Bloody Mary, Hold the Pepper Bloody Mary, Hold the Pepper

Come ye addicts of melody! After long eclipse, Bel Canto shines again!

The Wurm turns The Wurm turns

Luisa Miller snowballs toward disaster and death.

Killer queen Killer queen

Rossini’s Semiramide is a highly original and imaginative work of theater that impresses for its creative and beautifully scored orchestration, incisive recitatives and ensembles, and theatrically intriguing characters.

“I am finding my way as I go” “I am finding my way as I go”

The musical director of the Opera Royal de Wallonie at Liege is currently experiencing the early phase of a promising international career in music.

To comfort you To comfort you

“Trove Thursday” features its two favorite baritones in a pair of comforting settings of the Requiem.

Paris in the springtime Paris in the springtime

La Traviata offered a cast of fresh debutantes and an uncommonly strong musical performance that could hardly be bettered.

All I mask of you All I mask of you

Amore Opera, an old-fashioned, adventurous little company that performs ambitious and sometimes delectably obscure but worthy repertory at the Riverside Theatre, is now (through Sunday) presenting Un ballo in maschera.

Meaty content Meaty content

I’d like to create a pasta dish in honor of Ambrogio Maestri’s art.

Still crazy after all these years Still crazy after all these years

A return to Amore Opera’s production of Meyerbeer’s Dinorah to hear the second cast underlined two conclusions.

Thousands cheer Thousands cheer

Although Gustav Mahler never wrote an opera, his colossal Eighth Symphony “The Symphony of a Thousand” may give us some glimpses of what a Mahler opera might have sounded like

Disappearing act Disappearing act

Tenor Matthew Polenzani and pianist Julius Drake’s performance left this listener in a a state of euphoria.

Kitchen confidential Kitchen confidential

Since 1985, from the Chicago Symphony at Carnegie Hall to the Welsh National Opera visiting BAM and from Chicago Lyric to New York City Opera to the Met, I’ve never encountered a bad Falstaff—or one that didn’t astound and delight me. 

Grazie Millo Grazie Millo

There are, on rare occasions, moments in a live performance where some intangible symbiotic relationship between audience and performer creates an instant that borders on the sublime.

Love of the earth Love of the earth

Claudio Abbado passed away on the 20th of January five years ago, just months before I began my Ph.D.

Shrieking violet Shrieking violet

Diana Damrau‘s performance as Violetta was the work of a very ordinary artist, one susceptible to vocal flubs, poor intonation, and an all too banal approach operatic performance.

A starred day’s night A starred day’s night

Anna Netrebko sang throughout with a palpable sense of joy and ease in vocal production, never a hint of strain or any moment forced. 

Paris was burning Paris was burning

Logistically, a large-scale revival of the operas of Giacomo Meyerbeer is an unreasonable request, much less an expectation.

Master peace Master peace

With Liber scriptus came the biggest discovery for me, the vocal talent of Elena Stikhina.

Truth, force Truth, force

I hardly know where to heap my praise first.

Another Hun bites the dust Another Hun bites the dust

Verdi’s Attila is hardly a rarity in Italy the way it is in the United States.

Ceci n’est pas un ‘Trovatore’ Ceci n’est pas un ‘Trovatore’

America’s longest-standing theatrical lightning rod, Robert Wilson premiered his ethereal, time-collapsing production of Le trouvère.

Rigoletto on the fringe Rigoletto on the fringe

Tanglewood may bring the classical music crowd to Lenox, but for opera, it’s all about neighboring Pittsfield, Mass.

Bass-baritone instinct Bass-baritone instinct

Next, I asked Marko Mimica which basses he prefers to listen to on recordings.

Meeting Rigoletto Meeting Rigoletto

I have a confession to make. I have been taking Rigoletto for granted.