Mainly in the plain Mainly in the plain

I wonder why many New Yorkers have been led to believe that the only Handel conductor in the world is Harry Bicket.

The boys from Syracuse The boys from Syracuse

Trove Thursday begins February with two striking versions of Rossini’s Tancredi.

Roman holiday Roman holiday

A brace of Handel operas at the George Enescu International Festival.

The not so great outdoors The not so great outdoors

For all the company’s good intentions this opera-dance combo was not one of its happiest outings.

Out of the pastorale Out of the pastorale

“Trove Thursday” returns with an unbeatable combination: Janet Baker and Handel.

Maxed out Maxed out

Might Max Emanuel Cencic be the countertenor for people who hate countertenors?

Garden party Garden party

Many large opera companies these days host valuable young artist programs dedicated to helping singers negotiate the difficult transition between leaving the conservatory and becoming full-time performing artists.

Belief in a higher power Belief in a higher power

The behavioral phenomenon of limerence has been described as “an involuntary potentially inspiring state of adoration and attachment to a limerent object involving intrusive and obsessive thoughts, feelings and behaviors from euphoria to despair, contingent on perceived emotional reciprocation.”

Racing with the moon Racing with the moon

For better or worse, Decca’s new Norma recording will ultimately be embraced—or dismissed—by those reacting directly to Cecilia Bartoli’s controversial portrayal.

Wouldn’t it be funny if that was Vivaldi? Wouldn’t it be funny if that was Vivaldi?

“I’ve lived with mendacity!—Why can’t you live with it? Hell, you got to live with it, there’s nothing else to live with except mendacity, is there?”

Thrace off Thrace off

Nearly 30 years after a Handel opera last played there, Carnegie Hall presented The English Concert opening a three-year opera-oratorio project on Sunday afternoon with Radamisto.

Virgin territory Virgin territory

The chicken or the egg?

Agitated, of two minds Agitated, of two minds

Few singers today cause me as much consternation as Vivica Genaux.

Noble salvage Noble salvage

The New Year’s Eve gala at the Met ushering out 2011 was the world premiere of the much-anticipated mash-up The Enchanted Island AKA “baroque opera for those who hate (or at least don’t know) baroque opera.

All hell baroque loose

Many American opera-lovers take the “Grand Tour”—a pilgrimage to Europe to attend opera at its great houses—Peter Grimes at the Royal Opera in London or Otello at La Scala in Milan, or perhaps for the more well-heeled a visit to the summer festivals of Glyndebourne, Salzburg or Aix-en-Provence.  

Baroque, back

This Cleofide must have been conceived as a perfect target for haters of Italian baroque opera.  While many might (grudgingly?) acknowledge that Handel is indeed an important operatic composer, here we have a virtually unknown name often relegated to dusty music history books. Not only has no one ever heard (nor probably even heard of)…

Fire and Music

With Händel’s canon largely rediscovered and audiences hungry for more music from the Baroque period, opera houses and recording companies have increasingly turned their attention towards the stage works of Antonio Vivaldi. In only the past decade around 25 of Vivaldi’s operas and pasticcios have been revived, and more and more artists are performing and…