parterre box » our own jj http://parterre.com where opera is king and you, the readers, are queens Fri, 30 Jul 2010 02:58:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 en hourly 1 Chat is jumpin’ and the cotton is high http://parterre.com/2010/07/24/chat-is-jumpin-and-the-cotton-is-high/ http://parterre.com/2010/07/24/chat-is-jumpin-and-the-cotton-is-high/#comments Sat, 24 Jul 2010 15:03:11 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=16020 advice_cieca_collins_thumbYour doyenne is occupied this afternoon getting Our Own JJ tweezed, powdered and cinched for his sojourn to Caramoor, and that’s a full-time job, my dears, because you know those venues that admit natural light can be most unkind to vain middle-aged queens. As such, La Cieca will leave you to your own devices for this week’s chat, which is probably for the best anyway, since according to Operacast at least it’s not exactly Sternstunde central. Naturally, La Casa della Cieca will welcome them of you as choose to attend.

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/07/24/chat-is-jumpin-and-the-cotton-is-high/feed/ 34 Park and bark http://parterre.com/2010/07/15/park-and-bark-3/ http://parterre.com/2010/07/15/park-and-bark-3/#comments Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:52:42 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=15807 gunn“Though the new sound system couldn’t make Central Park’s SummerStage sound like a concert hall, the first of the Metropolitan Opera’s Summer Recital Series made sweet dinner music Monday for 3,800 listeners and their picnics.” [New York Post]

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/07/15/park-and-bark-3/feed/ 1 Into the woods http://parterre.com/2010/07/13/into-the-woods/ http://parterre.com/2010/07/13/into-the-woods/#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:50:20 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=15767 meade_caramoor_norma_thumb“…by any standard, Meade’s is a very fine Norma — and, as a first attempt at this Mount Everest of a role, it’s simply a miracle.” [New York Post]

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/07/13/into-the-woods/feed/ 102 The Great Lady Has an Interview http://parterre.com/2010/07/08/the-great-lady-has-an-interview/ http://parterre.com/2010/07/08/the-great-lady-has-an-interview/#comments Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:59:27 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=15663 martina_thumbLegendary diva Martina Arroyo chats with Our Own JJ about learning, teaching and The Odd Couple. [New York Post]

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/07/08/the-great-lady-has-an-interview/feed/ 31 Fall guy http://parterre.com/2010/06/17/fall-guy/ http://parterre.com/2010/06/17/fall-guy/#comments Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:32:50 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=15345 charles_buschOur Own JJ (not pictured) interviews the legendary Charles Busch and goes on to muse on drag (not in drag, on drag) at the new joint venture Thirteen/Capital.

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/06/17/fall-guy/feed/ 14 To maestro with love http://parterre.com/2010/05/10/to-maestro-with-love/ http://parterre.com/2010/05/10/to-maestro-with-love/#comments Mon, 10 May 2010 14:28:25 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=14535 lulu_shoutOur own JJ reviews the Met’s Lulu. [NYP]

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/05/10/to-maestro-with-love/feed/ 44 Verklärte Nackt http://parterre.com/2010/04/29/verklarte-nackt/ http://parterre.com/2010/04/29/verklarte-nackt/#comments Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:25:46 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=14352 jj_thumgOur Own JJ lends his voice to the debate about nudity in art this afternoon on WNYC’s Soundcheck.

UPDATE: you can now listen to the show after the jump.

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/04/29/verklarte-nackt/feed/ 8 Tosca, mi fai dimenticare la regia! http://parterre.com/2010/04/16/tosca-mi-fai-dimenticare-regia/ http://parterre.com/2010/04/16/tosca-mi-fai-dimenticare-regia/#comments Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:53:19 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=13971 Photo: Cory Weaver/Metropolitan Opera“Lights are brighter; the elegantly gowned Tosca no longer plops down on a filthy church floor — and police chief Scarpia’s Act 2 hooker four-way stops short of oral action.” [NYP]

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/04/16/tosca-mi-fai-dimenticare-regia/feed/ 45 Get out your handkerchiefs http://parterre.com/2010/03/31/get-out-your-handkerchiefs/ http://parterre.com/2010/03/31/get-out-your-handkerchiefs/#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 12:09:40 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=13597 met_traviata_sohl“Angela Gheorghiu’s triumph in La Traviata Monday night at the Met was a searing reminder of why we go to opera in the first place.” [NY Post]

Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/03/31/get-out-your-handkerchiefs/feed/ 43 Kiss kiss http://parterre.com/2010/03/29/kiss-kiss-2/ http://parterre.com/2010/03/29/kiss-kiss-2/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:05:02 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=13573 gheorghiu_tosca“Diva! The very word evokes tantrums, unreasonable demands — and the wrath of Aretha Franklin denied her Snickers bar.” Our Own JJ (not pictured) discusses divadom with Angela Gheorghiu in the New York Post.

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/03/29/kiss-kiss-2/feed/ 200 The debut that got away http://parterre.com/2010/03/18/the-debut-that-got-away/ http://parterre.com/2010/03/18/the-debut-that-got-away/#comments Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:07:30 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=13361 judy-a-star-is-born-1954-germanposter02“After all that, it would be gratifying to declare Petersen’s debut a ’star is born’ moment. But… she was pretty much a nonstarter, her Ophélie hovering on the cusp of inaudibility in midrange and shrill on the highest notes.” [NYP]

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/03/18/the-debut-that-got-away/feed/ 43 Only a “Nose” I give you http://parterre.com/2010/03/08/only-a-nose-i-give-you/ http://parterre.com/2010/03/08/only-a-nose-i-give-you/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:06:18 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=13220 nose_review

“The Met’s new production of ‘The Nose’ should be a hit with everyone except headline writers. Had the Shostakovich comedy bombed, they’d quip ‘Met blows nose’ or ‘Don’t pick this opera!’ But since this sassy, smart show is the highlight of the current opera season, they’ll have to settle for something like ‘Breath of fresh air’.”  Our Own JJ reviews The Nose in the New York Post.

