The replacements The replacements

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

They’re projecting They’re projecting

I love it, truly, just not that much.

Uncloistered Uncloistered

Let’s all cast our minds back to March of 2020. Or, better, let’s not.

Strangers in the night Strangers in the night

One needs liberty in order to be a libertine.

Take the long way Rome Take the long way Rome

Russell Thomas’s opening aria, “Del piu sublime soglio” displayed an intense attention to the text and some surprisingly beautiful piano phrasing that I’ve never heard risked before and it brought wonder and gooseflesh.

Fleur du mal Fleur du mal

Too bad, then, that this season’s tossed flower was a bit of a wilted one.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one Stop me if you’ve heard this one

Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, and a slew of their members of court are hanging out in the afterlife…

Gli enigmi sono due Gli enigmi sono due

Giacomo Puccini’s final opus interruptus is and shall always remain my favorite opera. The reasons for this preference are so varied and numerous that if they were printed and bound the volume would most assuredly require its own stand.  

Fireworks Fireworks

As I leaned forward the woman in front of me turned to her seatmate and very quietly, in a voice thick with emotion and not a few tears, said, “it’s so beautiful.”

Drop dead diva Drop dead diva

My first experience with John Corigliano’s music was in high school with the ear and mind blowing score he wrote for Ken Russell’s film Altered States.

The ladies in question The ladies in question

There is a truism that there are no small parts, only small singers. Last night’s Così fan tutte has made me consider another possible truism: there are no bad productions, only miscast productions.

Tales of the unexpected Tales of the unexpected

Saturday matinee’s prima Trovatore brought an exciting and compelling show to the Met’s stage in the revival of David McVicar’s dark, Goya-esque production.