Coast to coast
Non-observant Jew that I am, my recent immersion into not one by two new plays—Pictures from Home on Broadway, and The Wanderers at the Roundabout—that very much live in that world was something of a double-whammy.
Recent Stories
That’s what friends are for
On this day in 1970 mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne made her Metropolitan Opera debut in a new production of Norma.
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).
Lohengrin
Piotr Beczala is the Grail Knight in tonight’s live broadcast.
Sacred raptures cheer my breast
The English Concert’s annual Handel tour brings Solomon conducted by Harry Bicket to the US beginning Sunday March 5. In anticipation, Chris’s Cache offers Solomon plus four other oratorios by the master: Belshazzar, Hercules, Saul and Jephtha, all via broadcasts for which I feel a personal connection.
Renegade princess
On this day in 1936, mezzo-soprano Bruna Castagna made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Amneris.
This used to be the future
Like all true opera queens, the parterrians live in the time to come. Thus this month’s #1 most read post!
Zero gravitas
On the train ride home I was thinking that I don’t want to see or hear Norma ever again.
Here comes the sun
On this day in 1945 the Metropolitan Opera revived Rimsky-Korsakov’s Le Coq d’Or.
Valley of the doll
On this day in 1910 prima ballerina Anna Pavlova made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in Coppelia (on a double bill with Werther!)
Going ‘South’
Cotton, a world-premiere song cycle commissioned by Philadelphia’s Lyric Fest, takes its audience on a journey through Black American history that extends from the Deep South to the contemporary urban landscape.
A whiter shade of grail
It seems that François Girard has been watching a little too much Star Wars lately. His new production of Lohengrin, which opened at the Metropolitan Opera Sunday afternoon, reduced Wagner’s opera to a knockoff space opera, full of hackneyed sci-fi tropes and B-rated futurist apologue.
“A not unnatural desire to display her versatility”
On this day in 1890 the Metropolitan Opera presented the company premiere of Bellini’s Norma as “a benefit to supplement the earnings of Lilli Lehmann.”
In trousers
On this day in 1972 soprano Anja Silja made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Fidelio.
A four-star quartet
On this day in 1976 the Metropolitan Opera presented a new production of Bellini’s I puritani.
So a fool returns to his Philly
Updating opera settings is, of course, expected; I’d wager in most houses more often than not it’s now the norm. Still, few in my experience have the specificity and local immediacy of Don Pasquale at the Academy of Vocal Arts.
Guys who sing high (and others)
A stack of noteworthy recent baroque vocal CDs on my desk has been staring at me for weeks, so I’m tackling them on Handel’s birthday before the Met roars back into action beginning this weekend.
Comme une impératrice
Born on this day in 1927 soprano Régine Crespin.
The Metropolitan Opera’s 2023-2024 season announcment
Six contemporary operas, including four Metropolitan premieres, headline the company’s upcoming season, which was announced today at noon.
On a small scale
On this day in 1926, the youthful soprano Marion Talley sang Lucia di Lammermoor at the Metropolitan Opera.
Making the trivial triumphant
On this day in 1978, the Metropolitan Opera presented a new production of Donizetti’s La favorita.
A musical orgasm
On this day in 1989 the Metropolitan Opera presented a new production of Salome.