Recent Stories
“A teacher must have a great deal of experience”
Happy 97th birthday soprano Virginia Zeani.
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).
Idomeneo
Michael Spyres stars in the title role of the ancient Cretan king, alongside Kate Lindsey as Idamante, Ying Fang as Ilia, and Federica Lombardi as Elettra.
Quiet please, there’s a lady on stage
On this day in 2008 Anja Harteros sang her first Metropolitan Opera Violetta.
For coloratura soprano
Born on this day in 1900 soprano Erna Berger.
A study in simplicity and profundity
“The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays” – Soren Kierkegaard
Get happy
On this day in 1975 the Metropolitan Opera revived La Gioconda with Martina Arroyo in the title role.
The clue whose meaning we avoid
We watch Peter Grimes being made into a deviant— a process that can take place through the mechanism of the law, but often happens outside of it through social processes.
Don’t mask, don’t tell
The Metropolitan Opera and other classical music venue are dropping their mask requirements for audience members.
Meticulously shaped, beautifully tinted
Stefan Vinke brings to Tristan an indefatigable heldentenor of sturdy, muscular brilliance and a physical intensity that allowed him to fearlessly traverse this complex character’s broad emotional compass.
Nothing tempting or yielding
On this day in 1963 the Metropolitan Opera presented a new production of Manon starring Anna Moffo and Nicolai Gedda.
Joy division
On this day in 1989 the Metropolitan Opera presented a new production of La traviata featuring Edita Gruberova conducted by Carlos Kleiber and directed by Franco Zeffirelli.
Fedora
Sonya Yoncheva and Roberto Alagna star in a new production of Giordano’s opera at La Scala.
Infinito!
On this day in 1962 the Metropolitan Opera opened its season with a revival of Andrea Chenier starring Franco Corelli and Eileen Farrell.
This is a gala day for you
On October 14, 1979 I spent my birthday attending my first all-star opera gala, thrilled at the chance to hear some of the great singers I’d only experienced on LPs, broadcasts or via my pirate reel-to-reel tapes.
“So much for traditional sweetness and charm”
On this day in 1998 the Metropolitan Opera presented a new production of Le nozze di Figaro featuring Cecilia Bartoli as Susanna.
Late to the party
On this day in 1964 Elisabeth Schwarzkopf made her Metropolitan Opera debut as the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier.
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
Svetlana Sozdateleva and Brandon Jovanovich star in Shostakovich’s opera.
They are the champions
This is likely the best Giargiari Bel Canto competition year in my experience, evidenced in several important ways.
Tableau vivant
On this day in 1964 the Metropolitan Opera opened its season with a new production of Lucia di Lammermoor.
Street scene
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.
Light my pyre
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.
It’s going to cost you
Cost of Living, the Pulitzer Prize–winning play by Martyna Majok now on Broadway, overflows with complexity. It begins with the title.