Stage animal control Stage animal control

Following Gundula Janowitz and Janet Baker, Chris’s Cache sends birthday greetings to another favorite diva—Karita Matilla—with a quartet of broadcasts.

For art’s sake For art’s sake

Few operas scream “summertime easy listening” like Pfitzner’s Palestrina—all 225 minutes of itso Trove Thursday presents a performance from the Royal Opera’s 1997 New York visit conducted by Christian Thielemann.

Billy’s club Billy’s club

When Winston Churchill was First Sea Lord, the story goes, an indignant admiral accused him of violating British naval tradition, to which Churchill replied that the only traditions of the British Navy were rum, sodomy and the lash.

The woman in white The woman in white

This new DVD release from EMI of the Royal Opera’s latest production of Puccini’s Tosca will no doubt be snatched up by hordes of grateful fans around the globe.

Ship of fool

After the Georges Antheil opera that was my first assignment from La Cieca, I have to confess feeling slightly relieved when I opened the parterre package to find: Billy Budd!  And not only a Billy Budd, but one starring John Mark Ainsley!  The rest of the cast looked similarly starry (pardon the pun), so I…