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.
Our weekly find from the Mike Richter collection: Le nozze di Figaro from the Bayerische Staatsoper with a geniunely A-list cast.
From “Opera from München, Volume 1,” a live recording from July 27/29, 1987:
Figaro: Hermann Prey
Susanna: Helen Donath
Conte Almaviva: Thomas Allen
Contessa Almaviva: Margaret Price
Cherubino: Anne Sophie von Otter
Bartolo: Kurt Moll
Marcellina: Cornelia Wulkopf
Basilio: David Thaw
Antonio: Gerhard Auer
Barbarina: Frances Lucey
Don Curzio: Friedrich Lenz
Conductor: Colin Davis
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.
Our weekly find from the Mike Richter collection: Le nozze di Figaro from the Bayerische Staatsoper with a geniunely A-list cast. 
