Let it chat, let it chat, let it chat!
Here’s the place to stay warm and to discuss this afternoon’s broadcast of Les Contes d’Hoffmann, starting at 1:00 pm.
Following this performance with a score is going to be difficult, as the Met uses a mix-and-match edition, but if you’re interested, bad old Choudens can be found here.

One doesn’t need real fur or jewelery to drive up the costumes budget; they’re plenty expensive on their own. I think that a major deciding factor in the whole black trench coat phenomenon in modern opera stagings is the budget. Aside from fitting in easily into most modern design concepts and being slimming on overweight singers, those trench coats are cheaper to make than real costumes.
Some “revenge”. Have you lived well, Pierre? You know what they say about the best revenge…
wow… what are you bitches all worked up about? i just mentioned that as a young student i met her at the end of one of her plays — which btw was fantastic, way before she was famous, it was called something something “juan darien” — but she couldn’t be bothered to talk to strangers. that’s all.
“questo e il bacio di pierre!!!!!”
Skip to 5:22
Pierre: I was supporting you!
why, thanks, kashy, i was just wondering what the big deal about my comment was…
If La Cieca recalls correctly, Bing was talking about the chorus women’s costumes in Traviata and that they wore paste jewelry.