So, I was asking my friends with Met Opera insider connections about the new Hoffmann production directed by Bartlett Sher. Seemingly conceived under an unlucky star, this production first lost two of its four heroines when Anna Netrebko decided not sing Olympia and Giulietta but kept Antonia and also Stella, leaving the dramaturgy somewhat lopsided. Read more »
Joseph Calleja has dropped out of the dress rehearsal of the Met’s new Les Contes d’Hoffmann because he is ill. Finishing the runthrough is David Pomeroy.
La Cieca expects a full hashing-out of today’s rehearsal later today from one of our oldest and most controversial contributors.
Austrian mezzo Angelika Kirchschlager left an incomplete impression as a Lieder singer Sunday night, in a quirky recital program of Brahms, Wolf, Mahler and Reynaldo Hahn, with pianist Warren Jones.
Suffering from a cough and swallowing some words, Ms. Kirchschlager succeeded more in gesture than details. Breezing through Brahms’ songs ”Meine liebe ist grün,” ”Über die Heide,” and “Salome,” faux-naïve songs with thick, Schumannesque accompaniments, Kirchschlager often dropped consonants and clipped the ends of phrases. Read more »
Or is La Cieca mistaken: could this rather be Alfred Deller's "after hours" show? Read more »
"They're known for their great bods and for breathless blogs written by devoted admirers. Bearers of great pecs and pipes, barihunks like Matthew Worth and Tom Forde are bringing high art to the masses in a universally appealing form. And the dark-haired Gunn, all 6 broadly muscled feet of him, is king of that particular hill..." [Los Angeles Times]
"This is the second of 3 postings to You Tube of a complete video of the curtain calls for ... Nina Ananiashvili's final performance with ABT at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center in New York...." [YouTube]
"Not since the young Jolanda Meneguzzer has anyone jumped the pearls in the often-cut Act 12 of this so very kinky work..." An operatic "mad-lib" type fill in the blanks game, after the jump. Read more »
Right the first time, WindyCityOperaMan! Last week's Regie quiz was indeed Das Rheingold — as envisioned by Barrie Kosky for Staatsoper Hannover. You will forgive La Cieca for saying that either the quizzes are getting too easy or the cher public are getting too smart! As such, your doyenne has put her back into it a bit this week, seeking a somewhat less familiar title for your perusal. Read more »
Cher Public