Spanish mains Spanish mains

Andy Knapp recently wrote enthusiastically about a 1973 Met pirate recoding of Il Trovatore starring Montserrat Caballé, Viorica Cortez, Plácido Domingo, and Robert Merrill. Chris’s Cache today shares that recording, as well another Met in-house starring the same soprano, tenor and baritone in Un Ballo in Maschera from several years earlier.

on November 06, 2024 at 9:00 AM
E la Raina vede il cavalier E la Raina vede il cavalier

Inspired by Harry Rose’s recent fine polemic about verismo performance practice, Chris’s Cache offers one of Opera Orchestra of New York’s most exciting evenings: Zandonai’s Francesda da Rimini from 1973 with Raina Kabaivanska, Placido Domingo, and Matteo Manuguerra.

on October 22, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Fear itself Fear itself

Lately I’ve been preoccupied with Verdi and Il trovatore in particular anticipating the opera’s return to the Met later this month for the first time since 2018, this unusual deep-dive Chris’s Cache (on my birthday) is the result.

on October 14, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Easter vigilantes Easter vigilantes

Chris’s Cache celebrates an “Easter in October” gala with five special pirate recordings of Cavalleria Rusticana from the Met featuring four prima donnas whose Santuzze never got a Saturday broadcast and one whose did: Giulietta Simionato, Fiorenza Cossotto, Régine Crespin, Rita Hunter and Mignon Dunn.

on October 08, 2024 at 9:00 AM
We’re the kids in America We’re the kids in America

Needing a Mozart palate-cleanser after the recent misbegotten Marriage of Figaro, I went back more than two decades for a Houston Così fan Tutte featuring then-rising Americans Christine Goerke, Joyce Di Donato, Richard Croft, and Nathan Gunn as the confused lovers.

on September 26, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Stella, Stella for star! Stella, Stella for star!

Ahead of its September 24 Metropolitan Opera premiere, Chris’s Cache provides three Les Contes d’Hoffmann each with just one soprano as its heroines, as well as unusually interesting Antonia acts.

on September 19, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Back over the rainbow bridge Back over the rainbow bridge

“Let’s start at the very beginning” of Kent Nagano’s pioneering complete Ring project which was recently discussed here in depth in Montagu James’s review of Die Walküre.

on September 11, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Stage animal control Stage animal control

Following Gundula Janowitz and Janet Baker, Chris’s Cache sends birthday greetings to another favorite diva—Karita Matilla—with a quartet of broadcasts.

on September 05, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Letter rip Letter rip

One of the goals of both Trove Thursday and now Chris’s Cache has been to share pirate recordings of the valuable NYC groups that have presented concert operas over the decades.

on August 29, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Interplanet Janet Interplanet Janet

Chris’s Cache celebrates the 91st birthday today of Janet Baker, one of my favorite singers.

on August 21, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Spyres of ascension Spyres of ascension

Chris’s Cache steps up with a recording of Michael Spyres in Lohengrin, as well as with a capture of Spyres in the title role of a 2017 La Clemenza di Tito.

on August 15, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Fête-a-fête Fête-a-fête

Rameau is in the news—at least in France!

on August 08, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Utterly unique, occasionally off-putting Utterly unique, occasionally off-putting

Chris’s Cache wishes Gundula Janowitz a happy 87th birthday today with three early live broadcasts of a favorite soprano in works by Pergolesi, Haydn, and Schumann.

on August 02, 2024 at 9:00 AM
The servant of two last names The servant of two last names

“In over nine years you’ve never posted an opera by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari,” no one has ever said.

on July 25, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Written in the tsars Written in the tsars

Not so many live primetime Bolshoi Opera performances were recorded, but when the company went on tour it always brought its very best singers, and often pirates were there to capture them.

on July 18, 2024 at 9:00 AM
I would they had changed voices too! I would they had changed voices too!

Chris’s Cache follows up its Gounod R&J installment with a widely varied quintet of additional Romeos and Juliets

on July 03, 2024 at 9:00 AM
One that was a woman One that was a woman

Earlier this month the opera world was stunned to learn of the death of Belgian soprano Jodie Devos who died of breast cancer at just 35, and Chris’s Cache remembers her with a broadcast from last November of Devos as Ophélie in Hamlet, her only US appearance.

on June 27, 2024 at 9:00 AM
What’s natural comes hard What’s natural comes hard

Chris’s Cache offers two live recordings of Sondheim’s first two solo (as both composer and lyricist) Broadway shows: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Anyone Can Whistle

on June 19, 2024 at 9:00 AM
The secret seven The secret seven

Chris’s Cache offers four iterations of Bartók’s one-act masterpiece with Evelyn Lear & Thomas Stewart; Tatiana Troyanos & Siegmund Nimsgern; Agnes Baltsa& Samuel Ramey; and Nina Stemme & Gerald Finley

on June 12, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Nach mir wird Einer kommen, der ist stärker als ich Nach mir wird Einer kommen, der ist stärker als ich
A second Parisian Salome, in crisper sound, has surfaced for the perverse pleasure of cher public
on June 03, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Ich will dir alles geben, was dein Herz begehrt Ich will dir alles geben, was dein Herz begehrt

A parterre box exclusive: a live recording of Lise Davidsen‘s first Judean princess

on May 30, 2024 at 9:00 AM
A mouth so fair it must be kissed A mouth so fair it must be kissed

“What a day, what a day for an Auto-da-fe!” and it’s also always a good day for Candide, so Chris’s Cache presents a pirate recording of a 1971 staging starring Mary Costa, Frank Porretta, and William Lewis.

on May 23, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Seiji’s angels Seiji’s angels

Inspired by Christian’s expansive Seiji Ozawa survey, Chris’s Cache serves up the late maestro collaborating with (in alphabetical order): Martina Arroyo, Hildegard Behrens, Montserrat Caballé, Maureen Forrester, Jessye Norman, and Leontyne Price.

on May 15, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Je sens une force nouvelle Je sens une force nouvelle

Chris’s Cache offers three striking interpretations of another Gluck masterpiece Alceste from Janet Baker, Anna Caterina Antonacci, and Véronique Gens

on May 08, 2024 at 9:00 AM