Met General Manager Joe Volpe opened his address to the organization's patrons on April 12 by saying that New York Times critic Bernard Holland was "slim on knowledge," adding later that he thought it would be a good idea if his audience "helped Holland to look for a new career."  The harsh words came in response to recent reviews from Holland blasting the choice of Susannah and the suitability of the theater for Giulio Cesare.  Volpe added that he received a telephone call from a "terribly upset" Renee Fleming following the appearance of Holland's pan of the Floyd opera; the general manager counseled her to "try to forget about it." 

In contrast to the confrontational tone of these comments, the rest of the presentation was rather sedate:  a recitation of statistics showing a small surplus in the theater's budget, an assurance that the Met is Y2K compliant (whew!), and a suggestion that next year's MTV awards may be held in the theater ("We're not producing the event, you understand, just renting them the theater...") Volpe turned the floor over to Joe Clark, who offered a slides-and-tape preview of John Harbison's The Great Gatsby.  The music sounds heavily Gershwinesque (more Oh, Kay! than Porgy and Bess) and the physical production looks to be rather spare, with lots of scrim panels and projections. 

After naming the new productions for 2001-2002 (old news around here), Volpe took questions from the audience.  One woman called for a return to a strict dress code, and a man insisted that a no-flash-cameras notice be inserted the program "in an Oriental language."  A more, uh, substantive question about the sudden replacement of the new David Pountney Mefistofele with the globe-trotting Robert Carsen version elicited only a terse statement about �going over our limited budget.�

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And the mad whirl just never slows down: coming up on May 14 and 15, La Gran Scena returns to Town Hall with their Bicentennial (i.e., 200th) Show, featuring their classic take on La traviata along with new scenas developed just for this event. "Clearly the work of connoisseurs who, even in falsettos and falsies, have a keen understanding of the magnificent excess that makes this art form so compelling." (Time) You can find more details on their webpage.

La Cieca just heard this blind item: what touring tenor's personal assistant quit in a huff after realizing that the job description included procuring hookers for the highly-paid (and highly-married) star?

Placido Domingo was so taken by the handsome Michael Scott sets and costumes for  Wolf-Ferrari's Sly that he purchased the production for $2 million out of his own pocket (a mere bagatelle!) and will show off his new property at the Met in 2002, when he takes over the role of the doomed Sly, opposite Maria Guleghina.

Two cast members of the spectacular Pagliacci in DC have quietly dropped sexual harassment charges they filed against Franco Zeffirelli, according to a story in Capital Style magazine. By a curiously timed coincidence, the Washington Opera have suddenly revised their sexual harassment policies, though they deny that this action was motivated by the accusations against the director.  Zeffirelli, 76, was accused of manhandling the breasts of a female cast member while adjusting her costume; a male performer complained of "inappropriate offstage touching."  Both declined to testify; a source told reporter Susan Crabtree, because "they were afraid to get black-listed - that one word from Zeffirelli and they would never be able to get a job in the entertainment industry again." The reporter said she had no response from Zeffirelli to faxed questions about the alleged incidents, and Washington Opera spokesman Opera spokesman Suzanna Stephens told The New York Post "We do not comment on allegations."  Stephens added that the company adopted new, clearer rules of sexual conduct because they thought it would be "prudent" to inform international artists "so they won't be caught unawares." The story, as reported in the post, mentioned as well the "screaming tantrums" Giancarlo del Monaco was said to have thrown during last season's Romeo et Juliette.

A new friend of La Cieca's whispers: "the much-trumpeted new production at Welsh National Opera of Peter Grimes by Peter Stein is a disaster -- this very expensive and very famous German producer has fucked up in a major way. Declaring himself "bored" very early in rehearsals, Stein left staging rehearsals early, attended only half the stage and orchestra rehearsals, and sat with his head in his hands through much of the technical calls. All this while staying in a £500 per night suite in Cardiff's best hotel. The production is mundane in the exzzzztreme with principals down the front completely at a remove from the chorus. The evocation of a community, even of communication between people who know each othern is minimal. The famous scene in the Boar Inn looks like a Bierkeller in Munich � despite the fact that the German design team and Stein were taken at WNO's expense on a junket to Britten country in order to recreate the distinctive atmosphere. Stein reportedly offered the excellent Grimes (John Dascak in a fabulous debut) such perceptive direction as "You must play him like a fucking pedophile, really evil."