parterre*inbox
opera from a certain point of view
When her ship comes in

Lise Davidsen and Clay Hilley in Tristan und Isolde / Photo: Sergi Panizo

When her ship comes in

Anticipating the titanic arrival of Lise Davidsen's Isolde in New York in March, Parterre Box is thrilled to share a bit of her debut opposite Clay Hilley recorded in Barcelona last week.

Erste Brautnacht

Photo: Marty Sohn

Erste Brautnacht

Nearly three years after the premiere of François Girard's Lohengrin at the Met, Parterre Box looks back at the production with a duet from Piotr Beczala and Elena Stikhina.

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Reviews

Stealing fire

Stealing fire

Esa-Pekka Salonen and The Los Angeles Philharmonic serve a feast for all five senses.

I wanna be the one to walk in the sun

Tristan Cook / Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

I wanna be the one to walk in the sun

Two recent Paminas feature in concerts at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.

Swing and miss

Swing and miss

The oddball pairing of Bernie Williams and Jonathan Tetelman doesn't quite knock it out of the park at Carnegie Hall.

Nun the wiser

Nun the wiser

Sarah Kirkland Snider’s Hildegard gives the Middle Ages the Bridgerton treatment at the Prototype Festival.

Strangeness in the proportion

Strangeness in the proportion

A pairing of rarities makes for an inspired evening with the Brooklyn Art Song Society.

Talk of the Town

The best thing I saw this year was Pittori fiamminghi

Part of the annual Festival Illica honoring the city's native son Luigi Illica, the performance offered a precious opportunity to hear a rare score by an even rarer composer in a gorgeous medieval piazza.

The best thing I saw this year was Pittori fiamminghi

Harry Rose

The best thing I saw in 2025 was Robinson Crusoé

"When there's so much to get right, unsurprisingly a lot can and, as we all know, does go wrong."

The best thing I saw in 2025 was Robinson Crusoé

The best things I saw in 2025 were Nina Stemme and Les Arts Florissants

I can't say 2025 was my best operagoing year; apart from a superb Fille du régiment, most of my good nights at the opera were decidedly mixed affairs.

The best things I saw in 2025 were Nina Stemme and Les Arts Florissants

The best thing I saw in 2025 was St. John the Baptist

What do you get when you blend innovative 17th century composition, 1970s family drama, and one of the most sordid tales of the New Testament?

The best thing I saw in 2025 was St. John the Baptist

Photos courtesy of Catapult Opera

The best thing I saw this year was Das Rheingold

Tobias Kratzer's production of Das Rheingold at the Bayerische Staatsoper was a resounding success.

The best thing I saw this year was Das Rheingold

Geoffroy Schied

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Ciao for now!
Nick Scholl
Publisher, Parterre Box