In Brief: Mid-September

Here is your regular Sunday selection of links to good things in Blogville and Beyond.

• Just when I think that the opera world has ossified beyond help because of the endless repetition of mummified chestnuts, La Cieca's cadre of opera enthusiasts has voted that New York City Opera's Vanessa is the hottest New York opera ticket of the fall. Are you listening, opera companies? [Parterre Box]


• Dale Keiger's interview/profile with Marin Alsop in Johns Hopkins Magazine is a substantial and informative must-read. [Via Opera Chic]


• In case you have not seen it, Mark Singer has written a long article on the Joyce Hatto scandal, which has already been recommended by just about every music blogger in the known universe. [The New Yorker]


• In the fall, some European countries open up normally closed buildings to the public. The Guardian takes a tour through the private homes of famous writers in Britain. [Via Maud Newton]


• Jeremy Denk has a very funny rehearsal diary from a recital in Cornwall with Stephen Isserlis, including a bit on anagrams. Did you know that you can use this Web page to create anagrams of any phrase? Jeremy Denk comes back as Jerk My Need. Charles Downey becomes Sly Whore Dance. Ionarts can be Rations or Art Is On. Even better, Ionarts.org works out as either Organ Riots, Orator's Gin, or Roast Groin. Seriously, you could waste hours of your life doing this. [Jeremy Denk]