Women past the verge
An astute double-feature exposes all the complexities of female suffering embedded within two canonical works.
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These old bards
It’s time for celebrations!
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).
Must the finals come so soon?
Without fail, all nine finalists had nice clear ringing voices. Whether they develop into great artists is another question.
Virtue is triumphant only in theatrical performances
On this day in 1885 W S Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan’s The Mikado premiered in London.
Malheureuse princesse
On this day in 1797 Luigi Cherubini’s Medée premiered in Paris.
Chat: Don Pasquale
Welcome, cher public, to the real-time chat for this afternoon’s Met performance of Don Pasquale, starting at 1:00 PM ET.
Five zero
On this day iconic countertenor David Daniels (not pictured) turns 50!
“All things seem possible in May”
Opera Orchestra of New York (remember them?) will present Gaetano Donizetti’s Parisina D’este.
Tears of blood
After two previous productions of Tosca in New York City this season (the Met’s revival of the controversial Luc Bondy version and NYCO Renaissance’s depressingly retrograde take), New Yorkers finally got a pleasing, if rough-edged, performance of the Puccini classic from LoftOpera.
Win a Free Ticket to Opening Night at the Met!
Quinn Kelsey and Lise Davidsen star in the Met's new Macbeth. We're giving away one ticket, so screw your courage to the sticking place and enter now!
His cup runneth over
As portrayed by Vittorio Grigolo, Nemorino was a manic self-absorbed, probably bipolar, stalker who—against all odds and good sense—gets the poor girl.
Our Lady of Perpetual Indulgence
If I were Renée Fleming, I, too, would indulge myself.
Hump day
On this day in 1851 Verdi’s Rigoletto premiered in Venice.
Chat: L’elisir d’amore
Here’s where the parterriani may gather to discuss tonight’s season premiere of L’elisir d’amore, as livestreamed beginning at 7:25 PM.
Castaway
The wonderful Spanish mezzo Teresa Berganza celebrates her 81st birthday next week and “Trove Thursday” gets the party started.
A luxury a woman in love can’t afford
Born on this day in 1903 American author, politician, and US Ambassador Clare Boothe Luce.
Say it with music
Capriccio was a great pleasure on Friday night, March 4. This was a co-production of Opera Philadelphia and The Curtis Institute, presented in the intimate Pearlman Theater at the Kimmel Center.
Overture! Light the lights!
On this day across opera history, four major works premiered.
About a boy
These days a cadre of voluble opera-goers regularly issues dire warnings that anyone about to attend this or that production at the Met should close her eyes and just listen rather than witness yet another Peter Gelb regie “atrocity.”
What is a youth?
Here’s our beloved Juan Diego Flórez last week, continuing his voyage into heavier repertoire as the titular love-sick teenager in Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette.
Last of the castratos
On this day in 1824 Giacomo Meyerbeer’s opera Il Crociato in Egitto premiered in Venice.
Vertigo
On this day in 1831 Vincenzo Bellini‘s La Sonnambula premiered in Milan.
