Who is the diva you were assigned at birth? Who is the diva you were assigned at birth?

Richard Lynn would like to bring some operatic podcast episodes of The Sewers of Paris and Die Primadonnen to your attention.

Robust possibilities Robust possibilities

After success at the Met as Turandot and before a historic Medea, soprano Anna Pirozzi talks to Harry Rose about her voice, her repertoire, and where her “second explosion of career” is taking her.

Da tempeste Da tempeste

My recollections of Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall in Louisiana twenty years ago today, come with a pair of odd bookends: it starts with Verdi’s Don Carlo and ends with Puccini’s Il trittico.

One more souvenir of bliss One more souvenir of bliss

This week, Chris’s Cache offers a performance of Follies from 2007 featuring Lucine Amara as a rarely richly sung Heidi alongside Donna Murphy and Victoria Clark.

Goddess in three persons Goddess in three persons

Patrick Mack looks back on “a great, nay, historic evening,” Renata Scotto‘s 1981 performance of Il trittico, now newly available on Met Opera on Demand.

Video: Celebrating James Jorden Video: Celebrating James Jorden

The parterre team is glad to make available a professionally produced recording of the February 3rd memorial held in honor of parterre box founder James Jorden

But not Rose But not Rose

parterre box is excited to present again Mike Richter’s collection of recordings of Rose Ader along with this biographical tribute in honor of a significant artist whose Jewish identity perhaps prevented her from achieving the renown she deserved

Celebrating 30 Years of <em>parterre box</em> Celebrating 30 Years of <em>parterre box</em>

Readers, writers, and stars reflect on the 30th anniversary of “the most essential blog in opera” (NYT)

Filth and dementia Filth and dementia

Zachary Woolfe reflects on the legacy of parterre box founder James Jorden and three decades of “remembering when opera was queer and dangerous and exciting and making it that way again”

Stuffing and licking Stuffing and licking

parterre box turns 30 on Sunday and writers from around the box are reflecting on the legacy of founder James Jorden and three decades of “remembering when opera was queer and dangerous and exciting and making it that way again”

Bottoms were tougher in those days Bottoms were tougher in those days

parterre box turns 30 on Sunday and writers from around the box are reflecting on the legacy of founder James Jorden and three decades of “remembering when opera was queer and dangerous and exciting and making it that way again”

Ace of bass Ace of bass

On February 10 of this year was the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great Italian basso Cesare Siepi. I found that this milestone was scarcely noted in the opera press.

James Jorden, 1954-2023 James Jorden, 1954-2023

The writers of the Box and James’s friends are saddened to announce the death of the inimitable founder of Parterre Box

Velvet underwhelmed Velvet underwhelmed

“Camp” is exactly the lens through which The Velvet Touch is best examined, including an utterly bewildering cross-pollinating of genres.

Exactly the kind of boy he had always wanted to be Exactly the kind of boy he had always wanted to be

UrbanArias’ recording of Paul’s Case is an antidote to the intellectual pretensions that regularly drag contemporary opera performance toward tediousness and boredom.

The vinyl countdown The vinyl countdown

At one point I spent a couple of months on the dole and dollar record shopping had a number of obvious virtues as a pastime.

Too much, too soon Too much, too soon

Heartbeat is, after all, a company that loves to tinker.

Better call Gaul Better call Gaul

Bellini’s Norma Monday evening didn’t at all improve on the production it was replacing.

New classic

Willy Decker’s Traviata has garnered praise from critics and audiences alike in the week since its Metropolitan premiere, but (as was to be expected) this praise comes over the complaints of a select few traditionalists, a handful of lonely boos amid the mostly enthusiastic applause. Their objection (as usual) is that Decker’s production betrays the…