Operavore
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From Sayão to Saudade: Brazil's Contributions to Opera
With the Olympics bringing our attention to Brazil, Fred Plotkin looks at the history of opera in the country, including its Amazonian theaters, star singers and intangible emotions. Aug 17, 2016
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Review: Couples Are Reunited in Bracing 'Cosi fan tutte'
A performance of Mozart's 'Cosi fan tutte' at the Mostly Mozart Festival brought a "provocatively bracing, razor-sharp edge" to the opera, writes David Patrick Stearns. Aug 16, 2016
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Singular Voices: Barbra Streisand
Fred Plotkin begins a series honoring unique voices from opera and the stage. First up: Barbra Streisand, who is making a pair of rare appearances at the Barclays Center. Aug 12, 2016
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Everything Sounds Better in Yiddish
A new production at the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene leads Fred Plotkin to ruminate on the roots of Yiddish theater in New York City and its connections to opera. Aug 8, 2016
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A Recipe for Success on the Opera Stage
Julia Child once said that the key to successful cooking is buying the right ingredients; likewise in opera, the key to a great performance starts with a great cast. Aug 3, 2016
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Before HD, the Met Tour Brought Opera to the US and World
Thirty years after the Metropolitan Opera staged its last national tour, Fred Plotkin looks back at its influence on opera around the country and the world. Jul 29, 2016
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What We Learned from the First New York Opera Fest
From the Bronx to basketball courts in Brooklyn, the inaugural New York Opera Fest presented more than 25 productions, providing a survey of the state of opera in the city. Jul 26, 2016
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Review: 'The Illuminated Heart' Opens Mostly Mozart Festival
Netia Jones's 'The Illuminated Heart,' a 90-minute program of semi-staged Mozart arias kicked off the 50th anniversary of the Mostly Mozart Festival with operatic star power. Jul 26, 2016
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We Love Carol Vaness
Carol Vaness, whose birthday is this week, was 'an always exciting and engaging artist whose work was not appreciated as fully as I think it should have been,' writes Fred Plotkin. Jul 25, 2016
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Review: Long Dormant, Mascagni's 'Iris' Opens at Bard
Bard SummerScape stages the first North American revival of Mascagni's symbolist opera, 'Iris,' in almost a century. Critic David Patrick Stearns weighs in on the production. Jul 25, 2016