Iris, hence away Iris, hence away

Endlessly extricating her from existing contracts then negotiating new ones must make being Sonya Yoncheva’s manager the hardest job in the music business.

The zoo story The zoo story

A week from Saturday Will Crutchfield’s “Bel Canto at Caramoor” ends a 20-year run with Il Pirata.

Back to the beach Back to the beach

Now it’s time to grab Albert Einstein for a lengthy swim.

From Hell From Hell

In March 1973, OONY’s second season featured Francesca da Rimini starring Raina Kabaivanska, Plácido Domingo and Matteo Manuguerra.

Composer’s intentions Composer’s intentions

A live broadcast of the prologue to Ariadne auf Naxos featuring Julia Varady, a favorite sopranos in a role she sang only rarely.

Monday in the park with mike Monday in the park with mike

From up close, the miked opera singer can be a bit tough to take.

Let me live by my wits and Trost to my luck Let me live by my wits and Trost to my luck

I finally get to complete my personal operatic Top Ten this week with Igor Stravinsky’s only full-length opera, The Rake’s Progress. 

And the ‘Angels’ sing And the ‘Angels’ sing

Angels in America reimagined as an actual, full-blown opera.

Intermezzo (a love story) Intermezzo (a love story)

 The glorious and beloved Elisabeth Söderström tackles the fiendishly difficult role of Christine in a 1974 performance from Glyndebourne.

In the River Rhine.  In it. In the River Rhine.  In it.

It is always a pleasure to hear a great orchestra take on a major score that might sound half-muffled emerging from the pit of an opera house.

Tomb service Tomb service

An outstanding performance of Weber’s Euryanthe to share on “Trove Thursday.”

Das Süsses Mädel and the Boy from Berlin Das Süsses Mädel and the Boy from Berlin

Diana Damrau has chosen for her new Erato recital disc Grand Opera 11 high-flying showpieces from ten operas by Giacomo Meyerbeer.

I won’t dance, don’t ask me I won’t dance, don’t ask me

A live Un Ballo in Maschera featuring Jon Vickers, Amy Shuard, Lucia Popp, Shirley Verrett and Peter Glossop.

And one for Goethe! And one for Goethe!

Due to a small hiccup in scheduling at Casa della Cieca, this week you get two uploads!

Cock of the walk Cock of the walk

Zolotoy pyetushok (translated as The Golden Cockerel in English, is best known in these parts as Le Coq d’Or.

The frailty of everything earthly The frailty of everything earthly

If everything you see is great, you are either new to opera or chronically easy to please.

Saluting Kurt Moll Saluting Kurt Moll

“Trove Thursday” pays tribute to the great German bass Kurt Moll

Fifty shades of gold Fifty shades of gold

Anticipation of events like the Metropolitan Opera’s 50th Anniversary bash turns me back into the newly opera-soused kid who begged his parents to let him watch the highlights of the Bing Gala on the family color television.

T’would be a sacrilege to sing at another door T’would be a sacrilege to sing at another door

“Did you ever have the feeling that you wanted to go, and then you had the feeling that you wanted to stay?”  This soul-searching question is likely running through the mind of Renée Fleming.

Keeping the faith Keeping the faith

Going into Washington National Opera’s final presentation of the season, Madama Butterfly, I feared that I might be geisha’d out.

One Handel, one heart One Handel, one heart

I don’t usually attend a performance of an opera I’ve known well most of my life expecting a revelation.

Yes, we have no Banat Yes, we have no Banat

In The Gypsy Baron (Der Zigeunerbaron), currently (through Sunday) enjoying a revival by the Manhattan School of Music Opera Theater, you get Strauss waltzes and patriotic marches.

Crate expectations Crate expectations

Not a few eyebrows arched on social media when L.A. Opera appropriated the hashtag “Fight like a girl” on street level poster adverts all over town for the revival of their 2013 production of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca. 

The song is you The song is you

Met audiences might have to wait a very long time for Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.