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Cher Public

  • Bill: Willym – the critics say 5 hours – apparently Bartoli sang all 8 of Cleopatra’s arias and... 1:55 PM
  • willym: oedipe couldnt find a reply for your post – but yes the theme and the choice is interesting. As much... 1:47 PM
  • armerjacquino: Dutoit. 1:41 PM
  • armerjacquino: Just the WALKURE and the FIDELIO film I think. Not a huge problem because I have the Vienna FIDELIO... 1:40 PM
  • Betsy_Ann_Bobolink: Just out of curiosity, Camille, why are you telling me not to eat bananas? Seems an odd sort... 1:27 PM
  • Ilka Saro: Tu sei giaaaaaaallo. Come un moooooooorto! 1:27 PM
  • Cocky Kurwenal: I don’t think I have any Vickers either. Though aren’t you depriving yourself a whole... 1:22 PM
  • oedipe: The best thing about next year’s Whitsun Festival is its interesting and controversial theme... 1:19 PM

nyco roundup

The people have spoken, and so from henceforth George Steel will be known by his, whatchamacallit, you know, his sobriquet, which (per your decree) is “The Man of Steel.”

La Cieca thought she should review at least a couple of the biggest challenges facing The Man of Steel as he and the NYCO begin a restoration project that, as the saying goes, makes Hoover Dam look like an egg cup.

First and foremost, of course, is giving the heave-ho to Susan L. Baker, preferably after guilting her into flinging a couple million bucks to the company strings-free. Since (as La Cieca hears) Steel was not Baker’s choice to ascend the throne, she should reasonably be readying her exit even as we speak. Prediction: an announced resignation at the same time Steel offcially starts the job in February.  Read more »

the outer voice

“Discovering that music and fragrance have harmony and even individual notes in common has taken me on a delightful journey,” Fleming says. One port of call on this journey: “The Making of ‘The La Voce Renee Fleming Ad’ Promo” video. Read more »

desperately seeking critic

The Critic/ Weegee / © International Center of Photography

La Cieca is looking for a member of the cher public who is already planning to attend the opening night gala at the Met and is willing to write about it for parterre.com. Your doyenne will need 400 – 600 words by 11 AM on Tuesday, September 23 for publication that day with your byline. If you are willing to commit to getting in a review of the night’s festivities by this deadline, contact lacieca@parterre.com.  Preference will be given to regular commenters, and attendance at the “La Voce Renée Fleming” launch party is a definite plus, but not required.

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park and bark?

With the opening night of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2008-2009 season barely a month away, La Cieca is already half-drunk with the sheer glamour of it all. Not only will this first night boast a bouquet of bonbons from Renée Fleming‘s greatest rôles (and, frankly, aren’t they all?), but the musical experience will be enhanced by the tetralogy of fabulous couture gowns in which the Diva of the Future will be swathed. As if this sensual surfeit were not more than enough to reduce even the most jaded operaphile to a quivering mass of jelly, the evening will achieve its climax with the launch [...]

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legit canary ankles smalltime

According to Variety, America’s Soprano Renée Fleming is poised to conquer new worlds of entertainment. Not content to rest on her laurels as diva, scent entrepreneur, dessert namesake and single working mother, Fleming has signed with talent agency Paradigm who promise to “scout out opportunities in thesping, endorsement, publishing and digital media” for the artist “with the goal of expanding her profile beyond the opera world and into pop culture.” La Fleming was introduced to paradigm tenpercenter Jack Tantleff by Francesca Zambello, the erstwhile opera director who will be remembered by posterity as the helmer of the criticially acclaimed musical The Little Mermaid. [...]

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“this doesn’t smell like come to me…”

At long last, scent-lovers who want a perfume container that looks like the powder room chez Alberto Vilar will get their wish. The packaging for “La Voce Renée Fleming” has been unveiled!

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