Park and bark Park and bark

Like Orest, I return to this house.

Geopolitics Italian style Geopolitics Italian style

How Verdi’s opera might address this particular nightmare was unclear.

No view from the bridge No view from the bridge

Mariusz Trelinski unveiled a rather gloomy, though musically satisfying, Tristan und Isolde.

New waves New waves

Missy Mazzoli, a 36-year-old composer from Brooklyn, has created the most startling and moving new American opera in memory.

Crazy stupid love Crazy stupid love

Well, that didn’t last long.

Comeback thane Comeback thane

The characters get right down to work immediately with their foul deeds.

The upper depths The upper depths

The Teatro di San Carlo in Naples is a pearl itself and this presentation proffers some of the best that company has to offer.

Guilt and pleasure Guilt and pleasure

Ambivalent is how I feel about Cosí fan tutte.

One finger exercise One finger exercise

David Lang is, per The New Yorker, a “postminimalist enfant terrible.”

Cuts like a knife Cuts like a knife

You may wonder what Rachmaninoff’s Aleko and Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci have in common.

Bella come un tramonto Bella come un tramonto

With the performance of Dessì we move onto a different plane than the other singers.

Mighty real Mighty real

Anna Netrebko‘s artistry is both subtle and thrilling.

That’s how they did it That’s how they did it

Idomeneo proved enormously moving while a much more complicated Così fan Tutte went for shallow romantic hijinks stripping that work of its darkly ambiguous disturbing view of love.

Can’t buy me love Can’t buy me love

dell’ arte Opera Ensemble continued its exploration of love and money by mounting Massenet’s Manon

Wer ein solches Weib errungen Wer ein solches Weib errungen

Opera at Caramoor rallied Sunday afternoon with an admirable if erratic performance of Fidelio which was especially memorable for South African soprano Elza van den Heever’s thrilling first-ever Leonore.

Going Hollywood Going Hollywood

The Hollywood Bowl is truly the preeminent musical venue in Los Angeles.

A very little night music A very little night music

The unevenly-beating Heart unfortunately proved less than the sum of its deluxe parts.

When the sun comes out When the sun comes out

This year as part of Bard’s “Puccini and His World” festival audiences may witness the resurrection of Mascagni’s distinctly odd Iris.

Old west side story Old west side story

While composed within a European style, La Fanciulla del West is an opera that manages to present a distinctly American experience.

Opera Syria Opera Syria

“The music’s fun, but doesn’t Rossini repeat himself?”

Drunk in love Drunk in love

According to my taste, Die Fledermaus is an intoxicating opera

The singer’s art The singer’s art

Call me old fashioned, but when I go to the opera, I go to hear beautiful singing.

Mourning Wood Mourning Wood

Sometimes when you find the club that will have you as a member, you do not easily give up your spot.

Imagined possibilities Imagined possibilities

The opera Patience and Sarah is a fantastic example of radical creativity.