La Traviata from The Met – Only 3 More Days of the Radio Broadcast Archive

If you missed the Met's direct webcast of this year's La Traviata, then zoned out last Saturday and missed the radio broadcast (like I did), BBC Radio 3 is giving you one more another chance! There are still 3 days left to hear this performance. 

Violetta Valery...........Diana Damrau
Alfredo Germont...........Saimir Pirgu
Giorgio Germont..Placido Domingo
And a host of others…plus

The Chorus and Orchestra of The Metropolitan Opera, New York

Yannick Nezet-Seguin, conductor. 

Two Favorite Barihunks in Don Giovanni: Bižić & Mattei

Men at work

We've posted about both Peter Mattei and David Bižić recently. Now it's time to see/hear them together. Mr. Bižić just made his debut as Don Giovanni at the Slovenia National Theater (I am still trying to find a review!) In the great tradition of Mozart bass-baritones, he started as Masetto, and moved up to Leporello. In fact, his Don Giovanni in this Michael Haneke production is...you guessed it: Peter Mattei!

This is another one of those controversial French productions; it premiered in 2006 at the Palais Garnier, and was revived in 2012 at Opéra Bastille. Blogger Opera Cake loved it (I think we’d enjoy going to the opera with Opera Cake) but many, if not most others were not as enthusiastic. Mr. Mattei is a very controlling Giovanni (he sings gorgeously, of course) who uses his sex appeal to manipulate everybody (with Bižić at right).