La Cieca hopes the cher public won’t let poor Manon Lescaut get too lonely out there in the bayou or the heath or whatever it is, because you’ll want stay close to listen to our latest Identification Quiz, 15 sopranos in full hysterical wail.  

The following sound clip, as researched and curated by our own Chris Corwin, features the aforementioned 15 singers performing a fragment of Manon’s final aria “Sola, perduta, abbandonata” from Puccini’s opera. Your task, my dears, is to identify all 15 (or as many as you can) in the comments section.

The first reader to name all singers correctly in the correct order in the comments section will win a crisp new parterre box t-shirt. In the unlikely event that no participant can name all the artists correctly, the prize will go to the one having the most names correct when the competition ends on Friday, February 12 at midnight, i.e., not long after the premiere performance of the new production of Manon Lescaut at the Met.

The competition is open only to those parterrians who have not won a a vocal ID competition in the past year. (If you’re uncertain about your status, please contact me at [email protected].)As always, La Cieca’s decisions as to eligibility and any other topic under the sun must be considered irrevocable.

Ready for the anguish? Then listen!

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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