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.
Coming September 17 from La Polverosa, a new CD entitled Guilty Pleasures.
“Placido Domingo Released From Hospital; Tenor Confirms He Will Sing Giovanna d’Arco”
La Cieca (pictured) gives you leave to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
What better way to spend a lazy Friday afternoon in midsummer than watching a webcast of Rigoletto?
There are so many neglected operas like Antony and Cleopatra or Les Huguenots that have been treated so unfairly…
Which Tony and Emmy winner plans to max out his acting resume by appearing at the Met next season, though, oddly enough, not in Traviata?
If you’re a hard-core opera buff who finds the Met’s flashy sets and costumes distracting, have I got a show for you!
Starting right this minute, Lucia di Lammermoor starring Diana Damrau and Joseph Calleja, webcast by Sonostream!
La Cieca apologizes for her tardiness in saluting dear Mary this week, but she thinks you will agree it’s worth the wait.
Opening last night, the most buzzed-about show at the Lincoln Center Festival was inspired by a 16th-century Chinese folk tale of a sassy Monkey, who uses his magic powers and awesome kung fu skills to retrieve holy scriptures from India.
So guess who makes more money than Peter Gelb and works less, sometimes a lot less? Answer: a lot of people.
Stay cool and comment on off-topic and general interest subjects, cher public.
“Say! What about throwing your very own baby in the fire by accident? There’s one for you. Doesn’t get much more implausible than that!”
In belated recognition of the 70th birthday of Eva Marton (she celebrated that milestone on June 18) La Cieca offers a particularly fiery performance of Tosca from Manila in 1979.
The complete recording of Der Ring des Nibelungen conducted by Christian Thielemann at the Bayreuth Festival is now on sale
for only $5.99. And, no, I am not making this up.
One of the most familiar of all operas in an unfamiliar guise: the original (1853) score of La traviata, heard here in a 2001 performance at the Verdi Festival di Busseto.
What, you might ask, could a middle-of-the-road middlebrow stage director add to this monumental chef-d’oeuvre?
Before we Yanks all go our merry ways for the July 4 holiday, here’s a quick reminder of this summer’s must-see.
“Gheorghiu has admitted a romance with Cézar, a flamboyant Romanian counter-tenor…”
More virtual opera for those poor souls starved of the real thing: Rossini’s Ermione starring Anna Caterina Antonacci!
“But Thais is a French opera.”
It has come to La Cieca’s attention that the New York Opera Calendar is sadly devoid of content until Saturday of this week.
La Cieca, appearing live on tape, extends her thanks to parterre’s advertisers for the month of July.
As soon as you are finished celebrating the gay pride of yourself and/or others, cher public, feel free to comment here on matters off-topic and general.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
