A barrel of laughs
Jake Heggie and Gene Scheer‘s bubbly The Judgement of Paris brings a distinctly Californian terroir to operatic comedy.
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Broadcast
Beethoven No. 9 / Bayreuth Festival
The opening of the 2026 Festival season featuring Christian Thielemann leading Elza van den Heever, Christa Mayer, Piotr Beczala, and Georg Zeppenfeld in a slight delay from Bayreuth
Streamed July 25, 2026 at 2:00 PM
9 comments
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).
Lili among thorns
Tobias Picker and Aryeh Lev Stollman‘s Lili Elbe receives its first recording ahead of its stateside transition.
Maurice Abravanel was a great opera conductor
Based on exactly one recording, Maurice Abravanel is my favorite opera conductor.
By Remko Jas
45 comments
Broadcast
Falstaff / Gran Teatre del Liceu
Luca Salsi sings the title role for the first time in a performance recorded last week in Barcelona
Streamed July 24, 2026 at 1:00 PM
1 comment
Wedding from hell
Les Arts Florissants (lightly) stages two Charpentier rarities as a summer wedding gone wrong.
Ringing them in
Cher public is exhorted to join the Geplauder when the annual week of broadcasts from Bayreuth begins on Saturday
Riccardo Muti is a great opera conductor
I trust, fellow Parterre readers, that we can all agree that Riccardo Muti is a great opera conductor.
Broadcast
The Excursions of Mr. Brouček / Bregenz Festival
Robert Jindra conducts a live broadcast of Janáček's opera from the Bregenz Festival
Streamed July 23, 2026 at 1:30 PM
16 comments
Turkish delight on a moonlit night
While it may not be top-tier Rossini, Teatro Nuovo’s mounting of Il turco in Italia is still good summer fun.
John Barbirolli was a great opera conductor
Fifty some years ago I stumbled on to John Barbirolli‘s recording of matchless Elgar & V-Williams music for strings and discovered my go-to conductor for life.
By TC
39 comments
Noch mein’ ich mir selber so sicher zu sein
Elina Garanča’s aborted first Ariadne may have been the headline item at the Salzburg Festival next month, but this week Parterre Box features the Zerbinetta, Ziyi Dai.
Hell’s kitchen
Teatro Nuovo pays tribute to a historic New York production of Don Giovanni with a talented ensemble.
Broadcast
Mozart Requiem / Festival d'Aix-en-Provence
Raphaël Pichon conducts Mélissa Petit, Beth Taylor, Duke Kim, and Alex Rosen in a performance recorded the week before last at the Aix-en-Provence Festival.
Streamed July 21, 2026 at 2:00 PM
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Mist opportunity
Lucia di Lammermoor at La Scala, starring Rosa Feola, proves as airless as this summer’s heatwaves.
Antonio Pappano is a great opera conductor
Antonio Pappano‘s versatility in both German and Italian repertoire and beyond is both rare and impressive.
Broadcast
Bluebeard’s Castle / Festival d'Aix-en-Provence
Klaus Mäkela conducts Gerald Finley and Irene Roberts in a performance recorded at this summer's Aix-en-Provence Festival.
Streamed July 20, 2026 at 2:00 PM
1 comment
Dimitri Mitropoulos was a great opera conductor
Whether an opera by Puccini, Verdi, Wagner, Strauss, or Berg, Dimitri Mitropoulos brought to the podium a total understanding and love for each score he touched.
By Moe Rear
56 comments
Broadcast
Tristan und Isolde / Festival de Montpellier
Jaap Van Zweden conducts Stuart Skelton and Anja Kampe in a performance recorded in Montpellier last week
Streamed July 19, 2026 at 2:00 PM
6 comments
Aix tremendae, salva me
Festival d’Aix-en-Provence confronts the living and the dead — and its own future — through audacious productions and an intimate world premiere.
Rudolf Kempe was a great opera conductor
I am once again going to laud the classic Rudolf Kempe commercial recording of Lohengrin (which I have lauded overall) for its conducting.
By La Grunowa
65 comments
Broadcast
Così fan tutte / Verbier Festival
Real-life sisters Johanna and Rebecka Wallroth perform opposite Giovanni Sala and Konstantin Krimmel in a live broadcast from Verbier
Streamed July 18, 2026 at 12:30 PM
27 comments
Roger Norrington was a great opera conductor
Roger Norrington conducted Rossini’s Semiramide in Pesaro ’94 and made the Orchestra part of the drama in a way I still have never heard duplicated in a Bel Canto opera.
By Belle Raggio
59 comments