings Italian soprano Erika Grimaldi to your attention with a duet from Manon Lescaut.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
León in winter
León in winter
Ahead of his performance in Les pêcheurs de perles with Washington Concert Opera, Parterre Box features the unusually elegant Anthony León performing Mozart.
Ahead of his performance in Les pêcheurs de perles with Washington Concert Opera, Parterre Box features the unusually elegant Anthony León performing Mozart.
Tomasz Konieczny plays the title character, a goldsmith who is possessed by his jewelry, in a live videocast of Paul Hindemith’s opera.
On this day in 1951 the Metropolitan Opera opened its season with a new production of Aida.
Catherine Foster is Brünnhilde in a performance conducted by Marek Janowski.
The main reason to see this revival is Benjamin Bernheim’s Duca.
On this day in 1987 mezzo-soprano Livia Budai made her Metropolitan Opera debut in a new production of Il trovatore… and her farewell two weeks later.
On this day in 1912 Lucrezia Bori and Enrico Caruso opened the Met season in a new production of Manon Lescaut.
Trouble was afoot from the first selection onward.
Davóne Tines has sung with Early Music groups and avant-garde ones, and he has a taste for projects that cross artistic boundaries, which suits an innate showmanship.
Talk of the Town
The Talk of the Town
A favorite bass performance from Christopher Corwin
A favorite bass performance from Christopher Corwin
As we reach the end of “Bass Month” I’d like to call attention to the superb American Gregory Reinhart who particularly shone in music by Jean-Philippe Rameau.
As we reach the end of “Bass Month” I’d like to call attention to the superb American Gregory Reinhart who particularly shone in music by Jean-Philippe Rameau.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite bass performance from TildyDiva
A favorite bass performance from TildyDiva
The greatest bass performance I ever experienced was actually four – four performances in four roles.
The greatest bass performance I ever experienced was actually four – four performances in four roles.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite bass performance from William Guanbo Su
A favorite bass performance from William Guanbo Su
This performance was introduced to me by Norman Treigle’s granddaughter —very fine mezzo-soprano Emily Treigle; while I was preparing the role of Olin Blitch, and it completely changed my understanding of the character.
This performance was introduced to me by Norman Treigle’s granddaughter —very fine mezzo-soprano Emily Treigle; while I was preparing the role of Olin Blitch, and it completely changed my understanding of the character.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite bass performance from H_Badger
A favorite bass performance from H_Badger
The Met in HD proved to be a major gateway drug for me, showing me my first Don Carlo in 2010.
The Met in HD proved to be a major gateway drug for me, showing me my first Don Carlo in 2010.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite bass performance from Eli Jacobson
A favorite bass performance from Eli Jacobson
This bass aria “Sous les pieds d’une femme” from Gounod’s La Reine du Saba used to be a concert favorite
This bass aria “Sous les pieds d’une femme” from Gounod’s La Reine du Saba used to be a concert favorite
The Talk of the Town
A favorite bass performance from La Grunowa
A favorite bass performance from La Grunowa
Tancredi Pasero is so noble in mien and rich-voiced here, a perfect complement to Caniglia’s earthy Leonora who honestly charts the movement from despair to fervent, transcendent faith in this duet.
Tancredi Pasero is so noble in mien and rich-voiced here, a perfect complement to Caniglia’s earthy Leonora who honestly charts the movement from despair to fervent, transcendent faith in this duet.
On this day in 1952, the Metropolitan Opera opened its season with a new production of La forza del destino.
Countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen‘s star is surely on the rise.
Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of actress and singer Dorothy Dandridge.
Diva November continues with three favorite divas in rare recordings of important 20th century works.
On this day in 1901 the Metropolitan Opera, on tour in Los Angeles, presented the inimitable Emma Calvé as Carmen.
This month, both the Paris Opéra and the Opéra-Comique are mounting seminal works about unhinged anti-heroines who meet their downfall after falling head-over-heels for an unavailable, deeply unattainable man – Salome, in the case of the Opéra; and Armide, in the case of the Opéra-Comique.
On this day in 1898 contralto Ernestine Schumann-Heink made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Ortrud.
On this day in 1928, the Metropolitan Opera presented the American premiere of Richard Strauss‘s Die Ägyptische Helena with Maria Jeritza in the title role.