"Alerte! Alerte!" With Paul Plishka, Pietro Ballo, Kallen Esperian

The Metropolitan Opera presented Gounod's Faust today as part of their "Live in HD" series. Here is a throwback to a 1989 concert performance of the final trio "Alerte! Alerte!" with Paul Plishka, Pietro Ballo and Kallen Esperian:

Fabio Luisi Talents Being Rewarded at Highest Level

According to the New York Times, musical director James Levine will be bowing out of all scheduled conducting performances at the Metropolitan Opera this fall. Duties were immediately handed over to principal guest conductor Fabio Luisi. Watch this video from 1987 of Maestro Luisi conducting the radiant Kallen Esperian in an exquisite reading of Boito's "L'altra notte in fondo al mare" from Mefistofele at the Komische Oper Berlin. [Source]