O brother, wired art thou?
Shocker of the century! The New York Times reveals that Met singers are miked!
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.
Lèse majesté
Dame Gwyneth Jones is fighting an attempt to oust her as president of the Wagner Society, a position she has held for 23 years.
Statue of limitations
Our weekly canard concerns that greatest of all operas, Don Giovanni—or is it?
Semi tough
Here’s Jonas Kaufmann last night in Munich, singing Manrico’s scena from Trovatore
She sang a mouthful
Soprano Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs sings the final scene from Salome in the Stefan Herheim production for Den Norske Opera.
Between the conception and the creation between the emotion and the response
So finally we can see what the Robert Lepage Ring would have looked like if only the Machine hadn’t been totally fucked.
Tuesdays with Mary
Miss Garden smiled. “You probably have never seen a thin Violetta,” she exclaimed. “You’ll find that that will make a difference.”
Counterpoint
Maesto Lorin Maazel (pictured) responds to La Cieca.
Don’t bother with an intermission feature, take this direct!
As day breaks over the murder house, La Cieca, famed doyenne of yesteryear, invites the cher public to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
Magrets de canard
For our weekly meander through mendacity, we turn to no less than Gotham Chamber Opera’s own Neal Goren, who writes, “People repeat as fact that women ruin their voices, or at least sacrifice their high notes, by singing in chest voice. So untrue!”
Busting out
June Anderson will make the transition into the “Anne Revere” segment of her career next summer when she sings the role of Elvira Griffiths in Tobias Picker‘s An American Tragedy at the Glimmerglass Festival.
To the Emerald City, as fast as lightning!
Aidan Lang has been named Seattle Opera’s third General Director effective September 1, 2014.
Clichés Grip City
La Cieca supposes she shouldn’t complain: the more time Lorin Maazel spends on Facebook, the less time he spends conducting Don Carlo.
Zach talk
Longtime Friend of the Box Zachary Woolfe (pictured) sits down with Marc Scorca of Opera America for a “Conversation about Opera in America,” implausibly enough.
Greene beret
Tuesday at 7:00 PM, WQXR’s Operavore and Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts offer a sneak peek at “Verdi in Paris,” the theme of this year’s Bel Canto at Caramoor.
See note. Note? … Note!
“Adamo [not pictured] spent a year researching the story, and poured his learning into his libretto. It has 116 footnotes.”
Powder room only
Spare a few minutes, cher public, to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
Canard season
La Cieca has her old, old, old friend Enzo Bordello (pictured, left) to thank for this week’s canard, or rather, carnards, as Enzo has delivered a delicious brace of blunders.
The meme that wouldn’t die
La Cieca (pictured, lower right) has had time on her hands and access to Photoshop, a lethal combination—especially the day the new Anna Netrebko Verdi album cover has been leaked.
Forse, forse
Well done, you listeners to Mozart tidbits and participants in the “Non mi dir” competition.
Pitch problem
How the quest for a lowered diapason ended with Renata Tebaldi serving as unwitting spokesperson for a libertarian cult.
The other gospel of the other Mary, Mary
San Francisco Opera’s marketing leaves La Cieca at least momentarily speechless, so she’ll have to rely on you, cher public, to take up the slack with discussion of off-topic and general interest subjects.
Claramae Turner 1920-2012
The American contralto, who created the title role in Menotti’s The Medium and introduced the song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” died May 18. She was 92.