La Cieca has just reviewed the parterre circulation numbers and she is delighted and not a little perplexed to note that the day of the Great Opera News Kerfuffle provided our site with the highest number of pageviews in history, a total of 33,565 views in the 24 hours of Tuesday May 22. Thanks to this story and the WQXR drama a few weeks earlier, parterre is on track for its busiest month ever.

And speaking of the Recent Unpleasantness, the excellent Billevesées brings some insider knowledge to the ongoing discussion, specifically the relationship among the Met, the Guild and Opera News.

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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