Urteufelin
On this day in 2001, Violeta Urmana made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Kundry.
Recent Stories
Somewhere in time
The current Met revival of Der Rosenkavalier, while not perfect, has much to feel joyful and excited about.
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 step backwards into conventionality
On this day in 1981 the Metropolitan Opera telecast its new and unremarkable production of La traviata.
Der Rosenkavalier
This much-anticipated revival stars Lise Davidsen and Günther Groissböck.
I’ll plant my own tree
Richard Strauss’ “Bucolic Tragedy in One Act” Daphne is one of his most beautiful and most frustrating works.
The queens’ gambit
The sharp and glitzy national tour production of Six doesn’t suffer from a sense of staleness due to familiarity.
A fella with an umbrella
On this day in 1952 the film Singin’ in the Rain premiered at Radio City Music Hall in NYC.
Turandot
The complete new recording played by Radio Beethoven in Santiago, Chile.
Mounting dread
On this day in 1992 the Metropolitan Opera presented a [disastrous] new production of Elektra.
And when I die
Born on this day in 1910 soprano Magda Olivero.
O, swear not by the matinee!
Helena Dix goes on for the broadcast this afternoon!
Did I mention there’s a mime?
In terms of wild applause, it was Donna Murphy as Aurelia who was front and center, exciting the audience to a fervor with each re-emergence on the stage.
À la russe
On this day in 1920 the Metropolitan Opera presented the company’s first performance of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin.
Falstaff
Another broadcast of one of the Met’s finest revivals of the season.
The girl next door
On this day in 1977 soprano Ileana Cotrubas made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Mimì.
O, swear not by the moon
“For this evening’s performance of Norma (March 22, 2023), Norma will now be sung by Helena Dix, replacing Sonya Yoncheva.”
The Finnish line
On this day in 1990 soprano Karita Mattila made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Donna Elvira in a new production of Don Giovanni.
This is the part when I break free
Following the great success of its new piece The Factotum, Lyric Opera of Chicago returned to the tried and true with the audience-pleaser Carmen in an equally tried and true 20-year old Lyric production that has stood the test of time.
Soho meets Sybil
On Friday, MCal Performances—the performing arts organization based at University of California, Berkeley—presented the US premiere of South African multi-disciplinary artist William Kentridge’s Sybil, with music composed and conceived by Nhlanhla Mahlangu and Kyle Shepherd.
“Flute-like Santos-Dumont notes”
On this day in 1908 soprano Ellen Beach Yaw made her debut and only performance at the Metropolitan Opera as Lucia di Lammermoor.
Veil song
On this day in 1901 the Metropolitan Opera presented the company premiere of Reyer’s Salammbô.