Blood shed
“Renée Fleming and Ben Whishaw… two iconic beauties millennia apart.”
Recent Stories
Letter to an unknown woman
On this day in 1957 soprano Martha Mödl made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Brünnhilde in Siegfried.
A very Millo sequel
“Can the Diva Who Once Ruled the Met Make a Comeback?”
Stormy weather
Looking at the Houston Grand Opera’s 2018/19 season, I think Hurricane Harvey subconsciously must have had an impact on the choice of operas.
Sea no evil
On this day in 1781: the premiere of Mozart’s Idomeneo in Munich.
Profanity
Certain critics need to get the fuck over themselves.
“We only do well the things we like doing”
Born on this day in 1873 writer Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette.
Win a Free Ticket to Opening Night at the Met!
Quinn Kelsey and Lise Davidsen star in the Met's new Macbeth. We're giving away one ticket, so screw your courage to the sticking place and enter now!
Mystic piazza
Only in Los Angeles, City of La La, could this season have happened.
Broadcast: La bohème
Live from the Komische Oper in Berlin: the premiere of Barrie Kosky‘s new production of La bohème.
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).
Lenny and God
Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s “Music of Faith” with the Philadelphia Orchestra was a sensational concert, perhaps the best I’ve heard in more than a season.
You stand straight at Tiffany’s
On this day in 1974, Carol Channing opened in the musical Lorelei at the Palace Theatre. The show ran 320 performances.
End of the beginning
On this day, premiere performance anniversaries!
Skeleton key
Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta and Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle both use themes of vision and revelation to ask compelling questions about knowledge, responsibility, and gender.
Reach out in the darkness
Iolanta was crowned on Thursday evening by Sonya Yoncheva’s haunting portrayal of the blind title character.
Queens logic
The Future Met Wiki’s details on the company’s 2019-2020 season (due to be unveiled a few weeks from now) still includes occasional lacunae as to casting.
Natural woman
I do not envy Jennifer Rowley the task of stepping into Anna Netrebko’s shoes.
Broadcast: Iolanta / Bluebeard’s Castle
Hear the symbols ring as the Met’s moody double bill returns to the stage.
Ring around the Loop
Sondra Radvanovsky in a “Three Queens” concert and The Queen of Spades, plus three cycles of the Ring (senza Sondra) highlight Lyric Opera of Chicago’s 2019-2020 season.
Mad about the Prey
A 1985 broadcast of Don Giovanni featuring Cheryl Studer, Gundula Janowitz (as Elvira!), Krisztina Laki, Gösta Winbergh, Hermann Prey (in a rare outing as the Don) and Malcolm King conducted by Jeffrey Tate.
Keep it gay
Our Own Joel Rozen in Slate ponders the good gay vs. bad gay politics of Zachary Woolfe‘s New York Times celebration of Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
