Robust possibilities

opera from a certain point of view

Anna Pirozzi / Photo: Charl Marais

Feature

After success at the Met as Turandot and before a historic Medea, soprano Anna Pirozzi talks to Harry Rose about her voice, her repertoire, and where her "second explosion of career" is taking her.

Questo e Quello

Rubber soul

Video Artists International brings us back to a time when opera was carried over the airwaves by great voices—and a tire company.

Photo c/o the Firestone Archives

Grand Tier Grab Bag

Frau Miina-Liisa will es werde Nacht

Parterre Box features soprano Miina-Liisa Värelä, making her title role debut in Die Walküre in Munich next week, in a performance of Tristan und Isolde from 2021.

Karen Cargill and Miina-Liisa Värelä

Reviews

Photo: Eric Woolsey

Fifty percent illusion

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis does its best to give magic in its summer productions of Roméo et Juliette and A Streetcar Named Desired.

Super rich kids

Wolf Trap Opera triumphs in a fizzy, fun Cenerentola.

Photo: Max Franz

A game of hoarse

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s concert Rigoletto hits some vocal turbulence

Talk of the Town

Sena Jurinac should have made it to the Met Sena Jurinac, a celebrated Mozart and Strauss singer here as the Composer, a signature role.
Janet Baker should have made it to the Met The divine Dame Janet Baker never sang at the Metropolitan, sadly for American audiences.
Dorothy Maynor should have made it to the Met We had to wait for Marian Anderson to break the color barrier at the Met and many great Black opera singers never had a chance there.
Leyla Gencer should have made it to the Met Leyla Gencer had a long European career but never sang at the Met.
Hina Spani should have made it to the Met A full century after her heyday, Argentine soprano Hina Spani still moves us thanks to her vivid recordings and the savants who have cherished and shared them.

Broadcasts & Live Chats

For you tender shut ins who prefer opera from a distance, Parterre Box hosts live chats during broadcasts and livestreams.

Are you an opera newbie lookin’ to listen and learn? Or maybe an overly articulate know-it-all wanting to indulge your fantasy of an anonymous 12-way with people who couldn’t possibly understand you?

Well that must suck. But you’re welcome to join us anyway.

In the spirit of AOL circa 1998, here are some upcoming chances to clique and claque:

Tue

Asmik Grigorian Gala

Asmik Grigorian sings arias from Tchaikovsky, Verdi, and Puccini with the Vienna Radio Symphony.

Streaming and discussion start today at 1:30 PM Eastern Time

Thu

Die Walküre

Vladimir Jurowski conducts Nicholas Brownlee, Miina-Liisa Värelä, Joachim Bäckström, and Irene Roberts in the opening of the Munich Opera Festival

Streaming and discussion start Jun 25 at 11:00 AM Eastern Time

Thu

Giulio Cesare

Raffaele Pe sings the title role opposite the Cleopatra of Mariangela Sicilia in a live broadcast from Florence

Streaming and discussion start Jun 25 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time

Sat

Parsifal

Yi-Chen Lin conducts Russell Thomas, Dshamilja Kaiser, Albert Dohmen, and Kartal Karagedik in a performance recorded earlier this month in Vienna

Streaming and discussion start Jun 27 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time

Sat

Siegfried

Antonio Pappano conducts Andreas Schager, Elisabet Strid, and Christopher Maltman in a performance recorded in London in March

Streaming and discussion start Jun 27 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time

Jul
4

La favorite

Varduhi Abrahamyan and Kang Wang lead a performance recorded in Dortmund last month

Streaming and discussion start Jul 4 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time

Jul
11

Die Zauberflöte

A performance recorded last week at the Aix-en-Provence Festival conducted by Leonardo García-Alarcón starring Ying Fang, Mauro Peter, and Sabine Devieilhe.

Streaming and discussion start Jul 11 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time

Jul
12

Accabadora

A performance of Francesco Filidei‘s world-premiere opera based on a novel by Michela Murgia recorded at the Aix-en-Provence Festival last week.

Streaming and discussion start Jul 12 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time

Jul
13

Alcina

A live broadcast from Munich starring Jeanine De Bique, John Holiday, Elsa Benoit, and Avery Amereau.

Streaming and discussion start Jul 13 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time

Jul
13

Die Frau ohne Schatten

Klaus Mäkelä conducts a performance recorded last week in Aix featuring Vida Miknevi?i?t?, Michael Spyres, Brian Mulligan, Ambur Braid, and Nina Stemme

Streaming and discussion start Jul 13 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time

Jul
21

Mozart Requiem

Raphaël Pichon conducts Mélissa Petit, Beth Taylor, Duke Kim, and Alex Rosen in a performance recorded the week before last at the Aix-en-Provence Festival.

Streaming and discussion start Jul 21 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time

Support Parterre Box

We’ve kept opera’s liveliest publication free and independent for over 30 years. No paywalls, no institutional backing, no bootlicking.

We also pay our writers—a rarity in arts journalism, but we think it matters.

Your monthly or one-time support keeps the lights on and ink wet.

Donate Now

Do you have questions, tips, suggestions, gripes, or story ideas?
Email us if you must: [email protected]

Ciao for now!
Nick Scholl
Publisher, Parterre Box

{{Sender_Address}}, {{Sender_City}}, {{Sender_State}} {{Sender_Zip}}

unsubscribe - manage preferences