parterre box

First word on Francesca Zambello‘s “American iconography” production of Der Ring des Nibelungen sounds moderately dire. Our top secret mole The Concerned Wagnerian reports from somewhere in the vicinity of the Washington National Opera: “Alberich is panning for gold in a western getup. The Rhinemaidens reveal their gold as a large quilt. Yes, a quilt. As in ‘this gold is nice; we should quilt with it.’ They frolic with the forbidden quilt until Alberich snatches it away. Wotan is discovered — no, not as Horace Tabor — but rather as Jay Gatsby, reclining on lawn furniture. Donner sports “tennis, anyone” [...]

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Well, no, of course, there’s no such thing as too many tenors, but it’s good to know we have so many high male voices around these days. One from the present (Rolando Villazon) and one from the past (Beniamino Gigli) are featured in Ed Rosen’s recently-debuted podcast, and one for the future is parterre favorite Stephen Costello, who just last night was a first place winner of the George London Foundation competition. Stephen’s performance of “Che gelida manina” suggests that, in his case, the future is very near indeed:

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Next week, you, mon cher public, along with the rest of le tout New York will of course attend Madame Vera Galupe-Borszkh‘s 20th Annual Farewell Recital at Symphony Space. In preparation for this epochal event, La Cieca hopes you will listen to her interview with Mme. Vera’s alter ego, Ira Siff, on Unnatural Acts of Opera.

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Some sudden cast changes may be in store among the Met’s low-voiced singers. Is Dimitri Kavrakos about to jump into Padre Guardiano’s sandals, replacing Vitalij Kowaljow? And what about Philip Ens — he’s in town for Luisa Miller, but is he going to make a surprise appearance in Fidelio as well?

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Do any of you out there ever wonder exactly what it is an “Artistic Administrator” does — I mean, besides collecting an annual salary and refusing to hear auditions? Well, finally La Cieca has uncovered at least part of the job description. An Artistic Administrator (for example, Diane Zola of the Houston Grand Opera) is a sort of lackey to the lawyers who run the opera company, assigned to such busywork as writing threatening letters to poor powerless bloggers like La Cieca:

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