Under the covers Under the covers

Winter weather has taken a toll on the cast of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s revival of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

If love is out of the question If love is out of the question

Live video of Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov in the riddle scene from Turandot, as seen and heard recently in Munich.

Where all the muses work together Where all the muses work together

Born on this day in 1923 director and designer Franco Zeffirelli.

Le nozze di Figaro Le nozze di Figaro

Amanda Woodbury jumps in as the Countess in tonight’s broadcast.

“I love the fast lane” “I love the fast lane”

Born on this day in 1919 actress, businesswoman, singer and socialite Eva Gabor.

This woman is dangerous This woman is dangerous

Renée Fleming—stylish dame with a stylish name—who lived by jungle law in a big city and clawed her way to where the money was…

Speak loudly Speak loudly

Do we do what we have to do? Or do we have to do what we do?

“Operatic whitewashing” “Operatic whitewashing”

On the day of the Super Bowl, I attended a near-sold-out screening of the Paris Opéra’s recent production of Rameau’s 1735 opéra-ballet Les Indes galantes at New York’s Alliance Française.

Long live the Queen! Long live the Queen!

Happy 93rd birthday to soprano Leontyne Price.

Mirella Freni 1935-2020 Mirella Freni 1935-2020

The beloved lyric soprano has died, according to press reports.

She was not unprepared She was not unprepared

On this day in 1974 soprano Kiri te Kanawa made an emergency Met debut as Desdemona (and her broadcast debut.)

Constant surveillance Constant surveillance

It’s 2020, Ivo’s the new Ethel Merman, and I caught a preview of his fourth Broadway show and first Broadway musical, West Side Story.

La Damnation de Faust La Damnation de Faust

One final hearing of the Berlioz this afternoon.

What good is the secret to you? What good is the secret to you?

Born on this day in 1888 actress Dame Edith Evans.

Keep the Rome fires burning Keep the Rome fires burning

Handel’s biting Agrippina finally arrived at the Metropolitan Opera Thursday evening 310 years after its Venetian premiere.

Better than the sum of its parts Better than the sum of its parts

Is there any opera more bullet-proof than Le Nozze di Figaro?

Judith Judith

The Bayerische Staatsoper offers an all-Bartok program called Judith this afternoon.

Once Moore with feeling Once Moore with feeling

On this day in 1928 soprano Grace Moore made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Mimi.

Agrippina Agrippina

Joyce DiDonato turns scheming Roman matron tonight.

Songs of mirth and triumph sing Songs of mirth and triumph sing

Pretty is its own reward.

Sacred ground Sacred ground

Trove Thursday celebrates Leontyne Price’s 93rd birthday on Sunday with a pair of her rarest collaborations with Herbert von Karajan: Bruckner’s Te Deum with Hilde Rössl-Majdan, Fritz Wunderlich and Walter Berry and Brahms’s Ein Deutsches Requiem alongside José van Dam.

You tread on my dreams You tread on my dreams

Wednesday night’s New York Philharmonic concert was a high-stakes performance for a number of reasons.

Death on the Nile Death on the Nile

On this day in 1968 mezzo-soprano Fiorenza Cossotto made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Amneris.

Elegance, passion and poise Elegance, passion and poise

It is rare to be moved to tears by a lieder recital. It is rarer still to be moved to tears by the third song on a recital program.