Beast in show Beast in show

Christopher Maltman created a fun, coherent, often whimsical journey exploring the animal kingdom through a selection of animal songs.

Bland date Bland date

With a program of Schumann, Wagner, Ravel and de Falla, mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca and pianist Kevin Murphy delivered a underdone performance at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday night.

Boys of the baroque Boys of the baroque

In less than 10 days two outstanding countertenors, Franco Fagioli and Jakub Józef Orlinski, visited London.

Songs of disappointment Songs of disappointment

b>Lawrence Brownlee, star tenor of stage and NFL games is a real “pillar of the community.”

It takes a woman It takes a woman

Julia Bullock revisited a few well-trodden song cycles and lieder but pointed up their hidden politics.

Scrumptious and relatable Scrumptious and relatable

I had a panic attack, that’s how moved you made me.

Intimacy Intimacy

Last week, a pair of terrific recitals demonstrated what kind of intimate spell a dramatic singer can cast when left alone with a piano.

Leah and the barihunk Leah and the barihunk

At yesterday’s recital at the Morgan Library, Leah Crocetto sang as her encore Kern and Hammerstein’s “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man.”

Apparition Apparition

There was a moment during Natalie Dessay’s performance of Schubert’s “Gretchen am Spinnrade” when the singer summoned the ghost of her former self.

Head space Head space

The best part of Paul Appleby’s recital for the Philadelphia Chamber Society came in his last two groups.

Light from shadow Light from shadow

Javier Camarena offered a performance carefully calibrated to a more intimate venue that nonetheless offered emotionally potent results.

Blackberry winner Blackberry winner

Washingtonians enjoyed a happy reunion this past Sunday with David Daniels.

Who’s that girl? Who’s that girl?

Diana Damrau is a great flirt.

Beyond the blue horizon Beyond the blue horizon

Besides the heavens and a sweater in The Devil Wears Prada, it is the hue of Hibla Gerzmava’s soprano, in contrast to the red or rose or red-orange voices of most sopranos.

From the depths From the depths

I was greatly anticipating Karita Mattila’s recital on Friday in Toronto’s Koerner Hall.

Unadorned Unadorned

There was wonder and magic last night in Philly when The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society presented British tenor Mark Padmore and American pianist Jonathan Biss in a recital devoted to the songs of Schumann, Tippett, and Fauré.

Nightingale Nightingale

Readers of this site are typically up to speed on emerging vocal talents, so clearly there is no need for me to write a review of Chilean-German soprano Carolina Ullrich’s riveting recital at the Paris Opera?

The Memory of Singing

Austrian mezzo Angelika Kirchschlager left an incomplete impression as a Lieder singer Sunday night, in a quirky recital program of Brahms, Wolf, Mahler and Reynaldo Hahn, with pianist Warren Jones. Suffering from a cough and swallowing some words, Ms. Kirchschlager succeeded more in gesture than details. Breezing through Brahms’ songs “Meine liebe ist grün,” “Über die Heide,” and “Salome,” faux-naïve songs…