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“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Giulio Cesare in Egitto featuring the artist formerly known as Alexandrina Pendatchanska in the title role.
Two very different Broadway musical dramas opened on this date: Menotti’s The Consul in 1950 and Lerner and Lowe’s My Fair Lady in 1956.
“The background chorus characters in the Broadway show I saw tonight unobtrusively included a gay couple, and jaded though I sometimes am I think that’s really neat.”
Neumeier adapted the story close to home, making Orpheus a choreographer and his wife a star ballerina.
On this day in 1847 Verdi’s Macbeth premiered at the Teatro della Pergola in Firenze.
On this day in 1997 Robert Carsen made his Met debut with a new production of Eugene Onegin.
The Metropolitan Opera fired James Levine this evening.
Tell us: Filth or dementia?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Kathryn the great
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.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Count your blessings
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.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
One man’s Junker
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.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Don’t cry because it’s over
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.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Rizzin’ to the occasion
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.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
When they go low
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.
Sabine Hogrefe will perform the title role in Strauss’s Elektra at tonight’s performance at the Met, replacing Christine Goerke who is ill.
They all wished, for reasons at once superstitious and deeply misguided, to avoid over-rehearsing the sextet.
On this day in 1979 soprano Marisa Galvany made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Norma, replacing Shirley Verrett with only four hours notice.
On this day in 1985 Giuseppe Sinopoli made his Metropolitan Opera debut conducting Tosca.
Make an Assyrian of yourself!
The third installment of my 50th anniversary tribute to Edita Gruberova was impossible to narrow down to one selection.
>Verdi’s marvelous yet neglected Luisa Miller finally returns to the Met later this month after an absence of a dozen years so “Trove Thursday” provides a preview.
Born on this day in 1892 soprano Dame Eva Turner.
Talk of the Town
The Talk of the Town
Mado Robin should have made it to the Met
Mado Robin should have made it to the Met
I like to use this recording to annoy Mariah Carey fans by proving that whistle register doesn’t count.
I like to use this recording to annoy Mariah Carey fans by proving that whistle register doesn’t count.
The Talk of the Town
Maria Kanyova should make it to the Met
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.
The Talk of the Town
Barbara Hannigan should make it to the Met
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.
The Talk of the Town
Robert Rounseville should have made it to the Met
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.
The Talk of the Town
Denise Duval should have made it to the Met
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.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite Verdi performance from Eli Jacobson
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.
On this day in 1987 tenor Jerry Hadley made his Metropolitan Opera debut as Des Grieux in Manon
The production is at all times visually arresting, but it’s also extremely distracting.
On this day in 1964 the Metropolitan Opera presented the debuts of Leonard Bernstein, Franco Zeffirelli and Franco Zeffirelli in a new production of Verdi’s Falstaff.
On this day in 1959 Alban Berg’s Wozzeck had its Metropolitan Opera premiere (in English translation.)
On this day in 1952, Kirsten Flagstad sang the title role in a new production of Gluck’s Alceste at the Metropolitan Opera.
The controversial heroine of Ermonela Jaho sings, with the opera beginning at 1:00 PM.
Intolleranza was presented by Leon Botstein and his American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall on Thursday night, holding the audience rapt and intrigued for 65 minutes.
On this day in 1970 mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Adalgisa.
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