DF Reviews Il Barbiere di Siviglia at Opera Philadelphia (October 2014)
In 1816, Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia survived a disastrous premiere to become one of the most beloved works in the repertoire […]
In Memoriam — Licia Albanese & Magda Olivero
Two very great Italian sopranos – Licia Albanese, and Magda Olivero – died within the last few weeks. In the wake of […]
Upcoming: Cape May Summer Club Concerts (August 2014)
Most of my life is spent in academia and theatre, two worlds that in most ways aren’t much alike, yet they share […]
More Summer Listening — Andre Previn, Florence Quivar
Another week, some more summer listening — in this case, two recordings that I’ve owned for years, and revisiting them made me very happy… so […]
Happy Birthday, Carlo Bergonzi… and Acting in Opera
On Sunday, the great tenor Carlo Bergonzi turned 90. I’m a day late to the party, but I spent quite a bit […]
What I’ve Been Listening To This Summer
With less theater to review in the summer, I spend more time listening to music – specifically, catching up on CD purchases, […]
The Tara Erraught Affair: Size, Opera, and What Matters
If you’re an opera fan (and perhaps even if you’re not), you may be aware of a dust-up that occurred in May, […]
A Coffin in Egypt Review (Opera Philadelphia, June 2014)
I heard Frederica Von Stade 40 years ago, and it was love at first sound. This was the summer following my high […]
Our Friend Flicka
In the summer of 1974, I first heard Frederica Von Stade — Flicka, as she’s widely known — and it was an […]
CP Blog — The Fairy Queen (Rutgers-Camden, April 2014)
I saw this delightful production of Henry Purcell’s weird and wonderful The Fairy Queen at Rutgers Camden this afternoon, and enjoyed it so much […]
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