THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Met commences its season with a fluent adaptation of THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY

Earlier this month, The Metropolitan Opera kicked off its 2025/2026 season with an operatic adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon. … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – In the uncompromising pursuit of authenticity: Eisa Davis’ THE ESSENTIALISN’T and Robert Ashely’s CELESTIAL EXCURSIONS

This past weekend, I was able to sink my teeth into a pair of experimental music theater pieces in pursuit to authentically articulate nuanced aspects of the human experience. As … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Bel canto summer: Teatro Nuovo mounts a charming LA SONNAMBULA and THE VERSAILLES ROYAL OPERA ORCHESTRA debuts

This summer, bel canto seems to be the genre of choice for classical music ensembles, particularly as exemplified by Teatro Nuovo’s 2025 season and the New York premiere performances of … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – A vibrant slate of offerings enliven the New York performing arts scene during these steamy dog days of summer

Who says that cultural activity dissipates in New York during the dog days of summer? To counteract this myth, I’ve come armed with a slate of happenings — most of … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – In THE COMET/POPPEA, operatic worlds collide in logistically impressive if dramatically bemusing fashion

There was much anticipation surrounding the New York premiere of The Comet/Poppea, essentially a mash-up of two operas — Monteverdi’s 1643 Baroque masterpiece L’Incoronazione di Poppea and George Lewis’s 2024 … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – THE MET ORCHESTRA returns to Carnegie Hall with the sublime orchestral colors of an all-Strauss bill

The Metropolitan Opera’s 2024/2025 season may have officially concluded over at Lincoln Center, but the Met Orchestra continues on with a pair of June performances at Carnegie Hall. The first … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – John Adams’ operatic adaptation of ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA faithfully channels Shakespeare but makes for unfocused opera

This week at the Metropolitan Opera, I finally caught up with John Adams’ operatic adaptation of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra. Adams’ new two act opera follows in the footsteps of … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Heartbeat Opera brings intimacy, contemporary flourish, and stylish noir to Gounod’s FAUST

As one of the grandest of grand operas, it would seem that Charles Gounod’s Faust — based on the well-trodden legend about a man who sells his soul to the … Continue Reading →

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Elza van den Heever rivets in the title role of Claus Guth’s stylized new production of SALOME for the Met

Richard Strauss’s opera Salome, along with the composer’s equally memorable Elektra, represent some of the most striking music dramas you’ll find on the operatic repertoire. Based on Oscar Wilde’s scandalous play about … Continue Reading →

VIEWPOINTS – Classical Music Roundup: Reveling in the riches of the BSO sound and re-assessing the Met’s production of DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE

In recent days, I had the chance to take in a few notable opera and classical music performances at some of the city’s most prestigious venues. As per usual, read … Continue Reading →