Recent Stories
Happy 53rd birthday bass-baritone Bryn Terfel.
Boito returns to the Met for your listening and discussion tonight at 7:30.
The whole performance reminded me of what Butterfly as I have never known it, but often herad about it, can be.
Just over a month ago the great Catalan soprano Montserrat Caballé died at age 85.
On this day in 1965 bass Nicolai Ghaiurov made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Méphistophélès.
BAM brings us a political opera featuring… literal balancing acts.
Logistically, a large-scale revival of the operas of Giacomo Meyerbeer is an unreasonable request, much less an expectation.
On this day in 1928 the American premiere of Richard Strauss’ Die ägyptische Helena took place at the Met, with Maria Jeritza in the title role.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Landing the plane
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.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Le galant tireur
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.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
My 600 performance life
My 600 performance life
Parterre Box acknowledges Riccardo Muti‘s 600th performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by highlighting two of his favorite singers — under a different conductor.
Parterre Box acknowledges Riccardo Muti‘s 600th performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by highlighting two of his favorite singers — under a different conductor.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Life imitates art
Life imitates art
With Gustavo Dudamel in the spotlight at Parterre Box this week, Grand Tier Grab Bag foreshadows one of the New York Philharmonic’s upcoming operatic engagements.
With Gustavo Dudamel in the spotlight at Parterre Box this week, Grand Tier Grab Bag foreshadows one of the New York Philharmonic’s upcoming operatic engagements.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Drink me
Drink me
Parterre Box answers the question, “how can a singer do both Tristan and Nemorino within a few month of each other?” with a clip of a recent role debut from Michael Spyres.
Parterre Box answers the question, “how can a singer do both Tristan and Nemorino within a few month of each other?” with a clip of a recent role debut from Michael Spyres.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Otherwise occupied
Otherwise occupied
Parterre Box features a performance from two belcantisti who would rather you not think about their political affiliations.
Parterre Box features a performance from two belcantisti who would rather you not think about their political affiliations.
Throughout the evening I couldn’t help thinking that this1870s Biblical epic of erotic obsession and penance was what the Met should have been doing this fall rather than its misbegotten Samson et Dalila.
On this day in 1883 the Metropolitan Opera presented its very first Traviata with Marcella Sembrich as Violetta.
Met debuts: In 1961 soprano Phyllis Curtin debuted as Fiordiligi…
For your listening and discussing pleasure this afternoon, La Cieca recommends you turn to Die Walküre live on the BBC from Covent Garden at 1:00 PM EDT.
On this night in 1924 Tullio Serafin made his Met debut conducting Aida.
On this day in 2005 mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato made her Met debut as Cherubino.
Jonas Kaufmann‘s Herbstreise to Little Old New York dominated the busy pages of October’s parterre box, boosting our total number of pageviews to nearly 400,000.
La Cieca heaps praise yet once more upon our faithful and perceptive advertisers.
Talk of the Town
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Peter
A favorite art song performance from Peter
A very haunting Hugo Wolf song sung exquisitely here by Arleen Auger.
A very haunting Hugo Wolf song sung exquisitely here by Arleen Auger.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from TildyDiva
A favorite art song performance from TildyDiva
I had heard the renowned Dutch soprano on recordings and was an admirer of hers. I was unprepared, however, for such a truly memorable evening.
I had heard the renowned Dutch soprano on recordings and was an admirer of hers. I was unprepared, however, for such a truly memorable evening.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Lou Ann Darras
A favorite art song performance from Lou Ann Darras
Thanks to Elly Ameling, I made it through college.
Thanks to Elly Ameling, I made it through college.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance by Harry Rose
A favorite art song performance by Harry Rose
What a shaded and elegant delivery William Mattteuzzi brings to this lilting setting of D’Annunzio‘s “O falce di luna calante”!
What a shaded and elegant delivery William Mattteuzzi brings to this lilting setting of D’Annunzio‘s “O falce di luna calante”!
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from David Phillips
A favorite art song performance from David Phillips
Does this count as an art song?
Does this count as an art song?
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Mr. Portafiori
A favorite art song performance from Mr. Portafiori
I have always loved this recording of Canteloube‘s Chants d’Auvergne sung by Dawn Upshaw and conducted by Kent Nagano.
I have always loved this recording of Canteloube‘s Chants d’Auvergne sung by Dawn Upshaw and conducted by Kent Nagano.
“Trove Thursday” keeps the evil deeds going this All Saints’s Day with a vintage La Scala broadcast of Arrigo Boito’s only completed opera Mefistofele.
Born on this day in 1923 soprano Victoria de los Angeles.
The Hungarian State Opera and Hungarian National Ballet opened their visit to Lincoln Center Tuesday night with the US stage premiere of their “national opera” Bánk Bán.
Niccolò Jommelli, forgotten now, was quite well known in Italy and southern Germany in his day.
Like most directors of this opera this century, David Alden is keen to outline the helplessness of women in the face of 19th century patriarchy.
Our Doyenne wishes all the cher public a joyous and spooky All Hallows’ Eve.
Bizet returns to the Met tonight at 7:30, and it’s broadcast live!
Rufus Wainwright is determined to offer a spectacle and that intention overrides all other considerations.