The replacements The replacements

Second casts in Don Giovanni and Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera offer mixed blessings.

Not really about ‘La bohème’ Not really about ‘La bohème’

What is there to say about the Franco Zeffirelli Bohème? What is left to say?

Better than the sum of its parts Better than the sum of its parts

Is there any opera more bullet-proof than Le Nozze di Figaro?

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.

Nice nice baby Nice nice baby

“Tame” seemed to be the appropriate adjective to describe San Francisco Opera’s Carmen.

The damned don’t cry The damned don’t cry

Michael Mayer‘s production of La traviata at the Met is so timid, so devoid of insight, so cynically pandering and gaudy that I hardly feel like it even matters what I think of the performances of the current cast.

Technical difficulties Technical difficulties

La bohéme returned to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera once again last night (does it ever leave?)

Reason to believe Reason to believe

I was extraordinarily happy Monday evening to encounter Angel Blue and Russell Thomas as Mimi and Rodolfo.

Drunk history Drunk history

Last night was my fourth or fifth wade into the slough of Bartlett Sher’s production of Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann at the Met since its premiere in 2009.

‘Mawrdew,’ he wrote ‘Mawrdew,’ he wrote

Published in 1975, James McCourt’s novel Mawrdew Czgowchwz is engaged with a longing for the divine.

Winter afternoon’s dream Winter afternoon’s dream

It took the better part of a decade—including two high-profile cancelations—or New York to finally hear Anna Netrebko in recital.

Ice storm Ice storm

Two months after my last visit to this season’s sixteen-performance run of Puccini’s Turandot, I returned eager to witness the latest chapter in the sporadic Met career of Nina Stemme. Rising stars Anita Hartig and Alexander Tsymbalyuk also appeared in their roles for the first time at the Met, so Monday evening turned into a…

Enigma variation Enigma variation

On Thursday evening Jennifer Wilson “finally” made a belated, disappointing Met debut as Turandot.

The Met: What is to be done? The Met: What is to be done?

Coming as Peter Gelb did from the music industry, opera lovers hoped that he would display a more distinctive knack for casting and an improved talent pipeline than Joe Volpe offered during the waning years of his tenure.

Spring will be a little late this year Spring will be a little late this year

La bohème  is such a popular romantic opera that hardly anyone ever notices that Mimì and Rodolfo undergo what in modern terms would be called speed dating.