A wig and a prayer A wig and a prayer

A snarky commentator might dub last night at the Met “Boris of the divo hair flip” but that would do a disservice to a serious, often effective performance of the challenging original version of Mussorgsky’s masterpiece.

on September 29, 2021 at 11:23 AM
Sneer and sneer again Sneer and sneer again

Separated at smirk: base George Sanders and bass René Pape.

on October 16, 2019 at 2:10 PM
Geh such dir die Stars vom vergangenen Jahr! Geh such dir die Stars vom vergangenen Jahr!

Tristan has been the season-launching opera three times before now, but good luck finding someone to provide a firsthand account of the last time.

on September 23, 2016 at 3:20 AM
“Something great in itself” “Something great in itself”

Now we have considered the three “winners” in the Tristan competition, let’s turn to the also-rans, or, to be more optimistic, the runners up.

on September 22, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Not only with words, but with lively gestures Not only with words, but with lively gestures

“I will never sing the role again. It was frightful. We were a set of madwomen…There is nothing beyond Elektra. We have lived and reached the furthest boundaries in dramatic writing for the voice with Wagner. But Richard Strauss goes beyond him. His singing voices are lost. We have come to a full stop.” 

on April 12, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Winter afternoon’s dream Winter afternoon’s dream

It took the better part of a decade—including two high-profile cancelations—or New York to finally hear Anna Netrebko in recital.

on February 29, 2016 at 9:35 AM
If I had a photograph of you If I had a photograph of you

So, as La Cieca understands it, this Halloween Rene Pape is going as Alice Coote disguised as Simon Le Bon playing The Joker attending a Flock of Seagulls concert.

on October 25, 2015 at 6:44 PM
Pape music Pape music

There is something so very Don Draper about René Pape .

on September 28, 2014 at 8:55 PM
Hysterical blondeness Hysterical blondeness

Wednesday brought the Met’s “real” season opener, an indelible, indispensable night at the opera: a starry revival of Verdi’s Macbeth crowned by Anna Netrebko’s demented Lady.

on September 26, 2014 at 1:37 PM
We’ll settle that tonight! We’ll settle that tonight!

La Cieca has been wining, dining and otherwise wooing her Met connection (pictured above) and he (or is it she?) has come across with some tidbits about upcoming seasons at Casa Gelb.

on August 14, 2013 at 3:59 PM
The case of the missing vehicle The case of the missing vehicle

La Cieca’s sources tell her that a planned revival of Faust at the Met in the fall of 2014 has been canceled, because who wants to see that ugly thing again, or else the leading lady didn’t feel like singing it, whichever.

on April 16, 2013 at 11:16 AM
Teen spirit Teen spirit

La Cieca thought it would be amusing to do a bit of speculation about what’s to come as we approach the middle of the decade.

on March 11, 2013 at 5:56 PM
Ring à la russe Ring à la russe

Wagner is becoming an important calling card for Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theatre.

on February 11, 2013 at 2:10 PM

At tonight’s Faust performance, two events of note: René Pape, upon his re-entrance after the Jewel Song, ad-libbed the spoken line “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” The performance, a broadcast, was the basso’s final one of this production.) After this moment of comedy, drama followed at the curtain calls.

on December 29, 2011 at 12:06 AM

Versatile diva Violeta Urmana takes on the demanding verismo role of Giordano’s Fedora for the first time at… Oh, sorry, that’s René Pape as Méphistophélès in Faust at Covent Garden! (Photo by Catherine Ashmore)

on September 20, 2011 at 3:18 PM

René Pape has withdrawn from La Scala’s season-opening new production of Die Walküre, in what was to have been his role debut as Wotan. Vitalij Kowaljow will substitute.  Pape is still scheduled to sing this role at the Berlin Staatsoper in April 2011. It is not clear at this point if Pape’s decision was based…

on October 29, 2010 at 2:08 PM

La Cieca hears that Rene Pape has just canceled an upcoming production of Les Contes d’Hoffmann. Now, we New Yorkers perhaps should not panic quite yet, because the engagement he has just asked to be released from is not at the Met. On the other hand, the Hoffmann Pape is leaving is after his scheduled…

on June 07, 2009 at 1:19 PM