November 2008

point counterpoint

Cher public, who else but La Cieca brings you such in-depth arts coverage that you get not one but two reports from spies at the dress rehearsal of the Met’s new La Damnation de Faust ? After the jump, eyewitness accounts of the Lepagerie from Our Own Gualtier Maldè and Sanford. 

lucrezia, gorgeous

A new spy debuts in La Cieca’s service, reporting from the first night of WNO’s Lucrezia Borgia: Overall, I thought the opera was worth the price of attendance. The costumes of the main characters looked like something from Star Trek.  Renée Fleming‘s hair looked like Tina Turner circa 1984. Fleming was impressive, especially in many…

history is written by the victor book of the opera

And “booed at La Scala” is the new “began career at Continental Baths.” [NYT]

yma sumac 1922-2008

Legendary “Queen of Exotica” Yma Sumac has died at the age of 86. Among many credits in a career spanning more than half a century was a screen appearance as (obviously) a Peruvian priestess in the 1954 film Secret of the Incas.

die alte fuerstin regie!

La Cieca can’t put anything over on you any more, cher public. Would you believe that within half an hour after she posted the most recent Regie quiz, Baritenor correctly divined that it was a production of Wagner’s Rienzi, as staged by none other than Wagner’s great-granddaughter Katharina. Maybe this week’s quiz will be a…

which witch is which

The winner of the Which Witch quiz is Lindoro, who will receive Cult Opera of the 1970s.Â