Blog
An Interview With Stephen Costello
Stephen Costello has been a beloved mainstay at the Met ever since his 2007 debut. 15 years after originating Greenhorn in Jake Heggie's Moby-Dick, he triumphantly returned to the role when Moby-Dick made its Met debut in March. He generously spoke with me in between performances about Moby-Dick, how the trumpet influenced his singing, and what opera shares with Cirque du Soleil. Enjoy!
Met Opera 2024-25 Review: Moby-Dick
The vast sea breathes in gentle, rhythmic swells. Stars, twinkling aloud, wheel overhead, constellating until they form the mast, sails, and ropes of the whaling ship Pequod. This is the seascape that greets you in the overture of Jake Heggie’s monumental Moby-Dick.
Highlights of the Met’s 2025-26 Season
The Met’s opening night world premiere is one of only three new operas, marking a departure from the six new operas presented only two seasons ago, and bel canto explodes back onto the stage. I couldn’t choose only five operas to explore here, so we’re expanding to six for this year only.
Met Opera 2024-25 Review: Aida
New stagings always carry the weight of expectations, but Michael Mayer’s new Aida has the burden of replacing one of the Met’s most beloved productions. This staging had a fairly bumpy road; it was originally scheduled for 2020, but was axed due to corona. Now, it’s finally here, and quite remarkable. Hang on to your amulets!
An Interview With Quinn Kelsey
Quinn Kelsey sang in his first opera, Verdi’s Aida, at 13 years old, as a 1st tenor in the priests’ chorus. 34 years later, he is the king of Verdi baritones and singing the Ethiopian king Amonasro in the Met’s starry new production of Aida.
Spotlight: “Troika” from Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons
November may be a climatically unpleasant month, but it did inspire one of my favorite piano pieces: “Troika” from Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons. I turn to Troika for a little uplifting or serenity, which we are all bound to need at some point.
