The first time ever I heard her voice
The Summer of 1983 is when “it” happened.
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The boy was having a real success
On this day in 1948 tenor Giuseppe di Stefano made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the Duke of Mantua.
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).
Broadcast: La bohème
A 12:30 PM start for today’s broadcast of Puccini’s evergreen bohemians, cher public.
Incalculable theatricality
Happy 84th birthday to the diva of divas, Renata Scotto!
Nanette Fabray 1920-2018
The versatile singer and actress died yesterday at her home in Palos Verdes, Calif. She was 97.
Méditerranée
Born on this day in 1927 soprano Régine Crespin.
Like breathing out and breathing in
Has anyone who assigned, wrote, edited or published this piece ever seen My Fair Lady?
Women on the verge
“Trove Thursday” offers Così fan tutte with Pilar Lorengar, Josephine Veasey, Lucia Popp, Luigi Alva and Kieth Engen with Georg Solti conducting.
If dubbing you is wrong I don’t want to be right
Born on this day in 1930 soprano Marni Nixon.
Unprotected
Antonacci’s singing is remarkably beautiful for one who clearly doesn’t make that a top priority.
BASTA: Stridono lasso
Supernumerary callbacks for the Big Apple Singing Theater Association’s spring production of Bison Don’t Cry were held later that night at the Mariachi Playhouse.
“What price star system?”
On this day in 1957, Renata Tebaldi sang the title role in a new production of La traviata at the Met, directed by Tyrone Guthrie.
Surfacing: an appreciation in 20 fragments
I struggle to articulate the notion of an erotics of art.
Gilt trip
As a diehard completist I felt guilty as the Met’s scattered, campy revival of Semiramide lumbered toward its abrupt conclusion after nearly four hours.
“Where’s my serpent of old Nile?
On this day in 1724 Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto premiered in London.
Broadcast: Semiramide
Make an Assyrian of yourself tonight starting at 7:25 PM!
True Romans
On Saturday Juilliard 415 welcomed the sterling 10-member Belgian group Vox Luminis for a striking program of “Handel in Rome.”
Sì bella, sì pura, del ciel creatura
In observance of Edita’s Gruberova’s 50th anniversary in opera, I would like to offer a series of commentaries, over successive days, of my favorite performances.
Visual-minded
On this day in 1967 the Marc Chagall production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte was unveiled at the Met. Soprano Lucia Popp made her Met debut as the Queen of the Night.
The fire of artifice
My mother leaned in and quietly whispered,”Is that Leontyne Price?” to which I replied,”Shhhh!”
Midcentury, modern
In recent years, Opera Paralléle has established a reputation for creative programming of contemporary opera in San Francisco. Persuaded both by the promise of an unusual Bernstein-Heggie double bill, and the unusual venue of SF Jazz’s Miner Auditorium, I had the pleasure of attending an excellent production this past week.
The mélodie haunts my reverie
Happy 85th birthday soprano Elly Ameling.
Technical difficulties
La bohéme returned to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera once again last night (does it ever leave?)