La Cieca is delighted to hear that the Opéra de Paris and soprano Natalie Dessay just last night performed an hommage to Maria Callas by recreating one of the most famous nights of La Divina’s career. Unfortunately, that “night” was January 2, 1958, and in the intervening half century, opera management still hasn’t learned its lesson.

Just as on the notorious night of the “Rome Walkout,” no cover was available at the Opéra when Dessay was unable to continue singing — even though she has been complaining of a sore throat for the past three weeks.  And so the second act of La sonnambula was not given, and the audience sent home.

Call for submissions: parterre box‘s new Talk of the Town

Call for submissions: parterre box‘s new Talk of the Town

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Call for submissions: parterre box‘s new Talk of the Town

parterre box is launching a new themed regular feature curated by our readers and opera fans across the world! We are asking for your favorite clips, recordings, and anecdotes to get people chatting, listening, and thinking.

From parterre box

parterre box is launching a new themed regular feature curated by our readers and opera fans across the world! We are asking for your favorite clips, recordings, and anecdotes to get people chatting, listening, and thinking.

From parterre box