Early rehearsal photo of Brandon Jovanovich as Parsifal in San Francisco Opera's new production of "Parsifal" by Richard Wagner, Photo: Cory Weaver/San Francisco Opera

Feature

The open wound that will never heal

In his new production that opens at San Francisco Opera this weekend, Matthew Ozawa is creating a Parsifal for the cancel culture age.

Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera

Feature

Psychic gestures

Rolando Villazón opens up about his production of La sonnambula, how he develops characters, and what makes opera dance.

Luciano Romano

Grand Tier Grab Bag

Anna goes to the ball

Anna Netrebko managed to debut a new role in Naples earlier this month -- Amelia in Un ballo in maschera -- and this week's Grand Tier Grab Bag features her in the complete second Act of her first performance.

Lawrence Brownlee as Tonio in Donizetti's "La Fille du Régiment." Photo: Karen Almond / Met Opera

Grand Tier Grab Bag

Rock ‘n’ Tyrol

Parterre Box features an exclusive sample of Lawrence Brownlee's jump-in performance in La sonnambula from this weekend

Peter van Heesen

Undoing of woman

Anthony Hüseyin's eclectic recital in Berlin explores femicide in opera through a queer, nonbinary lens.

Matthias Goerne and Daniil Trifonov, Photo: Fadi Kheir

Up the creek and over the hill

Matthias Goerne's Die schöne Müllerin at Carnegie Hall offers a hoary and excessive collection of mannerisms and vocal tics that served the artist more than the music itself.

Lawrence Brownlee as Tonio and Erin Morley as Marie in Donizetti's "La Fille du Régiment." Photo: Karen Almond / Met Opera

Avec la victoire, l’instant du bonheur

Buoyed by a strong cast, The Metropolitan Opera continues its autumn bel canto streak with a winning revival of Donizetti’s La fille du regiment.

Cory Weaver

The scorned mother of us all

Seeing Sondra Radvanovsky as Medea at Lyric Opera of Chicago sprawled across the floor, soaked in her children's blood, is proof that we’re witnessing an utterly haunting singer-actor.

Nothing makes me feel better than Beckmesser’s serenade

Beckmesser's serenade never fails to amuse, particularly when sung by Thomas Allen in this ROH recording from 1997 under the late Haitink with Tomlinson, Gustafson, Winbergh, and Lippert.

Nothing makes me feel better than Anna Tomowa-Sintow in Capriccio

The color, power, and character are all there in this recording.

Nothing makes us feel better than Parsifal and Fedora

Parsifal puts Monsieur to sleep when he most needs it. He has probably listened to more versions than actually exist.

Nothing makes me feel better than L’italiana in Algeri

This may be a rather trite choice, but I genuinely believe that Rossini comedies make the ultimate comfort operas.

Nothing makes me feel better than Acis and Galatea

This sequence of two arias is perfectly judged to calm the jangled or melancholic spirit.