Grail against the machine Grail against the machine

A new production of Parsifal at San Francisco Opera stirred something deep inside Michael Anthonio about how music soothes the soul

Frieze frame Frieze frame

Shirin Neshat‘s Aïda in Paris is a typical instance of what happens when an artist is brought in to direct an opera.

Vigorous to rigorous Vigorous to rigorous

Dmitry Matvienko led a performance of Mussorgsky and Shostakovich at La Monnaie with meticulous rectitude.

Up the creek and over the hill Up the creek and over the hill

Matthias Goerne‘s Die schöne Müllerin at Carnegie Hall offers a hoary and excessive collection of mannerisms and vocal tics that served the artist more than the music itself.

Avec la victoire, l’instant du bonheur Avec la victoire, l’instant du bonheur

Buoyed by a strong cast, The Metropolitan Opera continues its autumn bel canto streak with a winning revival of Donizetti’s La fille du regiment.

Psychic gestures Psychic gestures

Rolando Villazón opens up about his production of La sonnambula, how he develops characters, and what makes opera dance.

The scorned mother of us all The scorned mother of us all

Seeing Sondra Radvanovsky as Medea at Lyric Opera of Chicago sprawled across the floor, soaked in her children’s blood, is proof that we’re witnessing an utterly haunting singer-actor.

Rock ‘n’ Tyrol Rock ‘n’ Tyrol

Parterre Box features an exclusive sample of Lawrence Brownlee‘s jump-in performance in La sonnambula from this weekend

Nothing makes me feel better than <em>War and Peace</em> Nothing makes me feel better than <em>War and Peace</em>

‘Comfort opera.’ Hmm… I had to give this one some thought.

Nothing makes me feel better than the 1961 performance of <em>Turandot</em> Nothing makes me feel better than the 1961 performance of <em>Turandot</em>

The old Nilsson/Corelli radio checks from the 1960s are a reminder that what this opera needs are VOICES.

Ain’t no mountain high enough Ain’t no mountain high enough

A new production of La sonnambula at the Metropolitan Opera is musically charming if dramatically confounding.

Seeing double Seeing double

Jonas Kaufmann has a new lieder album called Doppelgänger, but the contents of the album vary depending on how you purchase it.

The 500 Fingers of Dr. H The 500 Fingers of Dr. H

Surely you agree that piano concerti are inherently political.

Nothing makes me feel better than <em>Tosca</em> Nothing makes me feel better than <em>Tosca</em>

Suck it, Joseph Kerman: Puccini’s “Shabby Little Shocker” has outlived you and will probably bury us all.

What belongs to us What belongs to us

Kevin Ng sits down with PEN/Faulkner Award-winning novelist and critic Garth Greenwell to talk about sex, queerness, and the “promise of opera.”

Storybored Storybored

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay was, somehow, a fun night at the opera—just not one that felt specifically operatic.

Reunited and it feels so good Reunited and it feels so good

When Angela Meade and Michael Fabiano first sang Lucia together as students at AVA few would have predicted that they would go on to sing Turandot 16 years later.

Self-made woman Self-made woman

In the pursuit of clowning, Anthony Roth Costanzo’s Galas may have lost sight of “the seriousness of the theme.”

Peter’s arabian nights Peter’s arabian nights

The moral stench seeps through Peter Gelb‘s decision to partner with the Saudi government, but what new sources of funding for the Met don’t have red flags?

My soul is eager for this kind of pain My soul is eager for this kind of pain

Ross Wassermann tracks the development of “Che farò senza Euridice?” — and “J’ai perdu mon Eurydice” — for this month’s Perspectives on an Aria

A favorite Wagner performance from Le Petit Yniold A favorite Wagner performance from Le Petit Yniold

Nowhere are the contradictions between Wagner’s small-mindedness, his meanness of spirit, and his human insight on clearer display than in Hans Sachs monologue Wahn, Wahn überall Wahn in the third Act of Mesitersinger.

Da tempeste Da tempeste

My recollections of Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall in Louisiana twenty years ago today, come with a pair of odd bookends: it starts with Verdi’s Don Carlo and ends with Puccini’s Il trittico.

Drink me Drink me

Chris’s Cache offers Nadine Sierra and Xabier Anduaga, the stars of the upcoming production of La sonnambula, in a performance of another favorite bel canto opera

A favorite Wagner performance from Peter Russell A favorite Wagner performance from Peter Russell

I’d long ago given up on my Goldilocks search for a “just right” complete Tristan und Isolde recording starring Jon Vickers, my hands-down tenor of choice.