Grounded Grounded

A performance recorded earlier this season in New York

La cenerentola La cenerentola

A performance recorded this spring at the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse

La morte è vita bella La morte è vita bella

On this day in 1918 Puccini’s Il Trittico had its world premiere at the Met

Il cappello di paglia di Firenze Il cappello di paglia di Firenze

Nino Rota‘s opera in a live performance from Genova

The best way to spread Christmas cheer The best way to spread Christmas cheer

Back to Brussels last Sunday for my third new opera of the season (after The Time of our Singing, also at La Monnaie, and Picture a day like this, at the Opéra Comique): Mikael Karlsson’s Fanny and Alexander, with a libretto by Royce Vavrek.

Fanny and Alexander Fanny and Alexander

A live broadcast from Brussels of a new opera by Mikael Karlsson and Royce Vavrek

Ein Gruss vom Himmel Ein Gruss vom Himmel

On this day in 1979 mezzo Agnes Baltsa made her Met debut as Octavian.

The Magic Flute The Magic Flute

A live broadcast from New York

A foggy lullaby A foggy lullaby

American opera and its institutions are experiencing an identity crisis. Nowhere is this clearer than in Tazewell Thompson and Jeanine Tesori’s Blue.

Palestrina

A live video broadcast of Pfitzner‘s opera from Vienna

Ma fagli gli occhi azzurri Ma fagli gli occhi azzurri

Born on this day in 1915 singer and actor Frank Sinatra

Tree and tree again Tree and tree again

While everyone tries to figure out what on earth Strauss and Hofmannsthal are up to in Die Frau ohne Schatten, now playing at the Met, Chris’s Cache offers a later, simpler, shorter Strauss with three live broadcasts of his “bucolic tragedy” Daphne.

I like the isle of Manhattan I like the isle of Manhattan

Happy 93rd birthday actress and singer Rita Moreno

Sometimes anonymous Sometimes anonymous

All members of cher public are reminded to submit their most à propos recommendations to start our new regular feature off with gusto

Aces high Aces high

On this day in 1910 Puccini“s La fanciulla del west had its world premiere at the Met

‘Tis better to be viol ‘Tis better to be viol

Here’s the bottom line: at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall stage on December 3, Iestyn Davies and viol consort Fretwork made the sweetest sounds I’ve heard from human beings all year.

Sie ist ein Ungeheuer, deine Tochter Sie ist ein Ungeheuer, deine Tochter

On this day in 1905 Richard Strauss’s Salome premiered in Dresden

The Miller’s daughter The Miller’s daughter

On this day in 1849 Verdi’s Luisa Miller premiered in Naples

Die Frau ohne Schatten Die Frau ohne Schatten

The Saturday Matinee Broadcast season starts with a performance from the Metropolitan Opera

La forza del destino La forza del destino

A live Sant’Ambrogio opening night broadcast from Milan 

Son’io la gloria Son’io la gloria

Born on this day in 1863 composer Pietro Mascagni

Duet to me one more time Duet to me one more time

Patrick Mack reviews yet another Puccini album from Jonas Kaufmann

I’ll be damned I’ll be damned

On this day in 1846 Berlioz’s La damnation de Faust premiered in Paris

Milling around Milling around

On Tuesday night, in the commodious concert hall of the Morgan Library, the Boston Early Music Festival forces brought Georg Philipp Telemann’s Don Quichotte auf der Hochzeit des Comacho to New York.