A springtime baroque bouquet A springtime baroque bouquet

Christopher Corwin picks the flowers of a baroque May in New York City with reviews of concerts starring Lauren Snouffer, Key’mon Murrah, and the Oratorio Society of New York.

New world coming New world coming

This week, Chris’s Cache highlights Bernarda Fink and Inga Kalna in an opera by Johann Gottlieb Naumann

Halle if ya hear me Halle if ya hear me

Bergamo hosts an annual Donizetti festival, Salzburg presents a Mozart-woche every January, and of course there is Bayreuth for Wagner. But Handel gets two festivals every spring, and this year I was finally able to attend one of them.

In Napoli where love is queen In Napoli where love is queen

Final opera of the season. Little-known opera. A revival. So, you can probably skip it, right?

Hear the dance Hear the dance

I confess to being a “bad” dance fan: over the decades I’ve learned that if I don’t love (or at least like) the music, I won’t love the dance.

Guys who sing high (and others) Guys who sing high (and others)

A stack of noteworthy recent baroque vocal CDs on my desk has been staring at me for weeks, so I’m tackling them on Handel’s birthday before the Met roars back into action beginning this weekend.

Purcell takes the stage Purcell takes the stage

On Saturday at Alice Tully Hall, Julliard 415, the school’s top-flight period-instrument ensemble, was joined by students from the Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts and Juilliard Drama for a rare semi-staging of King Arthur.

Judith in disguise Judith in disguise

No one who followed Trove Thursday will be surprised that Diva November on Chris’s Cache today features Ann Hallenberg and Sandrine Piau.

I had too much to dream last night I had too much to dream last night

Trove Thursday previews next week’s BBC Proms presentation of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius with a 2008 broadcast conducted by Colin Davis with Sarah Connolly, Ben Heppner and Gerald Finley.

‘Cesare,’ condensed ‘Cesare,’ condensed

I felt that the whole performance at West Edge Opera on Sunday was greater the sum of its parts, particularly due to the dedication of the whole cast and crew amidst all adversities.

Consistently enthralling Consistently enthralling

To conclude its triumphant season, last week the Met Orchestra performed its annual Carnegie Hall concerts under music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and once again performed superbly.

Mainly in the plain Mainly in the plain

I wonder why many New Yorkers have been led to believe that the only Handel conductor in the world is Harry Bicket.

Making her garden grown Making her garden grown

Joyce DiDonato admits that she is “a problem solver, a dreamer, and—yes I’m a belligerent optimist.”

A place in the shade A place in the shade

Next Wednesday is the composer’s 337th birthday, so Trove Thursday previews this spring’s most enticing Handel performance with two very different live versions of his delightful Serse,.

Midwinter marriage Midwinter marriage

Despite having lost its announced Cherubino, conductor and Count (the latter in the midst of rehearsals), the season premiere of Le Nozze di Figaro Saturday afternoon proved to be one of the most enjoyable Met Mozart performances I’ve attended in ages.

I have a song to sing, O! I have a song to sing, O!

The lovely English soprano Valerie Masterson turns 84 today, prompting Trove Thursday to present her in a pair of her specialties.

Shade in the shadow Shade in the shadow

Ombra Compagna, out today on Pentatone, spotlights Lisette Oropesa  in 10 of Mozart’s most challenging concert arias accompanied by Il Pomo d’Oro conducted by Antonello Manacorda.

Castles made of sand Castles made of sand

Jakub Józef Orlinski‘s “Stille amare” packed a lot of punch in terms of dramatic intensity.

The Coronation of Lisette The Coronation of Lisette

Sunday’s Richard Tucker Gala at Carnegie Hall was unusually satisfying despite a less than usually superstarry line-up.

Pretty little lyre Pretty little lyre

Starring Jamie Barton, Orfeo ed Euridice returns to the Met next month for the first time in more than a decade so “Trove Thursday” offers two complete live versions of Gluck’s masterwork.

Gods and monsters Gods and monsters

Legrenzi married the quirky libretto to a score of transcendental beauty.

Let’s hear it for the boa Let’s hear it for the boa

What happens in Karlsruhe stays in Karlsruhe!

Boy meets world Boy meets world

A beautiful concert of 18th century sacred music arrived at Weill Recital Hall performed by the soulful Polish Wunderkind Jakub Jósef Orlinski.

Made in the shade Made in the shade

Here’s a quick sprint through some recent (and a few maybe not-so-very-recent) Handel CDs that have been stacking up.