Grail, be seeing you
On this day in 1903, the Metropolitan Opera presented the first staged performance of Parsifal outside Bayreuth.
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For unto us a child is born
Each year, when I take in a performance of Messiah by the Philadelphia Orchestra as part of my own holiday tradition, I hope it will spark some new and exciting feeling inside of me, or offer a new way of looking at the musical drama as a whole.
I’ll take the fall
The days are getting shorter, but you can keep the prattle going this fall’s Talk of the Town! You will, you can, you must join in the discussion about: Great mezzo soprano performances (October),
Gained in translation (November), Teleport me back to… (December).
Art is a kind of illness
Born on this day in 1858 composer Giacomo Puccini.
Macbeth
A blast from the (recent) past on this afternoon’s Met broadcast.
Global warning
Happy 82nd birthday to activist and actor Jane Fonda.
Roaring 20s
The entire Metropolitan Opera schedule for 2020-2021, in what looks like a fairly plausible form, has been leaked.
Crazy about the Navy
On this day in 1968, the musical spoof Dames at Sea opened at the Bouwerie Lane Theatre, starring Bernadette Peters.
Wir arme Leut!
Trove Thursday presents that perennial holiday favorite Berg’s Wozzeck.
Sandy
Born on this day in 1953 baritone and teacher Sanford Sylvan.
“Stunning impact”
Sixty years ago today soprano Birgit Nilssson made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Isolde.
Speaking to a missed opportunity
Greater Clements provokes more genuine poignancy than the whole of The Inheritance in half the running time. There’s hardly a moment that isn’t painfully true to life.
Distant ‘Light’
Whether Lyric Opera of Chicago is an appropriate venue for such an intimate, gentle show as The Light in the Piazza is a subject of much critical debate.
”I love applause!”
On this day in 1937 soprano Zinka Milanov made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Il trovatore.
You better sit down kids
If Sunday’s performance of Magic Flute at the Met demonstrated one thing, it is that opera targeted at children must be just as good as (if not better than) opera targeted at adults.
Bass instinct
Günther Groissböck’s ridiculously entertaining Baron Ochs and Sir Simon Rattle’s enthralling conducting soared highest during a mostly excellent revival of Der Rosenkavalier.
A most improper noun
Born on this day in 1899 composer, playwright and actor Noel Coward.
A dark horse in every closet
Mozart and Donizetti could humanize characters in a farce—Mercadante in I due FIgaro cannot get a handle on them.
Musical comedy girl
Miss Bette Davis starred in the musical revue Two’s Company, which opened on this day in 1952 at the Alvin Theatre to run only 90 performances.
“Jagged” — with sophistication
Jagged Little Pill is as manicured as the kind of Stepfordian society the material supposedly rails against.
These three
On this day in 1918 Puccini’s Il Trittico premiered at the Metropolitan Opera.