Recent Stories
Russian repertoire figures very centrally in AVA’s mission.
After a blizzard strands Renée Fleming in New York City, Anna Netrebko jumps in as star attraction at the Dresden Semperoper’s New Year’s Eve concert in 2010.
Born on this day in 1858 composer Giacomo Puccini.
“We’ve realized that, actually, the status quo is not an option if we want to survive, let alone thrive.”
In addition to Jessye Norman, this event paid homage to the shamefully obscure soprano Sissieretta Jones—once billed as “The Black Patti.”
Anna trills herself to death in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, 2009.
On this day in 1920 Jerome Kern‘s Sally, produced by Florenz Ziegfeld, opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre to run 561 performances.
Heretofore I’d avoided the Met’s abridged, English-language holiday presentations.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
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.
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.
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.
Nailin’ the coughin’
Rosa Feola, still scheduled for a run of performances as Violetta in New York this spring, is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Rosa Feola, still scheduled for a run of performances as Violetta in New York this spring, is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Landing the plane
With Nixon, Klinghoffer, and Andris Nelsons on the mind, Parterre Box offers a recording of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s recent John Adams outing.
With Nixon, Klinghoffer, and Andris Nelsons on the mind, Parterre Box offers a recording of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s recent John Adams outing.
Le galant tireur
American tenor Charles Castronovo performs a bit of Weber’s Der Freischütz ahead of the opportunity to hear Berlioz‘s take on the score at Carnegie Hall next week.
American tenor Charles Castronovo performs a bit of Weber’s Der Freischütz ahead of the opportunity to hear Berlioz‘s take on the score at Carnegie Hall next week.
Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel in an unusual broadcast conducted by Herbert von Karajan featuring Sena Jurinac and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf as the mischievous pair—performing in Italian!
A scene from a 2008 film of La bohéme, starring Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón.
On this day in 1999 John Harbison‘s The Great Gatsby premiered at the Met.
Hear and discuss the condensed-for-kids version tonight at 7:30.
Mark Morris’ saucy, psychedelic The Hard Nut has returned to the Brooklyn Academy of Music yet again this week for its 27th Christmas since the ballet premiered in Brussels.
Anna Netrebko opens the 2007-2008 season of The Met: Live in HD in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.
Happy 65th birthday to baritone and teacher Sanford Sylvan!
“New York City Opera will present, in a rare New York appearance, beloved soprano Aprile Millo in concert.”
Talk of the Town
A favorite Verdi performance from Tildy Diva
A well-known Met Aïda with a starry cast from 1967 is TildyDiva’s Favorite Verdi Performance
A well-known Met Aïda with a starry cast from 1967 is TildyDiva’s Favorite Verdi Performance
A favorite Verdi performance from Arrigo
My favorite Verdi performance is Claudio Abbado Don Carlo opening of the Scala.
My favorite Verdi performance is Claudio Abbado Don Carlo opening of the Scala.
A favorite Verdi performance from Peter Russell
The purely musical performance preserved here is thrilling, ratcheted to a higher intensity than the Deutsche Grammophon studio recording
The purely musical performance preserved here is thrilling, ratcheted to a higher intensity than the Deutsche Grammophon studio recording
A favorite Verdi performance from TC
Victoria de los Ángeles has always been my Violetta of choice, a portrayal that never ceases to move me.
Victoria de los Ángeles has always been my Violetta of choice, a portrayal that never ceases to move me.
A favorite Verdi performance from Anna Netrebko
I feel that the best years of Maria Callas’s vocalità, when we hear such a unique freedom and generosity in her singing, were captured in her early recordings.
I feel that the best years of Maria Callas’s vocalità, when we hear such a unique freedom and generosity in her singing, were captured in her early recordings.
A favorite Verdi performance from Armerjacquino
Before the screams of horror begin, it says ‘favorite’, not best.
Before the screams of horror begin, it says ‘favorite’, not best.
Philadelphia is a city famous for its musical institutions—so, of course, at this time of year Messiah performances abound.
French early music group Ensemble Correspondances offered two of the year’s very best concerts.
An interview during rehearsals for Le nozze di Figaro at the Salzburg Festival, 2006.
On this day in 1959 soprano Birgit Nilsson made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Isolde.
“This guy stood up and asked the diva what it felt like getting trapped inside the stage pyramid during the Met’s premiere of Antony and Cleopatra.”
“Give the gift of Renée!”
Assembling casts for three works: Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde for Karita Mattila, Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, and Aribert Reimann’s Troades.
Norman Lebrecht is repeating gossip Conrad Osborne heard from Stephen Blier.
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