Hailed as the first opera by an African-American composer performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Fire Shut Up in My Bones was a huge audience and box office hit in the Fall of 2021 when it reopened the Met after two seasons shut down by COVID-19.
On this day in 1975 soprano Katia Ricciarelli made her Met debut as Mimi
Heartbeat Opera’s The Extinctionist — composed by Dan Schlosberg with a libretto by Amanda Quaid — is the first opera, as far as I know, to stage a pap smear.
Oh, La traviata, how do I love thee? Let me count the recordings.
On this day in 1996 tenor Roberto Alagna made his Met debut as Rodolfo
Francesco Lanzillotta conducts a live broadcast from Rome as Lisette Oropesa makes a role debut as Amina alongside John Osborn and Roberto Tagliavini
I confess to being a “bad” dance fan: over the decades I’ve learned that if I don’t love (or at least like) the music, I won’t love the dance.
On this day in 1992 soprano Deborah Polaski made her Met debut as Kundry
Evan Rogister conducts Ryan Speedo Green, Latonia Moore, and Brittany Renee in a broadcast from New York
If it didn’t all work, it wouldn’t work at all.
Born on this day in 1921 tenor Franco Corelli
Nina Stemme dances to death with Michaela Schuster, Elza van den Heever, and Johan Reuter in a live performance from Berlin conducted by Kirill Petrenko
On this day in 1975 Rossini‘s Siege of Corinth had its American stage premiere at the Metropolitan Opera
Antonio Pappano conducts a high-profile performance from the Salzburg Easter Festival with Anna Netrebko, Jonas Kaufmann,, Tareq Nazmi, Eve-Maud Hubeaux, Luca Salsi, and Agnieszka Rehlis
A re-broadcast of a 1974 performance with Luciano Pavarotti, Judith Blegen, John Reardon, and Ezio Flagello conducted by Max Rudolf
On this day in 1989 soprano Sumi Jo made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Gilda
At the parterre box Calendar, nature is refurbishing herself. Spring varieties abound with the usual Met fare and all manner of recitals and rarities. We’ve got our eyes on these from our friends and sponsors.
Arnold Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder and Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot are, in their different ways, the final decadent flowering of a musical tradition at its twilight.
Born on this day in 1908 conductor and director Herbert von Karajan
An alternative Rondine from Milan featuring Mariangela Sicilia, Rosalia Cid, Matteo Lippi, and Giovanni Sala conducted by Riccardo Chailly
Chris’s Cache offers three more street-singers: a live Renata Tebaldi performance–without Franco Corelli; Tebaldi cover Milka Stojanovic with Corelli; and Ghena Dimitrova’s second local appearance in which she was menaced by Piero Cappuccilli
Matthew Polenzani returned triumphantly to his comfort zone in a Philadelphia Chamber Music Society recital on April 2.
On this day in 1975 soprano Magda Olivero made her historic, belated Metropolitan Opera debut as Tosca
Exclusive opera reviews, commentary, and top reads
delivered to your email weekly…ish.
