Recent Stories
La Cieca wishes to be among the first to congratulate Jessye Norman, who has emerged from semi-retirement to leap upon the musical theater bandwagon.
This year’s Salzburg Festival opens Saturday with a new production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, an opera often performed elsewhere in translation, so “Trove Thursday” offers two for the price (!) of one.
The 2018 Bayreuth Festival continues with Parisfal, with a live broadcast starting at 10:00 AM EDT.
Happy 50th birthday soprano Anne Schwanewilms.
As the first of the 2018 opera productions last Saturday, the Merola Opera Program chose Mozart’s rarely-performed early serenata, Il re pastore.
Born on this day in 1853 theatrical producer, impresario, director and playwright David Belasco.
The 2018 Bayreuth Festival opens today with Lohengrin, directed by Yuval Sharon, with a live broadcast starting at 10:00 AM EDT.
Sunny, lakeside Cooperstown presents a peppy, exuberant, winning production of West Side Story, the musical.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Kathryn the great
Parterre Box previews Kathryn Lewek‘s upcoming Salome with clips of her as another unhinged lady of antiquity.
Parterre Box previews Kathryn Lewek‘s upcoming Salome with clips of her as another unhinged lady of antiquity.
Count your blessings
Fast-rising Verdi baritone Ariunbaatar Ganbataar is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Fast-rising Verdi baritone Ariunbaatar Ganbataar is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
One man’s Junker
Handel’s Deidamia — and one of its current champions, soprano Sophie Junker — are the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Handel’s Deidamia — and one of its current champions, soprano Sophie Junker — are the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Don’t cry because it’s over
Grand Tier Grab Bag hearkens back to the days when Sondra Radvanovsky — who is singing no Verdi at all next season — seemed like the Verdi soprano of reference.
Grand Tier Grab Bag hearkens back to the days when Sondra Radvanovsky — who is singing no Verdi at all next season — seemed like the Verdi soprano of reference.
Rizzin’ to the occasion
Parterre Box features the Met’s current Eugene Onegin, Iurii Samoilov, in a performance of Rossini ahead of a return to Pesaro this summer.
Parterre Box features the Met’s current Eugene Onegin, Iurii Samoilov, in a performance of Rossini ahead of a return to Pesaro this summer.
When they go low
Nostalgic for bass month, Parterre Box offers excerpts from two young basses to watch: Giorgi Manoshvili and Patrick Guetti.
Nostalgic for bass month, Parterre Box offers excerpts from two young basses to watch: Giorgi Manoshvili and Patrick Guetti.
Caramoor imported the venerable West-Coast period orchestra Philharmonia Baroque to perform Atalanta, an obscure pastoral work by Handel.
Happy 50th birthday singer and actress Kristin Chenoweth.
Dapper countertenor Ray Chenez is temporarily putting aside the turbans of his operatic career for, well, the turbans of a Broadway diva as he appeals via Indiegogo for funding to record a CD of show tunes.
Happy 58th birthday mezzo-soprano Susan Graham.
We have just heard the sad news that author and longtime Opera News editor Brian Kellow died earlier today. He was 59.
Born on this day in 1909 soprano Licia Albanese.
Magnanimous Michael Fabiano graces today’s parterre saturday afternoon webcast in a two-part interview during the intermissions of Gounod’s Faust.
On this day in 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the Moon.
Talk of the Town
Maria Kanyova should make it to the Met
I’m surprised that American soprano Maria Kanyova has never performed at the Met, even though she has loads of high-profile U.S. opera credits.
I’m surprised that American soprano Maria Kanyova has never performed at the Met, even though she has loads of high-profile U.S. opera credits.
Barbara Hannigan should make it to the Met
The fact that Barbara Hannigan has never performed at The Metropolitan Opera is just plain dumb.
The fact that Barbara Hannigan has never performed at The Metropolitan Opera is just plain dumb.
Robert Rounseville should have made it to the Met
From one Mister Snow to another, I salute him.
From one Mister Snow to another, I salute him.
Denise Duval should have made it to the Met
I decided I’d take ‘never made it to the Met’ as an excuse to submit a post about why French soprano Denise Duval (1921-2015) is special to me.
I decided I’d take ‘never made it to the Met’ as an excuse to submit a post about why French soprano Denise Duval (1921-2015) is special to me.
A favorite Verdi performance from Eli Jacobson
The immortal Renata Tebaldi, just about 29 years old as Saint Joan in a RAI broadcast of Giovanna d’Arco from 1951.
The immortal Renata Tebaldi, just about 29 years old as Saint Joan in a RAI broadcast of Giovanna d’Arco from 1951.
What could go wrong? As it turned out: just about everything!
“Labels play a hugely important role in our listening lives.”
Our Own JJ presents a very special parterre saturday afternoon: Gounod’s Faust, plus an exclusive two-part video interview with tenor Michael Fabiano.
Here’s a set of comments that I think really captures the duality of YouTube — two criticisms of Jonas Kaufmann. I won’t say which I personally find more valid!
Happy 80th birthday actress Dame Diana Rigg!
“Trove Thursday” salutes the thrilling Ursula Schröder-Feinen with a special double-bill: a complete Salome followed by a rare Siegfried Brünnhilde.
“I think that if it’s not [Bernstein’s] worst, it surely reflects his worst tendencies…”
Born on this day in 1868 soprano Florence Foster Jenkins.
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