24 January 2008

Mad about the boy

La Cieca is all for crossover, but...


In response to several questions from commenters, La Cieca will say, no, she does not believe that Vitas takes "the" high e-flat. However, there is another genetic male on YouTube who does have the note: Lallanzinho!

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POSTED at 5:53 PM 31 Comments

18 October 2007

Back to the futur

This is what tomorrow looks like: a live opera telecast over the web. It's France 3's transmission of a performance of Il Sant'Alessio performed by William Christie and Les Arts Florissants, starring "le contre-ténor à la voix d'ange Philippe Jaroussky, tout auréolé de sa Victoire de la musique d'Artiste lyrique de l'année 2007." Watch it live!

Note, too, that the webcast will be available for on-demand play for the next 24 hours. More information on how that works may be found on France 3's Sant'Alessio mini-site.

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POSTED at 2:09 PM 1 Comments

12 October 2007

Mama, I'm not going to warn you again

As if Tomotaka Okamoto weren't enough, here's another countertenor looming on the horizon: Max Emanuel Cencic. Now, don't get La Cieca wrong. She loves her some countertenors, and she frankly adores how Herr Cenic rocks the tête de peau. She warmly congratulates him on his burgeoning discography and of course wishes him well in his impending Lincoln Center appearance (opposite Philippe Jaroussky!) with Les Arts Florissants.

But, seriously, dude, Moby called and he wants his album cover back.

And while we're on the subject, maybe you should revise your official online bio. Probably, it's just La Cieca, but that last sentence gives her the creeps:
Max Emanuel Cencic started his vocal training in early childhood, appearing publicly for the first time at the age of six. He sang the aria "Queen of the Night" in a television show. Subsequently, Max Emanuel Cencic appeared at several concerts and had guest roles at the Zagreb Opera. From 1987 to 1992, Max Emanuel Cencic was a member of the Vienna Boys' Choir. In 1992, he started pursuing a solo career. By employing a special technique, he was able to continue singing soprano.
Yeah, ow. You know, it's just like, ow.

UPDATE: Since La Cieca first informed her cher public about Mr. Cencic's "special technique," she has received an email from, ironically enough, the lovely and talented Herman Melville. Dear Herman encloses scans of album covers depicting the artist "before" and "after."

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POSTED at 12:54 PM 7 Comments

Mama, don't let your babies grow up to be countertenors

POSTED at 12:28 PM 29 Comments

10 May 2007

Morris is less

"No one could doubt the sincerity of Mark Morris' admiration for the late mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, who was to have collaborated with him on the Metropolitan Opera's new staging of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice. However, the opening night performance of this production (May 2) did not convince me that the choreographer can channel this sincerity into meaningful stage direction." JJ's take is in Gay City News.

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POSTED at 7:40 PM 2 Comments

02 May 2007

News from the underworld

A Happy Shade whispers to La Cieca about the Met's Orfeo (opening tonight):
"This show is awesome. The dancing is really interesting and fits the music very well. Donald Palumbo has really worked tirelessly to make the chorus sound as good as possible, giving notes and comments all through rehearsals. I’m told from long-time members that note sessions during dress rehearsals were quite rare. David Daniels is great in this part, and he sings it so well. Maija Kovalevska is a hottie, and has a beautiful voice. She is tall and striking and pairs physically very well with David. And Heidi Grant Murphy has perhaps the entrance of the season. I won’t give it away, but your jaw will drop. Mine did .... Bring your spyglasses to try and figure out as many of the 'dead characters' in the chorus as you can!"

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POSTED at 12:28 PM 49 Comments

01 May 2007

Sweet and low

Gender-bending diseuse Zarah Leander crosses over into opera to sing "Che farò senza Euridice" in this scene the 1938 film Heimat.


It may be noted that the sub-contralto Leander chooses a lower key for this aria than the written C major David Daniels will sing tomorrow night! For more about the iconic Zarah, see Ben Letzler's appreciation of the androgyne goddess.

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POSTED at 10:08 AM 4 Comments

19 April 2007

Fuzzy logic

Of course you've all heard of the Afro, the Jewfro and the Gayfro. So allow La Cieca to introduce you to the latest variant of this curly coiffure: the Castratfro, as modeled by countertenor Philippe Jaroussky in the opera Agrippina.



In the interest of fairness, La Cieca should point out that the big hair was probably not the countertenor's idea any more than the "Pippin" makeup. In fact, as himself, Mr. Jaroussky is quite the cutie!

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POSTED at 4:36 PM 18 Comments