Recent Stories
I find it difficult to experience Madama Butterfly without also experiencing an odd fracturing of the self.
At the Park Avenue Armory, Barbara Hannigan chose to sing works that tested her metal in odd corners of vocalism.
In El Barbero de Sevilla, as given through the weekend by the New Camerata Opera, there is far too much comic dialogue, all of it in English and none of it sparkling.
Hannah Lash’s latest opera, which premiered at the Miller Theater on Wednesday night, was a musical and dramatic misfire.
Born on this day in 1898 actress, singer and muse Lotte Lenya.
Little Shop of Horrors loses its necessary edge when it’s wrested from the gritty world of its creation.
When I think of Nina Stemme’s voice, I think of gianduja, Armagnac soaked dark cherries, and chestnuts.
Ildar Abdrazakov has had to withdraw from LOC’s Don Giovanni.
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.
Trove Thursday presents Spontini’s Olimpie, featuring the seemingly mismatched pairing of Pilar Lorengar and Fiorenza Cossotto.
On this day in 1991 soprano Deborah Voigt made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Amelia.
An “opera critic” is still terrified of productions that closed a generation ago.
A second helping of The Gershwins’ gorgeous folk opera from the Met.
Separated at smirk: base George Sanders and bass René Pape.
A sense of celebration was definitely in the air last Thursday at the Vienna State Opera.
Born on this day in 1962 baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky.
“I showed up at dress rehearsal and doggone it, they were doing Turandot instead. Was my face ever red!”
Talk of the Town
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.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite Verdi performance from Larry Wolff
A favorite Verdi performance from Larry Wolff
The mesmerizing run of Trovatore in October 2015 at the Met, a few months after we learned that Hvorostovsky was dying
The mesmerizing run of Trovatore in October 2015 at the Met, a few months after we learned that Hvorostovsky was dying
On this day in 1976 soprano Hildegard Behrens made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Giorgetta in Il tabarro.
They say you never forget your first.
An opera company presenting a Broadway musical that centers around a woman of a certain age travelling to Italy with her young daughter might seem more a vehicle for a great diva of a certain age.
Luisa Miller snowballs toward disaster and death.
On this day in 1964 the Metropolitan Opera’s opening night boasted a new Nathaniel Merrill production of Aida.
Here’s a look at the genuinely sensational performance by Asmik Grigorian in a new Manon Lescaut in Frankfurt.
Happy 70th birthday soprano Leona Mitchell.
Video webcast from the Komische Oper, Berlin.
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