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From the Vienna State Opera, Juan Diego Flórez, Daniela Fally and Luca Pisaroni; conducted by Guillermo García Calvo.
Born on this day in 1858 composer Giacomo Puccini.
Starring Ying Huang, Erika Miklósa, Matthew Polenzani, Nathan Gunn, and René Pape, conducted by James Levine. From December 30, 2006.
Hans Werner Henze’s opera at the Vienna State Opera features Vera-Lotte Boecker, Bo Skovhus, Josh Lovell, Erik Van Heyningen, Kangmin Justin Kim, Stefan Astakhov and Martin Häßler.
The first thing I noticed about Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is how it’s been slimmed down and punched up—clocking in at just 95 minutes, it hits all the marks of August Wilson’s original while smartly settling into a snappier, more focused filmic style.
Happy 83rd birthday to actress, political activist and environmentalist Jane Fonda.
Starring Deborah Voigt, Wendy Bryn Harmer, Waltraud Meier, Jay Hunter Morris, Iain Paterson, Eric Owens, and Hans-Peter König, conducted by Fabio Luisi. From February 11, 2012.
From the Vienna State Opera: Roberto Alagna, Aleksandra Kurzak, Dalibor Jenis.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Life imitates art
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.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Drink me
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.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Otherwise occupied
Otherwise occupied
Parterre Box features a performance from two belcantisti who would rather you not think about their political affiliations.
Parterre Box features a performance from two belcantisti who would rather you not think about their political affiliations.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Northern star
Northern star
Parterre Box previews an upcoming performance of Hercules with Ann Hallenberg in some very unique Baroque repertoire.
Parterre Box previews an upcoming performance of Hercules with Ann Hallenberg in some very unique Baroque repertoire.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Tra voi belle
Tra voi belle
Following the announcement that she’ll make her Met debut next season, Grand Tier Grab Bag brings Italian soprano Erika Grimaldi to your attention with a duet from Manon Lescaut.
Following the announcement that she’ll make her Met debut next season, Grand Tier Grab Bag brings Italian soprano Erika Grimaldi to your attention with a duet from Manon Lescaut.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
León in winter
León in winter
Ahead of his performance in Les pêcheurs de perles with Washington Concert Opera, Parterre Box features the unusually elegant Anthony León performing Mozart.
Ahead of his performance in Les pêcheurs de perles with Washington Concert Opera, Parterre Box features the unusually elegant Anthony León performing Mozart.
Born on this day in 1898 actress and singer Irene Dunne.
Starring Liudmyla Monastyrska, Jamie Barton, Russell Thomas, Plácido Domingo, and Dmitry Belosselskiy, conducted by James Levine. From January 7, 2017.
Performance from January 6, 2018. Donald Runnicles; Lisette Oropesa (Gretel), Tara Erraught (Hansel), Dolora Zajick (Gertrude), Gerhard Siegel (Witch), Quinn Kelsey (Peter).
Born on this day in 1915 singer Edith Piaf.
Starring Ekaterina Semenchuk, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Oleg Balashov, Evgeny Nikitin, René Pape, Mikhail Petrenko, and Vladimir Ognovenko, conducted by Valery Gergiev. From October 23, 2010.
Live from the Vienna State Opera with Martina Serafin, Daniela Sindram, Günther Groissböck, Erin Morley, Jochen Schmeckenbecher and Piotr Beczala, conducted by Philippe Jordan.
On this day in 1969, a legend portrayed a legend, when the André Previn musical Coco presented Katharine Hepburn as Coco Chanel.
Starring Renata Scotto, Plácido Domingo, and Cornell MacNeil, conducted by James Levine. From April 7, 1984.
Talk of the Town
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Ivy Lin
A favorite art song performance from Ivy Lin
Frida Leider is a major Wagnerian soprano who does not sound like a Wagnerian soprano.
Frida Leider is a major Wagnerian soprano who does not sound like a Wagnerian soprano.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite bass performance from Michael Anthonio
A favorite bass performance from Michael Anthonio
As a (former) bass singer myself, I’ve always been captivated by this aria.
As a (former) bass singer myself, I’ve always been captivated by this aria.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite performance from Margarete Cum Klose
A favorite performance from Margarete Cum Klose
Pure class. Kurt Moll really knew his own voice inside out.
Pure class. Kurt Moll really knew his own voice inside out.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite bass performance from Christopher Corwin
A favorite bass performance from Christopher Corwin
As we reach the end of “Bass Month” I’d like to call attention to the superb American Gregory Reinhart who particularly shone in music by Jean-Philippe Rameau.
As we reach the end of “Bass Month” I’d like to call attention to the superb American Gregory Reinhart who particularly shone in music by Jean-Philippe Rameau.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite bass performance from TildyDiva
A favorite bass performance from TildyDiva
The greatest bass performance I ever experienced was actually four – four performances in four roles.
The greatest bass performance I ever experienced was actually four – four performances in four roles.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite bass performance from William Guanbo Su
A favorite bass performance from William Guanbo Su
This performance was introduced to me by Norman Treigle’s granddaughter —very fine mezzo-soprano Emily Treigle; while I was preparing the role of Olin Blitch, and it completely changed my understanding of the character.
This performance was introduced to me by Norman Treigle’s granddaughter —very fine mezzo-soprano Emily Treigle; while I was preparing the role of Olin Blitch, and it completely changed my understanding of the character.
A recent discussion here about Gianna Rolandi prompts Trove Thursday to present the American soprano in a rare trouser role in an even rarer opera, Cimarosa’s Gli Orazi e I Curiazi paired with Anna Caterina Antonacci.
On this day in 1960 Georg Solti made his Met debut conducting Tannhäuser, featuring baritone Hermann Prey, also debuting, as Wolfram.
Starring Deborah Voigt, Susan Graham, Karen Cargill, Bryan Hymel, Eric Cutler, Dwayne Croft, and Kwangchoul Youn, conducted by Fabio Luisi. From January 5, 2013.
Born on this day in 1770 a forgotten composer named Ludwig van Beethoven.
More schwanning around, this time with Eva Marton, Leonie Rysanek, Peter Hofmann, Leif Roar and John Macurdy, conducted by James Levine. From January 10, 1986.
From the Theater an der Wien, recorded in September 2018.
Happy 86th birthday soprano Raina Kabaivanska.
Starring Elina Garanca, Roberto Alagna, Laurent Naouri, Elchin Azizov, and Dmitry Belosselskiy, conducted by Sir Mark Elder. From October 20, 2018.