The end is the beginning of the end The end is the beginning of the end

At the Metropolitan Opera’s Götterdämmerung on Saturday afternoon, the fires which consumed the Gods burned lukewarm.

“The richest food that money can buy” “The richest food that money can buy”

All about the life of Lorenzo Da Ponte, but depicted as an opera performed as a dress rehearsal for an opera.

Jest you, jest me Jest you, jest me

Friday night’s Rigoletto at the Metropolitan Opera revealed once again a predictable dissonance between the performances on stage and Michael Mayer’s production.

Nostalgia for places one has never seen Nostalgia for places one has never seen

“Trove Thursday” turns to Jacopo Foroni’s rare 1849 historical melodrama Cristina, Regina di Svezia to commemorate the 330th anniversary tomorrow of that enigmatic monarch’s death.

Der Meisterdirigent Der Meisterdirigent

Christian Thielemann is widely regarded as our time’s preeminent master of the Austro-German symphonic ensemble.

Teenager in love Teenager in love

Stefan Vinke’s Siegfried was not so much brawny and terrestrial, but heady and mercurial

Handsomely done Handsomely done

Peter Mattei, one of my two favorite baritones these days, in an unexpected title role, Britten’s Billy Budd

A Lesbian in distress A Lesbian in distress

Zelmira, a work of 1822, was the last of the eight operas Rossini composed for the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, then the largest opera house in Italy—perhaps in Europe.

The damned don’t cry The damned don’t cry

Michael Mayer‘s production of La traviata at the Met is so timid, so devoid of insight, so cynically pandering and gaudy that I hardly feel like it even matters what I think of the performances of the current cast.

Strangers in the night Strangers in the night

One needs liberty in order to be a libertine.

Gladiator tidings Gladiator tidings

The finals on Sunday seemed a bit like the modern-day operatic equivalent of the Roman colosseum.

Why so seria? Why so seria?

At the Metropolitan Opera on Saturday night, Mozart’s opera never sounded fresher, a superstar cast shining new light on one of the composer’s all-too-seldom-performed scores.

Out of the shadows Out of the shadows

“Trove Thursday” offers Die Frau ohne Schatten conducted by Georg Solti and also featuring Regina Resnik, Donald McIntyre and the inevitable James King.

Oh my goddess! Oh my goddess!

Die Walküre crystallizes the cycle’s questions, ideas, and stakes.

The quality of mercy The quality of mercy

“Trove Thursday” offers Mozart’s late opera seria in a Paris “pirate” featuring the high-voltage diva-duo of Anna Caterina Antonacci and Elina Garanca.

Give me a ‘Ring’ sometime Give me a ‘Ring’ sometime

On this day in 1975 the Metropolitan Opera completed its first integral Ring cycle since 1962.

Jump for my love Jump for my love

Soprano Iulia Isaev proved to be in just about every way a lovely Tosca.

Things to come Things to come

On this day in 1977 Alban Berg’s Lulu premiered at the Metropolitan Opera.

Everybody dance now Everybody dance now

Austin McCormack‘s lascivious choreography outshone a tepid and tedious staging of Saint-Saëns’s old-testament epic.

Down Argentine way Down Argentine way

“Trove Thursday” drafts a 1960s All-Star team for Verdi’s Il Trovatore broadcast from the Teatro Colón.

Turning over an old leaf Turning over an old leaf

Is there any opera that can take more of a beating while still making an impact than Eugene Onegin

Lend me a druid Lend me a druid

With four hours’ notice and no stage rehearsal, soprano Marisa Galvany went on, making her Met debut as Norma.

Domino theory Domino theory

The Metropolitan Opera delivers on the promise of Wagner’s Gesamtkunswerk in a revival of Robert Lepage’s Ring.

Cryptic Cryptic

Hearing Lucas Meachem perform Kindertotenlieder in the crypt of Harlem’s Church of the Intercession was a heart-warming, and ultimately uplifting experience.