Fabulous Fabiano: Singular Excellence at Avery Fisher Hall

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A friend and I attended The Opera Orchestra of New York’s performance of I Lombardi at Avery Fisher Hall last night.   The concert was fine but I was blown away by tenor Michael Fabiano.  His performance was absolutely and thrillingly goose bump inducing.  I so look forward to seeing him in the new production… [Read More]

Wagner and The Machine Infernal: Das Rheingold at the Metropolitan Opera

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We saw the season premiere of Das Rheingold at the Met this weekend.  I had never seen it and neither of us had seen the Met’s Robert Lepage production.  While there was much fine singing the series of onstage technical snafus made for an interesting matinee.  Elizabeth – This was the first time attending any… [Read More]

The Gospel According to Dudamel, Adams and Sellars: The Gospel According to the Other Mary at Avery Fisher Hall

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Last week, under the cool springy hair and steady hands of LA Philharmonic’s dynamic Gustavo Dudamel, Avery Fisher Hall held the New York premiere of John Adams and Peter Sellars’ most recent collaboration, The Gospel According to the Other Mary. The crowd seemed noticeably more excited, and aggressive, than the usual tame Avery Fisher vibe…. [Read More]

Less is Moor: Otello at the Metropolitan Opera

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We saw Otello at the Met this week.  Thank goodness we basically agreed on this one.  I was starting to worry we might be artistically incompatible as a couple.   Elizabeth – For our latest adventure at the Met we were sitting in the rear orchestra.  Now, I don’t know if it was our seats… [Read More]

Ferruccio Furlanetto and the Heretic Burning Factory: Don Carlo at the Metropolitan Opera

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Elizabeth – This was my first time hearing Don Carlo and I’m starting to become a real Verdi fan.  I love the warm rich colors in his music, and while the tempo of this performance was a bit slow, I was very much taken with the music, voices and set of the Met’s current production. … [Read More]

Why Battle-Axes Matter: Francesca da Rimini at the Metropolitan Opera

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We saw Francesca da Rimini at the Met this weekend, and the division between us continues.  Gosh I hope this doesn’t affect our future marriage. Elizabeth-Francesca da Rimini was possibly the most forgettable opera I have seen yet.  Though it is possible, of course there may be others that I have seen and already forgotten.  The… [Read More]

The Ceremony of Innocence is Drowned in Brooklyn: The Turn of the Screw (NYCO at BAM)

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Once again we headed to the Brooklyn Academy of Music to see New York City Opera, this time Britten’s The Turn of the Screw.  Brooklyn seems to have a divisive effect on us for some reason.   Elizabeth – I love the music of Benjamin Britten.  Haunting and light, right from the beginning of Turn… [Read More]

Discordant Fellatio: Powder Her Face (NYCO at BAM)

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We saw the final performance of New York City Opera’s production of Powder Her Face at Brooklyn Academy of Music.  Powder Her Face follows the life of Margaret Campbell, the so-called Dirty Duchess of Argyll, her many affairs, divorce trial in 1963, and eventual lonely death.  Rich subject matter for an opera.  We had seen… [Read More]

A Catholic School Girl’s Musings on Parsifal at the Metropolitan Opera

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We were particularly excited to see Parsifal this past week at the Met—as both Jonas Kaufmann and Rene Pape are in it and the production was getting rave reviews.  And the Met’s Parsifal did not disappoint.  This was my first time seeing Parsifal and Shawn’s first time seeing any Wagner opera and so we went… [Read More]

Carmen and Coach Croft: Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera

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On my way into Lincoln Center Plaza for Carmen at the Met on Wednesday, I heard a scalper complaining loudly (to a group of well dressed opera going hopefuls) “When Pavarotti used to sing I got $400 for these tickets.  $400 I would get!”  I guess he didn’t like being lowballed by clients in black tie. … [Read More]