A sharp-eyed spy at tonight’s performance of Die Walküre at the Met notes that, while there were no malfunctions of the Machine per se, there was an unexpected moment of levity during the third act.

In the midst of the Wotan-Brünnhilde colloquy, “guess who made a guest appearance? The Microsoft logo… as a projection on The Machine during a technical glitch (about 1/2 a second) on the mountain.” The informant adds that this brief, almost subliminal moment “won the evening’s biggest laugh.”

So: the Machine runs on Windows. Suddenly everything makes sense. (Image based on a photo by Ken Howard.)

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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