In Schikaneder’s patriarchal cosmology, darkness is the province of emotional women—not just the erratic fury of the Queen of the Night, but the pathetic supplications of Pamina as well.
STEMdiva status
Ahead of a special boozy, bawdy Valentine’s Day concert, artistic director of Opera Lafayette Patrick Quigley speaks with soprano Maya Kherani about her journey from MIT to rising American Baroque star.
Last night was my fourth or fifth wade into the slough of Bartlett Sher’s production of Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann at the Met since its premiere in 2009.
Bellini’s Norma Monday evening didn’t at all improve on the production it was replacing.
The performance and the obligatory parterre chat both begin at 6:30 PM EDT.
From up close, the miked opera singer can be a bit tough to take.
The important thing to remember about Druids is that they don’t follow fashion very much.
Bass Christian Zaremba will sing the role of Angelotti in the Met’s new production of Tosca opening New Year’s Eve.
“Uh, I have,” Mr. McDermott said, laughing.
Finally, Peter Gelb brings camp back to opera!
Anticipation of events like the Metropolitan Opera’s 50th Anniversary bash turns me back into the newly opera-soused kid who begged his parents to let him watch the highlights of the Bing Gala on the family color television.
Here’s where the parterriani will surely gather to hear and to comment upon this evening’s monster gala celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Met’s incumbency at Lincoln Center.
More Wagner listening excitement this afternoon at 1:00 PM, cher public, on the Met’s Saturday afternoon broadcast.
Since no doubt the New York contingent of the cher public are already shuddering in anticipation of a Kristine Opolais Tosca as a “gala” New Year’s Eve treat, La Cieca thought you might enjoy—again, surely too strong a word—a preview of sorts.
The wild tempest that whipped and drenched the audience as it exited the Met after Tuesday’s season premiere of Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer mirrored the finer features of the evening.
Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes up the baton for tonight’s season premiere of Der Fliegende Holländer at the Met, and the cher public will surely all be in place for discussion of The Gun Show.
Is there a more gorgeous male voice before the public today than Peter Mattei’s? Has Anna Netrebko ever sounded better?
Any production of Der Rosenkavalier that can transform the usually excruciating first half of the third act into a hilarious romp already has my vote.
But enough about Renée Fleming‘s farewell.
If British Opera magazine is to be believed, incoming Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin has already scheduled the first artistic fiasco of his new incumbency.
“Tatiana has developed into one of Netrebko’s very best roles.”
Incoming Met music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin “plans to open his first season with a new production of Verdi’s Aida starring Anna Netrebko and to start the following season with Ms. Netrebko as Strauss’s Salome.”
Settle in for an afternoon of opera seria, cher public, and chat as you will in the comments section of this post.
All right, folks, if you’re going to troll La Cieca, you might try just a little subtlety.
There is much to say about the similarities between the plot of Fidelio and the ancient myth of Orpheus.
A Baroque Valentine’s with Opera Lafayette | Feb | DC & NYC
Celebrate love in all its guises with tender ballads, amorous duets, cheeky verses, and bawdy drinking songs plus food, cocktails and wine.
Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.