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On this day in 1908 Maurice Maeterlinck‘s L’Oiseau bleu premiered at Constantin Stanislavski‘s Moscow Art Theatre.
Oh this day in 1954 A Star is Born starring Judy Garland and James Mason premiered at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood.
The Metropolitan Opera’s much vaunted so-called “Tudor Ring” of three royal operas by Donizetti got off to a bumpy start Saturday afternoon with a revival of Anna Bolena that stubbornly refused to cohere either musically or dramatically.
The Bayerische Staatsoper’s wildly popular series of free live streams returns for its fourth season, live and in full HD, on October 28 with a webcast of Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos.
My attempt at garnering some attention for forgotten and ignored Czech operas hasn’t exactly been a success.
“One of the most highly-regarded pianists of our time, Grigory Sokolov, has refused to accept the Cremona Music Award 2015 because it has previously been awarded to the blogger Norman Lebrecht.”
On this day in 1945 Mildred Price starring Joan Crawford premiered at New York City’s Strand Theater.
In between gazing at tonight’s Super Blood Moon, cher public, you are invited to post your favorite moon-related YouTube videos in the comments section below.
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
Goodnight, Irene
Grand Tier Grab Bag features the American Zwischenfach mezzo Irene Roberts ahead of an eclectic season of Wagner.
Grand Tier Grab Bag features the American Zwischenfach mezzo Irene Roberts ahead of an eclectic season of Wagner.
Poetic license
Parterre Box shines a light on Liparit Avetisyan, who made his Met debut as Alfredo earlier this spring.
Parterre Box shines a light on Liparit Avetisyan, who made his Met debut as Alfredo earlier this spring.
Frau Miina-Liisa will es werde Nacht
Parterre Box features soprano Miina-Liisa Värelä, making her title role debut in Die Walküre in Munich next week, in a performance of Tristan und Isolde from 2021.
Parterre Box features soprano Miina-Liisa Värelä, making her title role debut in Die Walküre in Munich next week, in a performance of Tristan und Isolde from 2021.
Lux aeterna luceat eis
Grand Tier Grab Bag this week honors the late Limmie Pulliam with a bit of his Verdi Requiem.
Grand Tier Grab Bag this week honors the late Limmie Pulliam with a bit of his Verdi Requiem.
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.
LoftOpera is just one, though perhaps the liveliest, of many homegrown opera troupes in Brooklyn.
Born on this day in 1898 composer Vincent Youmans
A clearly moved Hvorostovsky basked in the moment and momentarily broke character to acknowledge the love.
On this day in 1835 Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor premiered in Naples.
“I really didn’t say all those horrid things that were printed in the German paper under my name.”
Mezzo-of-the-moment Jamie Barton’s future Met assignments include . . .
Which erstwhile impresario, who surely heaved a sigh when he no longer was welcome at his previous theater, is about to sign on at the Met in a Director of Productions-type position?
Born on this day in 1929 newscaster Barbara Walters.
Talk of the Town
Ernest Ansermet was a great opera conductor
Although Ernest Ansermet is most often associated with orchestral music, his 1964 recording of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande is still my favorite.
Although Ernest Ansermet is most often associated with orchestral music, his 1964 recording of Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande is still my favorite.
Yannick Nézet-Séguin is a great opera conductor
Historically, conductors were often viewed as rigid, authoritarian figures. Yannick Nézet-Séguin completely subverts this stereotype.
Historically, conductors were often viewed as rigid, authoritarian figures. Yannick Nézet-Séguin completely subverts this stereotype.
Patrizia Ciofi should have made it to the Met
The artist who I feel should have made it to the Met is Patrizia Ciofi.
The artist who I feel should have made it to the Met is Patrizia Ciofi.
Giannina Arangi-Lombardi never made it to the Met
Giannina Arangi-Lombardi never sang at the Met.
Giannina Arangi-Lombardi never sang at the Met.
Andrée Esposito and Alain Vanzo should have made it to the Met
This Mireille duet unites Andrée Esposito and Alain Vanzo and shows the timbral and stylistic qualities that made them exemplary.
This Mireille duet unites Andrée Esposito and Alain Vanzo and shows the timbral and stylistic qualities that made them exemplary.
Ebe Stignani and Anita Cerquetti should have made it to the Met
Subtlety is for cowards, say the blazing Anita Cerquetti and the blaring Ebe Stignani.
Subtlety is for cowards, say the blazing Anita Cerquetti and the blaring Ebe Stignani.
Here’s a charming example of an old European white male quoting another old European white male for the purpose of mansplaining to those silly Asians why they have no business getting offended at ethnic stereotypes.
Would exciting American dramatic soprano Christine Goerke be the next great ice-princess we have been waiting for?
It took me years to appreciate the serious Donizetti, but I’ve always loved the composer’s comic operas, particularly Don Pasquale and Elisir.
On this day in 1930 Noel Coward‘s play Private Lives premiered in London.
La Cieca guesses we will have to make these quizzes more challenging.
Born on this day in 480 BC playwright Euripides.
“Glenn Close‘s Norma Desmond is back.”
“Our patrons are also our investors, and because many of our core subscribers are also our most generous philanthropists, we need to make sure that our programming jives with their expectations, what they’d like to see onstage.”
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