Anna Caterina Antonacci should have made it to the Met Anna Caterina Antonacci should have made it to the Met

The one who got away was Anna Caterina Antonacci, a thrilling performer.

Three faces of Violetta Three faces of Violetta

Christopher Corwin surveys the three Traviata casts — led by Lisette Oropesa, Rosa Feola, and Ermonela Jaho — at the Met this spring.

Northern lights Northern lights

SoCal goes Scandi in two recent concerts, with one featuring an appearance by Lise Davidsen.

Loving him isn’t the right thing to do Loving him isn’t the right thing to do

Matthew Travisano takes on Mimì’s Act III aria from La bohème — not that one, the other one — in the latest installment of the “Perspectives on an Aria” series

Shocker and awe Shocker and awe

In 2011, Sondra Radvanovsky‘s Tosca proved promising; fourteen years later, it was absolutely magnificent, a completely satisfying musical and dramatic embodiment of a challenging role by an artist at the peak of her powers.

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

Patrick Mack reviews yet another Puccini album from Jonas Kaufmann

Draculette reborn Draculette reborn

Happy was I to attend the Celebrity Opera Series presentation Saturday night at BroadStage, mere blocks from my humble abode in Santa Monica as Anglela Gheorghiu was making an eagerly awaited return for the first time since her debut here in 2013.

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.

Dancing at the edge of the world Dancing at the edge of the world

Puccini’s schmaltziest, most melodic, most dramatically limp, most cynical, most obscure mature work

Spit or swallow Spit or swallow

Next week Puccini’s La Rondine returns to the Met for the first time in eleven years, so Chris’s Cache offers three quite diverse sopranos as Magda: Ljuba Welitsch, Virginia Zeani, and Cristina Gallardo-Domâs.

Dance the night away Dance the night away

On this day in 2008 the Metropolitan Opera presented a gala new production of Puccini’s La rondine.

Fascinating but frustrating Fascinating but frustrating

Now, through the auspices of the Metropolitan Opera, we have Sonya Yoncheva—and if anything, the diva-dom has been kicked up a notch!

Forging forward, instruments in hand Forging forward, instruments in hand

Whatever you think of Angela Gheorghiu, she epitomizes a star sound, the kind of voice that’s recognizable within three seconds, and she definitely knows her way around a performance.

Nothing but the truth Nothing but the truth

On a new Opus Arte video, Ermonela Jaho is at the absolute peak of her powers both vocally and interpretively.

The Coronation of Lisette The Coronation of Lisette

Sunday’s Richard Tucker Gala at Carnegie Hall was unusually satisfying despite a less than usually superstarry line-up.

Quando le sere senza Placido Quando le sere senza Placido

The Philadelphia Orchestra’s opening night concert, for better or worse, was not a gala evening starring Plácido Domingo.

Something cool Something cool

Elina Garanca was radiantly present at Carnegie Hall Friday night performing a ravishingly somber Rückert-Lieder with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the MET Orchestra.

Jump for my love Jump for my love

Soprano Iulia Isaev proved to be in just about every way a lovely Tosca.

A talent to a Muse A talent to a Muse

Use bodily force and get your friends to one of the next five performances of the Met’s new production of Adriana Lecouvreur. It is everything!

Quantum leap Quantum leap

Like Julius Caesar before her, Anna Netrebko can rightly proclaim “Veni vidi vici” about her decisive Roman victory at the Metropolitan Opera where she took on her first-ever Tosca.

The fire of artifice The fire of artifice

My mother leaned in and quietly whispered,”Is that Leontyne Price?” to which I replied,”Shhhh!”

Melody and more Melody and more

The arrival of a new recording of Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello into the catalogue, to say nothing of a new tenor capable of singing Otello, is generally cause for hosannas all around in operatic circles.

The trouble with troubadours The trouble with troubadours

Anita Rachvelishvili and Quinn Kelsey towered over an otherwise pedestrian if still exciting Il Trovatore.

Hard candy Hard candy

It’s perhaps because Puccini is the master of operatic pathos that Tosca has proved so hard for people to get a handle on.