Dotted rhythm Dotted rhythm

Born on this day in 1907 (1910?) soprano Dorothy Kirsten

Silver minings playbook Silver minings playbook

Some operas carry around the shadow of their most famous interpreters more than others.

Theater of the absurd Theater of the absurd

Born on this day in 1889 writer, filmmaker and designer Jean Cocteau

Turandot Turandot

Michele Gamba conducts a performance of Davide Livermore‘s new production featuring Anna Netrebko, Yusif Eyvazov, Rosa Feola, and Vitalij Kowaljow live from La Scala

Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee

Happy Independence Day to all U.S. Parterrians!

I would they had changed voices too! I would they had changed voices too!

Chris’s Cache follows up its Gounod R&J installment with a widely varied quintet of additional Romeos and Juliets

Born on the third of July Born on the third of July

Born on this day in 1878 composer and performer George M Cohan

Il trittico Il trittico

Philippe Jordan conducts Michael Volle, Joshua Guerrero, Anja Kampe, Eleonora Burrato, Michaela Schuster, Ambrogio Maestri, and Serena Sáenz in a performance from Vienna last fall

New man river New man river

Mixing the historical with the personal in strikingly original ways, Davóne Tines and Zack Winokur’s Robeson sent sparks out over the Hudson.

Dancing in the great beyond Dancing in the great beyond

Born on this day in 1714 composer Christoph Willibald von Gluck

A happening in Central Park A happening in Central Park

The outdoor recitals that the Metropolitan Opera presents in New York City Parks every summer are a wonderful way to showcase rising young stars and promising beginners from the Met’s Lindemann Program.

Water, water everywhere and not a glass to drink Water, water everywhere and not a glass to drink

On this day in 1933 Richard Strauss‘s Arabella premiered in Dresden

Finnish the fight Finnish the fight

Happy 66th birthday conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen

Idomeneo Idomeneo

Simon Rattle conducts Andrew Staples, Elsa Dreisig, Magdalena Kozená, Sabine Devieilhe, Allan Clayton, and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Mozart‘s opera seria recorded last December

Character defect Character defect

Born on this day in 1914 conductor and composer Rafael Kubelík

Purple pros Purple pros

On Friday, June 21st, Opera Parallèle – the Bay Area nomadic, contemporary opera company – together with the Presidio Theatre unveiled their final production of the season, the West Coast premiere of Gregory Spears and Greg Pierce’s Fellow Travelers, an adaptation of Thomas Mallon’s 2007 novel of the same name.

The music man The music man

Born on this day in 1902 composer Richard Rodgers

One that was a woman One that was a woman

Earlier this month the opera world was stunned to learn of the death of Belgian soprano Jodie Devos who died of breast cancer at just 35, and Chris’s Cache remembers her with a broadcast from last November of Devos as Ophélie in Hamlet, her only US appearance.

Profitons bien de la jeunesse Profitons bien de la jeunesse

Born on this day in 1932 soprano Anna Moffo

Russian seasons Russian seasons

Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov are splitting up

Sax and the city Sax and the city

PRISM Quartet teams up with Tyshawn Sorey, David Krakauer, and a host of some of the finest new music musicians and composers in the nation to create Generate Music: a musical exploration of the ties that bind together Black and Jewish Americans.

Lakmé Lakmé

Daniela Candillari conducts Aigul Khismatullina, Josh Lovell, Dean Murphy, Thomas Lehmann, and Mireille Lebel in a 2022 performance from Deutsche Oper Berlin

Here Taddei, gone tomorrow Here Taddei, gone tomorrow

Born on this day in 1916 baritone Giuseppe Taddei

Halle if ya hear me Halle if ya hear me

Bergamo hosts an annual Donizetti festival, Salzburg presents a Mozart-woche every January, and of course there is Bayreuth for Wagner. But Handel gets two festivals every spring, and this year I was finally able to attend one of them.