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.
Oh, we’ve a veritable stew of canards to feast upon this week, cher public, courtesy of our old friend Rupert Christiansen.
In what seems to be turning into an informal salute to Kathleen Battle (not pictured), our gem from the Mike Richter collection this week is a performance of Un ballo in maschera, featuring Jose Carreras and Katia Ricciarelli (pictured).
The celebrated “lost” issue of parterre box, the queer opera zine (now found, thanks to the avid cataloging of Indiana Loiterer III.)
“…a perfect marriage of text and music, creating a series of tableau-like scenes, as if Paul’s story is being related through a series of exquisitely posed still photographs…”
As part of its “Figaro Unbound: Culture, Power and Revolution at Play” series, Los Angeles Opera next season will present John Corigliano‘s The Ghosts of Versailles featuring soprano Patricia Racette as Marie Antoinette and Broadway legend Patti LuPone as the Turkish entertainer Samira.
Mary Garden, refused admission to several cities because the city fathers disapproved of her cigarette smoking and thought her no good influence for their young, will wear the somber nun’s costume in life even as she has worn it so often on the glittering stage.”
Goddess Anna Caterina Antonacci takes the “Sophia Loren” starring role in La Ciociara, a new work premiering at San Francisco Opera in June, 2015.
Jungfer Marianne Leizmetzerin delivers us a “veristic” treat this week: a complete performance of Adriana Lecouvreur with the gifted Georgian soprano Tamar Iveri in the title role.
Hang around for a few minutes at least, cher public, to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
Saturday afternoon at 12:30 on WQXR’s magazine show Operavore, our own JJ talks about Mathilde Marchesi and Antony Roth Costanzo discusses his Orlofsky role in the Met’s Fledermaus.
“More telephone ring tones come from Bizet’s Carmen that any other opera.”
From an early Mike Richter CD-ROM, “Odd Opera” comes this gem, a live performance of Handel’s Semele at Carnegie Hall on February 23, 1985, the 300th anniversary of the composer’s birth.
“Will the actors stepping into the iconic roles live up to the perfection of Heath Ledger and Tob[e]y Maguire?”
Which opera rag has just done away with its new publisher, less than three months after a much-publicized hire?
The lovably garrulous jailer Frosch, as portrayed by Broadway’s Danny Burstein in the Met’s production of Die Fledermaus, has revised his opinion of the art of opera, at least temporarily.
“Richard Bernstein is a very good-looking guy, even with his clothes on.”
“Renowned soprano Renée Fleming demonstrates how she can treat a song like a mini-opera.”
“…the Met’s brand new production of Die Fledermaus, which premiered on New Year’s Eve, is overproduced, undersung and interminable, less a holiday entertainment than a checklist of opera-making skills the company can’t seem to master.”
Given the no-show of Anna Netrebko at the final dress rehearsal of L’elisir d’amore, the recent rift in the Netrebko-Schrott household and this insane weather, La Cieca thinks it’s time for the hive mind to decide who’s singing Adina at the Met on Thursday night.
“Mary Garden once said, ‘None of those dumb blondes can play my life.’ How right she is.”
For this week’s blast from the past, Jungfer Marianne Leizmetzerin has unearthed an in-house tape featuring Met newbies Plácido Domingo and Montserrat Caballé singing Un ballo in maschera in 1970!
Let’s get the new year started off right, cher public, with a tasteful, well-mannered discussion of off-topic and general interest subjects.
But surely it only feels that long?
La Cieca can’t even…
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
