The divine Dame Janet Baker never sang at the Metropolitan, sadly for American audiences.
Wolf Trap Opera triumphs in a fizzy, fun Cenerentola.
Leyla Gencer had a long European career but never sang at the Met.
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.
Video Artists International brings us back to a time when opera was carried over the airwaves by great voices—and a tire company.
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s concert Rigoletto hits some vocal turbulence
A full century after her heyday, Argentine soprano Hina Spani still moves us thanks to her vivid recordings and the savants who have cherished and shared them.
The one who got away was Anna Caterina Antonacci, a thrilling performer.
For vibrato fanciers, of course, discovering Supervia is like hitting the mother lode.
Yes, the Met had Birgit Nilsson – so they let the volcano that was Gertrude Grob-Prandl‘s voice slip through their fingers.
Grand Tier Grab Bag this week honors the late Limmie Pulliam with a bit of his Verdi Requiem.
Emma Hoffman reports on the glimmers of ecstatic artistry in Lise Davidsen‘s all-Schubert recital at Carnegie Hall with James Baillieu.
I like to use this recording to annoy Mariah Carey fans by proving that whistle register doesn’t count.
Christopher Corwin speaks to rising bass-baritone Le Bu about his journey from Yancheng, China to the Met (with a stop in Wichita) and what important roles await him.
The fact that Barbara Hannigan has never performed at The Metropolitan Opera is just plain dumb.
Bass-baritone Le Bu’s recital with Vocal Arts DC highlighted his linguistic and timbral versatility.
Christopher Corwin picks the flowers of a baroque May in New York City with reviews of concerts starring Lauren Snouffer, Key’mon Murrah, and the Oratorio Society of New York.
Don’t expect any sweeping statements from Franz Welser-Möst ‘s polished, if dramatically inert, Fidelio.
Die Walküre heralds the end of an era for the Los Angeles Philharmonic — and the arrival of a new generation of Wagnerians.
Much as I love the Abbado Deutsche Grammophon studio set, this 1980 San Francisco Opera live Simon Boccanegra under Lamberto Gardelli has an emotional punch.
Constance: A Confession, presented in Brooklyn by Experiments in Opera, satirizes our digital age with style.
Anna Pirozzi makes a welcome return to the Metropolitan Opera, but Turandot remains as thorny as ever.
Gabriela Lena Frank’s El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego enchants and surprises despite the Disnified treatment of its subject matter.
Verdi’s Stiffelio goes Amish in Vienna, featuring a stellar Luciano Ganci in the title role.
Tell us: Filth or dementia?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
×
Sign up for Parterre’s free newsletter.
Exclusive opera reviews, commentary, and top reads
delivered to your email weekly…ish.