Show stopper
Born on this day in 1947 actress and singer Alice Playten.
Recent Stories
Un ballo in maschera
Starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Kathleen Kim, Stephanie Blythe, Marcelo Álvarez and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, conducted by Fabio Luisi. From December 8, 2012.
I masnadieri
A recent I Masnadieri with risen stars Lisette Oropesa and Russell Thomas.
Practically perfect in every way
On this day in 1964, Mary Poppins premiered in Los Angeles.
For art’s sake
Few operas scream “summertime easy listening” like Pfitzner’s Palestrina—all 225 minutes of it—so Trove Thursday presents a performance from the Royal Opera’s 1997 New York visit conducted by Christian Thielemann.
Luisa Miller
Starring Sonya Yoncheva, Olesya Petrova, Piotr Beczala, Plácido Domingo, Alexander Vinogradov and Dmitry Belosselskiy, conducted by Bertrand de Billy. From April 14, 2018.
Attila
Today’s offering is an electric performance of Verdi’s early potboiler Attila conducted by Giuseppe Sinopoli with Nicolai Ghiaurov, Piero Cappuccilli and the weirdly exciting (or is it the other way around?) Mara Zampieri.
Nice work if you can get it
On this day in 1951 the film An American in Paris premiered in London.
Il trovatore
Starring Anna Netrebko, Dolora Zajick, Yonghoon Lee, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Stefan Kocán, conducted by Marco Armiliato. From October 3, 2015.
Giovanna d’Arco
Verdi’s Giovanna d’Arco in a rare NYC concert performance with Margaret Price, Carlo Bergonzi and Sherrill Milnes.
Music can name the unnameable
Born on this day in 1918 composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein.
Rigoletto
Starring Diana Damrau, Oksana Volkova, Piotr Beczala, Zeljko Lucic and Stefan Kocán, conducted by Michele Mariotti. From February 16, 2013.
I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata
To vary and expand the Met’s “rerun” week of telecasts of Verdi operas, our own Christopher Corwin has selected a group of earlier and lesser-known works by that composer from the vast “Trove Thursday” collection for afternoon listening.
Ubiquitous
Happy 64th birthday director Francesca Zambello.
Hansel and Gretel
Starring Judith Blegen, Frederica von Stade, Jean Kraft, Rosalind Elias and Michael Devlin, conducted by Thomas Fulton. From December 25, 1982.
The lady in question
Happy birthday to actor, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, memoirist, drag legend and cabaret artiste Charles Busch.
Il barbiere di Siviglia
Starring Kathleen Battle, Rockwell Blake, Leo Nucci, Enzo Dara and Ferruccio Furlanetto, conducted by Ralf Weikert. From December 3, 1988.
I love having written
Born on this day in 1893 poet, short story writer, critic, and satirist Dorothy Parker.
Simon Boccanegra
Starring Adrianne Pieczonka, Marcello Giordani, Plácido Domingo and James Morris, conducted by James Levine. From February 6, 2010.
“You know a lot when you’re 16”
Born on this day in 1896 soprano, newspaper columnist, voice teacher and novelist Queena Mario.
Un ballo in maschera
Starring Aprile Millo, Harolyn Blackwell, Florence Quivar, Luciano Pavarotti and Leo Nucci, conducted by James Levine. From January 26, 1991.
Do you ever dream of Vienna?
Johnny Guitar, the delightfully subversive Western by director Nicholas Ray, features one of Joan Crawford’s most iconic performances.