La Cieca is no longer alone in the podosphere. She has just been informed of the debut a podcast “designed for rabid opera fans everywhere” by a new girl on the block, Mme. Stella Maria Krazelberg von und zu Brabant. Details on the first episode (“As the Fur Flies – Bitchin’, Brawlin’ Biker Chicks”) may be found chez Stella.
This week on “Unnatural Acts of Opera,” a 1998 live performance of Gomes’ opera Maria Tudor conducted by Luis Fernando Malheiro. The heroine of this opera (based on a rather improbable play by dear Victor Hugo) is the Queen of England known to history as “Bloody Mary.” As depicted by Gomes, Maria is regal, highly conflicted and given to sudden plunges into open chest voice, which means that for Elaine Coehlo, the role is a natural. Hear Maria Tudor on Unnatural Acts of Opera
Anna Netrebko is Anne Welles! Rolando Villazon is Lyon Burke! On the silver screen, every thrill, every shock of the best-selling novel by Jacqueline Susann!
Uh, make that “the best-selling opera by Giuseppe Verdi…
This week on “Unnatural Acts of Opera,” the kind of performance you just don’t hear any more: a “provincial” production of Manon from the New Orleans Opera, starring Montserrat Caballe. Like I said, this kind of thing just doesn’t happen these days. And did you hear about the 16 year old who sang Carmen last week? The 16 year old boy, I mean?
“When his career began, he was singing opposite women old enough to be his grandmother, he said – but female leads are now young enough to be his granddaughter.” Thanks, Leporello, make a note of that in your book, will you? Placido Domingo is close to retirement.
La Cieca has been listening to so much good singing lately that she almost forgot there was such a thing as filth. Don’t worry, it’s still around, and filthier than ever. Mara Zampieri, anyone?
It occurred to La Cieca that she might be well advised to listen (with her mind and with her ears?) listen to the music files she’s posting into her podcast “Unnatural Acts of Opera.” Not that there are technical problems with the source materials, oh, no, never that, but rather she thought she could start commenting in more detail on what is coming up in that day’s episode. You know, sort of the way that charming Robert Osborne does when he introduces the movies on TCM. (“When Joan tested for the part of Mildred she showed up in a little [...]
Due to the sensitive yet detailed nature of the following item, La Cieca thought it would be amusing (not to mention safer) to present it in the enigmatic manner of “One Blind Vice,” Ted Casablanca‘s gold-standard column: Leggy Artiste commandeers a whole range of roles, French and otherwise, but lately she’s been panting for a change of repertoire. So she asked for (and got) a concert production of one of her warhorse operas. But this time, Leggy would wear the skirt! The Fach change shouldn’t be such a thorny problem; after all, Leggy is famous for her silvery tones. The [...]
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