It’s never too late for a bitchslap
La Cieca thinks that Marcelo Àlvarez should be reminded that he is a tenor, and nobody is really interested in a tenor’s views on theology. And even if he doesn’t know better than to badmouth an ongoing production at a theater that presumably is (or anyway was) contemplating offering him future contracts — he is a tenor, this bears repeating — surely his management needs to rein him in.
Even if you’re in a car wreck, Sr. Àlvarez, until the wreckage is completely towed away, you’re supposed to say you’re having a wonderful time. That’s what colleagues do.
@ nos. 47 and 50 – As for Endrik Wottrich denouncing the Schlingensief production of Parsifal at Bayreuth, it’s worth remembering that he was speaking from the safety of Katharina Wagner’s bed. (Well, not literally, of course, but you know what I’m saying.)
By the way, it strikes me that, in this case, the Vicar (no. 62) is right. A British tenor wouldn’t criticize a still-running production the way Alvarez did. Bad form.
@ squirrel in no. 53 (“and lo, the squirrel layeth down with the pig, and begat three sons, and it was gooooooood.”):
Dude, I thought you were straight, yo. (Something about Danielle de Niese giving you a tongue bath …) Now you’re gettin’ down with paddypig? Wow, that’s like the plot of so many gay porn flicks. Kewl.
For what it’s worth, I’ve never totally understood why the fantasy of (ostensibly) straight guys making the switch is so ubiquitous in gay porn. It’s porn, a fantasy by definition, so why do you need straight guys when you can write in as many gay guys as you want? But that’s a question for another forum – at least until Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally make an opera about it.
no no, The comment that Squirrel lay down with Pig just sounded biblical, so I ran with that. Still a Straight Squirrel. I always thought that gay porn obsessed over straight guys because of the youthful longing created by falling in love with buddies on the ball team or the kid next door, before knowing what it was all about. It’s a “Freudian thing” as they say.
Is Cieca really serious about admonishing Paddypig over his views? I’m not speaking from his bed when I say that I find that quite excessive. I mean, I know we are in Cieca’s lair, but this place is going to clear out quickly if it ceases to be a place where one can share one’s opinions. Being stupid is a right too, and I didn’t see anything offensive in his comments. THough the Goose Stepping bit was a bit obtusely contrived.
Paddy and Cieca make up??
http://gothamist.com/attachments/jsaxena/100809swineflu.jpg
http://www.themaskedloser.com/images/squirrel.jpg
La Cieca seems to have lost it, suspending people for disagreeing with her. and insulting them in the process. why the anger???
Quo…@69: “gayish”? So then you’re admitting that Kaufmann has the best voice ever?
“he has hardly engaged in the sort of nasty personal attacks that have (quite rightly) gotten other commenters banned.”
I thought posts #42-43 in this thread were personal attacks.
Most people critcising La Cieca’s stance on Alvarez completely miss her point. At no point has La Cieca (or JJ for that matter) declared her love for the Bondy production. Whether she loves the production or hates it is entirely beside the point. The point is that Alvarez should, as a member of the production, keep his criticisms of Bondy to himself until the production is done, just like it would be inappropriate for Bondy to criticise Alvarez’s performance while the production is still running. Some people like to hurl criticisms without much aim.
You know? I read the article and I didn’t take the much quoted Car wreck statement like like criticism; rather a comparison or an analogy; maybe a bad one, but an analogy none the less.
I think Alvarez (who I am not fond of) has said it clear that he liked working with Bondy. Maybe I am missing something but what I read sounds like: this production has created so much controversy that now everyone wants to see it; very much like a wreck on the road, you are instinctively curious to see how it happen, and what’s going on
As to the rest, If Mr. Alvarez had an issue with the anti-catholicism portrayed in the opera he should have opened his mouth during rehearsals and remained quiet for the rest of the run. I agree with Cieca that is it rather tacky to throw stones at it while you are still inside of the glass house. (of all people him, who sucked as Mario)