March 2009
The Met’s season premiere of L’elisir d’amore, starring Angela Gheorghiu and Massimo Giordano, is tonight’s topic of discussion. Listen at 8:00 pm on Sirius or RealNetworks and chat, chat, chat!
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In the bodice-ripping tradition of HBOShowtime’s The Tudors, DG presents I Capuleti e i Montecchi. Or does La Cieca just think everyone looks like Jonathan Rhys Meyers?
Latest to join the ranks of classical music bloggers: intrepid Anne Midgette, whose Classical Beat offically launched today. Coverage includes la Midgette’s recent head-butt with Norman Lebrecht on the subject of the Wizard of Bayreuth.
At last we know the identity of the eponymous heroine of Rufus Wainwright‘s maiden effort as opera composer. The aging Prima Donna who is strugging “to regain her status as a top-flight soprano on the world stages” s’appelle Régine Saint Laurent. If ever a name screamed, “cover girl, put the bass in your walk,” surely…
Since we in New York are not going to hear Rolando Villazon until (at the earliest) April 8, La Cieca thought it would be interesting to share a recent document of his singing. Here’s a scene from Act 3 of Werther, as sung in Paris earlier this month. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/1EpdcOzw8o4″ width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] (Thanks,…
Mrs. John Claggart saw through the balloonery of our most recent Regie quiz, correctly identifying not only the opera Werther but each scene depicted. So, cher public, let’s see how you do with this week’s conundrum.
Many of you (well, a few of you) have expressed an interest in La Cieca’s working process as a journalist. As such, your doyenne thought she would share with you dear people some rare documentary footage of La Cieca’s early days reporting and writing opera gossip. Or, in other words: this, cher public, is how…
Werther with Rolando Villazon and Susan Graham continues on France Musique. (Broadcast began at 3:00 pm EDT.) Concert donné le 28 février 2009 à l’Opéra Bastille à Paris, en simultané avec l’Union européenne de radios. Rolando Villazon : Werther, poète; Ludovic Tézier : Albert, jeune homme; Alain Vernhes : Le Magistrat; Christian Jean : Schmidt,…
For the first time in, well, quite a while really, La Cieca reminds the cher public that your donations help support the various goings-on here at parterre.com. Won’t you take a moment to click on the PayPal link below? We now return you to our unscheduled programming.
And people say that in olden days singers used more chest! Ha, says La Cieca. Ha!
Sempiternal Magda Olivero celebrated her 99th birthday earlier this week.
La Cieca never knows quite how far to go in repeating what she “is told,” but since some of it seems to be leaking out anyway, well, she’ll try to be tactful. Apparently sometimes opera companies choose to use terminology like “laryngitis” and “knee injury” in order to avoid having to say “exhibited bizarre behavior…
La Cieca really, really doesn’t like to say this, but the truth seems to be staring us in the face, so here goes. We have seen the last of Rolando Villazón at the Met. Even though he’s announced as having canceled only the first two performances of Elisir, it’s pretty clear that he’s just not…
UPDATED YET ONCE MORE (March 26 at 5:00 pm): Per the Met’s press office, “Massimo Giordano will sing the role of Nemorino in L’Elisir d’Amore on March 31 and April 4 matinee, replacing Rolando Villazón, who is suffering from laryngitis.” UPDATED AGAIN (March 26 at 3:55 pm): Iréne Theorin will sing the first two matinees…
“Salvatore, viens, j’ai trouvé une étoile!” [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/5xXf8mh81dg” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] Wenarto, watch your back!
La Cieca realizes she hasn’t devised a contest for you competitive members of the cher public in, oh, ages. So she’s going to direct you to the Omniscient Mussel blog, where the game is to offer an opera plot synopsis via Twitter.
La Cieca hears that the New York City Opera will present four five productions during their 2009-2010 season, including a new staging of Don Giovanni directed by David Christopher Alden and starring Daniel Okulitch (pictured). Revivals of “old” NYCO productions at The David H. Koch Theater include Weisgall’s Esther (with Lauren Flanigan), L’etoile, Partenope and…
A source close to the Met whispers to La Cieca that Rolando Villazon “will cancel” the first performance of L’elisir d’amore at the house on March 31. This, La Cieca should mention, is based on an overheard conversation between Sarah Billinghurst and Angela Gheorghiu.
Which soprano’s knee injury is fermenting trouble for her highly-awaited appearances in New York this spring? Let’s hope the company is ready with a rescue team!
In tribute to the last revival ever of the Met’s beloved “rags ‘n rocks” production of Wagner’s Ring, here’s a rare video clip from an early rehearsal of the cycle.
Peter Gelb has just announced that, due to the indisposition of Natalie Dessay, the role of Amina in La sonnambula will be sung tonight by Rolando Villazon. (Thanks to Opera Chic!)
As we wish Joan Crawford a happy 101st (or 105th) birthday, La Cieca asks you to imagine what it might have been (pronounced “bean”) like if Our Lady of the Shoulders had continued her vocal studies with Rosa Ponselle. Not “Joan Crawford Sings Verdi” exactly, but, my goodness, that woman could certainly fill out an…
In case you’re wondering why Roberto Alagna‘s Roméo suddenly sprouted baby-blue capri pants between dress rehearsal and opening night, well, cherchez la femme, as they say. “It was a little bit tricky,” [Alagna] laughs. “They gave me a sort of, I don’t know, very short underwear. It was right for the situation, but Angela didn’t agree.…
According to a release from the Met’s press office, “Margaret Jane Wray will sing the role of Santuzza in Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana tonight, replacing Waltraud Meier, who is ill.”
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