New York Finally Hears A Star Soprano Who’s Rarely In Town

“New York likes to think of itself as being the classical music capital of the world. Yet every so often it falls off the flight path of certain eminent musicians. Cecilia Bartoli, Carlos Kleiber, Birgit Nilsson and Brigitte Fassbaender are just a few of the great artists who have skipped New York for long stretches. The same goes for the superb Nina Stemme, widely considered the world’s reigning dramatic soprano.”

Losing What Makes Philadelphia Itself – Yes, We’re Still Talking About The Barnes

Sure, more people will come to Philly to see the new Barnes. But “the repackaging of the Barnes may also be seen as the latest in a string of changes to Philadelphia that dilute its special character — advancements that bring Philadelphia into conformity with what visitors from other places may expect, but that also render the city more generic.”