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.
The Brooklyn Academy of Music kicks off its 2013 Next Wave Festival launches with BAM/New York City Opera co-production of Anna Nicole.
Short as Roman emperor Eliogabalo’s reign was, the world sighed in relief when it was over.
Thursday’s Met performance of the Verdi tearjerker featured a major find: Diana Damrau, who, in her first outing as Violetta, mesmerized with her gleaming soprano and ferocious acting.
A Dutch-speaking parterrian has graciously translated the interview with Piotr Beczala that’s been causing such a foofaraw lately.
“With one of my favorite opera productions returning to the Met tonight, I’ve been considering lately what makes Willy Decker‘s Traviata so fine, so satisfying, and so worth a return visit.” [Musical America]
The Prince of Regie, who’ll direct a new Vêpres siciliennes for the Royal Opera this fall, is 43 years old today.
So, Piotr Beczala (left) has gone and blabbed to Luister, which is some sort of Dutch glossy classical music magazine…
La Cieca thought it would be amusing to do a bit of speculation about what’s to come as we approach the middle of the decade.
Get started an hour earlier (or later?) with your discussion of off-topic and general interest subjects, cher public.
Today on Operavore, Our Own JJ talks about wig-pulling catfights. Also heard in passing are Marilyn Horne and Susan Graham.
Which new addition to the Met (a 2010 debut) has just had a return engagement for 2016-17 canceled?
It’s not often operagoers leave humming the scenery, but that was the case Monday, when the Met hauled out Riccardo Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini from the vault.
New Yorkers hungry for an appearance by Karita Mattila (absent from the Met this season) will want to take a look at the Bayerische Staatsoper’s live webcast of Jenufa on Saturday afternoon.
The usually competitive cher public did not, for once, leap at the chance to flaunt their knowledge of operatic trivia, hmmm.
Which singer has turned out to be such a headache that the artistic administration have decided they’d better fly over a replacement?
As the balmy breezes of March caress the budding trees, so let your ardent clicks, cher public, express your affection for our advertisers.
Vot tsar’ vash!” Here is your Tsar, the 38-year-old Ukranian bass Alexander Tsymbalyuk.
Take a break from your scheming, cher public, to participate in this week’s off-topic and general interest discussion.
If Jonas Kaufmann isn’t quite a household name yet, it’s only a matter of time.
With Wednesday’s stellar staging of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, the New York Philharmonic joyously put the ‘music’ back into the Broadway musical.
Here’s a chance for you to win two tickets to hear the winners of this year’s Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in the intimate ambiance of WQXR’s Greene Space.
José Cura will sing the role of Don José in the Friday, March 1 performance of Bizet’s Carmen, replacing Andrew Richards, who is ill.
La Cieca hears that the Met’s 2013-2014 season announcement will be made at approximately 5:00 PM today on the company’s website.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
