Semiramide Semiramide

Conducted by Maurizio Benini; starring Angela Meade, Elizabeth DeShong, Javier Camarena, Ildar Abdrazako and Ryan Speedo Green. Transmitted live on March 10, 2018.

Dark and darker Dark and darker

San Francisco Opera and Lyric Opera of Chicago have announced the cancellation of their respective 2020 fall seasons.

Jawdropper Jawdropper

Robert Wilson is many things: a visionary (certainly); an iconoclast, artist, director, and designer of sets, lighting, costumes, movement (and furniture). Yet his work is never boring (well, at least not intentionally).

Un ballo in maschera Un ballo in maschera

Jesús López Cobos leads Piotr Beczala, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Krassimira Stoyanova in this performance from the Vienna State Opera on April 26, 2016.

It’s a curse It’s a curse

Born on this day in 1899 soprano Helen Traubel.

Armida Armida

Conducted by Riccardo Frizza; starring Renée Fleming, Lawrence Brownlee, John Osborn, Barry Banks and Kobie van Rensburg. Transmitted live on May 1, 2010.

Die singende Stadt Die singende Stadt

A documentary on how Stuttgart Opera’s Parsifal was produced in 2009/10.

We are magicians We are magicians

In Moses und Aron Schoenberg’s struggle with the essence of his own Jewishness is the cosmic glue that bonds Kosky’s to Schoenberg’s vision.

We’ve often rewound the clock We’ve often rewound the clock

Born on this day in 1894 orchestrator and composer Robert Russell Bennett.

Rodelinda Rodelinda

Conducted by Harry Bicket; starring Renée Fleming, Stephanie Blythe, Andreas Scholl, Iestyn Davies, Joseph Kaiser and Shenyang. Transmitted live on December 3, 2011.

Table for three Table for three

On this day in 1972 the Metropolitan Opera presented an all-star Rigoletto with Sherrill Milnes, Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti.

The Gambler The Gambler

Performance of Prokofiev’s Igrok on October 7, 2017 at the Vienna State Opera.

“Rust, bones and the wind” “Rust, bones and the wind”

Terror and breakdown is hinted at strongly, almost blatantly, but the characters never seem to move an inch past the comfort zone.

Center square Center square

Born on this day in 1926 comedian and actor Paul Lynde.

Il trittico Il trittico

From San Francisco Opera, filmed live in HD at the War Memorial Opera House in 2009.

Moses und Aron Moses und Aron

Barrie Kosky and Vladimir Jurowski collaborate on this splendid production of Schoenberg’s unfinished masterpiece.

La fanciulla del West La fanciulla del West

Nina Stemme and Jonas Kaufmann star in this performance conducted by Franz Welser-Möst, as telecast October 5, 2013.

Tabloid Tabloid

Born on this day in 1899 photographer and journalist Weegee.

The Ghosts of Versailles The Ghosts of Versailles

John Corigliano and William M. Hoffmann‘s gay fantasia on royalist themes, as telecast on January 10, 1992.

Ariadne auf Naxos Ariadne auf Naxos

Lise Davidsen, Stephen Gould and Erin Morley star in this performance from the Vienna State Opera.

S that all there S? S that all there S?

Starry galas are popping up everywhere lately so it’s time for Trove Thursday’s, a challenging panoply trodding mostly off the beaten path—with an S-twist!

A rose is still a rose A rose is still a rose

Born on this day in 1864 composer Richard Strauss. Born on this day in 1913 mezzo-soprano Risë Stevens.

Il trittico Il trittico

From the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, conducted by Antonio Pappano.

“Le Mozart noir” “Le Mozart noir”

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint George is frequently referred to as “le Mozart noir.” While surely intended as a favorable comparison to Mozart, the sobriquet is diminishing, implying that Bologne’s music was somehow derivative of Mozart’s.