Against the grain Against the grain

I wondered if there truly is a future for opera other than as an overpriced museum piece for an aging audience who likes their sets lavish, their productions non-challenging, and their singers telegenic. 

on December 07, 2018 at 9:00 AM
Uphill climb Uphill climb

The Albanian soprano Ermonela Jaho is surely the reason that Covent Garden has made a commercial release of this “Live to Cinemas” relay from March of 2017.

on November 19, 2018 at 9:00 AM
Golden ‘Girls’ season finale Golden ‘Girls’ season finale

The conclusion of our Fanciulla del West video overview in three parts looks at a trio of performances from the 2010s.

on October 03, 2018 at 11:15 AM
Minnie happy returns Minnie happy returns

Puccini’s Girl closes out the 20th century and gallops into the 21st.

on October 02, 2018 at 9:00 AM
All about the ‘Girl’ who came to stay All about the ‘Girl’ who came to stay

On Thursday, Puccini’s seventh opera, the California Gold Rush romance La fanciulla del West, returns to its birthplace for its first Met performances since 2011.

on October 01, 2018 at 9:00 AM
O sink hernieder, Nacht der Lenny O sink hernieder, Nacht der Lenny

Well here we are, beloveds, still swathed in the warm glow of the Leonard Bernstein centennial. Box sets abound like bunnies in a hutch.

on July 16, 2018 at 9:25 AM
Mit leichtem Herz und leichten Händen Mit leichtem Herz und leichten Händen

Der Rosenkavalier (on Blu-ray and DVD) is from the Met HD broadcast which also happened to be the final performance of the run, becoming a true souvenir of the farewells of its two leading ladies.

on January 06, 2018 at 9:39 AM
Digging in the dirt Digging in the dirt

Even those of us who consider Guillaume Tell Rossini’s greatest opera understand why it has not been his most frequently staged.

on December 18, 2017 at 10:12 AM
What women want What women want

Psychology is encoded in the composer’s vocal lines more than his librettist’s words.

on November 30, 2017 at 10:00 AM
It’s a new dawn, it’s a new Dane It’s a new dawn, it’s a new Dane

C-major has made available the first DVD/Blu-ray of Franco Faccio’s Amleto.

on November 16, 2017 at 9:00 AM
Double Doge dare Double Doge dare

The second DVD/Blu-ray with Plácido Domingo as Verdi’s other beleaguered Doge, Francesco in I due Foscari.

on November 06, 2017 at 2:07 PM
Star and garters Star and garters

No amount of scholarly diligence has kept Les contes d’Hoffmann from being the messiest of all standard-repertory messes.

on September 25, 2017 at 11:53 AM
Tragedy tonight Tragedy tonight

In May of last year tenor Piotr Beczala and soprano Anna Netrebko sang in Lohengrin for the first time under the baton of Christian Thielemann in his home house at the Staatskapelle Dresden.

on July 18, 2017 at 10:00 AM
Mitigated Gaul Mitigated Gaul

Kevin Newbury‘s familiar production of Bellini’s Norma with its most frequent leading lady, the American Sondra Radvanovsky.

on April 25, 2017 at 9:41 AM
Today or tomorrow or the day after that Today or tomorrow or the day after that

“Time is a strange thing,” the lady observes, to a young man who cannot begin to understand what she is talking about.

on April 10, 2017 at 9:00 AM
Life is like a train Life is like a train

“In my music, there’s not repetition. Something is always going on.”

on March 07, 2017 at 8:00 AM
Devil may not care Devil may not care

The subject of timidity has been in my thoughts in these waning days of February 2017. One would almost think there had been some big announcement recently, preceded by a series of smaller ones, to turn a U.S.-based opera fan’s thoughts in this direction. 

on February 22, 2017 at 8:00 AM
The leggy movie The leggy movie

This Met’s second production of Berg’s 1935 opera was the hot topic of November 2015.

on February 14, 2017 at 9:00 AM
The sprite in you The sprite in you

Today’s Rusalka video overview covers filmed performances of Dvorák’s opera since 2010.

on February 01, 2017 at 12:15 PM
Does whatever a spider can Does whatever a spider can

The beautiful singing here is less in the sound than in the way the voice moves.

on January 27, 2017 at 11:57 AM
Gold rush Gold rush

Now we find Mariella Devia, a diva held in near mythic regard due to her vocal longevity, with competing videos of two of her performances that were released, literally, on the same day.

on January 27, 2017 at 11:55 AM
Traveling music Traveling music

Andrea Andermann is the veteran film producer who had the notion to assemble top-flight talent from the worlds of music and cinema for a generously funded film of Tosca.

on January 16, 2017 at 9:00 AM
Dirty dancing Dirty dancing

The DVD of Thomas Agerfeldt Olesen‘s 2013 opera The Picture of Dorian Gray.

on January 09, 2017 at 9:03 AM
Rooting for the underdoge Rooting for the underdoge

“Take a good deal of trouble with it, because it is a fine subject, delicate and full of pathos.”

on October 24, 2016 at 11:14 AM