Let slip the dogs of chat
Though she has not made many in-person appearances on the weekend chat since the summer began, La Cieca has realized (or has been told, truth be told) that directing parterrians, even by means of a democratic vote, is not any easier than herding cats. Which is to say, you guys who are chatting on Saturday afternoon are listening to whatever you damn well please, and, on reflection, who the hell am I to be acting so authoritarian all of a sudden?
And so, at the suggestion of La Belle Betsy, La Cieca is going to encourage you to decide among yourselves during the chat what you will listen to, or not to decide, or not to listen to. Dear Betsy has compiled a few suggestions for jumping-off points for the listening party, but you are all encouraged to suggest alternative or supplemental listings. The chat room will naturally be at the usual location. And here is Betsy’s List:
1:00-5:00 CBC TWO A double bill of Starmania and Notre-Dame de Paris. These are two so-called rock operas by Michael Berger and Richard Cocciante, and they are billed as “concert versions” which pretty much suggests “a medley of my greatest hit.” Marc Hervieux headlines.
1:00-5:00 BBC 3. A production of Handel’s Tamerlano from the Royal Opera House starring world-renowned baritenor Placido – - - nope, scratch that. Starring sort-of famous Kurt Streit. I recommend that as you listen, you imagine Placido with his ass hoisted in the air; it helps.
1:00-5:00 WRTI. The Damnation of the Faust from Chicago. Been there, done that.
1:00-5:00 NPR World of Opera, various times, various stations. La sonnambula from Paris with Nathalie Dessay and a supporting cast of extras from AVATAR.
1:00-5:00 WFMT Network various times, various stations. Le nozze di Figaro from Chicago with a starry, starry cast and a conductor who sounds like he was washed up on a beach in Alabama.
2:00-6:00 RADIO STEPHANSDOM. Carlos Kleiber conducts Tristan und Isolde with Margaret Price and Rene Kollo. Musically it’s a best thing on the docket, but ideally it should be listened to privately while wrapped in a Snuggie® of the finest cashmere over fragile silk undergarments.
2:30-6:00 KBA2. The Bartered Bride from Prague. This is a really nice performance, but Smetana just gets no respect these days. Pardon me while I slip into Wladek mode.
RADIOCRAZY, a service out of Switzerland lists two things I’ve never heard before, but their times are totally unreliable, their service is automated so you have to figure out what’s going on without any spoken introduction (bad) or interruption (good). Leonardo Leo’s Decebalo is listed from approximately 2:30 until 4:30 with Domenec Terradellas’ Artaserse following until approximately 7:00.
La Cieca not directing us for the chat is a totally Unnatural Act of Opera.
I always wonder how she does it all. La Cieca please take breaks.
Is that the same Le Nozze with Kyle Ketelson, etc. that was on earlier this year?
Yes, also Cabell, Di Donato, Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, and Kwiecien.
Mauriusz little tail interests a lot of people on this site.
Prey tell, where does La Cieca go on these long hot summer afternoons?
you must not be from NY. No self-respecting NYer admits to being in Town and available on summer weekends. If you are, you better stay home, order in and not be seen.
As a member of the NY glitterati, I would assume La Cieca to weekend in the Hamptons, somewhere in the Hudson Valley, or on la isla del fuego, either in Pignioli Bay or la foret des cerises.
I’d always assumed 79CXR was a fellow Londoner, given that his username refers to London’s grimmest gay bar.
. . . or licking her fingers after a bag of burgers at White Castle.
I intended to have that follow 3.1, but maybe it fits just about anywhere, doesn’t it?
I agree armerjacquino, but at least you are guaranteed to find the entertainment that you may desire. I will leave a drink behind the bar for you!! Sadly or fortunately it’s only a chicken’s throw across the road from where I live, whilst on my sabbatical… and the Brief Encounter closed.
Back to business, I would pass on the Tamerlano, unless you like a snooze in the afternoon or have a liking for purple elephants. I have never been so bored, not even at a SR get-together.
I’ve decided I like grim, so now I’m going for cocktails, toodle pip.
Have fun. Avoid the loos.
I fully agree on the Tamerlano warning – boring, boring, boring. Also boring. Yawning just thinking of it.
That convinces me. I vote for Tamerlano.
Tamerlano!
Why would Herman Prey be talking about La Cieca?
That was a response to comment 3
I’m listening to ‘Nozze’ unless La Cieca tells me otherwise.
Late entry. MEFISTOFELE on Radio Tre from 2:00 to 5:00 with Orlin Anastassov as the devil and one of those Neil people as Faust. Amarilli Nizzi, about whom someone once said something nice I think, is the Margareta. I’m going for that and the two strange things on Radiocrazy.
I believe it was Madame Cieca herself who praised Ms Nizzi, particularly some fearless high notes, if I recall correctly.
Nizza, I think.
And while we’re* being pedantic, it’s ‘Margherita’ too.
*I’m
Here are several nice things people on parterre have said about Amarilli Nizza.
It is not an opera but Austria’s ORF is broadcasting the farewell concert for Vienna
http://oe1.orf.at/programm/244301. Lots of known and unknowns performing interesting things. Starts at 1:30 pm EDT.
Well people obviously have better things to do this Saturday, like getting one’s hair done. I actually wouldn’t mind the zzzzerlano or the zzzzzzzzbula but I don’t have any strong preference given that I have already listened to three of these. I have to say that Smetana was impressive considering it was Smetana.
Oh thank you, Louannd. I get so tired of trying to persuade people that a good Bartered Bride is really a lot better than a bad Trovatore, but nobody listens.
A good Bartered is better than a lot of things, bad or good, simply because it isn’t often encountered and a broad repertory is a healthy thing in an opera lover.
I still can’t get any of these streams (except Radio 3) which I presume is a national copyright thing.
Shame, I really really wanted to hear that Figaro.
I am sure someone would be happy to send you a copy. I was planning to record it again because the one I have has the very beginning of the overture cut off. If I get a good one I’d be happy to send it to you.
That’s really kind of you, thank you.
WQXR are broadcasting the Figaro, you should be able to get that stream without any problems. http://www.wqxr.org/
Thanks a lot, I’ll give it a go.
armer – I can get them all without a problem in London, so why can’t you?
I think the answer to that is probably ‘Becauth I’m thtupid’. Never been able to get anything on Sirius, or any of the online streams.
Although CXR’s link for the Figaro seems to be working for me. Which is a shame, as Act one of this Figaro is dull so far *ungrateful*
We should have a group listen to one of the MetPlayer classics at some point, I’ve been plundering that since I joined.
You can’t get Sirius except in the US and Canada. As far as the others are concerned, go to operacast.com and click the Saturday schedule.
Not quite true, you can have a Sirius Internet account only and listen anywhere. I’ve had my account since 2007 and never had a problem, but I did have to call customer care to set it up, the online registration wouldn’t work nor would the free trial for non US resident customers. They said it was something to do with zip codes and their systems, but they can override it manually and did. Hence why I fell in love with Will Berger.. the rest is history.
Will Berger handled your service call? Now THAT’S customer care.
No darlink, but I do get him 3 to four times a week at night during the season.. on Sirius of course.
BTW when will we see more pictures of you outside the great opera houses of the world? You were my screen saver for more than a month!
I’m planning on having one taken in SF this weekend. Whether it goes up here is La Cieca’s decision, of course.
Is anybody listening to anything?
They followed you listening to Tamerlano, and they are all asleep.
going to listen to Vienna gala at 1:30pm
that seems to be what several of us are waiting for. . .looking forward to it.