Nothing was shirked
On this day in 1883 the Metropolitan Opera House opened with Gounod’s Faust.
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Meet rack
Jonas Kaufmann is among the top talent gathered for a program offering hands-on experience in the discipline of your choice.
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).
Drag me to hell
My first-ever Met Sunday opera brought the welcome return of Gluck’s sublime Orfeo ed Euridice in an enchanting afternoon that combined elegant conducting, joyous dancing and Jamie Barton’s extraordinary hero.
Canta che ti passa
Happy 93rd birthday soprano Virginia Zeani.
Orfeo ed Euridice
Gluck’s sublime Orfeo ed Euridice makes a welcome return to the Met.
Immersed in eternal light
Christian Gerhaher delivers a Kindertotenlieder of such conciliatory tact that it erases all others.
About a boy
On this day in 1954 Mary Martin flew into Broadway in Peter Pan.
A glimpse of stocking
On this day in 1987 a new production of the Cole Porter classic Anything Goes opened at the Vivian Beaumont theater, starring Patti LuPone.
Puppets and cherry blossoms
I find it difficult to experience Madama Butterfly without also experiencing an odd fracturing of the self.
Quicksilver messenger
At the Park Avenue Armory, Barbara Hannigan chose to sing works that tested her metal in odd corners of vocalism.
A life for the zarzuela
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.
Over the garden wall
Hannah Lash’s latest opera, which premiered at the Miller Theater on Wednesday night, was a musical and dramatic misfire.
Dreißig Dollar
Born on this day in 1898 actress, singer and muse Lotte Lenya.
You better shop around
Little Shop of Horrors loses its necessary edge when it’s wrested from the gritty world of its creation.
Ha! Diese Stemme! Seine Stemme!
When I think of Nina Stemme’s voice, I think of gianduja, Armagnac soaked dark cherries, and chestnuts.
“Due to a family situation in Europe”
Ildar Abdrazakov has had to withdraw from LOC’s Don Giovanni.
Olympie
Trove Thursday presents Spontini’s Olimpie, featuring the seemingly mismatched pairing of Pilar Lorengar and Fiorenza Cossotto.
The masked singer
On this day in 1991 soprano Deborah Voigt made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Amelia.
Past and furious
An “opera critic” is still terrified of productions that closed a generation ago.
Porgy and Bess
A second helping of The Gershwins’ gorgeous folk opera from the Met.
Sneer and sneer again
Separated at smirk: base George Sanders and bass René Pape.
Storm of the century
A sense of celebration was definitely in the air last Thursday at the Vienna State Opera.
Dark eyes
Born on this day in 1962 baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky.