And now, cher public, let’s put today’s singers, the Contemporary Divas, under the microscope. How do they stack up? Read more »
David H. Koch, best known here in New York as the guy they named the theater after, is active on other coasts as well. In fact, just this morning it was announced that he (and his brother) have invested ONE MILLION DOLLARS in an effort to overturn a California law “that many hoped would serve as a template for a national effort to reduce dependence on foreign oil and mitigate the threat of climate change.” [NYT]
Monsters and Critics reveals: “Although acclaimed mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli has achieved almost everything there is to achieve in the world of classical music, she says she is still anxious ahead of every performance. In an interview with the German Press Agency dpa this week, the 44-year-old Italian opera star said a certain dose of stage fright is important to her career.” Now, about the cum-blog, after the jump. Read more »
La Cieca continues to apply the Kang Method to the dozen divas of the Classic mode. This time, our five criteria for diva status offer fewer total points, but the difficulty level remains the same. Especially for Renata Scotto.
We begin our Kang Method statistical analysis of That Which is Called Diva with a dozen Classic Divas: Hildegard Behrens, Montserrat Caballé, Régine Crespin, Mirella Freni, Marilyn Horne, Christa Ludwig, Jessye Norman, Leontyne Price, Leonie Rysanek, Renata Scotto, Joan Sutherland and Tatiana Troyanos, henceforth called by first name or nickname as applicable. Our first report will examine the five “major” qualities of diva.
La Cieca is delighted to announce a week-long series of investigative reports deciding once and for all the question “Who is the greatest opera diva of our generation?”
A little deductive reasoning applied to a little black dress resulted in a late in the game victory for cosmodimontevergine: in the most recent Regie quiz the director (as revealed by his signature minimalist frock) was Christoph Loy, and work was Les Vêpres Siciliennes for the Nederlandse Opera. More quiz follows after a minimal jump.
Okay, it wasn’t Sister Act all the way, but in the middle of Acts IV and V, ENO’s new production of Gounod’s Faust (September 18) almost turned me into a straight Catholic Republican conservative. But we’ll get to the reason why a bit later.
Cher Public