Sondra castle
By the end of the first act, it was clear to me that I was experiencing an artist performing at her absolute peak.
Corrado Rovaris
32 pieces since 2011 — at 4 companies, most often at Opera Philadelphia.
32
pieces
4
companies
16
years
Stop the wedding
Opera Philadelphia ended its season with Le Nozze di Figaro, Friday, and it will play May 3, 5, and 7—a matinee. Figaro is considered by most to be one of the few perfect operas and although it’s perhaps too easily encountered in routine run-throughs, there are usually rewards in seeing it.
Death becomes him
Tancredi, given on February 10th, was a credit to Opera Philadelphia, who offered a well-considered and compelling production.
Geopolitics Italian style
How Verdi’s opera might address this particular nightmare was unclear.
Birdsong
In Charlie Parker’s Yardbird, an opera based on the famed jazz musician’s life, the title character asks, “So if there is a God, why does the negro suffer? Is my prayer, my music lesser, smaller in God’s eyes?”
When this cruel war is over
Jarrett Ott is a star. That is the only surprise takeaway from the well-intended snore, Cold Mountain.
Lost soul
Lisette Oropesa sang “The Lost One”—the meaning of “traviata.”
Barber on the verge of a nervous breakdown
It’s a place where the one thing you can expect is the unexpected. The place is… Philadelphia?
We were dead, you know
The setting: a dark plaza extending directly in front of a storied opera house. The time: just after a ho-hum revival of something Puccini. The crowd streams out, moderately satisfied but also far from bowled over. A group open to a proposition, you could say.
I’ll take the fall
The days are getting shorter, but you can keep the prattle going this fall’s Talk of the Town! You will, you can, you must join in the discussion about: Great mezzo soprano performances (October),
Gained in translation (November), Teleport me back to… (December).