New York Classical Review

Bellini’s music, fine cast carry the day over directorial excess in Met’s “Puritani”

This is a Bellini season at the Metropolitan Opera, which is both a welcome and complex proposition. The composer and his bel ...
New York Classical Review

A Stravinsky night to remember with Kopatchinskaja‘s Philharmonic debut

Patricia Kopatchinskaja performed Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto with Jakub Hrůša and the New York Philharmonic Wednesday night at David Geffen Hall. Photo: Marco Borggreve The main attraction at New ...
New York Classical Review

Sierra and Villazón shine brightly in Met’s new “Sonnambula”

Nadine Sierra stars as Amina in Bellini’s La Sonnambula at the Metropolitan Opera. Photo: Marty Sohl / Met Opera For such a famous opera, a vehicle for some of the great modern divas, La Sonnambula ...
New York Classical Review

Honeck, Pittsburgh Symphony make powerful Carnegie stand in Russian program

Manfred Honeck conducted the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra with Seong-Jin Cho as soloist in Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Wednesday night at Carnegie Hall. Photo: Chris Lee Manfred ...
New York Classical Review

A starry cast delivers an imposing, powerful “Don Carlos” in belated Met premiere

Matthew Polenzani in the title role and Etienne Dupuis as Rodrigue in Verdi’s Don Carlos at the Metropolitan Opera. Photo: Ken Howard/Met Opera The Metropolitan Opera returned from its February hiatus ...
New York Classical Review

Met’s “Tales of Hoffmann” offers dark Romanticism and a feast of female voices

Benjamin Bernheim with admirers in the title role of Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann at the Metropolitan Opera. Photo: Karen Almond / Met Opera E.T.A. Hoffmann, spinner of bizarre tales in the early ...
New York Classical Review

Slow to get under sail, “Moby-Dick” builds to powerful impact in Met debut

Brandon Jovanovich is Captain Ahab in Jake Heggie’s Moby-Dick. Photo: Karen Almond / Met Opera The very concept seems impossible: taking Herman Melville’s novel Moby-Dick—not just one of the greatest ...
New York Classical Review

Wang triumphs in all-Rachmaninoff, all-at-once Carnegie marathon

Yuja Wang performed all five Rachmaninoff piano concertante works with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra Saturday night at Carnegie Hall. Photo: Chris Lee Long before this year’s ...
New York Classical Review

Akhmetshina debut propels Met’s retooled rodeo “Carmen”

Aigul Akhmetshina sang the title role in the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Bizet’s Carmen Sunday night. Photo: Ken Howard / Met Opera The Metropolitan Opera rang out 2023 with a sold-out gala ...
New York Classical Review

Pegasus excavates an American rarity with Beach concerto

Asiya Korepanova performed Amy Beach’s Piano Concerto with Karén Hakobyan conducing Pegasus: The Orchestra Saturday night at Merkin Hall. Photo: Emma Kazaryan On Saturday evening, Pegasus: The ...
New York Classical Review

Noisy and pastoral love vie in mixed Philharmonic program

Renée Fleming and Rod Gilfry were soloists in Kevin Puts’s The Brightess of Light with Brett Mitchell conducting the New York Philharmonic Friday night. Photo: Brandon Patoc Whatever else one says ...
New York Classical Review

“Dead Man Walking” powerfully opens Met season, video excess apart

Joyce DiDonato and Ryan McKinny in Jake Heggie’s Dead Man Walking at the Metropolitan Opera. Photo: Karen Almond/Met Opera It was a long trek, but Dead Man Walking finally made it the last mile to the ...