I’ll make a man out of you
Born on this day in 1936 actress Mary Tyler Moore.
Recent Stories
La bohème
Starring Renata Scotto, Maralin Niska, Luciano Pavarotti, Ingvar Wixell, and Paul Plishka, conducted by James Levine. From March 15, 1977.
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).
“Old people are scary”
Happy 86th birthday to the sublime Dame Maggie Smith.
Falstaff
Starring Lisette Oropesa, Angela Meade, Stephanie Blythe, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Paolo Fanale, Ambrogio Maestri, and Franco Vassallo, conducted by James Levine. From December 14, 2013.
The Tales of Hoffmann
“Barrie Kosky tells Offenbach’s fantastic story as a disturbing nightmare of an artist who increasingly loses his sense of identity. As we dive into the obsessions of a deranged mind, the title role itself is shared by three performers – including an actor – while a single soprano embodies all four female lead roles.”
I am not a myth
Born on this day in 1901 actress Marlene Dietrich.
The Merry Widow
Starring Renée Fleming, Kelli O’Hara, Nathan Gunn, Alek Shrader, and Sir Thomas Allen, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. From January 17, 2015.
The Magic Flute
Performance from December 21, 2010: Erik Nielsen; Susanna Phillips (Pamina), Erika Miklósa (Queen of the Night), Russell Thomas (Tamino), Alan Oke (Monostatos), Nathan Gunn (Papageno), Morris Robinson (Sarastro).
No more tears
Happy 82nd birthday soprano Adriana Maliponte.
Hansel and Gretel
Starring Christine Schäfer, Alice Coote, Rosalind Plowright, Philip Langridge, and Alan Held, conducted by Vladimir Jurowski. From January 1, 2008.
Hear those magic reindeer click
Jonas Kaufmann would like you know it’s Christmas. Well, not unlike a broken clock, he is right, at least for one day a year.
Fire on the mountain
Happy 39th birthday soprano Sonya Yoncheva.
La bohème
Starring Teresa Stratas, Renata Scotto, José Carreras, Richard Stilwell, and James Morris, conducted by James Levine. From January 16, 1982.
Cradle song
While seasonally-awkward streams of Messiah abound, Trove Thursday turns instead to Berlioz’s exquisite L’Enfance du Christ from francophone forces including Stéphanie d’ Oustrac, Bernard Richter, Edwin Crossley-Mercer and Nicolas Testé (for once, sans sa femme).
Drawing room comedy
On this day in 1950 José Ferrer and Gloria Swanson opened a Broadway revival of Twentieth Century.
Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Starring Isabel Leonard, Lawrence Brownlee, Christopher Maltman, Maurizo Muraro, and Paata Burchuladze, conducted by Michele Mariotti. From November 22, 2014.
Cendrillon
“In his surprisingly tragic interpretation, the renowned Italian director Damiano Michieletto plays with the clichés of the ruthless ballet world and crosses the line between fairytale magic and reality.”
December child
Happy 74th birthday soprano Edita Gruberova.
Cendrillon
Starring Kathleen Kim, Joyce DiDonato, Alice Coote and Stephanie Blythe; conducted by Bertrand de Billy. Transmitted live on April 28, 2018.
La sonnambula
From the Vienna State Opera, Juan Diego Flórez, Daniela Fally and Luca Pisaroni; conducted by Guillermo García Calvo.
Art is a kind of illness
Born on this day in 1858 composer Giacomo Puccini.
The Magic Flute
Starring Ying Huang, Erika Miklósa, Matthew Polenzani, Nathan Gunn, and René Pape, conducted by James Levine. From December 30, 2006.
Das verratene Meer
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.