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.
La Cieca hopes you, the cher public, will reveal (rather than conceal) your opinions on off-topic and general interest subjects this week.
Your Wagnerian alternatives for today’s chat in La Casa della Cieca…
Of the two love stories that unfolded at David et Jonathas Wednesday night, it’s hard to say which was more moving.
Finally some video of Stefan Herheim‘s Salome production shows up on YouTube.
Two time Oscar winner and Quentin Tarantino muse Christoph Waltz is branching out into opera direction.
The evergreen singing actress was born 73 years ago in Berlin.
The reinvention of Verdi’s masterpiece, La Traviata, as sung by world-famous French coloratura soprano Natalie Dessay, is the subject of Philippe Béziat’s thrilling new movie.
La Cieca’s sources tell her that a planned revival of Faust at the Met in the fall of 2014 has been canceled, because who wants to see that ugly thing again, or else the leading lady didn’t feel like singing it, whichever.
Like the Israelites who cross the Red Sea in Moses in Egypt, New York City Opera has a long, hard road ahead of it.
“Her letter scene was glorious, and her final meeting with Onegin beguiling. Netrebko leaves nothing to be desired vocally and is a consummate artist as well.”
Congratulations to Isabel Leonard , not only the winner of the 2013 Richard Tucker award, but also the subject of a recent blind item on parterre box!
Ring a ding ding! There’s a new Duke in town, and he’s jolting the Met’s Rigoletto with enough electricity to light up the Las Vegas Strip.
The music is “Brünnhilde’s Immolation Scene” and it is up to you (and I do mean you) to identify the 25 singers involved.
La Cieca invites the cher public (pictured) to go into their regular Sunday routine of discussion and argument over matters general and off-topic.
Which music foundation’s choice of an award winner this year is perhaps neither brave nor new, but certainly a world of difference from the tenors they usually give it to?
Memo to Francois Girard: change your login information, because it looks like your PowerPoint has been hacked.
The legendary soprano celebrates her 80th birthday today.
Who would be so benighted as to send a unprepared substitute into the lion’s den of the Met?
Our Own JJ weighs in at some length about OONY’s performance of I Lombardi over at musicalamerica.com.
Always front and center with a vote of confidence, Peter Gelb told the New York Times, “Natalie is one of the great artists, but she also is somewhat fragile.”
Your doyenne, while she never, never would think to record a performance she attends, is from time to time sent recordings of certain live events.
“Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine and Puccini’s Suor Angelica…. Cast Features Nuccia Focile, Rosalind Plowright, Maria Gavrilova in her Seattle Debut”
“Danielle de Niese will sing the role of Cleopatra in this evening’s performance of Handel’s Giulio Cesare, replacing Natalie Dessay, who is ill.”
La Cieca does what she can in her own little way to, well, light a single candle against ignorance, but sometimes she is surprised by her own strength.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
