Guys who sing high (and others) Guys who sing high (and others)

A stack of noteworthy recent baroque vocal CDs on my desk has been staring at me for weeks, so I’m tackling them on Handel’s birthday before the Met roars back into action beginning this weekend.

on February 23, 2023 at 9:08 AM
Crowning achievement Crowning achievement

Sondra Radvanovsky is very special here!

on May 05, 2022 at 1:10 PM
Amazon Prime Days! Amazon Prime Days!

Enjoy spectacular savings on everything from tablet computers to RIce Krispies during Amazon Prime Days!

on October 13, 2020 at 1:43 AM
Have yourself a merry little apocalypse Have yourself a merry little apocalypse

As such, your doyenne provides links to various departments at Amazon.com through which you may peruse possible gifts for your nearest and dearest (including, of course, yourself.)

on November 23, 2018 at 9:13 AM
The art of the steel The art of the steel

This Sony Classical set of live performances covers a golden quarter century in the singing and staging of Wagner. Birgit Nilsson shared it with many other legends, and many of them appear on these discs.

on September 23, 2018 at 11:30 AM
Melody and more Melody and more

The arrival of a new recording of Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello into the catalogue, to say nothing of a new tenor capable of singing Otello, is generally cause for hosannas all around in operatic circles.

on February 03, 2018 at 10:25 AM
Futurama Futurama

La Cieca invites you to peruse some of the remarkable deals in electronics, books, DVDs, computers and cell phones available at Amazon.com.

on November 27, 2017 at 8:14 AM
Divine intervention Divine intervention

The second half of Warner Classics’ Maria Callas Live Remastered set represents the years 1954 to 1964 in the career of La Divina.

on September 15, 2017 at 11:37 AM
Tragedy tonight Tragedy tonight

In May of last year tenor Piotr Beczala and soprano Anna Netrebko sang in Lohengrin for the first time under the baton of Christian Thielemann in his home house at the Staatskapelle Dresden.

on July 18, 2017 at 10:00 AM
Dirty dancing Dirty dancing

The DVD of Thomas Agerfeldt Olesen‘s 2013 opera The Picture of Dorian Gray.

on January 09, 2017 at 9:03 AM
You can’t hide your lion eyes You can’t hide your lion eyes

The UK’s first-ever production of Poliuto, now available from Opus Arte on DVD, set the lions of Rome among the lambs of Glyndebourne.

on October 20, 2016 at 10:37 AM
This will simply sleigh you, dear This will simply sleigh you, dear

If only there were a way to make the onerous (yet necessary) task of holiday shopping just a bit easier!

on November 30, 2015 at 10:00 AM
Ha, wie begreifst du schnell und wohl! Ha, wie begreifst du schnell und wohl!

Well done all of you for guessing almost all the correct identities of the mysterious Ortruden.

on June 27, 2015 at 2:25 PM
Triskaidekaphilia Triskaidekaphilia

Your task: name the Ortruds, all unlucky 13 of them.

on June 17, 2015 at 12:27 PM
Jewels of the nile Jewels of the nile

No two ways about it, cher public, you fell in love with the “They’re only in it for the ‘dp'” competition, and two of you came around the last turn neck and neck.

on March 14, 2015 at 9:00 AM
Getting and spending Getting and spending

La Cieca is sure that the cher public (pictured), just like all other red-blooded Americans or foreign nationals, will spend the day today doing their “Cyber Monday” shopping.

on December 01, 2014 at 10:13 AM
Divina, deconstructed Divina, deconstructed

“The sensation is that you are actually right there in the studio with Callas herself.”

on September 17, 2014 at 6:39 PM
Shopping season Shopping season

After a long summer drought, suddenly new Blu-ray and DVD releases are falling, as it were, from the sky.

on August 29, 2014 at 5:22 PM
Past perfect Past perfect

With much laying-on of fanfares and gift boxes our friends at Decca Classics have unleashed Luciano Pavarotti Edition 1: The First Decade on a weary and satiated public.

on August 26, 2014 at 8:20 AM
Yule, never walk alone Yule, never walk alone

Just in time for the holidays, La Cieca has flung open the doors of her Shoppe of Holiday Delights!

on December 09, 2013 at 7:04 PM
The meme that wouldn’t die The meme that wouldn’t die

La Cieca (pictured, lower right) has had time on her hands and access to Photoshop, a lethal combination—especially the day the new Anna Netrebko Verdi album cover has been leaked.

on June 13, 2013 at 7:15 PM
Forse, forse Forse, forse

Well done, you listeners to Mozart tidbits and participants in the “Non mi dir” competition.

on June 12, 2013 at 5:36 PM
Dead heat Dead heat

Now the deadline has passed for the Immolation Quiz, La Cieca is happy if a bit puzzled to announce that the result is a tie: two of the cher public were able to identify 23 of the 25 voices in the quiz correctly.

on May 11, 2013 at 12:08 PM
Enchanted April Enchanted April

You don’t have to be Quechua to enjoy some of the outstanding CDs and DVDs to be released this month, but it can’t hurt.

on April 03, 2013 at 1:26 AM