The Metropolitan Opera has sued James Levine. Two months after James Levine filed a lawsuit against the company for having dismissed him, the Met is suing the conductor for $5.8 million for having harmed the company. In a report filed on Friday, May 18, the Metropolitan Opera alleged that Levine had sexually assaulted nine young artists including two previously unreported {…}
Susan Froemke’s “The Opera House” is set to appear on PBS’s “Great Performances at the Met” on May 25, 2018. The documentary tells the story of the creation of the Metropolitan Opera’s house in Lincoln Center and features a number of major figures of the mid-1960s. One of the major figures included in the documentary is soprano Leontyne Price, who {…}
This article was written in collaboration with Francisco Salazar. The Met season has drawn to a close. Overall, it was an interesting season, as any, with many incredible performances, so some solid, and some that simply didn’t connect. In drawing up this list, we sifted through the entire season of performances we witnessed to pick out the ones that either {…}
Spanish baritone Carlos Álvarez is set to return to the Metropolitan Opera. The baritone told Platea Magazine in an interview that he will return to the New York stage in the title role of “Simon Boccanegra” and in “La Bohème.” During the interview, he also said that it was on the Met stage that he started to have issues with {…}
On May 1, audiences gathered at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall for the 57th Young Concert Artists Concert. The evening was in celebration not only of the tireless practice and work put in by the performers, but for Metropolitan Opera’s General Manager, Peter Gelb. After the opening remarks, Gelb was presented with his award before delivering his acceptance speech, which {…}
Roberta Peters, born on May 4, 1930, was one of the great American coloratura sopranos of the 20th century. She grew up in New York City and started her musical studies at age 13, under William Herman. He taught her vocal technique as well as French, German, and Italian. From there, she auditioned for Rudolf Bing, who was General Manager {…}
How do you get new audiences into the opera house? That question has puzzled companies for years as they try every trick in the book to bring millennials into the opera house. The art form, seemingly, depends on it. But the Scottish Opera tried a new tactic a year ago, and it’s bearing some fruit. Why not start the exposure {…}
Christopher Job has seen it all. The bass-baritone has worked with many of the world’s greatest artists, all while building up a unique career singing smaller roles at the Metropolitan Opera while performing bigger ones with other companies. The California native recently had an opportunity to perform with the LA Philharmonic on its 100th-anniversary concert. It was a major homecoming {…}
Gounod’s “Roméo et Juliette” is arguably the composer’s best work – an extended love duet with beautiful melodies that capture the essence of Shakespeare’s classic tale, if not its complexity. For years, the Met showcased a production that did draw closer to the greatness of Shakespeare, before replacing it with Bartlett Sher’s current interpretation. Sher’s version gets the job done {…}
It’s a crowded weekend and thus a major challenge to select from the numerous options. The five here were our favorites, but by all means, head over to the other companies not listed here and check out the opera offerings they have. There were truly more than we could imagine. Here are our picks, in alphabetical order by company. Houston {…}
Kentucky-born soprano Judith Blegen, born on April 27, 1941, made a successful career dominated by her association with the Metropolitan Opera. She actually kicked off her career studying violin before switching over to voice at the Curtis Institute of Music and then went to Rome to continue her vocal studies. She would eventually kick off her career in Germany and {…}