parterre box » mp3

Perder quell’angelo?

La Cieca — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 01:50:24 +0000

Our own JJ (not pictured) received a belated birthday present in the form of an excerpt from last night’s concert in Vienna in which Anna Netrebko spreads her wings for a performance of “D’amor sull’ali rosee,” assisted by the luxe Manrico of Jonas Kaufmann.

Netrebko sings Trovatore

and there was more Verdi on the program as well:

Trio from I Lombardi

More o’ Leonora

La Cieca — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 18:26:02 +0000

Since you so adroitly identified the voice of the mystery Leonora as Anja Harteros, La Cieca thought you might like to hear the soprano in the complete Act 4, Scene 1 of Il trovatore.

Anja Harteros sings Leonora

E tu nol sai?

La Cieca — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 14:32:01 +0000

A mysterious lady in the shadows of Castellor! Who might she be?

Can you identify this Leonora?

D’amor sull’ali rosee

Mai più, mai più

La Cieca — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 01:30:35 +0000

This is the way the public used to greet the entrance of a beloved star, and La Cieca is very unhappy to think that she will never hear the like again.

Hello, Minnie!

Who’s that woman?

La Cieca — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 02:37:39 +0000

Faithful and sharp-eared member of the cher public reedroom notes, “…an observation about the Levine 40th Wozzeck CD (Anja Silja/Jose van Dam)—the second CD (acts 2 and 3) has to be a different performance, different cast and different year. It is undoubtedly Hildegard Behrens on the 2nd CD. I don’t know who the baritone is but it is NOT van Dam. The orchestra/stage balance is different on the 2nd CD and it sounds like a “better” orchestra too. Am I nuts? “

Here’s a comparison of a couple of snippets of the two discs, with a brief silence in between. Any ideas what’s going on here?

Dueling Maries

The other side of the moon

La Cieca — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:41:48 +0000

In light of all the recent discussion of Norma, La Cieca thought it would be interesting to listen to a great (and controversial) Druidess of the recent past.

Norma: Renata Scotto; Pollione: John Alexander; Adalgisa: Joann Grillo; Oroveso: Mario Rinaudo; Clotilde: Lucia Nemer; Flavio: Frank Munafo. Philadelphia, Academy of Music (Opera Company of Philadelphia) January 10, 1978. Conductor: Conductor: Carl Suppa.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Happy Birthday Kirsten Flagstad

La Cieca — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:42:41 +0000

The Norwegian dramatic soprano, often called “the voice of the century,” was born 115 years ago today. The hard-working singer became a sensation “overnight” when, after the first act of her Met debut as Sieglinde, she was hailed by intermission commentator Geraldine Farrar as a new star.

To celebrate Mme. Flagstad’s birthday, an act from one of her greatest roles in what may be its finest performance ever: the first act of Tristan und Isolde from Covent Garden in the spring of 1937.

Tristan und Isolde, Act I

Tristan: Lauritz Melchior
Isolde: Kirsten Flagstad
Brangäne: Karin Branzell
Kurwenal: Paul Schöffler
Ein Seemann: Parry Jones
The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London; June 22, 1937. Conductor: Thomas Beecham.

Star-spangled girl

La Cieca — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 16:55:54 +0000

The birthday of our nation provides yet one more opportunity for “America’s Diva” Renée Fleming to demonstrate that she is indeed the Patti of our day.

No, not Adelina so much, more like Sandi.

Glory, glory

Happy Birthday Leopold Stokowski

La Cieca — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 14:39:17 +0000

The American conductor (about whom Wikipedia mildly says “There is some mystery surrounding his early life”) was born in London on April 18, 1882… or perhaps 1887. Or was it Pomerania in 1889?

Here’s the mysterious maestro in one of his rare appearances on the operatic podium, Turandot at the Met, on March 4, 1961.

The Riddle Scene

Bright despair

La Cieca — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:24:42 +0000

On this beautiful spring morning, La Cieca is delighted to announce to her cher public that she has uncovered yet another exclusive scoop.

For you listening enjoyment on this last day of March, we present the next single to drop from the most talked-about operatic disc since Karita Mattila‘s!

Creep

Hun for all

La Cieca — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 01:21:24 +0000

Since Attila is in the forefront of our thoughts right now, and since the prima of the Met’s production won’t be broadcast, La Cieca thought it would be handy to have a Riccardo Muti performance of the Verdi work as a common point of reference.

