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 wishes you happiness today, her 35th birthday. Or, to put it more accurately, the 35th anniversary of the day La Cieca was “born,” hearing Suor Angelica sung by Renata Scotto (not pictured).
The time has come to say “Leb wohl, du kühnes herrliches Publikum,” at least so far as the matter of the regular Saturday afternoon Met chat goes. See you all online at noon on Saturday for Die Walküre?
You, the cher public have voted, and the results are in. Have we chosen the Met’s next Giovanna Seymour? The results were very close indeed!
The annual Duke of York’s Picturehouse Eurovision Party, which is apparently a gay institution in Brighton, is pre-empted this year because of demand for tickets for the Met’s HD of Die Walküre. [BBC News] (Voigt photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera)
Says the Met press office: “Yonghoon Lee will sing the title role in Don Carlo during the Met’s Japan tour, replacing Jonas Kaufmann, who has withdrawn for personal reasons. [Yeah, we knew that, but, wait, there’s another paragraph]…. Ekaterina Gubanova will make her Met role debut as Eboli in the same production, replacing Olga Borodina,…
La Cieca hears that tenor Yonghoon Lee will sing the title role of Verdi’s Don Carlo during the Met’s tour to Japan, replacing Jonas Kaufmann who will be sick or something. (Photo: Ken Howard / Metropolitan Opera)
Though Margaret Juntwait may have caught him pitifully unprepared, James Levine did say a few words for those lovely people among the Sirius audience last night during the intermission of Ariadne. Those of you who missed this singular event may want to take a peek after the jump.
Tonight’s the final midweek Met chat for a while, cher public, so be sure to attend and enjoy Joyce DiDonato and company in Ariadne auf Naxos, beginning at 8:00 pm.
La Cieca hears that the top spot in Marketing and Communications just opened up today at an opera house that is becoming known for its revolving-door staffing policies.
Which diva hopes for a high six-figure advance for a memoir revealing new details of her “so shameful” addiction? And which divo may already feel remorse over his decision to drop out of the Met’s tour to Japan?
“If, as rumor has it, conductor Fabio Luisi is poised to succeed the ailing James Levine as music director of the Met, Saturday afternoon’s elegant performance of Ariadne auf Naxos showed he’s the right man for the job.” [New York Post]
Now that it’s more or less official that Elina Garanca is dropping out of the Met’s production of Anna Bolena, it’s obviously up to you, the cher public, to decide who should inherit the role. In interest of gathering the broadest range of opinion on this crucial subject, a poll follows the jump.
Latest from that besieged opera company: the CFO and Director of Administration has just resigned to return to the other end of the transverse; meanwhile artistic staff are seeking positions in the on-premises ballet company.
It’s our last regular Saturday afternoon chat of the season today, cher public, during Ariadne auf Naxos from the Met starting at 1:00 pm.
This is the end. James Levine has just canceled all engagements between now and October, except for the two remaining peformances of Die Walküre at the Met May 9 and 14. Fabio Luisi will take over the Carnegie Hall concert with Natalie Dessay on May 16 and Levine’s duties on the Japan tour, conducting Don…
UPDATE: La Cieca has just heard from Ernesto Palacio, manager for Elina Garanca, who confirms that the mezzo-soprano is pregnant. EARLIER: The news has just broken that Elina Garanca “is expecting a baby at the end of October…. Garanca and her British-born husband, conductor Karel Mark Chichon, had informed their friends of the good news…
“Sophie Koch, a mezzo-soprano favoured by the current management over Brits Alice Coote and Sarah Connolly, sang Charlotte very intelligently and musically, without ever suggesting a woman on the brink of losing self-control.” [The Telegraph]
So, who had the idea first: Robert Lepage or Kenneth Branagh? (Or would it be Stan Lee and Jack Kirby?)
*O, meine Götter! This just in from the Met’s press office: “Derrick Inouye will conduct this evening’s performance of Die Walküre, replacing James Levine, who is ill.” Earlier this week Levine appeared at a 40th Anniversary Gala fundraiser on Sunday evening and conducted Walküre on Monday night. He also was interviewed yesterday by Terry Gross…
La Cieca’s spy reports from the Met: “A promising and delightful final dress of Ariadne yesterday.”
“Adams : Nixon in China. Théâtre du Châtelet – du 10 au 18 avril 2012. Ensemble Orchestral de Paris. Mise en scène par Chen Shi-Zheng avec June Anderson (Pat Nixon) et Sumi Jo (Madame Mao)” [ODB Opéra]
Won’t you join La Cieca (pictured, left) for tonight’s chat during the Met’s broadcast of Orfeo ed Euridice starting at 8:00 pm?
The Bronx Nightingale is 81 today!
“When the lights went up, Levine beckoned 620 guests to join him on stage where tables decorated with white hyacinths and tulips showed off vintage photographs of the maestro illuminated by flickering votive candles.” [Bloomberg]
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
