Jon Vickers 1926-2015
The legendary Canadian heldentenor died on Friday. He was 88.
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.
“My work is done”
John Berry, artistic director of the English National Opera, has announced he intends to step down from his role after 20 years with the Company.
Perchè tarda la luna?
Anna Netrebko‘s current concert tour is scheduled at some point to include her first public performance of “In questa reggia” from Turandot, but it hasn’t happened so far.
That’s not got much spam in it
On this day in 1937 Spam, the luncheon meat, was introduced into the market by the Hormel Foods Corporation.
Pop! Six! Squish! Uh-uh!
“In a sudden, stunning, and largely unexplained change in procedure, Lyric Opera of Chicago has opted not to release any details of its financial performance for FY2015 that ended yesterday.”
Tu che di gelato sei cinta
It’s the first of July, and naturally La Cieca won’t let the day go by without a salute to those wonderful advertisers who keep parterre.com online and thriving.
Journalist’s afternoon tea guest list decimated
“Why did they concur? I was shocked to see children in the audience.”
“Nun halt’ ich, was mich erhebt, der Mächtigen mächtigsten Herrn!”
In an unprecedented move, the Bayreuth Festival has named conductor Christian Thielemann official “Music Director.”
Silenzio! Anna verso noi s’avanza
A first hint of what Anna Netrebko‘s latest Verdi role will sound like.
Pas de quatre
“La couleur dramatique l’emporte irrésistiblement.”
Ha, wie begreifst du schnell und wohl!
Well done all of you for guessing almost all the correct identities of the mysterious Ortruden.
Triskaidekaphilia
Your task: name the Ortruds, all unlucky 13 of them.
Ronald Wilford 1927-2015
The “manager of legendary maestros” including James Levine, died today in Manhattan. He was 87. [New York Times]
Mixed messages
For instance, the mule is more intelligent and more patient than its parents the horse and the donkey.
Herrn Tristan bringe meinen Gruss
Our dear friends over at Opera Depot are slashing prices in half on all their recordings of Tristan und Isolde in honor of the music drama’s 150th anniversary.
Summer madness
Though La Cieca’s occasional brushes with democracy have not left her with much faith in that form of decision-making, she is going to make the leap anyway and turn some small measure of control over to you, the cher public.
Margaret Juntwait 1957-2015
The host of the Metropolitan Opera’s Saturday Afternoon Radio Broadcasts and longtime public radio personality died today of complications from ovarian cancer. She was 58.
Good will hunting
The New York City Opera saga apparently wasn’t quite dramatic enough, so now there’s a new plot twist thrown into the mix.
Dead nacred
La Cieca (not pictured) surrenders, cher public: she can no longer bear the burden of opposing ignorant, hysterical pearl-clutching on the internet. The clutchers have won.
Dearly beloved
Mezzo Rinat Shaham takes a short break from being the world’s busiest Carmen and rehearsing for the theatrical concert “The Sorrows of Young Werther” to dish with your doyenne.
I have seen the future and it is posh
The visionary Rupert Christiansen peers into the mists of the not-yet and apprehends the perfection of the Wagnerian Gesamtkunstwerk.
“Now where did I put that tiara?”
Setting, or surely approaching, some sort of record for sheer breadth of career (70 years!), Lucine Amara returns to the New York stage this summer as the Duchess of Krakenthorp in La Fille du Régiment.
While I was sleeping
If La Cieca’s life were a romantic comedy, then your doyenne would surely be 1990s era Sandra Bullock, you know, the heroine, right?