The Met’s 2007 Il barbiere di Siviglia proves an escape from our current reality and a couple of hours of bliss
24/05/2020
United States Rossini, Il barbiere di Siviglia: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York / Maurizio Benini (conductor). Performance of 24.3.2007 and reviewed as a Nightly Met Opera Stream (MMB)
Peter Mattei (Figaro), Joyce DiDonato (Rosina), & Juan Diego Flórez (Count Almaviva)
(c) Ken Howard/Met Opera
‘Mein lieber Schwan’: can a 1986 Met Lohengrin teach us anything 34 years later?
22/05/2020
United States Wagner, Lohengrin: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York / James Levine (conductor). 10.1.1986 performance from the Metropolitan Opera House reviewed as a Nightly Met Opera Stream on 20.5.2020. (JPr)
Peter Hofmann (Lohengrin), John Macurdy (Henry) & Éva Marton (Elsa)
Opera Philadelphia’s Digital Festival O Presents We Shall Not Be Moved
21/05/2020
United States Roumain, We Shall Not Be Moved: Soloists, Opera Philadelphia Orchestra / Viswa Subbaraman (conductor). Opera Philadelphia, Wilma Theater, Philadelphia. Performance of 20.9.2017 reviewed as part of Digital Festival O. (RP)
Lauren Whitehead (Un/Sung) in We Shall Not Be Moved (c) Dominic M. Mercier
Looking back at Petra Lang’s vividly sung Brünnhilde in Vienna State Opera’s 2017 Götterdämmerung
20/05/2020
Austria Wagner, Götterdämmerung: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera / Peter Schneider (conductor). Performance of 5.6.2017 from the Vienna State Opera and reviewed as a Wiener Staatsoper Live stream on 19.5.2020. (JPr)
Petra Lang (Brünnhilde), Falk Struckmann (Hagen), and Markus Eiche (Gunther)
The Met’s first live TV broadcast: memories of Pavarotti and Scotto in a 1977 La bohème
11/05/2020
United States Puccini, La bohème: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera House, New York / James Levine (conductor). 15.3.1977 performance reviewed as the Viewers’ Choice Nightly Met Opera Stream on 9.5.2020. (JPr)
Renata Scotto (Mimì) and Luciano Pavarotti (Rodolfo) (c) Met Opera Archives
An opera for this time and place – Raymond J. Lustig’s Semmelweis
05/05/2020
Hungary R. J. Lustig, Semmelweis: Soloists, Dancers, Béla Bartók Chamber Choir of Szolnok, Chamber Orchestra of the Budapest Operetta Theater / Dániel Dinyés (conductor). Bartók Plusz Opera Festival, Miskolc National Theatre, Miskolc. World premiere performance of 9.6.2018 reviewed as a video (available click here). (RP)
Enikő Lévai (Susan) and Szilveszter Szabó (Semmelweis)
© Budapest Operetta Theater and Bartok Plusz Opera Festival
Looking back at Piotr Beczala encoring his triumphant Cavaradossi in Vienna’s classic Tosca
29/04/2020
Austria Puccini, Tosca: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Vienna State Opera / Marco Armiliato (conductor). Directed for the screen by Ella Gallieni and recorded at the Vienna State Opera on 23.6.2019 and reviewed on 28.4.2020. (JPr)
Piotr Beczala as Cavaradossi
Revisiting Joseph Calleja’s Hoffmann in Bartlett Sher’s 2009 new Met production
24/04/2020
United States Offenbach, Les contes d’Hoffmann: Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York / James Levine (conductor). Performance from 19.12.2009 reviewed as a Nightly Met Opera Stream on 23.4.2020. (JPr)
Joseph Calleja (Hoffmann) and Anna Netrebko (Stella)
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This joyous set of Beethoven's sonatas takes its place among the very best.In its own way, the Seven Words of Christ is just as sublime as the Stabat Mater.This sensitive, dynamic recording is a joy, and may even constitute a revelation.The pair exhibits a refined style on these illuminating performances.A deeply affecting experience that ought to win the opera many new admirers.No items.
This joyous set of Beethoven's sonatas takes its place among the very best.
In its own way, the Seven Words of Christ is just as sublime as the Stabat Mater.
This sensitive, dynamic recording is a joy, and may even constitute a revelation.
The pair exhibits a refined style on these illuminating performances.
A deeply affecting experience that ought to win the opera many new admirers.
