Fashions fade, style is eternal Fashions fade, style is eternal

Born on this day in 1936 designer Yves Saint-Laurent.

Forging ahead Forging ahead

Let’s listen, cher public, to Siegfried, live from the Bayreuth Festival, starting at 10:00 AM.

Babes in arms Babes in arms

 La fille du regiment from Wiener Staatsoper with Julie Fuchs and John Tessier. 

Catch a falling tsar Catch a falling tsar

You’d think by now I’d know better than to make snap judgments about an opera or a singer—but apparently not.

Power couple Power couple

On this day in 1954 TV host, composer and comedian Steve Allen married actress Jayne Meadows.

Broadcast: Die Walküre Broadcast: Die Walküre

The Bayreuth Ring (and perhaps the parterre discussion?) continues at 10:00 AM.

Goodbye, gorgeous! Goodbye, gorgeous!

Can a surfeit of pleasure become—in the end—unsatisfying?

Broadcast: Das Rheingold Broadcast: Das Rheingold

Get your kicks on Siegfried-Wagner-Alee.

Deep in my heart, dear Deep in my heart, dear

Born on this day in 1887 composer Sigmund Romberg.

Princess in captivity Princess in captivity

A first glimpse of Anna Netrebko‘s styling for her role debut as Aïda at Salzburg.

Consecrating Consecrating

On this day in 1882 Wagner’s Parsifal premiered in Bayreuth.

Woman on the Vergy Woman on the Vergy

“Trove Thursday” offers Gemma di Vergy with the lovely, largely now forgotten Adriana Maliponte in the title role.

Alex’s case Alex’s case

Has “opera-queen culture” really burned out?

Broadcast: Parsifal Broadcast: Parsifal

We move on to Bayreuth’s revival of Parsifal.

Scale model Scale model

Happy 65th birthday soprano Carol Vaness.

Mostly Mozart in the Jungle Mostly Mozart in the Jungle

Tack on a little symphonic Beethoven and some particularly zany hosting patter from Bernadette Peters, and you start to lose focus, or at least some sense of, um, what matters mostly.

Unbridled enthusiasm Unbridled enthusiasm

“You see, Elaine, Dimitrij was a simple country boy, you might say a cockeyed optimist…”

“A. Netrebko Sings Oltrano” “A. Netrebko Sings Oltrano”

Overhearing preparations for the Salzburg Aïda.

Wine coolers are the first thing, morals follow on Wine coolers are the first thing, morals follow on

Skirting the leafy, patrician Berkshires of Western Mass, and flush with wine coolers and white people, pastoral Tanglewood doesn’t much resemble the dark Nibelung settings of Norse myth.

All about Eva All about Eva

Happy 50th birthday soprano Anne Schwanewilms.

Broadcast: Tristan und Isolde Broadcast: Tristan und Isolde

Today’s conversation piece from Bayreuth: a revival of Tristan und Isolde with Stephen Gould and Petra Lang conducted by Christian Thielemann.

Broadcast: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Broadcast: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

The cher public are invited to hear and comment upon the opening performance of the 2017 Bayreuth Festspiele, featuring a new production of Meistersinger directed by Barrie Kosky. Broadcasts from various sources begin between 9:45 and 10:00 AM EDT. (These daytime Bayreuth listening parties continue into next week.)

Time remembered Time remembered

Born on this day in 1894 soprano Yvonne Printemps.

Annals of gerontocracy Annals of gerontocracy

Placido Domingo, who, in 20 years of trying, has never yet got either the words or the rhythms right in the role of Siegmund, has been announced to conduct Die Walküre at Bayreuth next season.