Everybody is nothing until you love them
Truly, I think it would be almost impossible to overpraise Anna Magnani in a performance that’s absolutely riveting from start to finish
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Miss me blonde
Happy 75th birthday soprano Katia Ricciarelli.
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).
Rusalka
Renée Fleming, Emily Magee, Dolora Zajick, Piotr Beczala and John Relyea, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. From February 8, 2014.
Learning to fly
Conceived by Adam Guettel as a song cycle that explores human relationships to the gods across the span of history into today, Myths and Hymns has been seen and heard in concert and staged settings, and some of the individual songs are often performed in cabaret.
Lulu
Ingo Metzmacher conducts Agneta Eichenholz, Bo Skovhus, Charles Workman, Angela Denoke and Franz Grundheber.
It’s a good day
Happy 99th birthday to television legend and animal health advocate Betty White.
Rodelinda
Starring Renée Fleming, Stephanie Blythe, Andreas Scholl, Iestyn Davies, Joseph Kaiser, and Shenyang, conducted by Harry Bicket. From December 3, 2011.
All about my moth
The performance of an opera, indeed, seems almost a third narrative, atop the dreamer under the scientific microscope and the larva turning into a butterfly, and the mingling is not always clear—but then, clarity never seems to be the intention.
La Traviata
Performance from January 18, 2020: Karel Mark Chichon; Aleksandra Kurzak (Violetta Valéry), Dmytro Popov (Alfredo Germont), Quinn Kelsey (Giorgio Germont).
Kiss from a Rossini
Happy 87th birthday mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne.
Capriccio
Starring Renée Fleming, Sarah Connolly, Joseph Kaiser, Russell Braun, Morten Frank Larsen, and Peter Rose, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. From April 23, 2011.
Linda di Chamounix
From the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Michele Gamba conducts Cesare Lievi‘s production with Jessica Pratt, Francesco Demuro and Michele Pertusi.
Écrevisses à la bordelaise
On this day in 1958 Samuel Barber‘s Vanessa had its world premiere at the Met.
Armida
Starring Renée Fleming, Lawrence Brownlee, Barry Banks, John Osborn and Kobie van Rensburg, conducted by Riccardo Frizza. From May 1, 2010.
The ties that bind
Like everyone reading this, I imagine, I’ve missed going to see and hear something in person more than I thought possible.
The Lady Eve
For nearly 70 years, New York City was the world capital of concert opera thanks first to the American Opera Society, then to Eve Queler’s Opera Orchestra of New York.
Mai Tosca alla scena più tragica fu!
On this day in 1900 Puccini’s Tosca premiered in Rome.
Der Rosenkavalier
Starring Renée Fleming, Christine Schäfer, Susan Graham, Eric Cutler, Thomas Allen, and Kristinn Sigmundsson, conducted by Edo de Waart. From January 9, 2010.
Call of the wild
Call Out is an ample demonstration of Zachary James’ many talents—and an inspiring example of the artistic light that can be generated even when our theaters are temporarily dark.
On the beach
The immediate and personal catastrophe interleaves with the general and universal and ancient.
Götterdämmerung
Adam Fischer leads Christian Franz, Linda Watson, Eric Halfvarson and Jochen Schmeckenbecher.
Queen of tears
Born on this day in 1905 actress Kay Francis.
Thaïs
Starring Renée Fleming, Michael Schade, and Thomas Hampson, conducted by Jesús López-Cobos. From December 20, 2008.