Wild bird
On this day in 2017, Clémentine Margaine made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Carmen.
Recent Stories
Dialogues des Carmélites
A first listen to this season’s remarkably strong cast for Poulenc’s masterpiece.
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).
Dazzling both ways
On this day in 1978 the Metropolitan Opera presented a new production of Massenet’s Thaïs.
Tears of a clown
On this day in 1960 tenor Jon Vickers made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Canio.
Pragmatism and ideology
It doesn’t get more classic than John Dexter‘s Dialogues des Carmélites.
Behind closed doors
On this day in 1989, the Metropolitan Opera presented a new production of the double bill of Bluebeard’s Castle and Erwartung.
Winter meeting
On this day in 1958 Samuel Barber‘s Vanessa had its world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera.
Fedora
Live from the Met: Sonya Yoncheva sings the title role of the 19th-century Russian princess, opposite Piotr Beczala as the dashing Count Loris.
A mildness that agrees with my throat
On this day in 1951 soprano Marguerite Piazza made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Rosalinde in Fledermaus.
‘Elisir’ not quite ‘rara qualita’
On paper, the Met’s revival of L’elisir d’amore looked like a lovely evening. And at times it was—a few scenes hinted at what it could be and what it might yet become.
Rock steady
On this day in 2003 the Metropolitan Opera presented a new production of Jenufa.
A little while ago
On this day in 2008 Elina Garanca made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Rosina.
Rebranding the Met
A quick survey of the Met website shows wide swaths of available seats for the upcoming performances of La traviata and L’elisir d’amore. Only new works like The Hours and Fire Shut Up in My Bones have been achieving sold-out houses.
Mass appeal
A week from tonight Franz Welser-Möst brings the Cleveland Orchestra and Chorus to Carnegie Hall for a rare performance of Schubert’s Mass No. 6 in E-flat Major, D 950.
“The ideal Sieglinde”
On this day in 1934 soprano Lotte Lehmann made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Sieglinde.
L’elisir d’amore
Featuring Golda Schultz as the clever Adina and Javier Camarena as the hapless Nemorino.
The world is treating me bad
We constantly wonder whether the young man will embrace him—or slit his throat.
Dad flawed
Du Yun is the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer of Angel’s Bone. Her new opera, In Our Daughter’s Eyes, a one-act monodrama for bass-baritone and an orchestra of six, opened the current tenth Prototype Festival, in a performance at the Baruch Performing Arts Center, starring erstwhile Met regular Nathan Gunn.
The complete package
On this day in 2002, Juan Diego Flórez made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Almaviva.
How stable everything appears
Plink. A marble drops into a bowl. A brief yelp from glass, and a dozen, a hundred, a thousand years pass. Eventually the bowl is full of marbles, each one a tiny globe.
Dream girl
Born on this day in 1915 actress Anita Louise.
A jewel, despite the setting
The first time I heard of Ermonela Jaho it was as the ultimate understudy. In the aughts it seemed that every time Angela Gheorghiu or Anna Netrebko or whoever canceled, Jaho was standing by.
Village people
On this day in 1970 the Metropolitan Opera presented new productions of Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci.