WordPress sent me an end-of-the-year summary of activity on this blog, and it entertained me enough that I figured I’d share. Some of the data is fairly predictable. By the numbers, most readers of this blog are in the United States. Less predictably, the tie for second is between Canada – and Germany! I have a theory or two as to why that might be so, but that is not in the data, so never mind.
The most popular posts here are, in descending order,
The one about Alcina’s aria “ah, mio cor!”
My review of the DVD of the Styriarte Festival production of The Bartered Bride
A post about the Salzburg 2004 production of Der Rosenkavalier
One about some staging in a production of Verdi’s Don Carlos
and one about various recordings of Handel’s Rodelinda.
Reviews of Stemme, Kasarova and Hartelius in Der Rosenkavalier on DVD, and Röschmann, Kozená etc. in Der Rosenkavalier on stage, were not far behind.
Apparently this is essentially a blog about Der Rosenkavalier. Who knew?
But the posts that get the most views are not always the ones I like best. The five that I enjoyed writing the most – in no particular order – were the above one about The Bartered Bride, the discussion of the Kusej production of La Clemenza di Tito, all things potato-related, the “Dear Despina” advice column and the review of Joyce DiDonato’s Drama Queens recital which, to jump categories a bit, was in terms of live music probably the best thing I experienced all year.
Finally, a blog is not a blog without readers and commenters, and this blog has awesome readers and commenters. This year we had some great discussions about potatoes, the definition and value of Regietheater (the discussion begins in the comments of the post about Cosi), whether opera should be translated, the nature of history, and abdominal parasites. Let no one suppose that the interests of opera fans are narrow!
The Earworm 
Thank You for Your Blogs this Year! I have enjoyed everything you have written, but the high light for me was the discussion about the potato, and other for me incomprehensible staging thingies you have explained so cleverly.
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The potato was definitely one of my favorite discussions this year – if I remember correctly, you were the one who suggested that the cannibalism of the little boys in the Kusej produciton of Clemenza di Tito might be a second potato!
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No, I don’t think that I came up with anything that clever….
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Hello, I’m new, I know this blog recently and is my first comment. Sorry for my English. Not the same one post written in January that another letter in December to statistical effects, the results can be misleading. Thanks for your blog and Happy New Year!!!
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Thank you for visiting, and happy new year to you too!
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In 2012 it became a new habit for me to first read your newest posts when I turn on my PC at home. Thank you very much for all the detailed reviews, interesting discussions and all the fun! Happy new year!!!
Oh, and I liked especially your view on La clemenza di Tito 2003 and on the Coffee Cantata… 🙂
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Thank you 🙂 And happy new year!
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It’s always a blast visiting your blog, matie. 😀 One can’t have too much of blogging about Der Rosenkavalier… and about potatoes! (now I’ve gotta go look up that old potato e mobile tv ads on youtube) 😀 Looking forward to more next year. Happy 2013!
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Happy new year to you as well 🙂 I hope 2013 brings you loads of awesome bike rides & plenty of music!
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Isn’t it interesting how our blogs take on lives of their own? I too, look for your blog posts. Wise, wise-ass, and fun. Did I mention you are my blog idol? Happy New Year!!
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Blogs do take on lives of their own – and half the fun of the process is the connections to other blogs! Happy 2013 – I hope the new year brings you lots of good music and plenty to write about 🙂
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Thanks; here’s hoping we all keep getting more to write about. And speaking of Rosenkavalier, my post about your reviews is in my monthly top ten right now. So I guess, when all else fails, I will write about your blog 🙂
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. . . or Der Rosenkavalier!
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I’m finding the intersections of the blogosphere (and its overlap with the podcastosphere) extremely interesting. Several times in the last twelve months comment threads on a blog (usually yours!) have inspired/provoked me to writing at more length thanm is appropriate in a comment or have trigured an idea for a podcast discussion.
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It’s one of the things that I like specifically about WordPress as a blogging platform – it seems to facilitate that kind of interaction fairly well. (I’ve never had as good at time blogging elsewhere as I have the past year here – and a huge proportion of the value is other bloggers!)
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