“Ya proklinayu tebya, moy rokovaya krasota!” “Ya proklinayu tebya, moy rokovaya krasota!”

One of the late Mike Richter‘s most endearing traits was his fascination with rare or downright offbeat recordings, such as this complete 1963 performance of Verdi’s Don Carlos in Russian by artists of the Bolshoi.

on July 17, 2014 at 8:00 AM
Mad woman Mad woman

Mike Richter, via CD-ROM, takes us back to the golden age of concert opera in New York City with Il pirata starring Montserrat Caballé.

on July 10, 2014 at 8:00 AM
Feast of the Marys Feast of the Marys

From one of the earliest Mike Richter CD-ROMs, “Odd Opera,” comes a piece definitely fitting that description.

on June 26, 2014 at 8:00 AM
The waiting game The waiting game

This week’s gem from the Mike Richter collection is all the more precious for its rarity: a performance of Fauré’s Pénélope starring ravishing Régine Crespin.

on May 29, 2014 at 8:00 AM
The princess diaries The princess diaries

By special request of Our Own DeCaffarrelli, and courtesy of Mike Richter, here’s a treat: a 1969 performance of La Cenerentola starring the delectable Teresa Berganza.

on May 22, 2014 at 8:00 AM
Final chapter Final chapter

The mighty Teatro Colón Ring cycle draws to a close, courtesy of Mike Richter‘s superb CD-ROM “El Anillo.”

on May 15, 2014 at 8:00 AM
The revengening The revengening

Legendary Birgit Nilsson heads a spectacular cast in the second act of Götterdämmerung, our latest treasure from Mike Richter‘s trove of CD-ROMs.

on May 08, 2014 at 8:00 AM
Norn yesterday Norn yesterday

The final day of the Buenos Aires Ring dawns in our latest sampling from the Mike Richter’s trove of CD-ROMs.

on May 01, 2014 at 6:21 PM
Sleep no more Sleep no more

The respective long slumbers of Brünnhilde and La Cieca are finally at an end as we continue “EL Anillo” from the Mike Richter collection with the third act of Siegfried.

on April 24, 2014 at 8:00 AM
Hast du Übermut? Hast du Übermut?

From the legendary Mike Richter collection, here’s another segment of “El Anillo,” act two of Siegfried from the Teatro Colón.

on April 10, 2014 at 8:00 AM
Into the woods Into the woods

Continuing “El Anillo” from the Mike Richter collection, Siegfried at the Teatro Colón (not pictured).

on April 03, 2014 at 8:00 AM
Flame on Flame on

From the Mike Richter collection, Act Three of Die Walküre at the Teatro Colón, featuring Hans Hotter and Birgit Nilsson (not pictured.)

on March 27, 2014 at 1:29 AM
Horseplay Horseplay

Mike Richter‘s documentation of the 1962 Buenos Aires Ring continues with the second act of Die Walküre featuring Birgit Nilsson and Hans Hotter.

on March 20, 2014 at 6:53 AM
Spin cycle Spin cycle

First up (naturally), Das Rheingold.

on March 13, 2014 at 8:00 AM
Fifty Shades of Gré Fifty Shades of Gré

From Mike Richter‘s CD-ROM “El Anillo,” here is radiant soprano Gré Brouwenstijn in the first act of Die Walküre as performed at the Teatro Colon in 1962.

on March 06, 2014 at 8:00 AM
Miss Right Miss Right

A particularly delectable treat from the Mike Richter trove: Wolfgang Sawallisch conducts a 1985 performance of Arabella at the Bayerische Staatsoper, featuring Lucia Popp and Wolfgang Brendel.  

on February 20, 2014 at 2:40 AM
Vieni a mirar la cerula Vieni a mirar la cerula

More Verdi from the Mike Richter collection, this time from CD-ROM SFO-02, a performance of Simon Boccanegra featuring Ingvar Wixell and Kiri Te Kanawa.

on February 13, 2014 at 8:00 AM
Talor dal mio forziere Talor dal mio forziere

A summer performance of a wintry treat is this week’s bonbon from the Mike Richter collection, this time from his Opera from Munich CD-ROM, AE204.

on February 06, 2014 at 8:00 AM
Your doyenne’s goodness is extreme Your doyenne’s goodness is extreme

Well, “extreme” is such an, oh, how shall I put it… extreme word, my dears; really La Cieca is no more than the humble intermediary here between Mike Richter‘s CD-ROMs and you, the cher public. This time our treat from the trove is Eugene Onegin, a selection from his disc devoted to the Metropolitan Opera…

on January 30, 2014 at 8:00 AM
Mike Richter meets Claudio Abbado Mike Richter meets Claudio Abbado

La Cieca assumes, or at least hopes, such an encounter is currently taking place on some other plane. In slightly more mundane terms, though, Mike Richter did “meet” Claudio Abbado, though not in the context of his celebrated CD-ROM series.

on January 23, 2014 at 8:00 AM
Mask me no questions Mask me no questions

In what seems to be turning into an informal salute to Kathleen Battle (not pictured), our gem from the Mike Richter collection this week is a performance of Un ballo in maschera, featuring Jose Carreras and Katia Ricciarelli (pictured).

on January 16, 2014 at 7:00 AM
Herself you shall adore Herself you shall adore

From an early Mike Richter CD-ROM, “Odd Opera” comes this gem, a live performance of Handel’s Semele at Carnegie Hall on February 23, 1985, the 300th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

on January 09, 2014 at 2:55 PM
Precious snowflake Precious snowflake

Bundle up warmly, cher public, and enjoy a weather-appropriate selection from the Mike Richter hoard.

on January 02, 2014 at 12:21 PM
Their master’s voice Their master’s voice

One of Mike Richter‘s most spectacular achievements was the remastering and digitization of the complete master classes conducted by Maria Callas at the Juilliard School in 1971-1972.

on December 26, 2013 at 8:00 AM
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