Opera from a certain point of view. The best opera magazine on the web. Reviews, breaking news, critical essays, and brainrot commentary on opera from those demented enough to love it.
Which mechanism devised by which Canadian theatrical savant—the subject of a full-page advertisement purchased by which fucking genius in the Sunday edition of which newspaper that publishes “all the news that’s fit to print”— well, anyway, that mechanism, remember, it malfunctioned tonight during which New York opera company’s performance of which music drama named after which Teutonic hero? Wait, don’t guess until you’ve read what’s after the jump.
An eyewitness reports “throughout the entire second act, the far rightmost plank… was out of position. It should have been essentially vertical, like all the rest. But it was raised about 45 degrees from vertical, sticking out toward the audience.”
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.