Headshot of La Cieca

Cher Public

  • Lindoro Almaviva: Which Price? Leontine? Cause I have news for you about the last 20 or... 2:16 PM
  • Lindoro Almaviva: And so what? Artists make their choices. Where was Rossini at 60? Fat... 2:12 PM
  • Lindoro Almaviva: On completely unrelated news. Opera depot (http://www.ope radepot.co... 2:00 PM
  • Lindoro Almaviva: I worship the groud ATS walks in. For me she is a great example of how... 1:59 PM
  • luvtennis: When Sutherland was a mere lass of 60. Where was Cerquetti at that age? Not... 1:56 PM
  • luvtennis: Absolute rubbish if you are referring to Sutherland. She was greater musician... 1:45 PM
  • luvtennis: To which Anna TS replied to Gwyneth “Oh was that you singing, I thought... 1:40 PM
  • luvtennis: Sorry, but I must disagree. If you listen to Lehmann or Gadski it quickly... 1:28 PM
  • papopera: thats la Sutherland, isn’t she a pain though ? 1:14 PM
  • isepo: Well acc. to Robert Kraft, Stravinsky was continually revising Le sacre until the... 12:57 PM

Archives

it’s a return!

La Cieca figures if Adelaida Negri can make a comeback, so can your doyenne.  Read more »

The word is about, there’s something evolving

swenson_mula

History repeating, indeed — and rather recent history at that!

Is Renée Renata reborn?

Following the jump, snippets of all the tracks on the new “Verismo” album, as performed by America’s Soprano.  Read more »

Column inches

joker

La Cieca’s curiosity is always aroused when a journalist probes with really penetrating questions. For example, how long is too long? Is bigger always better? And which is more satisfying: cut or uncut? That’s the thrust of Tony Tommasini’s hard-hitting column in today’s NYT.

Now, if you’re ejaculating, “This thing looks familiar,” well, that’s about the size of it, because it’s a retooled version of a 2000 piece:

Later in the act, Walther sees Eva and, overcome, sings his song for her straight through. This somewhat spoils the effect of the song in the third act, where it should come upon Eva, and the mastersingers who are judging the contest, as a revelation. You could argue that the first performance is private and the second, more lavishly orchestrated one is public. My guess is that Wagner knew he had a hit tune here and could not help milking it.

A goose quill dipped in venom

Now, La Cieca believes in turning a gimlet eye on everyone and everything, you know that. But even your doyenne finds this latest Zinta Lundborg screed, well, harsh is the only word.

… the company’s funereal new logo is a black circle, which evokes thoughts of the deficit or even oblivion. Presenting four performances of “Esther,” starting on Nov. 7, won’t help matters.

A loud work by Hugo Weisgall about the Biblical queen, “Esther” was heard at City Opera in 1993, winning over few fans ….

In the 1950s and 1960s, European immigrants with intellectual tastes supported the company.

They are dead now, as dead as “Esther.”

More from Ms. Lundborg (whose name, by the way, is an anagram for “a burnt old zing”) at Bloomberg.com.

dark lady

never_tosca

Preseason puffery has commenced for the Met’s 2009 opening night production of Tosca, to star that noted brunette Karita Mattila. A release from the company’s press office today details the various ancillary events associated with the September 21 performance, including the first “Open House” of the season (i.e., the final dress rehearsal on September 17 at 11 a.m.), HD video relays in Lincoln Center Plaza and Times Square, broadcasts on Sirius and XM satellite radio and web radio streaming via metopera.org

Devotees of New York City street art will be delighted to hear that the Met intends to “blanket buses and phone kiosks with images of Karita Mattila… photographed by Brigitte Lacombe” beginning August 31.  Read more »

Massacre? I hardly know her!

La Cieca wishes her cher public a joyous and safe St. Bartholomew’s Day.  Read more »

[insert joke here]

jenikins_swine

“Opera singer” Katherine Jenkins has been insured against getting swine flu. [Wales Online]