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.
The classic American opera features many artists from the triumphant 2019–20 production’s Grammy Award-winning cast. Eric Owens and Angel Blue star as the title couple, with conductor David Robertson on the podium.
By La Cieca
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Conductor Eun Sun Kim, who became music director of San Francisco Opera this fall, makes her Met debut.
By La Cieca
The classic American opera features many artists from the triumphant 2019–20 production’s Grammy Award-winning cast. Eric Owens and Angel Blue star as the title couple, with conductor David Robertson on the podium.
By La Cieca
Wexford Festival Opera 2021 presents Alfredo Catalani’s Edmea.
By La Cieca
Ermonela Jaho, Elina Garanca, Brian Jagde and Nicola Alaimo star in a live performance from the Vienna State Opera.
By La Cieca
Antonio Pappano conducts Michael Volle, Lise Davidsen, Klaus Florian Vogt and Johannes Martin Kränzle.
By La Cieca
Born on this day in 1946 actress and superstar Holly Woodlawn.
By La Cieca
In tribute to Edita Gruberova, a 2010 performance of one of her favorite later-career vehicles, Lucrezia Borgia.
By La Cieca
An audio stream of tonight’s sold-out Met performance.
By La Cieca
La Cieca hears that Anna Netrebko has cancelled her November performances of Nabucco in Vienna to schedule shoulder surgery.
By La Cieca
The Slovak soprano, whose career spanned more than 50 years, died yesterday in Zurich. She was 74.
By La Cieca
Christine Goerke and Yusif Eyvazov star in a live broadcast from the Met.
By La Cieca
Happy 53rd birthday to actress, comedian and singer Jane Krakowski.
By La Cieca
Asmik Grigorian as Jenufa in her Covent Garden debut and Karita Mattila as the Kostelnicka lead a star cast with conductor Henrik Nánási.
By La Cieca
Born on this day in 1880 singer and vaudevillian Nora Bayes.
By La Cieca
Bass René Pape, the world’s reigning Boris, reprises his overwhelming portrayal of the tortured tsar caught between grasping ambition and crippling paranoia. The original 1869 version runs two-and-a-quarter hours with no intermission.
By La Cieca
Assuming Facebook and Instagram will remain inaccessible through the evening, here’s something to amuse you meantimes: La Cenerentola from the Teatro Real in Madrid.
By La Cieca
This rare performance of Arrigo Boito‘s sprawling Roman epic was recorded at the Bregenz Festival in July 2021.
By La Cieca
The Met’s premiere of Terence Blanchard‘s Fire Shut Up in My Bones dominated the top ten list of most popular articles on parterre box in September.
By La Cieca
The Metropolitan Opera’s opening night for 2021 features the the historic company premiere of Terence Blanchard’s Fire Shut Up in My Bones.
By La Cieca
Pop culture diva Kim Kardashian seized the opportunity of Sunday night’s Met gala to perform a scene from a lesser-known Richard Strauss opera, Der Schatten ohne Frau.
By La Cieca
Born on this day in 1904 actress Gladys George.
By La Cieca
Simone Young conducts a new production by Andreas Homoki from the Opernhaus Zürich.
By La Cieca
Born on this day in 1938 mezzo-soprano Tatiana Troyanos.
By La Cieca
