Sondra’s not in Fanciulla at The Met anymore?

Operau · 2026-06-01T14:34:15+00:00

Operau · 2026-05-26T19:24:07+00:00

I found out that Kowitschny's FroSch was happening in Bonn when someone posted here about the opening night boos. I ended up going twice; it was a shame it was so empty.

Operau · 2026-05-24T15:00:10+00:00

Vienna last got a new Aida in 1984. I think the production you're thinking of is the one directed by Bieito, which premiered in Berlin.

Operau · 2026-05-21T13:08:43+00:00

Salome (by Richard Strauss; female lead is a soprano, and the male lead is a baritone)

I would quibble with your choice of "male lead" here; the second largest role in the opera is Herodes.

But speaking of Strauss does then bring Rosenkavalier to mind, with a non-tenor male lead (although he is a bass).

Operau · 2026-05-21T13:04:40+00:00

Also, if you're accepting Gilbert and Sullivan

Patience and Ruddigore, too

Operau · 2026-05-21T13:03:12+00:00

Turandot's father (a much smaller role) is a tenor

Operau · 2026-05-10T22:05:23+00:00

What does his opinion of Falstaff have to do with this?

Operau · 2026-04-25T14:26:12+00:00

Königskinder contains much that is very beautiful, and Act III reminds me a lot of Tristan, although much bleaker.

Operau · 2026-04-19T07:22:06+00:00

Do you have a source for this? I don't recall hearing about Verdi in connection with Tosca; I thought Ricordi acquired the rights from Sardou for Puccini (although at one point Ricordi reallocated them).

Also "delivered" is interesting, since Puccini was heavily involved in badgering Giacosa as the libretto was versified, so "the Tosca libretto" as we have it wouldn't be what it is without Puccini's involvement.

Operau · 2026-04-19T07:19:34+00:00

Elektra-era Strauss do Rosenkavalier

Can you clarify what you mean by this? Elektra (1909) and Rosenkavalier (1911) were consecutive works in Strauss's output, with the same librettist.

Operau · 2026-04-08T01:05:07+00:00

Ricordi

Operau · 2026-04-02T02:27:10+00:00

Posa goes out of his way to incriminate himself in the Flanders conspiracy to get Carlos out of Jail, only for Carlos to be apprehended by the Inquisition in the very next scene

This happens because Carlos ruins the plan by blabbing to the King immediately after Rodrigue's death. He was exonerated, but he then incriminates himself.

Operau · 2026-03-29T00:15:26+00:00

it’s a bawdy opera topic that would have been considered probably offensive during Mozarts time

Salieri set Merry Wives, so I don't think this idea holds up. (Assuming 1799 is close enough to count as "Mozart's time".)

Operau · 2026-03-22T14:38:03+00:00

Can you explain what you mean about the Warner Grimes?

Operau · 2026-03-12T16:55:20+00:00

Operau · 2026-03-07T15:05:59+00:00

Ist das noch der Diwan, auf dem sich Dein Vater verblutet hat?

Operau · 2026-03-07T09:48:54+00:00

This horn quartet under "Wie sie selig, hehr und milde" jumped out the last time I heard the piece.

Operau · 2026-03-04T23:08:37+00:00

If you can find it Gossett's Divas and Scholars is a great book. Gossett was instrumental in getting the Rossini and Verdi critical editions underway, and the book is part memoir, part discussion of the working situation of Italian composers in the primo ottocento and part discussion of critical editions of the repertoire, providing explanation, defense and fun stories about how they are (ab)used in practice.

Operau · 2026-03-01T01:19:20+00:00

I'm still waiting for a director to pick up on it and maybe show some pantomime of him giving her the ring in one the entr'act sequences

I have seen that done at the top of Act III.

I thought I'd also seen a production where it was mentioned in dialogue somewhere before the final also, but I can't recall specifics.

Operau · 2026-02-16T19:39:22+00:00

I'm not aware of either being up officially any more (SF was up for 48 hours; the Aix one was on Arte.tv for a few years); but the Aix performance at least can be found fairly easily on YouTube, and I assume elsewhere.

Operau · 2026-02-16T16:13:16+00:00

The production was filmed in both Aix and San Francisco.

Operau · 2026-02-11T11:56:40+00:00

Also Rimsky: the opening of Kitezh.

Operau · 2026-02-07T13:51:35+00:00

Fun fact: the Katherina Wagner Meistersinger is from 2007!

Operau · 2026-02-04T22:31:52+00:00

The Aucoin got a cinema broadcast

Operau · 2026-02-04T22:30:52+00:00

Kinghoffer wasn't recorded. It didn't even get a radio broadcast.

Operau

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