October 2007
One of La Cieca’s intricate network of spies has been keeping his ear to the ground in San Francisco where a supernumerary friend whispered to him that “there was concern amongst the SFO backstage ranks that since La Gheorghiu had yet to show up for any La rondine rehearsals, that she may go the route…
Writes a spy: Today at the final dress, it was pretty obvious why Reneeeeee would cancel her Normas – the “Sempre libera” was SCARY bad – completely off the voice for the mewing and really sloppy coloratura, and then she had to go back on-voice to try and get to the Bb/B/C/Db area. The repeated…
An interview with director Krzysztof Warlikowski in the current issue of Takt, the house magazine for the Bayerisches Staatsoper, confirms that you, cher public, were exactly right about the “slant” of his new production of Yevgeny Onegin opening tonight in Munich. In the interview (available online, as is the rest of the magazine, in pdf…
The Broadway baritone, star of Camelot, died yesterday at the age of 73. Goulet won a Tony Award for for the 1968 Kander and Ebb musical The Happy Time, and most recently appeared on Broadway as Georges in the 2004 revival of La Cage aux Folles. An obituary and appreciation of the performer can be…
Curtis Rayam as Arnalta in L’incoronazione di Poppea, directed by René Jacobs.
“1,000 faces and ten years of Kumm at the National Opera” is the intriguing headline of what disappointingly turns out to be a review of a rock concert. And La Cieca was so sure this was in some way connected with the impending prima of the Krzysztof Warlikowski production of Yevgeny Onegin.
Opera performances in Paris are canceled due to strikes.
The Gallery Met — you know, that space off to the opposite side of the box office, over near the State Theater? Oh, didn’t you know there was a gallery there? Well, in fact, neither did much of anyone else, judging by the sparse attendance there ever since they removed the lesbian erotica (that is,…
La Cieca hopes you aren’t under the misapprehension that only stars (or would-be stars) are capable of filth-level performances. A true “sporcizianista” can fuck up even such apparently foolproof music as the few lines of Ines in the first act of Trovatore:
Well, no, Charles Wuorinen has not finished his Brokeback Mountain opera quite yet. In fact, this photo is from a new staging of a standard repertory work. Can you identify it? (Guesses only, please — if you know this production, please recuse yourself!) Click to enlarge.
What can take a sunrise / Sprinkle it in dew / Cover it in chocolate / and a miracle or two? The Malibran Van!
Our Own Little Stevie reflects on the Met’s new Macbeth. I’d like to admit a guilty pleasure of mine: I’ve secretly been waiting with a lot of anticipation for Maria Guleghina to sing in Macbeth and Norma this year. I have not told this to many people because it seems that the common expectation has…
Adept arbiter Anne Midgette has announced her farewell to The New York Times, moving on up to the Washington Post where she will reign as interim chief critic beginning January 1. The WaPo‘s current chief critic, Tim Page, is off to teach a semester at USC and, who knows, may extend his stay in academe…
All right, cher public, now that the competion is closed, La Cieca will reveal the 20 singers performing the composite “Ernani involami.” First, you might want to listen to the original clip one more time. Now, ready? Here are our 20 divas, pictured and named. Just click on the YouTube clip to play.
Totally pulled together. Class act. Doing what comes naturally. Well played! Call it what you will, but, fair is fair: this is great stuff.
Our Own Gualtier Maldè reflects on last night’s Met Lucia:The Met has often been accused and rightly so of ignoring young talent and waiting too long to hire up-and-coming new stars while hanging on to declining old favorites well past their sell-by date. Occasionally a promising new talent from the Young Artists Program will blossom…
The legendary lady of musical theater and popular song is 80 years old today! Ms. Cook celebrates this milestone next month on November 19 and 20 when she appears as a guest artist with the New York Philharmonic.
UPDATE: Here’s the “Ernani involami” vocal identification quiz — 20 singers in seven minutes. As of Wednesday night, the two leading entries are tied at 17 correct answers each. Remember, the competition ends at midnight on Friday! La Cieca (not pictured) is practically beside herself (also not pictured) with glee now that she has published…
Latest casting news from the Met: Stephen O’Mara will sing Radamès in Aida on Wednesday, October 24, replacing Marco Berti, who has withdrawn from remaining performances due to illness. The role of the Egyptian captain for the the remaining performances of the season (October 27 – November 8) will be sung by that popular man-about-town…
According to the Guardian Unlimited, the “cash-strapped” government of Greece is scrambling to raise sufficient funds to purchase over $1 million worth of Maria Callas memorabilia at a Sotheby’s auction on December 12. The “voluminous” collection to be auctioned includes “a fabulous array of intimate letters, jewels, evening dresses, furniture, paintings, photographs, unseen stage notes…
Or, “Fleming Subjugates La Scala.” Note the “polite” applause at the end of the performance.
The unsinkable (and apparently unflappable) Birgit Nilsson sings what turns out to be an aria from Verdi’s Macbeth — despite makeup design from Valley of the Dolls and a costume recycled from the “Be Our Guest” number in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. La Nilsson’s performance (as awesome as it is!) is only an opening…
Maury D’annato asks “How high does the Simionato role [in Adriana Lecouvreur] lie? Could Podles do it? Well, judge for yourself. Here’s a clip of mezzo Oralia Dominguez singing the Principessa’s aria “Acerba volutta.”
Tell us: Filth or dementia?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
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