Into the arena Into the arena

Happy 64th birthdays to soprano Cecilia Gasdia

Music in the air Music in the air

Happy 76th birthday soprano Kathleen Battle

The Righteous The Righteous

Jordan de Souza conducts a performance of the latest opera by Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith featuring Michael Mayes, Elena Villalón, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Anthony Roth Costanzo, and Greer Grimsley recorded last month at the Santa Fe Opera

Geschmack ist king Geschmack ist king

At the heart of Tobias Kratzer’s incisively rollicking production of Tannhäuser lies a metanarrative that maps Wagner’s early political and artistic challenges onto its hero’s philosophical struggles.

La femme de l’ombre La femme de l’ombre

Born on this day in 1944 tenor Peter Hofmann Birthday anniversaries of tenor Antonio Cortis (1891), mezzo-contralto Maria Olszewska (1892), soprano Trude Eipperle (1910), and opera director Harry Kupfer (1935) Happy 74th birthday soprano Melanie Holliday

Broken HIP Broken HIP

Born on this day in 1927 conductor Raymond Leppard

Il Barbiere di Siviglia Il Barbiere di Siviglia

Another live broadcast from Pesaro! Lorenzo Passerini conducts Jack Swanson, Carlo Lepore, Maria Kataeva, Andrzej Filonczyk, and Michele Pertusi.

Ah di me che si dirà? Ah di me che si dirà?

Happy 72nd birthday soprano Ashley Putnam

Ermione Ermione

The Rossini Festival continues with Michele Mariotti conducting Juan Diego Flórez, Anastasia Bartoli, Enea Scala, Victoria Yarovaya, Antonio Mandrillo, and Michael Mofidian in another live broadcast from Pesaro

All dolled up All dolled up

When my editor suggested to me a round-up of my favorite recordings of Jacques Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann I was très, très, intrigued.

Dramatic edge Dramatic edge

Happy 65th birthday soprano Maria Guleghina

<em>Macabre</em> fascination <em>Macabre</em> fascination

Can György Ligeti‘s only opera be understood as the composer’s own grappling with trauma, death, and memory of a past life?

L’equivoco stravagante L’equivoco stravagante

Michele Spotti conducts Maria Barakova, Nicola alaimo, Carles Pachon, and Pietro Adaíni in another live broadcast from Pesaro

Fête-a-fête Fête-a-fête

Rameau is in the news—at least in France!

Queen of the Nile Queen of the Nile

Happy 87th birthday stage director Sonja Frisell

Bianca e Falliero Bianca e Falliero

Roberto Abbado conducts Nicolò Donini, Dmitry Korchak, Giorgi Manoshvili, Aya Wakizono, and Jessica Pratt in a live broadcast of the opening of the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro

A vision almost like a prophecy A vision almost like a prophecy

Folks who have never attended a full-length, uncut Giacomo Meyerbeer grand opera have been known to pout and ponder: Why did the most popular opera composer of the mid-nineteenth century all but vanish from the stages of the world after a hundred years?

Reining supreme Reining supreme

Born on this day in 1903 soprano Maria Reining

Wunschmädchen walten dort hehr Wunschmädchen walten dort hehr

Lise Davidsen will sing Brünhilde in the Met’s new Yuval Sharon-directed and Nézet-Séguin-conducted Ring Cycle starting in 2027-28 and culminating in 2030

The Fairy Queen The Fairy Queen

Paul Agnew conducts Les Arts Florissants in a live Proms performance featuring Paulina Francisco, Georgia Burashko, Rebecca Leggett, Juliette Mey, Rodrigo Carreto, and Ilja Aksionov

Direct-to-video Direct-to-video

As a burgeoning opera fan, I relied on YouTube to connect me with the art form.

Osserva quella cieca Osserva quella cieca

Born on this day in 1954 writer, editor, and parterre creator James Jorden

Don Giovanni Don Giovanni

Harry Bicket conducts a performance recorded earlier this summer in Santa Fe featuring Ryan Speedo Green, Rachel Fitzgerald, Rachael Wilson, David Portillo, Nicholas Newton, Liv Redpath, William Guanbo Su, and Soloman Howard

Air and sunlight Air and sunlight

Born on this day in 1890 conductor Erich Kleiber