End of an era
The passing of Renata Scotto is perhaps the most significant and surely the saddest opera news story of 2023.
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Just another run-of-the-mill Wednesday
On this day in 1954 Paramount Pictures released Rear Window.
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).
I am a merchant mandarin
On this day in 1916 Oscar Asche‘s musical Chu Chin Chow premiered in London.
Dainty… ain’t he?
Born on this day in 1898 actress and singer Shirley Booth.
“My little Welsh brain just went boom”
A Welsh opera singer has said the art must have more LGBTQ+ representation if it is to survive.
“You must train your intuition”
Born on this day in 1915 actress Ingrid Bergman.
Bonisolli: the early years
Franco Bonisolli from age 28 to 33 in complete operas by Mozart, Cimarosa, Donizetti and Massenet.
Into your arms I’ll fly
On this day in 1953 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein‘s musical Me and Juliet opened at the Majestic Theatre, to run 358 performances.
Wind’s in the east, mist coming in
On this day in 1964 Walt Disney‘s musical film Mary Poppins premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
I Capuleti e i Montecchi
Elsa Dreisig and Aigul Akhmetshina star in a performance recorded at the Salzburg Festival August 19.
A new step every day
On this day in 1951 the musical film An American in Paris premiered in London.
“It’s human to lie”
On this day in 1950 the film Rashomon, directed by Akira Kurosawa, was released.
And in this corner…
Surely it is high time to choose a nickname for mauling maestro Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
All to the Gute
Born on this day in 1958 actor Steve Guttenberg.
Outside the Thalberg Building
Happy 69 to that infeffable composite of homme de lettres, grande dame, diseuse and monstre sacré we mortals call Charles Busch.
The comeback
David Daniels has just confided that he has this week received two singing engagement offers in Europe.
By La Cieca
“Art is an elastic sort of love”
On this day in 2021 the French government announced that dancer, singer, spy and civil rights activist Josephine Baker will be the first black woman to be interred in the Panthéon in Paris.
Horne aplenty
Recent discussion about the merits of Le Prophète has prompted Chris’s Cache to unearth a pirate recording of Meyerbeer’s opera with Marilyn Horne, Rita Shane and Guy Chauvet led by Charles Mackerras, along with an earlier collaboration of the mezzo and conductor: Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice in which Horne goes to hell to get back Adriana Maliponte with the help of Judith Blegen.
Janet, Queen of Scots
Happy 90th birthday mezzo-soprano Dame Janet Baker.
Empty salons, corridors, salons, doors
On this day in 1961 at the 22nd Venice Film Festival L’Année dernière à Marienbad directed by Alain Resnais won the Leone d’oro award.
Fashion changes; style remains
Born on this day in 1883 designer Coco Chanel.
It has to be more than that
Before rehearsals for Madama Butterfly started, Phil Chan sat down with the box to chat about his production, opera’s cultural appropriation problem, and why the last thing he’s trying to do is cancel Puccini.