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/03/08/only-a-nose-i-give-you/feed/ 11 Snow day http://parterre.com/2010/02/26/snow-day/ http://parterre.com/2010/02/26/snow-day/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:57:45 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=13054 jj_thumgWhat better way to stay warm (and to avoid falling branches) than to enjoy Our Own JJ in a rare symposium appearance?

The bloviation transpires this afternoon, and details are after the jump.

Fans, the Arts, and the Public Sphere in Europe and America

Friday, February 26, 2010
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Center for European and Mediterranean Studies
New York University
285 Mercer Street, 7th floor seminar room

This symposium will consider comparatively the phenomenon of fandom and the public sphere in music, theater, opera, ballet, and sports, as manifested in person, through media, and on line.

Participants:

Claudio Benzecry, Sociology, University of Connecticut
Antoine Hennion, Sociology of Music, Ecole des Mines, Paris
Jennifer Homans, Dance Studies, New York University
James Jorden, Opera Critic, New York Post and parterre.com
Andrei Markovits, Political Science, Sociology & German, University of Michigan

Chairs:

Thomas Ertman, Sociology, New York University
Tamsin Shaw, Philosophy & European Studies, New York University
Larry Wolff, History & European Studies, New York University

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/02/26/snow-day/feed/ 15 First! http://parterre.com/2010/02/24/first/ http://parterre.com/2010/02/24/first/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:38:50 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=13006 attila_photo_thumb“After 130 years, you’d think the Met has done everything at least once. But Tuesday was a night full of firsts…” Our own JJ, if by no means as thorough as Johnny Weird, has his own thoughts about the Met’s Attila. [New York Post]

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/02/24/first/feed/ 17 Talking head http://parterre.com/2010/02/15/talking-head-3/ http://parterre.com/2010/02/15/talking-head-3/#comments Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:55:49 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=12695 EMI ClassicsOur Own JJ discusses Maria Callas and her Voice Of Perfect Imperfection with NPR’s Lynn Neary.

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/02/15/talking-head-3/feed/ 136 Che Sarah, Sarah http://parterre.com/2010/02/09/che-sarah-sarah/ http://parterre.com/2010/02/09/che-sarah-sarah/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:38:14 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=12553 Photo: Rex LottLa Cieca’s old, old, old friend Dorothy Bishop has revived and revised her hilarious Sarah Palin show, now entitled “A Sarah Palin Presidents’ Day Spectacular,” Thursdays in February beginning the 11th at NYC’s Cafe Iguana.

Tickets are $10 for “Friends of La Cieca” at the 8:00 show, and the ascetic members of the cher public will be happy to hear that there is NO food/drink minimum. Cafe Iguana is at 240 West 54th Street, and for reservations you may call (212) 765-5454.

greg_levi

The show features Dorothy’s latest discovery, Gregory Uliasz, as “Levi.” Greg was such a treat in the first run of the show that this time around he gets his own solo!

Our Own JJ put his hand in here and there with direction and lyrics.

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/02/09/che-sarah-sarah/feed/ 1 Make ‘em laugh! http://parterre.com/2010/02/08/make-em-laugh/ http://parterre.com/2010/02/08/make-em-laugh/#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:00:05 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=12513 Ken Howard / Metropolitan Opera“A German, a Peruvian and a Kiwi walk into an American theater and start speaking French: that sounds like the premise of a joke, right?”

Our Own JJ reviews La fille du régiment at the Met.

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/02/08/make-em-laugh/feed/ 25 Diversifying http://parterre.com/2010/01/22/diversifying/ http://parterre.com/2010/01/22/diversifying/#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:26:49 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/?p=12163 hats“In two Verdi operas per formed less than a week apart, legendary tenor Plácido Domingo revealed that, as a conductor, he makes an OK baritone.” Our Own JJ reviews Simon Boccanegra and Stiffelio at the Met. [NYP]

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/01/22/diversifying/feed/ 41 Ecco il ‘mondo’ http://parterre.com/2010/01/20/ecco-il-mondo/ http://parterre.com/2010/01/20/ecco-il-mondo/#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:36:56 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/2010/01/20/ecco-il-mondo/ mondo_post_thumb“In space, no one can hear you scream — but in a planetarium, everyone can hear you sing.”

Our Own JJ (not pictured) reviews Haydn’s Il mondo della luna.  [NYP]

]]> http://parterre.com/2010/01/20/ecco-il-mondo/feed/ 11 Io ne volumi arcani leggo del cielo http://parterre.com/2010/01/19/io-ne-volumi-arcani-leggo-del-cielo-2/ http://parterre.com/2010/01/19/io-ne-volumi-arcani-leggo-del-cielo-2/#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:41:19 +0000 La Cieca http://parterre.com/2010/01/19/simpsons-did-it/ called_itOur Own JJ scoops the world, yet once again.

By two weeks, yet.

January 5: “Despite her flawless voice, the Latvian diva’s singing sounded as stiff and artificial as her frizzy black wig. Her attempts at Christopher Wheeldon’s booty-popping choreography looked game but embarrassing, like a Martha Stewart lesson on pole dancing.” [New York Post]

January 19: “Find fun ways to get fit with Martha on a special show full of unique exercises: Pole dance your way to a toned body…” [MarthaStewart.com]

via gawker.com via martha stewart's people

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