Three sisters who are not sisters Three sisters who are not sisters

Dell’ Arte Opera Ensemble’s “Scenes from the Tower” evening is devoted to three operas composed by women, and the metaphorical tower is women’s sequestration from the opera stage.

Strangers when we meet Strangers when we meet

The aphorisms projected before each act of Das Wunder der Heliane suggested the work concerns the transformative power of love—but does it really?

I had too much to dream last night I had too much to dream last night

Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Die Tote Stadt in a 1967 Vienna broadcast appropriately featuring three American stars: John Alexander, Marilyn Zschau, and George London.

Ringing in my queers Ringing in my queers

Stonewall threads some difficult needles with great success overall in this last installment of New York City Opera’s Pride Month Programming.

Of two minds Of two minds

I wanted to like As One. I really did.

Et voila l’histoire Et voila l’histoire

To mark Beverly Sills’s 90th birthday (May 25, 1929) “Trove Thursday” offers the late diva’s acclaimed Massenet heroine opposite her ideal Des Grieux, Alain Vanzo.

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.

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.

Kitchen confidential Kitchen confidential

Since 1985, from the Chicago Symphony at Carnegie Hall to the Welsh National Opera visiting BAM and from Chicago Lyric to New York City Opera to the Met, I’ve never encountered a bad Falstaff—or one that didn’t astound and delight me. 

Lion, tamer Lion, tamer

At Friday’s opening of Otello, there was a good deal of interesting going on, though not all of it necessarily onstage.

The good shepherd The good shepherd

L’Arlesiana in a vibrant live performance from a dozen years ago with Giuseppe Filianoti, Latonia Moore and Marianne Cornetti.

A boy’s best friend A boy’s best friend

At the opening of the Scottish Opera’s 2017 production of Turnage’s opera Greek, I was very sorry I’d missed Anna Nicole.

Faust of fury Faust of fury

“Trove Thursday” keeps the evil deeds going this All Saints’s Day with a vintage La Scala broadcast of Arrigo Boito’s only completed opera Mefistofele.

Double cross Double cross

“Trove Thursday” offers due local Lombardi: one with Renata Scotto and José Carreras, the other with Aprile Millo and Carlo Bergonzi.

Whiskey tango foxtrot Whiskey tango foxtrot

I really cannot exaggerate the extent to which I truly did not know what was going on in New York City Opera’s production of Maria de Buenos Aires.

The unusual suspects The unusual suspects

Mad Scenes and Exit Arias:  The Death of the New York City Opera and the Future of Opera in America provides ample fodder for the legions of amateur opera sleuths seeking to confirm their theory of “Who Killed City Opera?”

Elle is other people Elle is other people

Soprano Patricia Racette is superb in La Voix Humaine, a work that she makes absolutely her own.

The man who would be nymph The man who would be nymph

Sometimes the fates conspire, preventing an artist from recording the role for which he is his generation’s touchstone.

Mostly NYFOS Mostly NYFOS

The theme was “Lyrics by Shakespeare.”

If it ain’t ‘Brokeback’ If it ain’t ‘Brokeback’

Between staging, music, and material, it’s hard to decide what feels most broken about New York City Opera’s American premiere of Brokeback Mountain.

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.

Season of the Witch Season of the Witch

Trove Thursday offers a pair of live broadcasts of Médée featuring two compelling mid-20th century divas—Inge Borkh in German and Eileen Farrell in Italian. 

Tragically Hippolyte Tragically Hippolyte

I had my head in my hands groaning in disbelief instead of joining in the general applause around me.