“Are we really only two months into the Met season? After acrimonious union negotiations that threatened to shutter the company, music director James Levine’s first opening night in four years, Anna Netrebko’s coruscating Lady Macbeth, the first night of Death of Klinghoffer disrupted by protesters, and, lately, a rash of star cancellation, it seems like it should be April already and we should be preparing to put the season to bed.” Sooner or later, Our Own JJ (not pictured) gets around to discussing the Met’s Barbiere di Siviglia and Juilliard’s Turco in Italia in this week’s New York Observer. (Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera)
Rossini crescendo
Sooner or later, Our Own JJ gets around to discussing the Met’s Barbiere di Siviglia and Juilliard’s Turco in Italia in this week’s New York Observer.
By La Cieca 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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Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
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.