The juice is on the loose The juice is on the loose

The bonkers, bewildering Die ägyptische Helena begets a suitably lush musical and creative treatment at Bard SummerScape.

Nothing makes me feel better than <em>War and Peace</em> Nothing makes me feel better than <em>War and Peace</em>

‘Comfort opera.’ Hmm… I had to give this one some thought.

He plays the violin He plays the violin

This Bard production, led by Leon Botstein, makes the strongest possible case musically, dramatically and visually for Smetana’s opera Dalibor.

I’ll plant my own tree I’ll plant my own tree

Richard Strauss’ “Bucolic Tragedy in One Act” Daphne is one of his most beautiful and most frustrating works. 

“A Teutonic Zaza” “A Teutonic Zaza”

On this day in 1928, the Metropolitan Opera presented the American premiere of Richard Strauss‘s Die Ägyptische Helena with Maria Jeritza in the title role.

The long listen The long listen

A conversation with maestro Gil Rose of Odyssey Opera.

Sweet dreams Sweet dreams

Bard SummerScape’s concert staging of Die Tote Stadt emerged triumphant thanks to Clay Hilley and Sara Jakubiak.

Pearl of wisdom Pearl of wisdom

Odyssey Opera’s Ägyptische Helena was a beautifully executed production of a flawed opera.

A Lesbian in distress A Lesbian in distress

Zelmira, a work of 1822, was the last of the eight operas Rossini composed for the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, then the largest opera house in Italy—perhaps in Europe.

Alzare le spalle Alzare le spalle

“Non mi dispiace” seemed to be the general consensus in the loggione December 7 when Verdi’s Attila came roaring into La Scala to open the 2018-19 season.

Shrieking violet Shrieking violet

Diana Damrau‘s performance as Violetta was the work of a very ordinary artist, one susceptible to vocal flubs, poor intonation, and an all too banal approach operatic performance.

The best of everything The best of everything

Munich’s Bayerische Staatsoper’s victory lap at Carnegie Hall concluded Thursday night with a sumptuous Der Rosenkavalier spectacularly conducted by Kirill Petrenko

Tomb service Tomb service

An outstanding performance of Weber’s Euryanthe to share on “Trove Thursday.”

Blow a kiss, take a bough Blow a kiss, take a bough

Richard Strauss’s many one-act operas make excellent concert programs, both for their length (usually under two hours) and the primary place each gives the orchestration, a specialty where Strauss’s brilliance seldom deserted him.

Two ladies in the shade… Two ladies in the shade…

The simple fable at the heart of Die Frau ohne Schatten shouldn’t be difficult to parse, but Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s libretto juggles its vaguely Jungian, vaguely Arabian Nights symbolitry as if with intent to mystify and bewilder.