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“It’s not easy being green”: especially if you’re the two greatest Italian opera composers.
The tendency to rank—to create subjective lists of best or greatest, or to organize things in ascending or descending order—is a human compulsion.
Born on this day in 1931 actress Diana Dors.
Born on this day circa 1904 actress Constance Bennett.
It’s Choose Your Own Sir John Day at parterre, cher public.
Born on this day in 1912 conductor Georg Solti.
Born on this day in 1924 actress Nina Foch.
Our dear sister publication BBC Music Magazine has crafted the ideal experience for conservative opera buffs.
Tell us: Filth or dementia?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
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.
“Trove Thursday” offers a belated 55th birthday nod to Dmitri Hvorostovsky with a blazing live performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Tsar’s Bride.
Born on this day in 1945 Harris Glenn Milstead AKA “Divine.
For all you Carl Maria von Weber fans out there, here’s Günther Groissböck.
Riccardo Zandoni’s Il Grillo del Focolare is an opera after all.
Emma Thompson is winning rave reviews for her performance as Maria Callas in Terrence McNally‘s Master Class.
For her first CD in six years, Angela Gheorghiu has chosen Italian repertoire.
Born on this day in 1898 actress and singer Lotte Lenya.
James Levine has quietly been slotted into the spring reprise of the Met’s new Tosca.
Talk of the Town
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.
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.
Bass James Morris marks his 1,000th Met performance in tonight’s broadcast of Turandot.
On this day in 1965 the Burton Lane-Alan Jay Lerner musical On a Clear Day You Can See Forever opened on Broadway.
“Heinrich, come on over for dinner! / We’ll be so glad to see you!”
Erin Wall was an elegant, warm, and sensitive Arabella.
How on Earth will these fictitious luminaries of turn-of-the-century Swedish society keep their clothes clean?
“Non faccio più opere: ho pochi anni da vivere non posso passare tempo a discutere con un idiota che offende la nostra cultura.”
Happy 55th birthday baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky.
Pulthunk Jordan de Souza leads a new production of Debussy’s opera directed by Barrie Kosky, a video from the Komische Oper Berlin, starting at noon EDT.
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