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.
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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.
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).
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.
Controversial
On this day in 1958 soprano Inge Borkh made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Salome.
Savage love
On this day in 1964 the American premiere of Menotti’s The Last Savage took place at the Metropolitan Opera.
Just to watch it get dark from the Top of the Mark
San Francisco Opera continues its competition with Lyric Opera of Chicago for the title of “World’s Dullest Opera Company.”
Queen of legato
Born on this day in 1897 soprano Rosa Ponselle.
Another brickbat in the wall
Please be advised: article contains no brickbats.
Love of the earth
Claudio Abbado passed away on the 20th of January five years ago, just months before I began my Ph.D.
Always on Sunday
Happy 78th (or so) birthday tenor/baritone/conductor Plácido Domingo.
Infectious diseuse
Born on this day in 1865 cabaret singer and actress of the Belle Époque Yvette Guilbert.
Broadcast: Pelléas et Mélisande
Join le tout Allemonde for this afternoon’s broadcast of Debussy’s apotheosis of evanescence.
Standing together room
The Met is offering federal employees affected by the ongoing government shutdown free tickets.