Recent Stories
Natalie Dessay, Matthew Polenzani and Dmitri Hvorostovsky star in this Live in HD video from April 14, 2012.
Patrizia Ciofi, Daniela Barcellona, Annick Massis, Carmela Remigio and Juan Francisco Gatell are heard in this 2009 performance from La Scala.
Katharine Hepburn is better than I remembered, including making a reasonable attempt at a Southern accent. And, of course, there is distinctive star quality to burn, as well as interpretive intelligence.
Happy 78th birthday singer, actress and filmmaker Barbra Streisand.
Starring Renée Fleming, Kelli O’Hara and Nathan Gunn, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. From January 17, 2015.
Ailyn Pérez, Matthew Polenzani and Ambrogio Maestri star in this 2015 live performance from Munich.
Trove Thursday completes its Prévost–trifecta with Puccini’s Manon Lescaut starring Sondra Radvanovsky and (pre-Met) Aleksandrs Antonenko conducted by Riccardo Chailly plus an added Radvanovsky-Puccini bonus: Suor Angelica.
Shirley Booth‘s Amanda reminds us again of her astonishing range, and truly unique (yes, a word I hate, but I mean it here) ability to mix heartbreak and humor in the same breath.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
My 600 performance life
Parterre Box acknowledges Riccardo Muti‘s 600th performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by highlighting two of his favorite singers — under a different conductor.
Parterre Box acknowledges Riccardo Muti‘s 600th performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by highlighting two of his favorite singers — under a different conductor.
Life imitates art
With Gustavo Dudamel in the spotlight at Parterre Box this week, Grand Tier Grab Bag foreshadows one of the New York Philharmonic’s upcoming operatic engagements.
With Gustavo Dudamel in the spotlight at Parterre Box this week, Grand Tier Grab Bag foreshadows one of the New York Philharmonic’s upcoming operatic engagements.
Drink me
Parterre Box answers the question, “how can a singer do both Tristan and Nemorino within a few month of each other?” with a clip of a recent role debut from Michael Spyres.
Parterre Box answers the question, “how can a singer do both Tristan and Nemorino within a few month of each other?” with a clip of a recent role debut from Michael Spyres.
Otherwise occupied
Parterre Box features a performance from two belcantisti who would rather you not think about their political affiliations.
Parterre Box features a performance from two belcantisti who would rather you not think about their political affiliations.
Northern star
Parterre Box previews an upcoming performance of Hercules with Ann Hallenberg in some very unique Baroque repertoire.
Parterre Box previews an upcoming performance of Hercules with Ann Hallenberg in some very unique Baroque repertoire.
Tra voi belle
Following the announcement that she’ll make her Met debut next season, Grand Tier Grab Bag brings Italian soprano Erika Grimaldi to your attention with a duet from Manon Lescaut.
Following the announcement that she’ll make her Met debut next season, Grand Tier Grab Bag brings Italian soprano Erika Grimaldi to your attention with a duet from Manon Lescaut.
On this day in 2015 Chita Rivera opened her 18th Broadway show as the star of John Kander, Fred Ebb and Terrence McNally‘s The Visit.
Starring Anna Netrebko, Kathleen Kim, Ekaterina Gubanova, Joseph Calleja and Alan Held, conducted by James Levine.
More than any actor I’ve seen on stage or screen, John Malkovich communicates the essential ambiguity of the character.
From April 29, 2019, a live performance from Vienna featuring Anne Schwanewilms and Brandon Jovanovich.
Happy 85th birthday mezzo-soprano Fiorenza Cossotto.
Sonya Yoncheva heads the cast of this January 27, 2018 Live in HD telecast from the Met.
Simon Rattle leads this performance from November 2018 at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden.
Happy 88th birthday comedian, film director, screenwriter, and actress Elaine May.
Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Ben Miller
It’s not where you start but where you Finnish
It’s not where you start but where you Finnish
A favorite art song performance from Timothy Gray
Wolfgang Holzmair‘s performance was amazing in its personal and intimate approach.
Wolfgang Holzmair‘s performance was amazing in its personal and intimate approach.
A favorite art song performance from Peter Russell
William Parker‘s career launch coincided with the closet door fully opening for American male classical vocalists; the cruel irony is that Will was also an early AIDS casualty, gone in 1993 at 49.
William Parker‘s career launch coincided with the closet door fully opening for American male classical vocalists; the cruel irony is that Will was also an early AIDS casualty, gone in 1993 at 49.
A favorite art song performance from feliks
This song has always been one of my favorites.
This song has always been one of my favorites.
A favorite art song performance from Remko Jas
The song recitals I remember most vividly were, unsurprisingly, the most vivid ones.
The song recitals I remember most vividly were, unsurprisingly, the most vivid ones.
A favorite art song performance from Krunoslav
The staggeringly great Ukraine-born Jewish bass Mark Reizen sings “The Ebullient Kura Swirls” a/k/a “The Persian Love Song” by Moldova-born Jewish composer Anton Rubinstein.
The staggeringly great Ukraine-born Jewish bass Mark Reizen sings “The Ebullient Kura Swirls” a/k/a “The Persian Love Song” by Moldova-born Jewish composer Anton Rubinstein.
This Met Live in HD video stars Nina Stemme, Adrianne Pieczonka, Waltraud Meier and Eric Owens, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen.
Mussorgsky’s original 1868/69 version, as performed by the Bayerische Staatsoper.
The 1950 movie seems intent to turn the story into a screen romance, eliding or ignoring the play’s mournful tenor.
J’allume au feu du jour ma cigarette.
This Met Live in HD video stars Renée Fleming, Elina Garanca, Erin Morley and Günther Groissböck, conducted by Sebastian Weigle.
From the Vienna State Opera with Camilla Nylund, conducted by Michael Boder.
Happy 55th birthday soprano Natalie Dessay.
Cilea’s melodrama stars Anna Netrebko, Anita Rachvelishvili, Piotr Beczala and Ambrogio Maestri, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda.