Secco Recit

Review: Il viaggio a Reims at Opera Philadelphia

Opera Philadelphia's 2025-26 season opened with Damiaon Michieletto's production of this lesser-known Rossini comedy.

Sep 23 • 

Natan Zamansky

3

August 2025

Review: Rossini Opera Festival 2025

La Cambiale di Matrimonio, L'Italiana in Alegri, and Zelmira were the three mainstage opera productions at this year's Rossini Opera Festival.

Aug 23 • 

Natan Zamansky

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella: A Version History

With a newly announced adaptation on the horizon, take a look back at the history of a musical that has, over the course of its life, been more…

Aug 2 • 

Natan Zamansky

July 2025

Utopia (Limited)'s Middle-Class Morality

There’s something going on with Princess Zara and Captain Fitzbattleaxe.

Jul 20 • 

Natan Zamansky

1

Despotism Tempered by Dynamite: The Game Theory behind Utopia (Limited)

In Utopia (Limited), W.S. Gilbert invents a form of government that is plainly absurd... or is it?

Jul 11 • 

Natan Zamansky

June 2025

The Met's Five-Operas Club

The Metropolitan Opera claims that John Adams is "the first composer since Richard Strauss to have five operas performed at the Met" -- but is he?

Jun 2 • 

Natan Zamansky

1

May 2025

Maybe Happy Ending: The Claire Chord

An analysis of a harmonic element in the score of the musical Maybe Happy Ending.

May 26 • 

Natan Zamansky

3

Sympathy for the AI in Maybe Happy Ending

(Spoilers for the musical Maybe Happy Ending are found ahead.)

May 25 • 

Natan Zamansky

2

Review: Pirates! The Penzance Musical (or, Duty Done and Duty Doing)

A few bars of Arthur Sullivan’s hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers” takes the place of the usual overture in Roundabout Theatre Company’s Pirates!

May 19 • 

Natan Zamansky

April 2025

The Grand Duke: An Opera for the End of the World

Decadence - From Latin, decadere; De- (“from” or “off”) + -cadere (“to fall” or “to decline”)

Apr 12 • 

Natan Zamansky

2

1

Coming soon

This is Secco Recit.

Apr 10 • 

Natan Zamansky