Attila (Verdi). Florence, 31 December 1972.

Attila: Nicolai Ghiaurov; Odabella: Leyla Gencer; Foresto: Veriano Luchetti; Ezio: Norman Mittelmann; Uldino: Ottavio Taddei; Leone: Mario Rinaudo. Riccardo Muti, conductor.

Together again for the first time

La Cieca — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:27:10 +0000

When La Cieca’s wrong, she’s wrong. She really had no idea until today that Leontyne Price and Luciano Pavarotti shared the operatic stage any time besides that one-off Aida in San Francisco. But when confronted with proof in the form of an mp3, well, she’s going to be the first to admit her error.

Here, for your entertainment and La Cieca’s penance, is the final act of Il trovatore, as performed at the Wiener Staatsoper on May 8, 1977.

Act 4

Leonora: Leontyne Price; Azucena: Christa Ludwig; Manrico: Luciano Pavarotti; Il Conte di Luna: Piero Cappuccilli. Herbert von Karajan, conductor.

Left in the dust

La Cieca — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:09:23 +0000

A new production of Verdi’s Macbeth?

At the Wiener Staatsoper?

At a 192 Euro top?

And this is what you get?

“Vieni, t’afretta”

La Cieca thinks there needs to be a word for singing that’s thoroughly crummy but doesn’t rise to the grandeur of filth. “Dust bunny,” perhaps?

wild beauty

squirrel — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:13:59 +0000

From deep in the parterre cellar, a glimpse of a long ago Met Hoffmann.

Vina Bovy as Antonia
“Elle a fui, la tourterelle”

NEW!
René Maison as Hoffmann

LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN {54}
Offenbach-Barbier/Carré

Metropolitan Opera House
January 23, 1937 Matinee Broadcast

LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN {55}

Hoffmann…………….René Maison
Olympia……………..Vina Bovy
Giulietta……………Vina Bovy
Antonia……………..Vina Bovy
Stella………………Vina Bovy
Lindorf……………..Lawrence Tibbett
Coppélius……………Lawrence Tibbett
Dappertutto………….Lawrence Tibbett
Dr. Miracle………….Lawrence Tibbett
Nicklausse…………..Irra Petina
Andrès………………Angelo Badà
Cochenille…………..Angelo Badà
Pitichinaccio………..Angelo Badà
Frantz………………Angelo Badà
Luther………………Arnold Gabor
Nathanael……………George Rasely
Hermann……………..Wilfred Engelman
Spalanzani…………..Louis D’Angelo
Schlemil…………….Norman Cordon
Crespel……………..Louis D’Angelo
Mother’s Voice……….James Jorden

Conductor……………Maurice Abravanel

Bella

La Cieca — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:11:59 +0000

Colombetta, Colombetta,
Apri l’uscio, non farmi penar
Del balcon solleva il velo
Apri amor se no qui gelo
Colombetta, Colombetta,
Arlecchino gelando si sta.

Colombetta

Also: “S’amavan tanto! Anch’io così vorrei trovare un uomo, e certo l’amerei!”

Fanciulla

Plácido Boccanegra

La Cieca — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:56:00 +0000

Selections from the dress rehearsal, Berlin, October 21, 2009.

Simon Boccanegra – Plácido Domingo
Maria Boccanegra (Amelia) – Anja Harteros
Jacopo Fiesco – Kwangchul Youn
Gabriele Adorno – Fabio Sartori ["Fabelhafte Schneider"]
Conductor – Daniel Barenboim

Transfiguration

La Cieca — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:28:44 +0000

The best way to pay tribute to a legendary Wagner interpreter? Why, to perform the “Liebestod” as beautifully as Nina Stemme did at the first Birgit Nilsson Prize Award Ceremony just last week.

October 13, 2009

More details about The Birgit Nilsson Prize Award Ceremony 2009 are online.

Second thoughts

La Cieca — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:24:26 +0000

I hate it when this happens.

Rosenkavalier Duet

A Tale of Two Guelfis

La Cieca — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:01:24 +0000

… and, by the way, an interesting contrast between a “great” conductor of today and a routinier from four decades ago.

Carlo Guelfi (with Gatti) 2009

Giangiacomo Guelfi (with Rescigno) 1969

Curious? George.

La Cieca — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:17:46 +0000

A hint of what George Gagnidze‘s Scarpia may sound like.

Tre sbirri…