Christopher Corwin

2 days ago | observer.com | Christopher Corwin

Song Hee Lee as Cleopatra amid Ruckus at Hudson Hall. Photo: Paul KheirIn September of 1966, the Metropolitan Opera opened its brand-new Lincoln Center home with the world premiere of samuel barber’s Antony and Cleopatra while New York City Opera, now its close neighbor across the plaza, simultaneously served up sly counter-programming with Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto.

1 week ago | parterre.com | Christopher Corwin

Nigel Wilkinson’s recent review of a Brussels performance of Mahler’s gigantic choral Eighth Symphony stirred up some discussion about the ubiquity of the composer’s purely (or primarily) symphonic music in concert halls today. I’ll chime in to say that I too find the symphonies a chore, excepting the sublime “Adagietto” from Death in Venice — I mean, the Fifth Symphony.

1 week ago | parterre.com | Christopher Corwin

The Met’s first new Aïda since 1988 got off to an inauspicious start on New Year’s Eve when the ersatz-Indiana Jones who opens the show by descending to the stage floor struggled to disengage his harness. Things didn’t improve much after that for director Michael Mayer and Company when star tenor Piotr Beczala struggled through “Celeste Aïda”. Yet he continued, taking down every high note and embarrassing himself and Met General Manager Peter Gelb, who reportedly encouraged Beczala to continue.

3 weeks ago | observer.com | Christopher Corwin

Elza van den Heever at the Kaiserin in Die Frau ohne Schatten. Evan Zimmerman/Met OperaIn early December, after the final two performances of Richard Strauss’ Die Frau ohne Schatten at the Metropolitan Opera, something out of the ordinary happened. Amid the thunderous cheers when South African-born soprano Elza van den Heever—who had just sung the title role—appeared for her solo bow, a shower of confetti made from torn-up programs rained down on the stage from high up in the opera house.

3 weeks ago | parterre.com | Christopher Corwin

Each recording features a stellar Norina—Ruth Welting, Lisette Oropesa, and Sara Blanch. These broadcasts also include Giuseppe Taddei, Joshua Hopkins, and Xabier Anduaga, among others. Although I prefer L’elisir d’amore, Pasquale has considerable charms. Although its title role offers prime opportunities to its lead buffo for both comedy and pathos, the opera can often be stolen by its other three principals.