Life is like a train Life is like a train

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

All right on the western front All right on the western front

Silent Night is in a sense a giant middle finger raised against the conventional wisdom that musical sophistication requires inscrutability.

‘Dead Man,’ stumbling ‘Dead Man,’ stumbling

The opera is relentlessly obvious, a work that repeatedly turns to tired tropes and canned characters to fill up its nearly three hour run time.

Cards on the table Cards on the table

The Canadian Opera Company scored a coup when they secured Christine Goerke for the revival of their Ring productions over the last three seasons

Cross fit Cross fit

Opera composers do not often change their spots.

Open source Open source

Ted Hearne’s opera/oratorio The Source brings compositional process and combination of acoustic and electronic elements to the weighty topics of national security leaks, big data, and war.

Water, logged Water, logged

So, how excited are you to read another piece about the Mary Zimmerman Rusalka?

Plummeting in love Plummeting in love

The Met’s current production of Verdi’s La Traviata is something of a mixed bag.

Dancing lady Dancing lady

I entered the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Saturday night for LA Opera’s 30 year old revival of their production of Salome with a combination of enthusiasm and apprehension.

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. 

C’est la chanson des rêveurs qui s’étaient arraché le coeur C’est la chanson des rêveurs qui s’étaient arraché le coeur

Sandrine Piau‘s lovely recital with pianist Susan Manoff at The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society on February 14 entered around the themes of sleep, dreams and waking. 

Crazy in love Crazy in love

I am, perhaps instinctively, skeptical of those who commit suicide.

Occult following Occult following

Radvanovsky delivered a vocal and histrionic performance that should be the gold standard Norma for years.

The leggy movie The leggy movie

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

The right box The right box

Let’s call this meeting to order. My name is Patrick and I’m a boxset-aholic.

Death becomes him Death becomes him

Tancredi, given on February 10th, was a credit to Opera Philadelphia, who offered a well-considered and compelling production.

Purists Purists

Someone—a deranged purist no doubt—heckled Javier Camarena from the balcony of the opera house for withholding the infamous high F during “Credeasi, misera.”

“Thy power standeth not in multitude nor thy might in strong men” “Thy power standeth not in multitude nor thy might in strong men”

An unstaged performance of Juditha Triumphans by five soloists and the Venice Baroque Orchestra under Andrea Marcon.

Comet and find me Comet and find me

I never made it through more than a few chapters of any Tolstoy work. And I never made it through Chapter One, Volume One of War and Peace. Yeah, I know. I suck. Turns out I was just not using the left side of my brain, because War and Peace can actually be a fun, entertaining,…

Woman on the verge of a repertoire breakthrough Woman on the verge of a repertoire breakthrough

Revive is a manifesto of sorts, declaring Elina Garanca’s intentions for the new direction in her career.

Sleeping with the fishes Sleeping with the fishes

With a cast of stellar singers and uneven direction by Mary Zimmerman, Dvorák’s Rusalka debuts in a new production at the Metropolitan Opera.

Comedy on the Calais Coach Comedy on the Calais Coach

Friday night Music Director James Conlon sold Die Entfürhung aus dem Serial to a tony crowd of Angelenos. 

The sprite in you The sprite in you

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

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.