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  • Camille: And the fourth(!) time it WAS Matos and we got to meet you, caro Ercole, a pleasure we hope to have... 1:54 PM
  • La Cieca: Says Kaufmann, “It was my intention to stay in the Trojans, but at the last minute I... 1:50 PM
  • Ercole Farnese: Well, the first time was to review. Free ticket, and I was there on assignment. The second time I... 1:37 PM
  • Buster: Deborah Voigt makes her Belgian debut(!) as Minnie in Liège next season. With Carl Tanner as Dick, and... 1:37 PM
  • mrmyster: Here is another kitchen opera: Der Rosenkavalier, Zurich Opra, set Act II in the von Faninal kitchen.... 1:36 PM
  • Camille: Betsy_Ann, please! I know this is tiresomely irresponsible but I have completely forgotten the F. K.... 1:34 PM
  • Liz.S: For tomorrow – there’s Siegfried live transmission from Bayern – 10AM (EST.)... 1:21 PM
  • A. Poggia Turra: A positive review of the Cosi: http://www.teleram a.fr/scenes/au-the atre-des-champs... 1:14 PM

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Curiouser and curiouser

by | 1:52 am | Jun 30, 2007

Sempiternal soprano Gwyneth Jones creates a role in a world premiere later today! The veteran singing actress performs the role of the Queen of Hearts in Unsuk Chin‘s opera Alice in Wonderland, to an English-language libretto by David Henry Hwang after the novel by Lewis Carroll.

The production, conducted by Kent Nagano, will be broadcast live from the Bayerische Staatsoper at 1:30 p.m. New York time today over RealPlayer and Windows Media. (As always, La Cieca gets her latest scoops on all things internet radio from the indispensable OperaCast.)

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Roman holiday

by | 9:00 pm | Jun 29, 2007

Unnatural Acts of Opera returns with yet another rarity, Wagner’s Rienzi in a performance from Vienna in 1997. Featured are Siegfried Jerusalem and Violeta Urmana, with Zubin Mehta wielding the baton. Unnatural Acts of Opera.

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This is very bad news indeed

by | 8:45 pm | Jun 28, 2007

AP reports that Beverly Sills is “gravely ill with cancer.” Sills has always been very hands-on with her PR, so if she’s allowing this story to get out, I’m afraid she’s basically announcing that the end is very near. (If she’s not in control of the story, that’s not good news either: she’d have to be very sick indeed to let that happen.)

UPDATE: Sills’ long-time publicist Edgar Vincent has confirmed earlier reports of her illness.

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Gia i biscotti adunansi

by | 9:25 am | Jun 27, 2007

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Tu che le vanita project

by | 3:36 pm | Jun 26, 2007

La Cieca must first of all express how startled she is that this particular item didn’t appear first on NYC Opera Fanatic — after all, Lana Turner as Elisabetta in Don Carlo? Well, in fact, Miss Turner never did sing any Verdi, on- or off-stage (unlike her precursor Joan Crawford), but my goodness, doesn’t she just look the part? It is only with slight disappointment that La Cieca notes that La Turner is not even pretending to be an opera singer here. It’s a moment from the beginning of the 1969 film The Big Cube, portraying Lana’s character, the celebrated [...]

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N’est-ce plus Manon?

by | 11:07 am | Jun 26, 2007

La Cieca hears that Natalie Dessay has walked out of the current Liceu production of Manon, leaving Inva Mula to sing the company’s new production of the Massenet opera. (Given the tight stagione scheduling, though, surely they will need another soprano to alternate.) Our insider whispers that la Dessay found Rolando Villazon (Des Grieux) something less than sympathique, in the sense of “it’s either him or me.”

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Bridge

by | 4:26 pm | Jun 19, 2007

La Cieca hears that Justin Davidson, classical music critic at Newsday for the past decade, is moving over to New York magazine, where he will take over reviewing duties from the departing Peter G. Davis. Davidson’s gig will also include writing about architecture.

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Druidesses three times three

by | 10:37 pm | Jun 18, 2007

La Cieca is startled and delighted to note that there are already some very competitive entries in the “Nine Normas” quiz, including a likely prize winner. So that all you cher public may have the chance to put your vocal identification skills to the test, here’s the clip of The Nine Normas. Feel free to make your guesses in the comments section!

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