parterre box

The only thing better than knowing that a singer has had the greatest Sternstunde of her career is having that performance documented. Montserrat Caballe‘s Norma at Orange, for example, which is one of truly must-have DVDs for any true opera fanatic. Now, Dame Gwyneth Jones has had many great nights in her amazing career, but it’s hard to imagine she (or anyone else!) could ever top her performance as the Dyer’s Wife in this 1980 Frau ohne Schatten from the Paris Opera. Voice, commitment, acting, and La Jones’s remarkable physical beauty are at their peak: this is a definitive Faerberin. [...]

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La Cieca has found her new theme song.

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Twice the terror as murderous twins! Joyce Castle is Edith Phillips! Lypsinka is Margaret DeLorca! DEAD RINGER“Loved? You’ve never loved anyone but yourself!”

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UPDATE: Not only are Gli Alagni scheduled for Aida at La Scala in 2006 (as noted yesterday), La Cieca has just heard that Peter Gelb has promised them a new production of Carmen at the Met in 2009-10. And, yes, Gheorghiu is the Carmen, not the Micaela. This is all at least four years in the future, so don’t book your tickets yet. Actually, this tidbit could have waited a few days (or years) but La Cieca wanted an excuse to post the scrummy photo of Bobby as Radames. Doesn’t he look like he’s about to say, “My father rules [...]

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parterre box fave Aprile Millo is on WQXR tonight at 9:05 PM EDT in a broadcast of a concert given for the George London Foundation. Sharing the bill are tenor Garrett Sorenson and Ken Noda on the 88s. You can listen in to the excitement here.

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The next time you roll your eyes at an operatic plot complication involving mistaken identity, just consider this: Mirella Freni‘s cancellation of her gala peformance of Fedora at the Washington National Opera last month was apparently due to a bungled phone message. According to a WNO insider, La Freni telephoned the company’s main office to inquire when to expect the car that would take her to a costume fitting. Whoever answered didn’t recognize Freni’s voice (or, apparently, her name) and advised the diva that she shouldn’t be taking a car anyway, given that her hotel was right near a Metro [...]

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To mark the 70th birthday (and rumored retirement) of Luciano Pavarotti, “Unnatural Acts of Opera” presents a performance from the tenor’s pre-superstar period. It’s La boheme opposite Mirella Freni, with Thomas Schippers conducting, as broadcast on RAI (Rome) on July 17, 1969. After the acts, it’s even more of the Pav, singing scenes from I lombardi, Lucia di Lammermoor, I puritani and Rigoletto, 1966 – 1972. Act 1 begins tonight on Unnatural Acts of Opera.

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