A radio script that La Cieca promised to deliver tonight sits unfinished, and only you, cher public, can save the doyenne’s bacon. The best completions will be eligible for lavish prizes. If you care to give the old girl a hand, just follow this link.
The HD video of the Met’s “special 100-minute version” of The Magic Flute makes its network television debut tomorrow night on PBS. Julie Taymor‘s production of Mozart’s opera can be seen on Wednesday, January 24 at 9 p.m. (ET) on PBS; as usual, check local listings and your mileage may vary.
Headlining the telecast are Ying Huang (Pamina), Matthew Polenzani (Tamino), Nathan Gunn as Papageno, Erika Miklósa as the Queen of the Night, and René Pape as Sarastro.
This Flute is the first of six PBS/Met telecasts skedded for 2007. Yes, that’s right, six — “the most complete Met operas ever presented by PBS in one season” per the Met’s press release. Further presentations will include I puritani, The First Emperor, Eugene Onegin, Il barbiere di Siviglia and Il trittico.
“It was an affair to rank with the coming of Christ, the death of Garland, the birth of the blues, and the freezing of spinach.” — Arthur Bell, Village Voice.
“Miss Steber appears from the steam room in a chiffon gown, loaded with diamonds and a black towel draped around her waist. Mrs. Leonard Bernstein, Suzy, Patrice Munsel, a lot of Metropolitan Opera stars and half of New York society love it. Miss Steber is in good voice, singing everything from Tosca to Strauss waltzes while boys yell, ‘Brava!’” — Rex Reed, Daily News.
From October 4, 1973, Eleanor Steber‘s iconic recital at the Continental Baths. Unnatural Acts of Opera.
Angela Gheorghiu will replace Krassimira Stoyanova for a single Met performance of Traviata on Saturday, March 24.
Today is the shared birthday of Placido Domingo and Charlie Handelman. Unfortunately, there’s no YouTube video of these two together, so La Cieca will make do with the next best thing: a Domingo/Domingo duet:
In honor of the one and only Met broadcast of Maria Callas, La Cieca announces yet another of her online chats. Join your darling doyenne on Saturday afternoon, January 20 to discuss the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera broadcast of Lucia di Lammermoor. The Ravenswood Chat Room will open its doors at 1:15 PM EST Saturday. See you there!
So, does this text for Principessa di Bouillon sound like outtakes from Isolde, or what? O Wollust, voller Pein!Glück und Qual im Bunde!Du still verzehrend Sehnen,Schnell geschlagne Wunde!Heisse Glut, Schauer, Zittern,Und Wahnsinn, SchreckenMuss in des Liebenden Brust Das Warten wecken!Jeder Laut, jeder Schatten,Leis die Nacht durchwebend,Will gegen die zitterndeSeele sich verschwören,Zwischen Zweifel und SehnenBangend und schwebendScheint ewig ihrDer Augenblick zu währen.Ob er kommt? oder nicht?Ob er eilet? oder mich fliehet?Horch! Eben kommt er!Nein! Die Wellen, sie schäumen,Und ein alter BaumSeufzt auf in seinen Träumen.Du heller Stern!Der fern im Osten glühet,Ach, schwinde nicht!Du lächelst so freundlich hernieder!Sei Leitstern meiner Liebe!O bring [...]
So, who can identify the following lines of text? Ich bin nur die Magd, die schwache,Des Genius, der da schafft;Er leiht mir seine Sprache,In Herzen streut sie meine Kraft.Ich bin des Lieds Betonung,Sein Schicksalswiderhall;Sein Werkzeug, seine Wohnung,Der starken Hand Vasall.Bald mild, bald heiter, bald Unheil kündend,Man nennt mich: »Treu dem Sinn«,Mein Klang: ein Lüftchen, schwindendIm Tagesgraun dahin!
Cher Public