Headshot of La Cieca

Cher Public

  • papopera: thank you. looking forward to six o'clock
  • Will: I think the reasoning here is that these productions of what...
  • Nerva Nelli: Apparently Billingsgate has Ingrid Steger and Carol Yahr sta...
  • grimoaldo: Good lord. I find that somewhat sad. Why are they having ope...
  • oedipe: Well, I have -at last- seen the infamous Paris Opera Mano...
  • Donna Anna: Anna Russell, thou shouldst be living at this hour but since...
  • Batty Masetto: Oh. I thought Croche was calling dibs on Agathon in a comple...
  • Will: Casting note: Glimmerglass has announced that opposite Dwayn...
  • Straussmonster: I want to be Alcibiades, especially if I can come in late, a...
  • Superconductor: Considering that the Metropolitan Opera press office is noto...

blog advertising is good for you

maestro

Our Own JJ is shown here “wrangling” the dancers for his friend Dorothy Bishop‘s cabaret show last night at Splash. There were supposed to be only two dancers, which is more than enough to fill the very small Splash window ledge of a stage. But three showed up: E.J., Alain and Michele.

La Bishop is off to South America for a month-long tour now, so JJ can get back to his more important task of producing La Cieca’s podcasts. Keep an eye out this weekend for another of the Great Pirates of History series on Unnatural Acts of Opera!

hvorostovsky previews new role

and did i mention the sweaty musclemen?

“Gypsy camp! Almost a dance outright! Sweaty musclemen! Rhythmically coordinated swings! Throbbing  … impetuous … distinctive … alluring … dusky … creamy … robust … restless … full of yearning … hard-edged!” [After Dark NYT]

Read more »

maledetta politica?

La Cieca thinks any revival of Adriana Lecouvreur is reason for rejoicing, though this photo made her stop and wonder: since when does Hillary Clinton sing verismo? Oh, all right, it’s La Cieca’s little joke. Our Secretary of State has not sung any opera role, recently anyhow. The Hillary lookalike is none other than Nelly Miricioiu, who recently interpreted the embattled comedienne in the solidly Italianate company of Victoria Joyce, Hubert Francis, Alison Kettlewell, Simon Lobelson, Daniel Grice, Andrew Mackenzie-Wicks and (non ti scordar di me!) Simon Bainbridge.

Read more »

Read more »

pec dame

Let’s talk about chest: theories, recollections, examples, caveats… All about chest, in fact. To start the conversational ball rolling, here’s what some celebrated mid 20th century divas have to say about the subject of chest voice.

Chest nut Charlie Handelman has so much to say on “voce di petto” that he devoted two podcasts to the topic.. Your doyenne recently babbled: The big Verdi roles are written to include phrases that call for chest resonance. If Verdi had been writing for singers who didn’t have access to chest voice, he would have written the [...]

Read more »

Read more »

radio days

Sirius XM Radio will avoid bankruptcy thanks to a half-billion dollar loan from Liberty Media. The “bailout” assures that the satellite company’s Metropolitan Opera Radio will stay on the air for now.  [via Washington Post]

Read more »

Read more »

angel records

or, “The Art of Can’t Canto.”

Read more »

Read more »

five-oh!

Read more »