Next week at The Morgan Library and Museum, New York City Opera General Manager-Designate Gerard Mortier will discuss his vision of opera. The lecture, entitled “The Excitement of 20th-Century Opera,” will focus on classic works composed by Claude Debussy, Leos Janácek, Olivier Messiaen, Karol Szymanowski, Mieczyslaw Weinberg, and others. Tickets for the program, scheduled for Friday, November 7 at 6:30 pm, are $20 and $25. More details may be found here.

UPDATE: A new production of Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen has just opened at the Opéra Bastille; according to the program it’s a co-production with the NYCO. Says reviewer George Loomis in the International Herald Tribune, “Happily, André Engel‘s staging will warm the hearts of even those most wary of the radical production style linked to Mortier.”

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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