Asp and you shall receive Asp and you shall receive

A first-time operagoer is lured to Thaïs at Opera Idaho by the promise of a new experience… and Neil, the Burmese python

Married to their jobs Married to their jobs

Ahead of their opening in Don Carlo in Dallas tonight, Christopher Corwin chats with Nicole Car and Étienne Dupuis — and offers a special edition of Chris’s Cache!

Pearls of great Price Pearls of great Price

Anticipating Leontyne Price’s 96th birthday on February 10, Chris’s Cache presents the American diva in an epic collection of live performances.

Dazzling both ways Dazzling both ways

On this day in 1978 the Metropolitan Opera presented a new production of Massenet’s Thaïs.

Manon of the gowns Manon of the gowns

A double bill (with a choral intermezzo) that just finished four nights’ run at the Manhattan School of Music is a delight, musically whimsical and reminiscent, wittily and colorfully staged.

A fantastic four A fantastic four

These are my findings and opinions (and I welcome rebuttals)!

It’s oh so quiet It’s oh so quiet

The concert itself—starring Michael Fabiano, Nadine Sierra, Pene Pati and Lucas Meachem—seemed to be a beautiful affair that I would have loved to see it in a person.

Chanson d’amour Chanson d’amour

Soprano Erin Wall died in early October, a month shy of her 45th birthday; Trove Thursday remembers her with a 2012 broadcast of Kaija Saariaho’s shimmering L’Amour de Loin.

“Le Mozart noir” “Le Mozart noir”

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint George is frequently referred to as “le Mozart noir.” While surely intended as a favorable comparison to Mozart, the sobriquet is diminishing, implying that Bologne’s music was somehow derivative of Mozart’s.

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.

Et voila l’histoire Et voila l’histoire

To mark Beverly Sills’s 90th birthday (May 25, 1929) “Trove Thursday” offers the late diva’s acclaimed Massenet heroine opposite her ideal Des Grieux, Alain Vanzo.

Silver lining Silver lining

Saturday night, Lyric Opera of Chicago gave us a wonderful evening of vocalism in honoring Renée Fleming’s 25th anniversary at Lyric. 

But wait! There’s more! But wait! There’s more!

Sunday’s sold out Carnegie Hall recital became a veritable love-fest between the Peruvian tenor and those assembled in the Hall. 

‘Perles’ hearing ‘Perles’ hearing

Alexander Birch Elliott‘ s dynamic if gauche Zurga added some pizzazz to an otherwise bland evening.

The fire of artifice The fire of artifice

My mother leaned in and quietly whispered,”Is that Leontyne Price?” to which I replied,”Shhhh!”

E avanti a lui russava tutta Roma E avanti a lui russava tutta Roma

The Met got exactly what it asked for: a safely opulent, resolutely unchallenging Tosca that was far from shabby or little but couldn’t have been less shocking

Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes

A wonderfully committed Ailyn Pérez and Gerald Finley at Saturday afternoon’s revival abetted by Emmanuel Villaume’s passionate conducting converted me to a Thaïs believer.

Fifty shades of gold Fifty shades of gold

Anticipation of events like the Metropolitan Opera’s 50th Anniversary bash turns me back into the newly opera-soused kid who begged his parents to let him watch the highlights of the Bing Gala on the family color television.

The gala lilies are in bloom again The gala lilies are in bloom again

Saturday night the Los Angeles Opera threw itself a party.

Blood and Gorr Blood and Gorr

Massenet’s La Navarraise in a live performance featuring Rita Gorr as Anita and George Shirley as Araquil.

Winning streak Winning streak

Like our beloved Cubs, Chicago Lyric Opera is in the midst of a championship season.

Sinner and Scott Sinner and Scott

Among the highlights were concert performances of Jules Massenet’s Thaïs and Otto Nicolai’s Il templario.

Old-fashioned

I saw the final dress rehearsal of Adriana Lecouvreur at the Royal Opera House on Monday this week, and I think I have never seen the place so crowded for such an event. No wonder, for here was a cast you might dream of, in a highly finished piece of work mounted by one of…

The People’s Courtesan

Like Liza Minnelli at the Palace or Nomi Malone in Goddess, Renée Fleming‘s Thaïs is better understood as diva event than Gesamtkunstwerk. It’s an opportunity to watch a star lady do her voodoo in a work that exists largely to showcase her glamour and appeal.