The polls are closed and the results are in: the winner of this year’s Unnatural Acts of Opera Summer Festival is French Grand Opera. To kick off the festival we have that most grand of all grand operas, Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots.

Les Huguenots, Act One

Raoul de Nangis – Marcello Giordani
Valentine – Annalisa Raspaglosi
Marguerite di Valois – Diana Damrau
Le Comte de Saint-Bris – Frode Olsen
Nevers – Zeljko Lucic
Urbain – Sara Alegretta
Marcel – Soon-Won Kang
De Cosse – Jacek Pazola
Maurevert – Simon Bailey
Tavannes – Peter Marsh
Frankfurter Museumsorchester; Conductor: Guido Johanes Rumstadt.

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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