Die Sterne des Himmels werden zur Erde fallen Die Sterne des Himmels werden zur Erde fallen

Chris’s Cache highlights the erstwhile Chicago Symphony Orchestra @ Carnegie series with not one but two starry operas conducted by Georg Solti: Salome with Birgit Nilsson and a performance of Moses und Aron

Someday she’ll come along, the girl I love Someday she’ll come along, the girl I love

In Richard Strauss’s Arabella, the heroine is consumed with finding the right man—der Richtige—but who is the right Arabella?

The favorite The favorite

Gabriela Benacková, one of Trove Thursday’s favorite sopranos, turns 75 tomorrow, so we celebrate with two rare complete Verdi portrayals.

Desert island diva Desert island diva

This sterling revival shows the Metropolitan to be surviving well and in good shape.

Behind the mask Behind the mask

Un ballo in maschera—but instead of a tragedy, an opera buffa—and in Danish?

Quicksilver princess Quicksilver princess

Trove Thursday remembers Edita Gruberová with live recordings of two of the three operas I heard her perform at the Met: a 1985 Munich La Traviata with Neil Shicoff and Wolfgang Brendel conducted by Carlos Kleiber and an I Puritani from Vienna 1994 featuring two other artists who recently left us too soon: Marcello Giordani and Dmitri Hvorostovsky.

Kaleidoscopic maestro Kaleidoscopic maestro

Saturday marks the centenary of Julius Rudel’s birth which Trove Thursday celebrates with Le Coq d’or, Faust and Ariodante, a triple-bill showcasing his impressive versatility, featuring Beverly Sills and Norman Treigle, two of the most important artists he nurtured during his leadership of the New York City Opera.

Have yourself a merry little widow Have yourself a merry little widow

Trove Thursday follows tradition and bids farewell to 2020 with an operetta: Lehár’s Die Lustige Witwe starring Edda Moser as a most commanding Hanna Glawari!

In memoriam Mirella Freni In memoriam Mirella Freni

Today’s Trove Thursday was originally scheduled for February 27, which would have been Mirella Freni’s 85th birthday, but instead we remember today the beloved soprano who passed away this past weekend in Puccini.

Super tsar Super tsar

Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov must be Russian’s most iconic opera and “Trove Thursday” presents it with Claudio Abbado leading an impressive team.

Man of the camellias Man of the camellias

Tuesday the Met unveils its sixth new production of La Traviata since moving to Lincoln Center. 

Talents of Gold(mark) Talents of Gold(mark)

Throughout the evening I couldn’t help thinking that this1870s Biblical epic of erotic obsession and penance was what the Met should have been doing this fall rather than its misbegotten Samson et Dalila.

The constant nymph The constant nymph

The old adage “the third time’s the charm” proved to be the case with me and Daphne, Richard Strauss’s ravishing bukolische Tragödie, when I recently heard it performed by Franz Welser-Möst and the Cleveland Orchestra.

Carlos at the Bat Carlos at the Bat

“Trove Thursday” celebrates with Carlos Kleiber conducting Johann Strauss, Jr.’s Die Fledermaus.

Debuts and farewells Debuts and farewells

Arabella with Wolfgang Sawallisch conducting a prime-time 1980s Munich cast.

Stage struck Stage struck

“Trove Thursday” presents a performance from 40 years ago: an inspired Renata Scotto as Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur.

Biblical sense Biblical sense

Shirley Verrett remains one of my all-time favorite artists, and I am pleased to introduce her to my Mixcloud site in one of her parade roles: the femme fatale in Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila.

Desert island DVD

This is a performance I never thought I’d see. This 2003 Met performance of Ariadne auf Naxos was filmed, but got tied up in some kind of (legal?) dispute and never televised, and I had long written it off as being tucked away in a vault, doomed to be “the lost telecast.” So it is…