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.
Starring Anna Netrebko, Dolora Zajick, Yonghoon Lee, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, conducted by Marco Armiliato. Production by David McVicar. From October 3, 2015.
Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.
With Matthew Polenzani, Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, Olga Kulchynska, Emily D’Angelo and Martin Mitterrutzner.
Born on this day in 1921 tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano.
Starring Natalie Dessay, Felicity Palmer, Juan Diego Flórez, and Alessandro Corbelli, conducted by Marco Armiliato. Production by Laurent Pelly. From April 26, 2008.
Starring Erin Morley, Hibla Gerzmava, Kate Lindsey, Christine Rice, V______ G______, and Thomas Hampson, conducted by Yves Abel. Production by Bartlett Sher. From January 31, 2015.
Starring Diana Damrau, Matthew Polenzani, Mariusz Kwiecien, and Nicolas Testé, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. Production by Penny Woolcock. From January 16, 2016.
Starring Tatiana Troyanos, Jean Kraft, P______ D______, and Vern Shinall; Teresa Stratas, P______ D______, Sherrill Milnes, and Allan Monk, conducted by J____ L_____. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From April 5, 1978.
Starring Renée Fleming, Cecilia Bartoli, Susanne Mentzer, Dwayne Croft, and Bryn Terfel, conducted by J____ L_____. Production by Jonathan Miller. From November 11, 1998.
Born on this day in 1868 socialite and soprano Florence Foster Jenkins.
Starring Nina Stemme, Anita Hartig, Marco Berti, and Alexander Tsymbalyuk, conducted by Paolo Carignani. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From January 30, 2016.
In tribute to the late Graham Vick, a full-scale production of Rossini’s opera seria from the 2019 Pesaro Festival.
Born on this day in 1941 R&B singer Martha Reeves.
Starring Angela Gheorghiu, Lisette Oropesa, Roberto Alagna, Marius Brenciu, and Samuel Ramey, conducted by Marco Armiliato. Production by Nicolas Joël. From January 10, 2009.
Susan Graham, Bryan Hymel and Anna Caterina Antonacci star in this production from San Francisco Opera.
Starring Barbara Daniels, P______ D______, and Sherrill Milnes, conducted by Leonard Slatkin. Production by Giancarlo Del Monaco. From April 8, 1992.
Starring Hui He, Elizabeth DeShong, Bruce Sledge, and Paulo Szot, conducted by Pier Giorgio Morandi. Production by Anthony Minghella. From November 9, 2019.
Should the new John Corigliano / Mark Adamo opera The Lord of Cries be renamed The Lord of Crisis?
Starring Shirley Verrett, Luciano Pavarotti, and Cornell MacNeil, conducted by James Conlon. From December 19, 1978.
Starring Renata Scotto, Maralin Niska, Luciano Pavarotti, Ingvar Wixell, and Paul Plishka, conducted by J____ L_____. Production by Fabrizio Melano. From March 15, 1977.
Born on this day in 1913 Broadway’s go-to character actress Despo.
As the Met gears up for its first performances in a year and a half. the company is already canceling shows in the early fall.
Starring Karita Mattila, Marcello Giordani, and Dwayne Croft, conducted by J____ L_____. From February 16, 2008.
From San Francisco Opera with Malin Bystrom, Karita Mattila, William Burden, and Scott Quinn under the baton of Jiri Belohlávek. Directed by Olivier Tambosi.
Starring Karita Mattila, Ildikó Komlósi, Kim Begley, Joseph Kaiser, and Juha Uusitalo, conducted by Patrick Summers. Production by Jürgen Flimm. From October 11, 2008.
A Baroque Valentine’s with Opera Lafayette | Feb | DC & NYC
Celebrate love in all its guises with tender ballads, amorous duets, cheeky verses, and bawdy drinking songs plus food, cocktails and wine.
