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On this day in 1964 the Metropolitan Opera opened its season with a new production of Lucia di Lammermoor.
In his attempts to be clever, and to overstuff Leopoldstadt with a dictionary’s worth of marginalia, Tom Stoppard never lingers on a character or storyline long enough to develop it into something worth caring about.
On this day in 1976, the Metropolitan Opera opened its season with a revival of Il trovatore starring Luciano Pavarotti, Renata Scotto, Shirley Verrett and Matteo Manuguerra.
Cost of Living, the Pulitzer Prize–winning play by Martyna Majok now on Broadway, overflows with complexity. It begins with the title.
Whoever thought Verdi’s Il trovatore needed an injection of humor to make it complete?
Born on this day composer Giuseppe Verdi (1813) and soprano Leyla Gencer (1924).
On this day in 1987 the Metropolitan Opera premiered a new production of Das Rheingold.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Nailin’ the coughin’
Rosa Feola, still scheduled for a run of performances as Violetta in New York this spring, is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Rosa Feola, still scheduled for a run of performances as Violetta in New York this spring, is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Landing the plane
With Nixon, Klinghoffer, and Andris Nelsons on the mind, Parterre Box offers a recording of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s recent John Adams outing.
With Nixon, Klinghoffer, and Andris Nelsons on the mind, Parterre Box offers a recording of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s recent John Adams outing.
Le galant tireur
American tenor Charles Castronovo performs a bit of Weber’s Der Freischütz ahead of the opportunity to hear Berlioz‘s take on the score at Carnegie Hall next week.
American tenor Charles Castronovo performs a bit of Weber’s Der Freischütz ahead of the opportunity to hear Berlioz‘s take on the score at Carnegie Hall next week.
My 600 performance life
Parterre Box acknowledges Riccardo Muti‘s 600th performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by highlighting two of his favorite singers — under a different conductor.
Parterre Box acknowledges Riccardo Muti‘s 600th performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by highlighting two of his favorite singers — under a different conductor.
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.
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.
Gianandrea Noseda leads seasoned Wagnerians in Andreas Homoki’s stark production of Die Walküre for Zurich Opera.
Born on this day in 1925 versatile mezzo-soprano Irene Dalis.
Here are another half-dozen past Trove Thursday highlights ahead of my new parterre box live-recording series launching a week from now.
On this day in 1989 Dolora Zajick and Aprile Millo faced off in Aida at the Metropolitan Opera.
David McVicar’s 2017 production of Tosca returned to the Met on Tuesday night, with an able and watchable, if not transcendent cast.
Léo Delibes’ opera, streamed from the Opéra Comique in a production staged by Laurent Pelly and featuring Sabine Devieilhe.
Born on this day in 1887 soprano Maria Jeritza.
People turn up at a cancer hospital on the worst day of their lives. In I’m Revolting, a moving and often unsettling world premiere from Atlantic Theatre Company, playwright Gracie Gardner dissects the fears and motivations of patients and their caregivers with surgical precision.
Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Niel Rishoi
Hans Hotter masterfully captures the poignancy of this sublime Brahms Lied.
Hans Hotter masterfully captures the poignancy of this sublime Brahms Lied.
A favorite art song performance from Arrigo
While refined, Lisa della Casa sings “Four Last Songs” deeply alert to the text and with effortless vocalization that sounds fresh and spontaneous.
While refined, Lisa della Casa sings “Four Last Songs” deeply alert to the text and with effortless vocalization that sounds fresh and spontaneous.
A favorite art song performance from Belfagor
Funnily enough, I’m not remotely a Rachmaninov fan, but this performance by Galina Vishnevskaya in her considerable prime always gives me the chills.
Funnily enough, I’m not remotely a Rachmaninov fan, but this performance by Galina Vishnevskaya in her considerable prime always gives me the chills.
A favorite art song performance from Rowna Sutin
With youthful abandon, Ms. Feola interprets an old chestnut.
With youthful abandon, Ms. Feola interprets an old chestnut.
A favorite art song performance from Andrew Lokay
Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton’s rendition of Jake Heggie‘s “Winged Victory: We’re Through,” vividly captures the song’s humor and energy.
Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton’s rendition of Jake Heggie‘s “Winged Victory: We’re Through,” vividly captures the song’s humor and energy.
A favorite art song performance from Jamie Barton
This prompt of “favorite art song performance” seems just about as broad — and almost silly — a question as asking a painter what their favorite color is.
This prompt of “favorite art song performance” seems just about as broad — and almost silly — a question as asking a painter what their favorite color is.
Yulia Matochkina will make her Met role debut as Eboli in Verdi’s Don Carlo, replacing Anita Rachvelishvili.
On this day in 1996 Mirella Freni took on the title role in the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Fedora.
Yuval Sharon at Boston Lyric Opera has brilliantly found an interpretative middle ground for La bohème by presenting the acts in reverse order.
Sondra Radvanovsky‘s mean, moody, magnificent Medea fascinated the cher public as the season kicked in at the end of September.
On this day in 1968, the Metropolitan Opera debuted a new production of Tosca (the company’s first since 1917!) featuring Birgit Nilsson and Franco Corelli.
On this day in 1966 Birgit Nilsson and Franco Corelli sang Turandot in the new Metropolitan Opera house at Lincoln Center where, according to reports, they were louder than ever.
Both the mise-en-scène and the musical direction amplified the absolute worst tendencies of the Opéra Comique’s Lakmé in the most tasteless and baffling ways.
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