She Risked Her Voice to Become a Mother
The Daily
04/05/26
•39m
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Lise Davidsen is one of the greatest opera singers of our time — a soprano with a voice so rare, critics reach back a century for comparison. This spring, she has been starring in a sold-out new production of Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” at the Metropolitan Opera. But she’s also at a crossroads: Her first performance as “Isolde” on the Met stage came just nine months after giving birth to twins.
Today on The Sunday Daily, Natalie Kitroeff talks with the Times writer Zachary Woolfe about his recent conversation with Davidsen, and the unexpected emotional weight she felt while returning to the stage as a new mother. They discuss how a production centered on birth, death and renewal gave Davidsen a way to work through this seismic shift in her life, all while tackling the role of a lifetime.
On Today’s Episode:
Zachary Woolfe is a writer and editor for The New York Times.
Background Reading:
With Twin Babies, the Opera Star Lise Davidsen Wonders What Comes Next
The Met Opera’s Desperate Hunt for Money
Photo credit: Amir Hamja for The New York Times
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
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Previous Episode
Did President Trump fall for the myth of surgical warfare? Gen. Stanley McChrystal joins the columnist David French, both veterans of the Iraq War, to discuss what may have been overlooked in the planning of Operation Epic Fury. McChrystal, who retired from the Army in 2010, argues that the United States often overestimates the decisive power of aerial bombing while underestimating the weight of historical grievance. And the general weighs in on the current culture of bravado coming from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
This conversation was recorded on Friday, March 20.
Thoughts? Questions? Email us at theopinions@nytimes.com
This episode of “The Opinions” was produced by Derek Arthur and Victoria Chamberlin. It was edited by Kaari Pitkin and Alison Bruzek. Mixing by Isaac Jones and Pat McCusker. Fact-checking by Kate Sinclair, Mary Marge Locker and Michelle Harris. Audience strategy by Shannon Busta and Kristina Samulewski. The deputy director of Opinion Shows is Alison Bruzek. The director of Opinion Shows is Annie-Rose Strasser.
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
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Next Episode
Trump’s Lonely War
April 6
•31m
As the war in Iran drags on, President Trump keeps signaling that it is about to end. But the fighting shows no signs of letting up. All the while, America’s closest allies in Europe continue to refuse Mr. Trump’s demands for help.
Mark Landler, who covers trans-Atlantic relations for The New York Times, explains why European countries want no part in this war.
Guest: Mark Landler, the Paris bureau chief of The New York Times, who covers France, as well as trans-Atlantic relations and the future of Europe.
Background reading:
- Mr. Trump has lashed out at Europe for its lukewarm support against Iran.
- Analysis: As American and Israeli warplanes bomb Iran, European allies have been left on the sidelines.
Photo: Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times
For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
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