Separated at paillette
Christopher Maltman’s “Liza with a Z” drag for the finale of Così fan tutte at the Met recalls another iconic diva of the opera’s 1960s setting.
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Demoiselle
On this day in 1951 soprano Victoria de los Angeles made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Marguerite in Faust.
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).
The help
As Despina in the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Così fan tutte, Kelli O’Hara injects much needed vitality into an otherwise lethargic evening.
Suit yourself
La Cieca just received a package of pdf files the sender says is a copy of James Levine‘s lawsuit against the Met.
Each in her style a Delilah reborn
Happy birthday to a brace of perennial divas: Christa Ludwig (pictured), age 90, and Teresa Berganza, age 83!
“But what about black heel marks?”
James Levine is both a floor wax and a dessert topping!
Broadcast: Così fan tutte
That’s how they’re going to do it tonight, starting at 7:25 PM.
Hello, Bart!
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
Alexandrina in Alexandria
Giulio Cesare in Egitto featuring the artist formerly known as Alexandrina Pendatchanska in the title role.
Age: still young
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.
Why can’t a woman be more like a man?
“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.”
Every day a little death
Neumeier adapted the story close to home, making Orpheus a choreographer and his wife a star ballerina.
On this day of victory
On this day in 1847 Verdi’s Macbeth premiered at the Teatro della Pergola in Firenze.
Love me or leaf me
On this day in 1997 Robert Carsen made his Met debut with a new production of Eugene Onegin.
An opening for a princess
Sabine Hogrefe will perform the title role in Strauss’s Elektra at tonight’s performance at the Met, replacing Christine Goerke who is ill.
BASTA: Once more from the top
They all wished, for reasons at once superstitious and deeply misguided, to avoid over-rehearsing the sextet.
Einspring forward
On this day in 1979 soprano Marisa Galvany made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Norma, replacing Shirley Verrett with only four hours notice.
Blow a kiss, take a bow
On this day in 1985 Giuseppe Sinopoli made his Metropolitan Opera debut conducting Tosca.
Königin of Mozart
The third installment of my 50th anniversary tribute to Edita Gruberova was impossible to narrow down to one selection.
The girl next door
>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.
Principessa di gelo
Born on this day in 1892 soprano Dame Eva Turner.