Adès in the dark
By
La Cieca
Slim British tenor Ian Bostridge arrives in town for a recital on November 28 featuring Thomas Adès‘ “Darknesse Visible,” as well as the work upon which it “reflects,” the John Dowland song “In darkness let me dwell,” as a sort of prelude to an evening of Heinrich Heine settings including the Dichterliebe. And you, cher public, have a chance to attend the concert as a guest of Carnegie Hall!
La Cieca won’t make this competition overly complicated, just keyed to the themes of Bostridge’s program. Your task is to find and post a YouTube clip either of a notable performance of a song from the Dichterliebe or else of some music associated with darkness. Include paragraph or two explaining why your selection is special, for reasons aesthetic or personal or anywhere in between.
The best “darkness” comment wins a pair of tickets to Bostridge’s Carnegie date, and the finest “Dichterliebe” comment will garner an autographed copy of the tenor’s new tome A Singer’s Notebook. Everyone who enters will receive a discount code for 25% off tickets for the Carnegie program.
The judging of the comments will be done by parterre’s usual panel of blue-ribbon experts and La Cieca’s decision will, as always, be final.
Let’s close this competition at noon on Friday, shall we?
(Photo by Simon Fowler)
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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Topics: competition
