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On this first day of full equality here in New York, La Cieca is going to be just the teensiest bit quizzical and suggest listening to a couple of works that prove that not all operas are created equal! The two grand selections follow the jump.
At 2:00 pm, we have on the one hand Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots from La Monnaie, as broadcast on Belgium’s KLARA, a performance recorded June 19.
And on the other hand—at the same time—there’s Les Vêpres Siciliennes of Verdi, performed at the Teatro San Carlo di Napoli, heard on RADIO TRE (RAI).
Not in quite so Parisian a mood? Then tune in to your choice of Fidelio, Lucia di Lammermoor, Alcina, Atys, Tristan und Isolde, Werther, Un ballo in maschera, The Mikado, Rusalka, La fanciulla del West or Lyubov k tryom apel’sinam—as detailed on operacast.com. But whatever you do, don’t forget to visit La Casa della Cieca!
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.
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.