Recent Stories
La Cieca has just heard that Kristian Benedikt is singing the role of Samson at the Met this evening.
On this day in 1968 tenor Placido Domingo made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Maurizio.
“Trove Thursday” features a great composer who had little success on the stage—Franz Schubert.
Hunger was the note of the night, a sentiment shared between the audience and Proving Up, a lean and hungry one-act telling a story of drought and desperation on the post-Civil War Western frontier.
Anna Netrebko is the greatest performing artist singing opera today. Nobody else comes close; she makes me love her in a way that verges on the erotic.
Happy 61st birthday opera director Peter Sellars.
How Glucky can you get?
I braved the alarming and majestically colorful wall-graffiti-art of Bushwick to attend Bullfight Boylesque, which runs to October 28.
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.
On Tuesday we got one of the Met’s inveterate classics, which meant yet another opportunity to gaze upon the old accessories: Donkey cart! Teal shawl! Fugly plaid slacks!
“Fricka is on fucking vacation.”
Born on this day in 1898 composer George Gershwin.
For opening night 2018, the Met offered the creaky but appealing biblical epic Samson et Dalila, presumably as a vehicle for Elina Garanca and Roberto Alagna.
On this day in 1985 baritone Giuseppe Taddei made his belated Metropolitan Opera debut as Falstaff.
Where will the elite meet? Why, at the Met for the opening night premiere of Samson et Dalila, of course!
What do the cher public want to hear this fall? According to last week’s polls, Samson et Dalila and Jonas Kaufmann.
Odyssey Opera in Boston, which loves to open its season with a concert performance of some forgotten work, gave La Reine de Saba in Jordan Hall Saturday night.
Talk of the Town
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Armerjacquino
A favorite art song performance from Armerjacquino
“Du bist die ruh” was one of the first art songs I ever knew.
“Du bist die ruh” was one of the first art songs I ever knew.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Emma Hoffman
A favorite art song performance from Emma Hoffman
Respighi‘s liriche can be as colorful, poetic, and downright lovely as any selection from other art song traditions. Case in point: Rosa Feola‘s recording of the first song from Quattro rispetti toscani.
Respighi‘s liriche can be as colorful, poetic, and downright lovely as any selection from other art song traditions. Case in point: Rosa Feola‘s recording of the first song from Quattro rispetti toscani.
The Talk of the Town
Two favorite art song performances from Julia Bullock
Two favorite art song performances from Julia Bullock
This task feels near impossible, as I listen to a LOT of art song singers on repeat, across decades and continents (from piano to orchestral works) — mostly for pleasure, but also for study.
This task feels near impossible, as I listen to a LOT of art song singers on repeat, across decades and continents (from piano to orchestral works) — mostly for pleasure, but also for study.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from CKurwenal
A favorite art song performance from CKurwenal
I listen to about as much art song as I do opera and could have filled every day of April with favorite selections.
I listen to about as much art song as I do opera and could have filled every day of April with favorite selections.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Moe Rear
A favorite art song performance from Moe Rear
This performance of Poulenc‘s “Les Chemins de l’amour” is a gem.
This performance of Poulenc‘s “Les Chemins de l’amour” is a gem.
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.
Imagine you are at Disneyland, and there’s an Anthony Roth Costanzo ride.
For opening night of the new LA Opera season Placido Domingo decided to return to one of his best Verdi showcases, Don Carlo, only this time as the baritone, Rodrigo the Marquis di Posa, instead of the title character.
Those who want a rethought Lucia to allow the heroine more sense of agency will be especially confounded at Laurent Pelly’s reading.
Born on this day Cornell MacNeil and Ettore Bastianini (both in 1922) and Pablo Elvira (in 1938).
This Sony Classical set of live performances covers a golden quarter century in the singing and staging of Wagner. Birgit Nilsson shared it with many other legends, and many of them appear on these discs.
Soprano Patricia Racette is superb in La Voix Humaine, a work that she makes absolutely her own.
Born on this day in 1907 soprano Jarmila Novotná.
Legendary diva Joan Sutherland in her “breakthrough” year of 1961: a live performance of I puritani from Palermo in 1961.