April 2008
La Cieca has just added a new bit of functionality to the commenting system on parterre.com. As you type your comment into the form box, you will notice that lower on the page there will appear an instant preview of what your comment will look like. This feature is handy for checking spelling, and it…
” . . . he embodied Wozzeck, giving so much that by the end, after Wozzeck murdered Marie in a jealous fit, Mr. Keenlyside had perspired through his shirt.”
So what has so incensed readers of the New York Times that they have fired off a whole page of letters to the editor? Obama’s “bitter” remark? Immigration? DIplomacy with Israel? None of the above, in fact: topic du jour for Monday April 21 is the Met’s new policy on renewals for subscriptions to the…
Chita! Rita! . . . Christa?
Some commenters are more perceptive than others when it comes to the game of Name That Regie. In our previous competition, the quick-witted keithmc and the more cautious Ginevera were both correct: the opera is Cherubini’s Medée, in a production by Krzysztof Warlikowski for La Monnaie. The “Amy Winehouse” sorceress in the black pleather sheath…
A few minutes ago the Met’s website was updated to reflect the key casting news that the role of Lady Macbeth will be sung by Hasmik Papian in the final three performances of Verdi’s Macbeth this season. These three dates were originally assigned to Andrea Gruber, who now officially will sing no performances at the…
So, who’s listening to the broadcast of Satyagraha? Reactions?
Resilient tenor Rolando Villazón makes a guest appearance on the TV talent search show “Musical Showstar 2008.” In a serious mood, RV performs “The Impossible Dream,” but then things turn very silly indeed when host Thomas Gottschalk (the Ryan Seacrest of Germany) joins the tenor for a production number from Monty Python’s Spamalot. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/Xdtfqvj-Gr8″…
In her classic romp Goin’ to Town, Mae West quipped, “When I’m good, I’m very good. But, when I’m bad, I’m better.” While Leontyne Price has never been quite so quick with the one-liners as dear Mae, she certainly can demonstrate the truth of La West’s epigram. Here, in a clip from a 1982 performance…
[Our Own Gualtier Maldè reports from this afternoon’s dress rehearsal of La Fille du Régiment] The Met has another hit on its hands — though not a totally new one, this production and cast already having triumphed at Covent Garden and the Vienna Staatsoper. Laurent Pelly (who vies with Davide Alagna and Mark Streshinsky as…
A gaggle of picadors from the Royal Opera demonstrate some of the choreography that didn’t make it onto the stage in this Francesca Zambello production of Carmen. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://youtube.com/v/ilDKRCbne6M” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
So we may chat about something besides Miss Battle and the Pope, La Cieca offers you a quiz she’s been keeping in the vault for just such an occasion. It’s devised by Our Own Sanford, and it features 12 vocalists performing the “Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5.” Hint: the first voice you hear is that of…
Miss Battle sings for the Pope. Discuss. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://youtube.com/v/M959EKqr_N8″ width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
La Cieca sheepishly announces the long-overdue return of Unnatural Acts of Opera and a very belated birthday greeting. Tristan und Isolde, Act 2
La Cieca completes today’s Cleavage Trifecta with the following video discovered on YouTube: [kml_flashembed movie=”http://youtube.com/v/50nOUj64uNE” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
Dear Addison DeWitt once said, “You have a point. An idiotic one, but a point.” Actually he didn’t say it to La Cieca, but that’s neither here nor there. Since your doyenne is what you might call pathologically determined to see both sides of every questions, she’s going to reopen the can of worms here…
Now here’s some political news La Cieca can follow with interest: Merkel surprises with daring décolleté at Oslo opera That how The Local described German Chancellor Angela Merkel‘s appearance as a special guest at Saturday night’s gala celebrating the opening of Den Norske Opera’s new auditorium. It seems Die Kanzlerin racked up a double handful…
Flash phenomenon Izzy Anderson returns with an all-new choice of repertoire, and La Cieca has the exclusive. In fact, your doyenne’s old, old, old friend Wenarto created two variant versions of Izzy’s aria, and La Cieca was hard-pressed (ahem!) to choose between them. True, the take seen below features far better singing, but in the…
He who guesses first guesses best, as Ping teaches us: our most recent Regiequiz did indeed depict Mozart’s Idomeneo. Now, don’t everybody guess at once this time around!
The legendary diva celebrates her 75th birthday today. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-2989150895689621204″ width=”400″ height=”326″ wmode=”transparent” /]
 Followers of trash TV will no doubt recognize the following clip from “Real Housewives of New York City,” in which big-boned socialite Alex and her gayish husband Simon prepare to attend opening night at the Metropolitan Opera … in a stretch limo …
La Cieca was disappointed to hear the news that the New York City Opera next season will present only a few concert performances. Well, in point of fact, she’s surprised that they’re performing at all, but the real problem is that she already had a mental picture of an NYCO Antony and Cleopatra starring Teddy…
Two of the cher public (thanks, Paul and Michael!) have tipped La Cieca to what may be the ne plus ultra of operatic Regie, a new production of Un ballo in maschera in Erfurt. According to an article in the Telegraph, This “different . . . provocative” staging of the Verdi warhorse sets the tale…
Fabio Armiliato takes a bis of “Ch’ella mi creda” during an April 8, 2008 performance of La fancuilla del West.
Tell us: Filth or dementia?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
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