Born too soon
On this day in 1904, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly had its “disastrous” premiere at La Scala.
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Broadcast: Don Giovanni
That mysterious bass-baritone leads the cast in today’s Met matinee broadcast starting at 1:00 PM.
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).
‘Spring’ is here
The Day Before Spring , while not exactly experimental, shows a young and adventurous team thinking both traditionally and out-of-the-box.
Di grazia
On this day in 1966 the Metropolitan Opera debut of tenor Alfredo Kraus as the Duke of Mantua.
Sugar daddy day care
New York City Opera has announced the resignation of the chairman of its board, Roy G. Niederhoffer.
A view to a kill
You’d want to expect that every Met retread would draw the same curiosity, the same large crowds, to Lincoln Center.
Broadcast: Andrea Chenier
Live from the Teatro Comunale di Modena.
“I was lonely when I was young”
On this day in 1938, Lillian Hellman’s play The Little Foxes opened at the National Theatre to run 410 performances.
Virtually capricious!
“El espectáculo que reviviría al Maria Callas en escenarios chilenos a través de hologramas fue definitivamente cancelado.”
The ‘roaring’ twenties
A week before the traditional date for the announcement of the Met’s 2019-2020 season, the clairvoyants who cobble together the Future Met Wiki have essentially the entire schedule ready for your perusal.
Wintertime, and the living is easy
Porgy and Bess, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward’s 1935 “folk” opera, graced the stage of Dutch National Opera for the first time last month, and it was resounding success from start to finish.
Dames
A double-barreled “Trove Thursday” birthday salute to Renée Fleming who turns 60 today.
Sex and Vivaldi
The “Red Priest” of Venice once made reference to his “94 operas” in a letter to his patron.
“One starts to get young at the age of sixty and then it is too late”
Happy 60th birthday to soprano, actress, media personality, creative consultant and parterre box muse Renée Fleming.
Heart of gold
Happy 50th birthday mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato.
Broadcast: Rigoletto
The Met’s season premiere of Evviva Las Vegas.
Dream a little ‘Dream’
It may have taken 28 years to see Robert Carsen’s production of Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the U. S., but it was worth waiting for.
Put your Dukes up
“Bryan Hymel has withdrawn from upcoming performances as the Duke in Verdi’s Rigoletto, due to personal reasons,” says the Met’s press office.
Broadcast: La Gioconda
Telecast live RIGHT NOW from La Monnaie!
Endless love
Happy 95th birthday director and designer Franco Zeffirelli.
General Elektra
Nina Stemme’s Elektra is familiar to me in three different incarnations.
Close ‘Call’
Director Casey Hushion attempts to spice up Call Me Madam in ways that make it feel more than ever like an out-of-touch relic.
Lost in Thrace
Handel’s Radamisto returned to New York when Opera Lafayette movingly performed this early masterpiece.