It has been said that at parterre.com the only way to separate the men from the boys is by calling in the vice cops, but La Cieca begs to differ. Many of the regulars on this site call themselves opera queens, but La Cieca is betting that perhaps one, perhaps several, perhaps none of you will be able to identify all 14 sopranos singing a key phrase from La traviata.

il mio, ah, ah, si!

Whichsoever one of you is first to email La Cieca with all 14 names in the correct order will not only be crowned “Queen Among Men,” but will receive a special supersized amazon.com gift card. (In the unlikely event that nobody gets a perfect score, La Cieca will throw the discussion open to a general melee in the comments section.)

La Cieca gives credit where credit is due: this audio quiz was created by the lilting Lindoro Almaviva.

La Cieca

James Jorden (who wrote under the names "La Cieca" and "Our Own JJ") was the founder and editor of parterre box. During his 20 year career as an opera critic he wrote for the New York Times, Opera, Gay City News, Opera Now, Musical America and the New York Post. He also raised his voice in punditry on National Public Radio. From time to time he directed opera, including three unsuccessful productions of Don Giovanni. He also contributed a regular column on opera for the New York Observer. James died in October 2023.

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