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Born on this day in 1921 actress Alexis Smith.
Mean, moody magnificent Renée Fleming puts the “tease” in “courtesan.”
Tom Hiddleston manages to balance the many layers of Coriolanus, from his military strength and hot temper, to his strangely overpowering sense of personal dignity, which is ultimately his tragic flaw.
A one-time stream of the Princeton Festival’s 2018 production.
Happy 57th birthday tenor Roberto Alagna.
Conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin; starring Sonya Yoncheva, Aleksandrs Antonenko, and Zeljko Lucic. Transmitted live on October 17, 2015.
By a margin of more than two to one, the cher public has chosen “O Scarpia, avanti a Dio!” as the greatest of all opera curtain lines.
Born on this day in 1912 actress Maria Montez.
Tell us: Filth or dementia?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Kathryn the great
Kathryn the great
Parterre Box previews Kathryn Lewek‘s upcoming Salome with clips of her as another unhinged lady of antiquity.
Parterre Box previews Kathryn Lewek‘s upcoming Salome with clips of her as another unhinged lady of antiquity.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Count your blessings
Count your blessings
Fast-rising Verdi baritone Ariunbaatar Ganbataar is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Fast-rising Verdi baritone Ariunbaatar Ganbataar is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
One man’s Junker
One man’s Junker
Handel’s Deidamia — and one of its current champions, soprano Sophie Junker — are the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Handel’s Deidamia — and one of its current champions, soprano Sophie Junker — are the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Don’t cry because it’s over
Don’t cry because it’s over
Grand Tier Grab Bag hearkens back to the days when Sondra Radvanovsky — who is singing no Verdi at all next season — seemed like the Verdi soprano of reference.
Grand Tier Grab Bag hearkens back to the days when Sondra Radvanovsky — who is singing no Verdi at all next season — seemed like the Verdi soprano of reference.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Rizzin’ to the occasion
Rizzin’ to the occasion
Parterre Box features the Met’s current Eugene Onegin, Iurii Samoilov, in a performance of Rossini ahead of a return to Pesaro this summer.
Parterre Box features the Met’s current Eugene Onegin, Iurii Samoilov, in a performance of Rossini ahead of a return to Pesaro this summer.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
When they go low
When they go low
Nostalgic for bass month, Parterre Box offers excerpts from two young basses to watch: Giorgi Manoshvili and Patrick Guetti.
Nostalgic for bass month, Parterre Box offers excerpts from two young basses to watch: Giorgi Manoshvili and Patrick Guetti.
Thomas Adès conducts his own massively ironic pastiche of an opera, as telecast in the Met’s Live in HD series on November 18, 2017.
It’s come down to this: the two finalists in the Best Opera Curtain Line competition.
The Metropolitan Opera is heading for a very rocky couple of years.
Happy 55th birthday soprano Sandrine Piau.
The legendary Calixto Bieito production of Wagner’s music drama, streamed from Staatsoper Stuttgart.
Starring Shirley Verrett, Luciano Pavarotti and Cornell MacNeil. Transmitted live on December 19, 1978.
We move now to the semi-finals of the Best Opera Curtain Line competition.
Featuring Anna Larsson, Nina Stemme, Gun-Brit Barkmin, Norbert Ernst and Falk Struckmann, conducted by Mikko Franck.
Talk of the Town
The Talk of the Town
Maria Kanyova should make it to the Met
Maria Kanyova should make it to the Met
I’m surprised that American soprano Maria Kanyova has never performed at the Met, even though she has loads of high-profile U.S. opera credits.
I’m surprised that American soprano Maria Kanyova has never performed at the Met, even though she has loads of high-profile U.S. opera credits.
The Talk of the Town
Barbara Hannigan should make it to the Met
Barbara Hannigan should make it to the Met
The fact that Barbara Hannigan has never performed at The Metropolitan Opera is just plain dumb.
The fact that Barbara Hannigan has never performed at The Metropolitan Opera is just plain dumb.
The Talk of the Town
Robert Rounseville should have made it to the Met
Robert Rounseville should have made it to the Met
From one Mister Snow to another, I salute him.
From one Mister Snow to another, I salute him.
The Talk of the Town
Denise Duval should have made it to the Met
Denise Duval should have made it to the Met
I decided I’d take ‘never made it to the Met’ as an excuse to submit a post about why French soprano Denise Duval (1921-2015) is special to me.
I decided I’d take ‘never made it to the Met’ as an excuse to submit a post about why French soprano Denise Duval (1921-2015) is special to me.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite Verdi performance from Eli Jacobson
A favorite Verdi performance from Eli Jacobson
The immortal Renata Tebaldi, just about 29 years old as Saint Joan in a RAI broadcast of Giovanna d’Arco from 1951.
The immortal Renata Tebaldi, just about 29 years old as Saint Joan in a RAI broadcast of Giovanna d’Arco from 1951.
Nearly 70 years after its debut, A Streetcar Named Desire remains the greatest stage-to-screen adaptation of all time.
Trove Thursday finally welcomes Wagner’s Lohengrin arriving in a concert performance conducted by Georg Solti with Siegfried Jerusalem, Julia Varady, Eva Randová, Hermann Becht, Hans Sotin and Wolfgang Schöne.
Happy 54th birthday mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli.
Stephanie Blythe, Danielle de Niese and Heidi Grant Murphy star, conducted by James Levine. From January 24, 2009.
Marlis Petersen in the title role of Berg’s masterpiece in William Kentridge’s enthralling production.
And now, with your cooperation, cher public, we are about to decide which is the best opera curtain line of all opera curtain lines.
Happy 55th birthday baritone Peter Mattei.
The Metropolitan Opera has paused its streaming opera telecasts today to observe Blackout Tuesday.
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