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Soundcheck

Friday, March 19, 2004
  • German bass Rene Pape sings from the rooftops of WNYC (photo WNYC)
    German bass René Pape sings from the rooftops of WNYC (Margo McLean/WNYC)

    Mozart, Metal, and the Fit Lady Sings

    René Pape is fast becoming one of the most sought-after singers in the world. He celebrated a trio of firsts recently: a Carnegie Hall solo debut, his first Metropolitan Opera outing as Leporello in Mozart's "Don Giovanni," and the release of his first solo recording "Mein Herz brennt" (Deutsche Grammophon) a song-cycle based on lyrics of the German industrial band Rammsteim. He finds time in his busy schedule to speak with host John Schaefer. We also look at the recent controversy that erupted when soprano Deborah Voigt was fired by London's Royal Opera House because she was deemed too heavy to sing in the forthcoming production of "Ariadne auf Naxos." How does the opera world approach image-making? We look at this weighty issue with Steven Blier, artistic director of the New York Festival of Song.

Best Live Performances of 2008

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We revisit memorable in-studio performances from Toumani Diabaté, Cat Power, Regina Spektor, and others.

The Year in Music and Branding

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Pop music and advertising go together like peanut butter and jelly. Grey Group music director Josh Rabinowitz shares his picks for the best song picks and ad campaigns of 2008.

Critics Week

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Music writers look back at the year's best pop, rock, hip hop, classical, jazz, Latin and world albums. Plus: the worst music of the year and the best online music. Read our critics' lists here. And don't forget to cast your vote in our best-albums poll.

Noteworthy New York

Soundcheck

We have invited musicians and artists to help us select their favorite cultural destination in the neighborhood where they live. From parks and coffee shops to bowling alleys and museums, the options are as diverse as our group of contributors.