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My introduction to the work was the Angel LP from 1964 with Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and George Szell… and yes, I’m aware that it’s a performance that tends to divide rooms.
A midcentury Met-adjacent cast belts out Ponchielli.
Born on this day in 1808 soprano Maria Malibran.
Wagner’s music drama in the Met’s 2016 production.
When La Cieca reached out asking for content, I resurrected a hoary standby—the vocal ID quiz.
This afternoon, a 2019 Puccini performance featuring Sondra Radvanovsky, Piotr Beczala and Thomas Hampson.
What we see here from Strasberg is frustratingly literal and drably conventional—it looks to me like he’s channeling a lot of received wisdom about how Chekhov should be staged and bringing almost nothing of his own to the process.
On this day in 1977 soprano Ileana Cotrubas made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Mimì.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Grand Tier Grab Bag
My 600 performance life
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.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Life imitates art
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.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Drink me
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.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Otherwise occupied
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.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Northern star
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.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Tra voi belle
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.
Another classic Met Live in HD performance, starring Renée Fleming, Ramón Vargas, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, conducted by Valery Gergiev.
A 1983 concert performance at Carnegie Hall with June Anderson, Marilyn Horne and Samuel Ramey; Henry Lewis conducting.
Today is Stephen Sondheim’s 90th birthday, and it’s not going as planned.
Born on this day in 1912 soprano Martha Mödl.
Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala head the cast in this 2009 performance.
On this day in 2003 the legendary Chita Rivera celebrated 50 years as a Broadway performer playing the role of Liliane LeFleur in a Broadway revival of the musical Nine.
A leap back in time to 2014 for a Met broadcast of La Cenerentola.
It was love at first hearing. The music was glorious, the conducting bouncy and pointed, and the singers sure sounded terrific to me.
Talk of the Town
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Ben Miller
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
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Timothy Gray
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.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Peter Russell
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.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from feliks
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.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Remko Jas
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.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Krunoslav
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.
Cherubini’s tragedy as performed at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden.
I need to get something off my chest. I love bel canto.
On this day in 1967, model, singer and entrepreneur Twiggy arrived in New York City.
Tonight’s subject for discussion: Verdi’s La Traviata, starring Diana Damrau and Juan Diego Flórez, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin (not pictured) on the podium.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Metropolitan Opera announced today that the company has canceled the remainder of the 2019–20 season, which was to have ended on May 9, 2020.
This afternoon’s chat focuses on Bellini’s La Sonnambula with Anna Moffo (San Francisco 1960.)
Stephen Sondheim turns 90 on Sunday, prompting Trove Thursday to present his most “operatic” work, Sweeney Todd, in a rare 2002 performance with Christine Baranski and Brian Stokes Mitchell as the murderous duo.
On this day in 1859 Charles Gounod’s Faust premiered in Paris.