La Cieca
James Jorden (who writes under the names "La Cieca" and "Our Own JJ") is the founder and editor of parterre box. During his 20 year career as an opera critic he has written for the New York Times, Opera, Gay City News, Opera Now, Musical America and the New York Post. He has also raised his voice in punditry on National Public Radio. From time to time he has directed opera, including three unsuccessful productions of Don Giovanni, a work he hopes to return to someday. Currently he alternates his doyenne duties with writing a weekly column on opera for the New York Observer.
“For this evening’s performance of Norma (March 22, 2023), Norma will now be sung by Helena Dix, replacing Sonya Yoncheva.”
By La Cieca
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“I greatly enjoyed the musical interpretation as a whole, even if I felt that many of the singers seemed a little lost, mismatched, or out-of-place in François Girard’s production.”
By La Cieca
“In its current Met revival, happily, Falstaff has everything it needs.”
By La Cieca
Protean Anna Netrebko has booked her first performances of Ponchielli’s La Gioconda .
By La Cieca
Angel Blue’s “experience in the role shows as the voice sails over the arching lines of Verdi’s cantilena like liquid velvet.”
By La Cieca
Celebrate International Women’s Day 2023 with a broadcast of Bellini’s masterpiece.
By La Cieca
Vladimir Jurowski conducts a new production by Dmitri Tcherniakov of Prokofiev’s epic. Streamed live from the Bayerische Staatsoper.
By La Cieca
Today’s “Listeners’ Choice” is a broadcast of Donizetti’s opera from March 11, 1978.
By La Cieca
Piotr Beczala is the Grail Knight in tonight’s live broadcast.
By La Cieca
Like all true opera queens, the parterrians live in the time to come. Thus this month’s #1 most read post!
By La Cieca
Six contemporary operas, including four Metropolitan premieres, headline the company’s upcoming season, which was announced today at noon.
By La Cieca
A live recording of the four-act version of Verdi’s opera from the fall.
By La Cieca
On this day in 1918 the Metropolitan Opera presented a new production of Bellini’s I puritani featuring soprano Maria Barrientos.
By La Cieca
A live video stream of a new production of Strauss’s opera from the Vienna State Opera.
By La Cieca
On this day in 1958 soprano Gloria Davy made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Aida.
By La Cieca
A historic performance from 1970 featuring Leonard Bernstein conducting Grace Bumbry and Franco Corelli in Cavalleria Rusticana, and Fausto Cleva conducting Teresa Stratas and Richard Tucker in Pagliacci.
By La Cieca
On this day in 1968 mezzo-soprano Fiorenza Cossotto made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Amneris.
By La Cieca
In this historic Met broadcast from 50 years ago, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli leads Sherrill Milnes and Martina Arroyo.
By La Cieca
Emmanuelle Haïm and Calixto Bieito collaborate on a new production of Handel’s opera seria from the Dutch National Opera.
By La Cieca
The ineffable Miss Leontyne Price, anthologized as a subject for Chris’s Cache, swept the board in January 2023.
By La Cieca
Recorded at the Vienna State Opera earlier this month: Anna Netrebko sings her first Aida and Jonas Kaufmann his first Radames at the Vienna State Opera, Elina Garanca makes her long-awaited debut as Amneris, Luca Salsi can be heard as Amonasro.
By La Cieca
This new production of Verdi’s grand opera will star Piero Pretti, Marina Rebeka, Luca Micheletti and Simon Lim.
By La Cieca
