Recent Stories
“A Colossal Il Trovatore in Beijing”
On this day in 1900 David Belasco‘s play Madame Butterfly opened at The Duke of York’s Theatre in London with Blanche Bates in the title role.
Anna Netrebko takes on the title role!
Yet there remain some memories and impressions I know we’d both like to share—on a few stage performances, memorable in various ways, so how about one more roundup?
Kristine Opolais and Piero Pretti star in a performance from Vienna in 2016.
On this day in 1895 Lillian Nordica sang Leonora to Francesco Tamagno‘s Manrico in the tenor’s Met farewell.
Tout le monde assembles online to celebrate the 90th birthday of Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim.
HERE’s Zoom opera, all decisions will be made by consensus, is not merely an opera written to be performed on a digital platform, but an opera that critiques the platform itself, laying bare all its social and aesthetic limitations.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
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.
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.
Nailin’ the coughin’
Rosa Feola, still scheduled for a run of performances as Violetta in New York this spring, is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Rosa Feola, still scheduled for a run of performances as Violetta in New York this spring, is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Landing the plane
With Nixon, Klinghoffer, and Andris Nelsons on the mind, Parterre Box offers a recording of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s recent John Adams outing.
With Nixon, Klinghoffer, and Andris Nelsons on the mind, Parterre Box offers a recording of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s recent John Adams outing.
Le galant tireur
American tenor Charles Castronovo performs a bit of Weber’s Der Freischütz ahead of the opportunity to hear Berlioz‘s take on the score at Carnegie Hall next week.
American tenor Charles Castronovo performs a bit of Weber’s Der Freischütz ahead of the opportunity to hear Berlioz‘s take on the score at Carnegie Hall next week.
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.
Stefan Herheim directs this Handel production for the Deutsche Oper am Rhein.
Happy 87th birthday to actress and comedian Carol Burnett.
Peter Gelb and Yannick Nézet-Séguin welcome over 40 Met stars to an online concert.
Born on this day in 1918 soprano Astrid Varnay.
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.
Talk of the Town
A favorite Verdi performance from Ben Miller
The dictionary definition of Kuntenserven.
The dictionary definition of Kuntenserven.
A favorite Verdi performance from Timothy Gray
When I was a fledgling opera enthusiast, professors at a small-town Wisconsin college routinely travelled to Chicago for Lyric Opera performances.
When I was a fledgling opera enthusiast, professors at a small-town Wisconsin college routinely travelled to Chicago for Lyric Opera performances.
A favorite Verdi performance from Darby Fegan
Anna Tomowa-Sintow, “Ernani Involami,” from the MET Centenial Gala, 1983.
Anna Tomowa-Sintow, “Ernani Involami,” from the MET Centenial Gala, 1983.
A favorite Verdi performance from CKurwenal
Like probably all of us, there are so many different things I could have submitted for a favorite Verdi performance.
Like probably all of us, there are so many different things I could have submitted for a favorite Verdi performance.
A favorite Verdi performance from La Grunowa
I realize Igor Gorin did not sing much Verdi except for a few Papa Germonts, yet this performance of the famous baritone aria from Attila I claim is well-night perfect singing.
I realize Igor Gorin did not sing much Verdi except for a few Papa Germonts, yet this performance of the famous baritone aria from Attila I claim is well-night perfect singing.
A favorite Verdi performance from Ryan Ellerman
Luminous Lucia Popp’s “Caro Nome” beams with Gilda’s youthful passion, displaying Popp’s signature bright, beautiful timbre and magnificent coloratura.
Luminous Lucia Popp’s “Caro Nome” beams with Gilda’s youthful passion, displaying Popp’s signature bright, beautiful timbre and magnificent coloratura.
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.
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.
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