With San Francisco Opera's orchestra on strike and bass Andrew Potterretiring at 43, Miles Greenberg sees opera's ethics and economics of impracticality at a breaking point
Orchestra musicians on strike in front of the San Francisco Opera building on September 10, 2026 / Photo: San Francisco Opera Orchestra Facebook
Opera San José opened its season with a new production of Don Giovanni that embraced the opera’s challenges with youthful abandon, even as it was sometimes felled by them.
There may be frozen giant erections and psychedelic projections galore — but there's also a surprising degree of emotion in Kirill Serebrennikov's latest theatrical experiment in Berlin.
Carlo Vistoli, countertenor, and Guilio Zappa, piano, perform a recital in the Board of Officer’s Room at the Park Avenue Armory on September 9, 2026.
Photo credit: Stephanie Berger
Finally, finally, a change to see Massenet's Hérodiade, albeit in concert from, though I long for a day when the Met or the Lyric Opera of Chicago would give us a staged performance.
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:
Lise Davidsen, Quinn Kelsey, Freddie De Tommaso, Ryan Speedo Green, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin open the Met’s 2026-2027 season live from New York. Streaming and discussion start today at 6:00 PM Eastern Time
Giovanni Sala, Sara Blanch, Mariangela Sicilia, and Franco Fagioli star in a live broadcast from Naples conducted by Riccardo Frizza Streaming and discussion start Sep 24 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time
Francesco Corti conducts Giulia Semenzato, Arianna Vendittelli, Roberta Mameli, Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian, Trevor Eliot Bowes, and Lucile Richardot in a performance recorded in at the Drottningholm Court Theater in Stockholm Streaming and discussion start Sep 26 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time
Corinne Winters, Riccardo Massi, SeokJong Baek, Raehann Bryce-Davis, and Roman Burdenko lead a performance recorded earlier this month in Amsterdam. Streaming and discussion start Sep 26 at 1:00 PM Eastern Time
George Petean, Eleonora Buratto, Freddie De Tommaso, and Alexander Vinogradov star in a performance recorded last April in Munich Streaming and discussion start Sep 26 at 1:30 PM Eastern Time
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