The princess diaries The princess diaries

Today on parterre saturday afternoon: a live recording of Strauss’s Salome featuring the very starry quartet of Gwyneth Jones, Hans Hopf, Bernd Weikl and Martha Mödl!

Don’t keep the brakes on Don’t keep the brakes on

Born on this day in 1891 composer Cole Porter.

Painful progress Painful progress

Many lessons surface in Tony Kushner’s epic Angels In America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes.

Talent works, genius creates Talent works, genius creates

Born on this day in 1810 composer Robert Schumann.

Perfect is the enemy of the good Perfect is the enemy of the good

So I just got out of the Lohengrin prima at the ROH and I’m itching to share my thoughts.

A spark to pierce the dark from Battery Park to Washington Heights A spark to pierce the dark from Battery Park to Washington Heights

I mean, who did not see this coming?

Making out like a bandit Making out like a bandit

“Trove Thursday” turns for the third of Verdi’s four Schiller adaptations to a recent I Masnadieri with risen stars Lisette Oropesa and Russell Thomas.

Knight after knight Knight after knight

Happy 55th birthday tenor Roberto Alagna.

Muh legacy! Muh legacy!

A letter to the New York Times from the the company’s doughty press director Tim McKeough addresses the recent spate of running around with hair on fire about James Levine‘s artistic legacy.

Choirboy Choirboy

Happy 79th birthday tenor Giacomo Aragall.

The male gaze The male gaze

The third segment of New York City Opera’s gradually emerging 2018-2019 season will be Mascagni’s Isabeau.

“More wait!” “More wait!”

New York City Opera today offered a demi-announcement of half their next season.

Margosha koshka zhiva! Margosha koshka zhiva!

It seems Anna Netrebko has achieved a state that can only be described as “Peak Elizabeth Taylor.”

I used to think you were all sugar water I used to think you were all sugar water

You may not be a born Regina in The Little Foxes if you’re the sort of person who exclaims “Good gravy!”

Let’s start at the very beginning Let’s start at the very beginning

On this day in 1971, James Levine made his Metropolitan Opera debut.

Serial amuser Serial amuser

Disgraced former Met music director James Levinewas sighted at yesterday’s matinee performance of New York City Opera’s Brokeback Mountain.

Mac and me Mac and me

A very particular tension—between angry political resistance and gloriously sex-positive, buoyantly confidant celebration of queerness—fuels the immense energy of Taylor Mac’s A 24-Hour Decade History of Popular Music.

Hire of wonder Hire of wonder

WQXR has hired BBC radio and TV presenter, author, novelist, journalist and violinist Clemency Burton-Hill to be the station’s Creative Director, Music and Arts. 

Too cloistered for comfort Too cloistered for comfort

New Amsterdam Opera’s concert version of Donizetti’s elaborate score La favorita, offered energy, panache and several top-notch young soloists.

The Italian girl in excelcis The Italian girl in excelcis

Happy 52nd birthday mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli. 

Tall story Tall story

Happy 53rd birthday baritone Peter Mattei!

The Regina monologues The Regina monologues

Leyla Gencer and Shirley Verrett star in Maria Stuarda, this week’s offering in the returning series “saturday afternoon parterre” hosted by Our Own JJ.

Fire and music Fire and music

Happy 69th birthday tenor Neil Shicoff.

If it ain’t ‘Brokeback’ If it ain’t ‘Brokeback’

Between staging, music, and material, it’s hard to decide what feels most broken about New York City Opera’s American premiere of Brokeback Mountain.