Blog
Opera Onscreen: Crying and Renée Fleming in Margaret (2011)
My favorite opera scene in film is perhaps the obscurest: Margaret (2011), when Anna Paquin and J. Smith-Cameron attend Les Contes d’Hoffmann starring Renée Fleming and Susan Graham. By the end of the Barcarolle, Paquin’s character has burst in tears and reconciled with her estranged mother.
An Interview With Sydney Mancasola
In 2019, soprano Sydney Mancasola earned a place in the operatic annals when she headlined the European premiere of Breaking the Waves. She recently spoke with me about that experience, Debussy’s enigmatic Mélisande, and the “thrilling” contemporary opera scene in the US.
Girl of the Golden Met Awards 2024
Congratulations to all the winners for triumphing in their highly competitive categories and to all the nominees for their extraordinary performances!
Met Opera 2023-24 Review: Orfeo ed Euridice
The Orpheus myth has probably had more operas made out of it than any other story, but Glück’s baroque masterpiece Orfeo ed Euridice, the most famous of the Orphic operas, is one of the very few with a happy ending.
Met Opera 2023-24 Review: The Hours
What did I just witness? was the question that I kept asking myself, and failing to answer. What was that? The experience of seeing The Hours defies description, but I will describe mine to the best of my current ability.
Opera Is Cool: Debunking Myths
Let’s face it: opera has gotten a bad rap. In reality, opera is one of the most glorious art forms in the world. Come debunk some myths with me! (Hint: it involves Beyoncé.)
