Classical Beatnik Anne Midgette, obviously still reeling from the experience of The Letter in Santa Fe, addresses
a problem we’ve been seeing more and more of in opera: even those who supposedly love the art form, and who are involved in putting it on, are increasingly laboring under the delusion that it is inherently over-the-top, overblown, ridiculous, and, well, drivel.
La Cieca usually goes pea-green with envy when some other opera blogress launches a successful promotion, but in this case she’s going to make an exception because this story has the happiest ending imaginable. As detailed by Anne Midgette today in the Washington Post, Priscilla Barrow, who has taught music in public schools for over two decades, will attend Turandot at the Washington National Opera on June 4 and, the next night, the company’s annual Opera Ball at the German Embassy. The opera tickets were donated by Stephen Llewellyn, who won them in The Omniscient Mussel‘s Twitter competition, and WNO has upped the ante by providing Ms. Barrow with a ball gown from the company’s costume shop.
In contrast to the high-minded sentiments expressed by the Ring directors recently interviewed by Anne Midgette, here are a few light and lively moments from a youth theater show called Her den Ring produced by the Studiotheater Bayreuth.
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Bloomberg News (your go-to source for bad news about New York City Opera) today laments that the company has “once again reached deep into its endowment.” According to scribe Zinta Lundborg, that endowment has suffered perhaps irreversible shinkage, dwindling from a massive, bulging $51 million in 2001 to a puny, humiliating $3 million currently. Lundborg suggests NYCO has been abusing its endowment by milking it repeatedly; meanwhile, hands-on assistance from deep-pocket donors has still not come. Quite a handful for George Steel, as he, in the words of Anne Midgette, “tries to get it up and running again.”
Latest to join the ranks of classical music bloggers: intrepid Anne Midgette, whose Classical Beat offically launched today. Coverage includes la Midgette’s recent head-butt with Norman Lebrecht on the subject of the Wizard of Bayreuth.
Cher public, La Cieca begs you to consider yourself among the little people to be thanked as your doyenne accepts the award for “Best Overall Classical Music Coverage in a Blog or Newspaper” as awarded by artsjournal’s Life’s a Pitch. La Cieca is honored to be recognized among so eclectic a group of honorees as Mark Swed, Nico Muhly, Pink, Angela Gheorghiu, Mark Adamo and Anne Midgette. And now for the asterisk: La Cieca shares the award with Opera Chic, the “one” in the “one-two punch” noted by the group who voted upon the, uh, “Pitchies” or whatever they’re called.
In an interview in the Washington Post, Anne Midgette and Ruth Ann Swenson say the word “box” so often it starts to sound dirty.
Just in time for Halloween, an all-new profile by Anne Midgette, “The Undead Diva: Renée Fleming Has Virtuosity Under Control.”
Cher Public