Trove Thursday celebrates the centenary of Stravinsky’s Pulcinella not with the frequently heard orchestral suite but with the complete score in a broadcast featuring appropriately Italian forces including Anna Caterina Antonacci, Francesco Meli and Alex Esposito conducted by Daniele Gatti.
On this day in 1956 Maria Callas made her Met debut as Norma.
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).
Starring Adrianne Pieczonka, Marcello Giordani, Plácido Domingo and James Morris, conducted by James Levine. From February 6, 2010.
I’ll just note that Cameron and I listened separately; we didn’t compare notes; and on our own, came up with the same list of top three singers… none of whom were among the actual winners.
Happy 93rd birthday songstress Cleo Laine.
Starring Brenda Rae, Joyce DiDonato, Kate Lindsey, Iestyn Davies, Duncan Rock and Matthew Rose, conducted by Harry Bicket. From February 29, 2020.
“Once upon a time / Lived a foolish king. / Mocking Death, his crime, / Pure chaos he bring.”
Born on this day in 1922 actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist and civil rights activist Ruby Dee.
Diana Damrau and Joseph Calleja presented an uneven program in a lavish setting this weekend in the most recent entry in the Met’s concert series.
Starring Renata Scotto, Tatiana Troyanos, Vasile Moldoveanu, Sherrill Milnes and Paul Plishka, conducted by James Levine. From February 21, 1980.
A particularly heartbreaking aspect of the pandemic shutdown has, of course, been helplessly watching rising artists have their careers plunged into indefinite silence. But for a few bold souls who are willing to try new things, the moment has also opened doors.
On this day in 1959 mezzo-soprano Giulietta Simionato made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Azucena.
Starring Renée Fleming, Elina Garanca, Erin Morley, Matthew Polenzani, Marcus Brück and Günther Groissböck, conducted by Sebastian Weigle. From May 13, 2017.
Born on this day in 1927 Broadway and cabaret legend Barbara Cook.
Starring Diana Damrau, Joyce DiDonato, Susanne Resmark, Juan Diego Flórez, Stéphane Degout and Michele Pertusi, conducted by Maurizio Benini. From April 9, 2011
“Soprano Diana Damrau and tenor Joseph Calleja, both longtime Met stars known for holding nothing back onstage, are sure to pull out all the stops for this performance.”
Happy 41st birthday to visionary Yuval Sharon.
Starring Mirella Freni, Barbara Bonney, Marilyn Horne, Bruno Pola and Paul Plishka, conducted by James Levine. From October 10, 1992.
The long-awaited solution to the Fiordiligi Quiz!
Starring Cecilia Bartoli, Ramón Vargas, Simone Alaimo and Alessandro Corbelli, conducted by James Levine. From October 27, 1997.
The worldwide “Beethoven 250” celebration hasn’t exactly come off as planned, so Trove Thursday steps up to offer the composer’s rarely-heard oratorio Christus am Ölberge with Jonas Kaufmann typecast in the title role, revered by Luba Orgonásova and Hanno Müller-Brachmann, plus a fleet HIP broadcast of the Choral Fantasy from earlier this year.
Born on this day in 1844 actress supreme Sarah Bernhardt.
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