One more ‘Kiss’ One more ‘Kiss’

Kiss Me Kate is a sophisticated soufflé of a show: a comedy of manners, requiring effortless verve and elegance in the playing.

Lite Meyerbeer Lite Meyerbeer

Amore Opera, one of New York’s smaller opera companies, is presenting the first local run of Dinorah, ou le Pardon de Ploërmel since before the war.

Good news bear Good news bear

Teatro Real continued their 200 years’ celebration by premiering a piece that they have never done before, Francesco Cavalli’s opera La Calisto.

Easily assimilated Easily assimilated

I’ve never liked the term “crossover.”

Jump for my love Jump for my love

Soprano Iulia Isaev proved to be in just about every way a lovely Tosca.

Everybody dance now Everybody dance now

Austin McCormack‘s lascivious choreography outshone a tepid and tedious staging of Saint-Saëns’s old-testament epic.

Turning over an old leaf Turning over an old leaf

Is there any opera that can take more of a beating while still making an impact than Eugene Onegin

They love a piano They love a piano

It’s difficult to reconcile what Schlather writes with what we see onstage, which is a jumble not only of pianos, but of periods and concepts.

Domino theory Domino theory

The Metropolitan Opera delivers on the promise of Wagner’s Gesamtkunswerk in a revival of Robert Lepage’s Ring.

Cryptic Cryptic

Hearing Lucas Meachem perform Kindertotenlieder in the crypt of Harlem’s Church of the Intercession was a heart-warming, and ultimately uplifting experience.

That’s how they’ve done it That’s how they’ve done it

Così fan tutte, Mozart’s final Italian comedy with Lorenzo Da Ponte, is this season’s heaviest lift for Philadelphia’s Academy of Vocal Arts (AVA).

Take the long way Rome Take the long way Rome

Russell Thomas’s opening aria, “Del piu sublime soglio” displayed an intense attention to the text and some surprisingly beautiful piano phrasing that I’ve never heard risked before and it brought wonder and gooseflesh.

The old song and dance The old song and dance

The most disappointing performance in 30 otherwise glorious years of William Christie and Les Arts Florissants visiting New York City.

Cri du coeur Cri du coeur

Sondra Radvanovsky returned for her 29th Met Aïda Thursday night (but only her second Aïda.)

Alpha doge Alpha doge

West Bay Opera’s sterling production of Verdi’s I due Foscari played over the last two weekends.

Disappearing act Disappearing act

Tenor Matthew Polenzani and pianist Julius Drake’s performance left this listener in a a state of euphoria.

Let’s hear it for the boa Let’s hear it for the boa

What happens in Karlsruhe stays in Karlsruhe!

Kitchen confidential Kitchen confidential

Since 1985, from the Chicago Symphony at Carnegie Hall to the Welsh National Opera visiting BAM and from Chicago Lyric to New York City Opera to the Met, I’ve never encountered a bad Falstaff—or one that didn’t astound and delight me. 

Women in revolt Women in revolt

The full title of the opera pretty much describes the plot: Il mondo alla roversa osia Le donne che comandano.

Once more with feeling Once more with feeling

We humans tend to dislike uncertainty, therefore there is something comforting going to opera revivals; you know exactly what you are going to get. 

‘Spring’ is here ‘Spring’ is here

The Day Before Spring , while not exactly experimental, shows a young and adventurous team thinking both traditionally and out-of-the-box.

A view to a kill A view to a kill

You’d want to expect that every Met retread would draw the same curiosity, the same large crowds, to Lincoln Center.

Wintertime, and the living is easy Wintertime, and the living is easy

Porgy and Bess, George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward’s 1935 “folk” opera, graced the stage of Dutch National Opera for the first time last month, and it was resounding success from start to finish.

Sex and Vivaldi Sex and Vivaldi

The “Red Priest” of Venice once made reference to his “94 operas” in a letter to his patron.