parterre box

118 comments

• Browser says:

  Turandot – I’m sure that the people who live in Houston, Santa Fe and Chicago value their opera companies. As for New York being the musical capital of the world. No. Berlin has three major opera companies and several fine orchestras, Paris has two houses for the Opera de Paris, the Chatelet and the Theatre de Cahmps-Elysees, numerous orchestras, Vienna, Salzburg, Milan, Rome, etc. And then you come to London. Two opera houses, the RPO, the LPO, the LSO, the Philharmonia, the Proms…the fine work done by the BBC orchestras.

  I’m afraid that NY, as fine a city as it is, does not come close in terms of musical activity…

  on November 11, 2008 at 5:55 AM
• Karnal Jones says:

  Joethetroll, one has to wonder- if this site is so terrible and we queens are such mongrels that you hate it all so much- why the heck do you waste your time reading and posting here?

  It can only be because you are such a bitter twisted old sister, who’s life is so pithy and pathetic, you can’t even find company or interest anywhere else.

  on November 11, 2008 at 7:29 AM
• joethetroll says:

  Dear Karnal Jones : What do you know about my life ? Nada – Sweety ! Spare us the dime-store analysis….can`t you “girls” even take some criticism ? You are a real “Retro Queen “,a dinosaur one thought disappeared after “Liberation”- post Stonewall.
  Do you really think that these posts really are of any importance ? Does Mr. Gelb ( Where DO they get these names ? – Mr. “Yellow “) really care about this “Queer Operazine “- run by some drag queen who calls himself La Cieca – what a turnoff – this sets the cause back 50 years .All the nasty comments about R. Fleming – lets face it : she sings all over the world , gives pleasure to thousands ( except to some self-appointed nobodies on this site )and will be remembered as a minor singer – what are YOUR accomplishments ?
  But you are right about one thing – this is a waste of my time – George Jellinek this crew is definitely not ! Maybe I should check back in 10 years , and hopefully read informed criticism , not sophomoric rantings that are the norm here.

  on November 11, 2008 at 9:17 AM
• whatever says:

  of COURSE we’re the musical capital of the world — we have shrek, grease AND mamma mia!!!

  =:o

  on November 11, 2008 at 9:36 AM
• Karnal Jones says:

  Joethetroll- I happen to agree with you about the Rennay crap and so do a lot of others who have been driven away from the site because of it – but that aside- it’s a bit pointless dissing the whole blog because it leaves you open to be asked “why bother coming here at all if nothing pleases you?” Clearly something must be of interest to you- and what “cause” are you talking about specifically? Would love to know.

  on November 11, 2008 at 10:09 AM
• Peevedattrolls says:

  How sad Miss Fleming’s mom is fighting the good PR for her dear OLD daughter. Miss Fleming pay you this week drearie.
  She couldn’t care less what is said as long as it isn’t said about the real star of today’s opera, Netty.

  Fleming sings all over the world. Who cares? She sings here and she is discussed. Got it? Stamp that little foot at the cruelty…….ah the humanity.

  on November 11, 2008 at 10:33 AM
• OMG says:

  Oh my, La Cieca has arrived for sure. She has militant little prop 8 downers, gay basher trolls. The excitement is too much! Spewing defenses for widdle Renayyy of the overpaid publicist. This online blog is read all over the world as well.
  Hmmmm.

  on November 11, 2008 at 10:35 AM
• Cassandra says:

  “I’m sure our friends in London will enjoy reading this when they wake up tomorrow morning.”

  Have you HEARD any of the “singing” going on at ENO or ROH lately? Ghastly. The Don Carlos and Giovanni recently put up there (beside Joyce Di Donato) were laughably bad.

  on November 11, 2008 at 10:44 AM
• kashania says:

  Don’t feed the troll. If you ignore it, it will go away.

  Let’s agree that NYC is the musical capital of the Americas and one of the major musical capitals of the world.

  on November 11, 2008 at 10:53 AM
• CerquettiFarrell says:

  Seems like the greatest (classical) music centers in the world today are Berlin (2 top class orchestras: BPO, Staatskapelle, 2 middle class: DSO, Deutsches Oper, 1 period band – Akademie fur Alte Musik, 3 Opera houses, many many concert halls) Paris (2 major opera houses, 3 fairly good orchestras, 3 top period ensembles) and London (2 operas, so many fine orchestra’s you can’t count them, many excellent poll musicians for period bands). New York does not seem to belong in this sphere of excellence and diversity. And yes: period performance is not just a passing trend anymore, it has been here for over forty years and is probably here to stay. Alongside traditional (as in post WWI) performance practice. This means the instruments, playing and singing methods an aesthetics AND the general scope. Yes, Mozart was not meant do be played in mammoth 2000+ auditoriums. It can be done, but performers have to be unbelievably gifted to succeed. Much easier to project and blend in a European medium-to-small sized theatres. Le nozze di Figaro at the Met is some sort of travesty. People have accepted this long ago in the old continent. The US stays adamant. Let it be so: but time is marching on, and NY is left behind.

  on November 11, 2008 at 11:04 AM