Headshot of La Cieca

Cher Public

  • oedipe: Nerva, I was referring mainly to the American opera establis...
  • MontyNostry: As I understand it, all AVA tuition is free to the students....
  • m. croche: And commiserations on this day to Aleksander Pushkin, wh...
  • phoenix: Very interesting. Does audience expression/reaction determi...
  • phoenix: There were always mediocre casts available at the Met for th...
  • manou: Keks - this is very funny. My husband and I read it at the G...
  • Nerva Nelli: I was lucky to hear Ciofi sing Lucie in Paris in 2002 with T...
  • Nerva Nelli: Yes, it's high time they brought him back in a leading part....
  • La Cieca: There is also the point that the Met is very strict about it...
  • armerjacquino: Ciofi has hardly ever sung outside Europehttp://ciofi.bl...

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Sena Jurinac 1921-2011

Legendary soprano Sena Jurinac, one of the most beloved artists at the Vienna State Opera, died yesterday. She was 90. [via AP]   Read more »

Salvatore Licitra 1968-2011

Tenor Salvatore Licitra died earlier today after nine days in a coma following a motorcycle accident. He was 43. [La repubblica]

Agnes Varis 1930-2011

Entrepreneur, philanthropist, humanitarian and Democrat Agnes Varis died on Friday at her home in Manhattan. Besides her advocacy of prescription-drug reform and financial support of the Jazz Foundation of America, she was a managing director of the Metropolitan Opera, where her projects included the Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Rush Tickets Program and the underwriting of productions including Satyagraha and Doctor Atomic. Dr. Varis was 81. [New York Times]

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Cornell MacNeil 1922-2011

La Cieca has just heard that the great American baritone Cornell MacNeil died earlier today. He was 88.

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Dame Margaret Price 1941-2011

The great Welsh soprano, superb interpreter of Mozart, Verdi and Lieder, died earlier today. She was 69. [Washington Post]

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Peter Hofmann 1944-2010

German heldentenor and crossover performer Peter Hofmann died yesterday. He was 66.

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Remembering Shirley Verrett

When handing out the goodies, the gods weren’t stingy with Shirley Verrett.  Few opera singers were as prodigiously gifted as Verrett:  the perfect amalgam of Kunst and Stimm housed in a frame of voluptuous allure.  In addition to an instrument of stunning natural beauty and easy range, Verrett displayed superior musicianship, dramatic intelligence and searing interpretative commitment.  

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Shirley Verrett 1931-2010

La Cieca has just heard that magnificent American mezzo-soprano and, later, soprano Shirley Verrett died earlier today. She was 79.  

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