Poison of interest Poison of interest

Following new productions of Tosca in 2017, Adriana Lecouvreur in 2018, and the Anna Netrebko-led Puccini orgy of 2019, New Year’s Eve at the Met has come to signify that verismo, as this school tends to be known, is still kicking.

on January 02, 2023 at 9:00 AM
Bringing up Bondy Bringing up Bondy

The more ignorant segments of the public and the critical establishment continue to shout praise to David McVicar‘s torpid Tosca as the greatest triumph of the reactionary since the Bourbon Restoration.

on January 05, 2018 at 12:16 PM
Better call Gaul Better call Gaul

Bellini’s Norma Monday evening didn’t at all improve on the production it was replacing.

on September 26, 2017 at 12:51 PM
Screen queen Screen queen

This season’s Met Donizetti Tudor Trilogy concluded with Roberto Devereux, given its penultimate performance by HD transmission Saturday, April 16. It is good to see these works finally given here; they are too important, too crucial a part of the operatic repertory to have been ignored for as long as they have. 

on April 25, 2016 at 11:00 AM
The chopping block? The chopping block?

After five flops in a row, Mr. McVicar continues to win new assignments from the Met.

on March 31, 2016 at 11:36 AM
I want your Essex I want your Essex

During its first-ever Roberto Devereux Thursday evening one felt transported back to the Volpe years: four of the Met’s biggest stars shining in an opulent (if occasionally perverse) but reassuringly non-challenging production paid for by Sybil B. Harrington.

on March 25, 2016 at 1:24 PM
Sul tuo capo la scure già piomba Sul tuo capo la scure già piomba

David McVicar, on his knee, with… Mariusz Kwiecien during a rehearsal.”

on March 18, 2016 at 10:30 AM
Queen for a D Queen for a D

Friday’s season premiere at the Met of Donizetti’s opera about the doomed Scottish queen proved surprisingly satisfying and a genuine success for Sondra Radvanovsky.

on February 01, 2016 at 10:00 AM
Wahn for a day Wahn for a day

Die Meistersinger is a bold stroke of programming, in a not particularly exciting way.

on November 24, 2015 at 10:00 AM
Hell on wheels Hell on wheels

Absent from Chicago Lyric Opera’s repertory for 21 years, Alban Berg’s Wozzeck came roaring into town on Sunday afternoon in a stunning new production by Sir David McVicar.

on November 03, 2015 at 10:00 AM
Man of steel Man of steel

“This throwback to the golden age of opera—superhuman singing greeted with frenzied ovations—was a function of a perfect storm of excitement.”

on September 30, 2015 at 2:38 PM
Don’t axe me why Don’t axe me why

The Metropolitan Opera’s much vaunted so-called “Tudor Ring” of three royal operas by Donizetti got off to a bumpy start Saturday afternoon with a revival of Anna Bolena that stubbornly refused to cohere either musically or dramatically.

on September 28, 2015 at 2:20 PM
Fou fighter Fou fighter

It is easy to become overly identified with opera—as a cleverer friend of mine once noted: being a sports fan is an interest, but if you like opera, everyone thinks of it as a crippling obsession.

on June 09, 2015 at 1:44 PM
Ham and ex Ham and ex

Our Own JJ was only semi-amused.

on April 27, 2015 at 9:45 AM
Plank your lucky stars Plank your lucky stars

The next scheduled appearance of the Met’s Ring production has been canceled, as irrevocably as these things can ever be.

on May 06, 2013 at 2:18 PM
Pyramid scheme Pyramid scheme

Giulio Cesare at the Met proved an evening that added up to much more than the sum of its uneven parts.

on April 05, 2013 at 9:30 AM
Vil cutlet Vil cutlet

True, Joyce DiDonato’s Mary spat out those fighting words in a tangy chest voice, but it was hard to believe she meant them.

on January 02, 2013 at 11:39 PM
Wigs and weaves Wigs and weaves

It’s easiest to write reviews when there are soaring triumphs and miserable failures.

on January 01, 2013 at 11:57 AM

The colleague who sent the following item to La Cieca called it “the best opera story of the year,” and your doyenne cannot but agree. It seems that back in 2001 a young actor named Juan Pablo di Pace did a nude scene in David McVicar‘s production of Rigoletto for the Royal Opera. A photograph…

on March 04, 2008 at 11:32 PM