gotta_giveJames Levine was too ill Wednesday night to conduct Les Contes d’Hoffmann, sending on John Keenan in his place.  That same night PBS telecast a performance of Tosca taped earlier this fall which Joseph Colaneri had to take over for the injured Levine.

You will be happy to hear that Maestro Jimmy seems to be back in fettle for Saturday afternoon’s Hoffmann and (what La Cieca presumes is surely the real point here) a concert with the Met Orchestra and Stephanie Blythe performing Elgar’s Sea Pictures and Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 at Carnegie Hall on Sunday afternoon.

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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