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

Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s Die Tote Stadt in a 1967 Vienna broadcast appropriately featuring three American stars: John Alexander, Marilyn Zschau, and George London.

È la solita storia del tenore È la solita storia del tenore

While Luciano Pavarotti may have brought opera to the people, once he realized how lucrative it could be, there was a string of promoters who helped him turn all that adoration into cold hard cash.

“To be natural is such a very difficult pose to keep up” “To be natural is such a very difficult pose to keep up”

Tosca, as it exists now, can’t be real, spontaneous drama-it’s just Camp.

Meaty content Meaty content

I’d like to create a pasta dish in honor of Ambrogio Maestri’s art.

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. 

Jump for my love Jump for my love

Soprano Iulia Isaev proved to be in just about every way a lovely Tosca.

Neigh sayers: Frightening the Horses Neigh sayers: Frightening the Horses

At tonight’s performance of Aida at the Met, the Triumphal Scene horses suddenly panicked and tried to bolt from the stage. I can’t say I blame them.

A talent to a Muse A talent to a Muse

Use bodily force and get your friends to one of the next five performances of the Met’s new production of Adriana Lecouvreur. It is everything!

The good shepherd The good shepherd

L’Arlesiana in a vibrant live performance from a dozen years ago with Giuseppe Filianoti, Latonia Moore and Marianne Cornetti.

Stranger with candy Stranger with candy

Saturday night I navigated the Music Center concourse, or what’s left of it with it’s seemingly eternal construction to the main plaza, wending my way to the Dorothy Chandler for the opening night of LA Opera’s Hansel and Gretel.

Tales of the unexpected Tales of the unexpected

In the Academy of Vocal Arts’s (AVA) clever pairing of two Puccini works, there was every reason to expect the fix was in.

Faust of fury Faust of fury

“Trove Thursday” keeps the evil deeds going this All Saints’s Day with a vintage La Scala broadcast of Arrigo Boito’s only completed opera Mefistofele.

Atonement Atonement

Sondra Radvanovsky changed my opinion of her through a single performance—I’ll never think of her the same way again; the power of her singing overwhelmed my previous impressions.

Fathers’ day Fathers’ day

How do we celebrate a long career in opera, particularly one as illustrious as Plácido Domingo‘s? 

Meine Liebe ist croon Meine Liebe ist croon

As opera’s reigning tenor-superstar, Jonas Kaufmann can pretty much do whatever he wants and a sizable adoring public will lap it up.

Underdressed Underdressed

For this revisiting of Tosca, San Francisco Opera decided to highlight the glamorous lifestyle of the Italian soprano Carmen Giannattasio.

Minnie happy returns Minnie happy returns

Puccini’s Girl closes out the 20th century and gallops into the 21st.

Being alive Being alive

Orfeo’s  latest edition is a 1978 performance of Lucia di Lammermoor with a very estimable cast that on its surface may seem a tad mundane but the extensive liner notes (with performance photos) tell the story of why it held such magic.

Fan mail to La Nilsson Fan mail to La Nilsson

On the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of your birth, I am perplexed as to what to write about you that isn’t of the highest, most ecstatic praise and of deliriously effusive encomiums.

“Tosca,” starring the Philadelphia Orchestra “Tosca,” starring the Philadelphia Orchestra

Though orchestrally lavish, this “semi-staging” delivers less theater than no staging at all.

Quantum leap Quantum leap

Like Julius Caesar before her, Anna Netrebko can rightly proclaim “Veni vidi vici” about her decisive Roman victory at the Metropolitan Opera where she took on her first-ever Tosca.

They live by night They live by night

A heady audience paid top price to pack Carnegie Hall Thursday for just 80 minutes of unstaged Wagner. 

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

The girl next door The girl next door

>Verdi’s marvelous yet neglected Luisa Miller finally returns to the Met later this month after an absence of a dozen years so “Trove Thursday” provides a preview.