Intrepid cub reporter Terry Teachout has scored the scoop of the century!
“It’s in the ‘Behind the Scenes’ section of the Lady Gaga issue, involving Brian Mitchell, archivist and occasional child wrangler with the Houston Grand Opera.”
“I’m afraid that is not a fact.”
Oh, Christ, can you fucking believe a spokesperson for the Met chorus is still clanking on about the price of the poppy field in Prince Igor?
Coming as Peter Gelb did from the music industry, opera lovers hoped that he would display a more distinctive knack for casting and an improved talent pipeline than Joe Volpe offered during the waning years of his tenure.
“Mr. Decker joined Acts II, III and IV by creating a tableau at the end of each act that dissolved into the beginning of the next. It was theatrically effective, but made for a long sit for the audience.” This, and a whole lot of other hogwash, in The Wall Street Journal.
Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.
