Headshot of La Cieca

Cher Public

  • Clita del Toro: Live Siegfried from Munich is on new—Act I 10:48 AM
  • armerjacquino: Actually, that’s not true about Vickers- I have the Solti AIDA somewhere. 10:14 AM
  • armerjacquino: I don’t have any Crespin (just an accident) or any Vickers (who I consciously avoid). 10:13 AM
  • Clita del Toro: Dumb, off-topic topic: Singers whose recordings you have never, ever bought. Mine are: Domingo,... 9:07 AM
  • Cocky Kurwenal: They did it in Seattle after Vancouver and before the recording, so it looks like they’ve... 8:50 AM
  • Cocky Kurwenal: Quite surprised the Vicar hasn’t chimed in with your enthusiasm for Carolyn Sampson. Come... 8:42 AM
  • phoenix: On this inaugural festive weekend: very best wishes to Bobensane (and all parterrianensane comrades) for... 8:18 AM
  • rysanekfreak: In addition to our regular features at Parterre (Guess the Regie and Intermission and Criticize the... 7:43 AM

And the Pubies go to…

At long last, the most closely guarded secret of 2011 (besides, you know, everything about what’s going to happen to City Opera) is about to be revealed. Ladies and public, the Second Annual Parterre Cher Public Choice Awards! Read more »

Below the belt

Three of the Met’s most cunning vocalists, Juan Diego Flórez, Joyce DiDonato and Diana Damrau, wrap their tongues around the trio from Le Comte Ory.   Read more »

Girls who are boys who like boys to be girls

diva_divoThe cover of Joyce Di Donato’s third recital disc Diva, Divo immediately tells the listener that either the famed mezzo (along with the Orchestre et Choeur de L’Opera National de Lyon under Kazushi Ono) has decided to release a recording of music from Victor/Victoria, or her new CD will feature her performing arias as male and female characters. Alas, despite the exciting possibility of hearing JDD work her magic on “Le Jazz Hot,” this reviewer must report that Diva, Divo offers the listener the latter option.  Read more »

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No cure for the common scold

Every time La Cieca says she’s through once and for all reading Norman Lebrecht, that middlebrow minstrel of the maestro myth soars to new heights of noisomeness. This time (yet again) it’s about how utterly callous those silly opera singers are for canceling (imagine!) when they’re too sick to sing.  

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The boy friend

Parterre fave Joyce DiDonato headlines an all-star performance of Le nozze di Figaro broadcast this afternoon from Lyric Opera of Chicago. [WFMT] 

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The muse as mezzo

Joyce Di Donato‘s latest release is a CD entirely devoted to music Rossini composed for his first wife, Isabella Colbran, one of the most celebrated divas of the early 19th century. 

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