ARIA SERIOUS?

Moby -Dick rehearsals are now underway for the world premiere at The Dallas Opera. The opera comes to us in 2012. For those of you following along, our dear friend Keturah Stickann is blogging about the experience of creating a world premiere opera. She had a recap of the first two days of rehearsal. Fascinating stuff, which you can read here.

Word from the Met is that Maestro Leonard Slatkin , who is conducting the revival of La traviata showed up to rehearsals without fully knowing the score . He figured "since everyone else in the house knew it, I would learn a great deal from the masters." Which prompts us to add (because now we feel we must), our La traviata conductor Renato Palumbo knows it and knows it quite well. Really!?

Getting right back into the groove of things, it's Podcast Monday for all you podcast starved readers. This week's topic? Great tenors in La traviata . Remember, you can get our podcasts here . They're free, fat free, all natural and great tasting.

- The Metropolitan Opera received it's largest individual gift : $30 million. - Danielle de Neise is de Nice . - Placido Domingo is back to work following his surgery and getting ready to start Simon Boccanegra rehearsals at La Scala in a few days with Ailyn Perez, who was our Juliet in Romeo and Juliet . - The New Yorker's Alex Ross takes a look at the Met's upcoming season, this first one planned entirely by Peter Gelb . - Mezzo-soprano Blanche Thebom has died at the age of 94 . (Audio clip below) - Our stars of La traviata have been arriving over the weekend! First rehearsals begin tomorrow.

Dr. Nic took a little break from these but now he's back and getting ready for La Traviata. This week's podcast? Giorgio Germont - which you can download here . Enjoy!

All I can say is that I wish I had a playroom like that growing up . OK, fine. I wish I had a playroom like that now.

What are you listening to this weekend? If you're drawing a blank like me, let us suggest starting with Dr. Nic Reveles and "San Diego Opera Matters" on XLNC 1 104.9 FM or online on Saturday at 9 AM PST. This week's topic? " La traviata - Verdi grows up." We'll do everything in our power to sleep through this show, not because we don't think it's a wonderful program, but truth be told we're tired and really hope we can sleep in a bit. Besides, XLNC 1 podcasts these programs so I can always catch it at 10 AM if the dogs allow me a morning to snooze. Fat chance! After that, the only real listening plan we have is the broadcast of Romeo and Juliet on Sunday, March 28, 2010 at 7 PM PST on XLNC 1 (104.9 FM or online for those with short attention spans). This will be the broadcast of the Sunday performance, which was the hottest one of the run and truly a moment that all involved should be proud of. If you missed Romeo you really don'...