L’Heure exquise
Although she didn’t sing that eponymous song by Reynaldo Hahn at Weill Recital Hall Thursday evening, Sabine Devieilhe did offer an “exquisite hour” of early 20th century French songs.
Recent Stories
O tentatrice!
On this day in 1907 the Metropolian Opera premiered Puccini’s Manon Lescaut with the composer in attendance.
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).
At first sight
If I had to live with just one Tchaikovsky opera, it would be Iolanta.
Tears of a clown
On this day in 1960 tenor Jon Vickers made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Canio.
House of the setting sun
When a work is named for its lovers one might legitimately expect that pair to dominate its performance but in my experience that is never the case with Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande.
Out of sight, out of mind
Now, you would think nothing could please gaycentric La Cieca more than yesterday’s New York Times profile of the Met’s new music director…
General commander
Happy 85th birthday mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne.
Two divas enter! One diva leaves!
“Remember where you are. This is Adriana Lecouvreur. Death is listening, and will take the first diva that screams.”
Broadcast: Pelléas et Mélisande
La Cieca invites the cher public to visit Allemonde tonight at 7:30.
Too many sauces
On this day in 1958 Samuel Barber‘s Vanessa had its world premiere at the Met.
Crazy little thing called trove
Last week, our indefatigable podcaster Christopher Corwin (not pictured) achieved the milestone of the 200th episode of Trove Thursday.
To the extreme
No other singer of Die Amme approaches the towering standard set by the German mezzo Tanja Ariane Baumgartner.
Finalmente mia!
On this day in 1900 Puccini’s Tosca premiered in Rome.
The wit, the intelligence, the dignity and, of course, the voice. Basta!
Happy 83rd birthday baritone Renato Bruson.
Broadcast: Adriana Lecouvreur
Astounding Anita Rachvelishvili gets mixed up with Saxe and violets
“A maze of treacherous Puccini shallows”
On this day in 1912 Pietro Mascagni’s Lodoletta had its United States premiere at the Metropolitan.
Gentlemen prefer blinds
Which superstar performer, despite recent success in this hemisphere, has thus far hesitated to sign a contract for more performances next season?
Sonya Yoncheva we love you get up
“Couple of hours ago at home, I was preparing for the show, when suddenly I collapsed.”
Electrifying
On this day in 1934 soprano Lotte Lehmann made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Sieglinde.
Broadcast: Otello
It’s the final Otello broadcast of the Met season.
Discomfort zone
Roberto Alagna’s physical and vocal embodiment of Don José lent his particular narrative a complication I hadn’t anticipated.
The ambassadors
“Trove Thursday” offers a recent broadcast of one of his best-known but rarely performed operas, Il Mitridate Eupatore.
Knock on wood
Cellist Leah Coloff’s one-woman cabaret act ThisTree finds its place among a lineup of Prototype Festival miniatures this week that seem to plumb the depths of womanly distress.