Dame Margaret Price 1941-2011
The great Welsh soprano, superb interpreter of Mozart, Verdi and Lieder, died earlier today. She was 69. [Washington Post]
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.
Taken weave of her senses
La Cieca has obviously not been paying attention, because she totally missed the announcement that Denyce Graves is going to join the cast of The Real Housewives of DC. Oh, she’s not, you say? So then what’s the explanation for these new headshots?
Sister act
Our Own JJ salutes three sister bloggers (of whom only one is female) in his current Rough and Regie column at Musical America.
Musical world reels: Levine to wave baton
BREAKING! In a sudden and shocking turn of events, James Levine will go on as scheduled tonight, conducting Simon Boccanegra at the Met. However, according to an email from the Carnegie Hall press office, the maestro “and The MET Chamber Ensemble must regrettably cancel their concert scheduled for this Sunday, January 30 at 5:00 p.m. […]
Desert song
“A blizzard seemed an incongruous prelude to an opera set in sizzling biblical Egypt, but the trudge through snowy SoHo on Wednesday night paid off with a glimpse of the intriguing new Mosheh.” [New York Post]
L’age d’or
Though the day is almost over, it should not go without marking that today is the 50th anniversary of the debuts at the Met of Leontyne Price and Franco Corelli, one of the red-letter nights of the Rudolf Bing regime.
Doink doink!
La Scoopenda meets Detective Stabler when The People’s Diva Renée Fleming appears on a very special episode of Law & Order: SVU. La Fleming will play a supporting role in the “Bully” episode which stars Kate Burton “as a wicked boss whose business partner is murdered.”
Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag, Octavian Maria Ehrenreich Bonaventura Fernand Hyacinth Rofrano!
Der Rosenkavalier is exactly 100 years old today, a century after the world premiere of the Strauss/Hofmannsthal comedy at the Königliches Opernhaus in Dresden. La Cieca invites the cher public to share favorite Rosenkavalier memories and YouTube clips.
The beauty part
Burgeoning blogress Poison Ivy asks the musical question “Which operas should have beautiful productions?” La Cieca encourages the cher public to detour to her blog “Poison Ivy’s Wall of Text” and comment on her very interesting and (La Cieca is delighted to note) thought-provoking post.
Lucia fra poco a te verrà?
In fact, Lucia is due in New York in less than a month, but current reports about the proposed prima donna are not encouraging.
Duke season
Quoth the Met press office: “Piotr Beczala will sing the Duke in Verdi’s Rigoletto on Thursday, January 27, replacing Joseph Calleja who is ill.”
Great moments in synergy, 2011 edition
Of all places, NY1’s “Inside City Hall” is the setting for an opera roundtable tonight when John Adams, Peter Sellars, James Maddalena, and Peter Gelb appear on the program to discuss the impending premiere of Nixon in China at the Met. “Inside City Hall” airs at 7 p.m. tonight with a special edition after the […]
Don’t bother, he’s here
“Rolando Villazon brought in renowned mime and clown Nola Rae to help out with his directorial debut, Werther, which opened tonight in Lyon.” [Nouvel Observateur via Intermezzo]
Depth perception
Has this distinguished artist’s career reached its twilight? Anyone with an eye in his head can see it’s time to pass the torch and forge ahead with the immortal work.
Keiner wie du so hold zu kritisieren weiß
La Cieca (center, in chair) has listened carefully to the Bühnenweihfestspielkrieg commentary of the cher public (also pictured) and, though practically overwhelmed by the brilliance of all of you, really, has managed to settle on a single winner, who, in addition to the hand of Eva Pogner, will receive the complete DVD set of Der […]
Double wide Regie
La Cieca applauds cosmodimontevergine for so elegant a solution to the previous Regie quiz. As hinted by the YouTube clip, the piece is indeed Kalman’s Die Csárdásfürstin, as performed at Oper Köln in a production by Bernd Mottl. A clip from this unusual take on the classic operetta, plus our next Regie quiz, after the […]
What chat?
La Cieca has (all together now) a hunch that the cher public would enjoy discussing this afternoon’s performance of Rigoletto during the Met broadcast beginning at 1:00 pm. Details after the jump.
Simon, pure
“Pre-performance applause often signals gratitude for past glories. In this case, it was only a preview of the stomping and cheering following that night’s performance of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra — well-deserved acclaim for a masterpiece of conducting.” So says Our Own JJ in the New York Post.
Koch and bull
NYCO benefactor and all around darling David H. Koch is the subject of an infographic detailing his long and distinguished career and that of his nonoperatic sibling Charles. La Cieca suggests you print out a few copies to take on your next trip to Lincoln Center, though she would not think of advising you to […]
Happy Birthday Charlie Handelman
Best birthday wishes to pirate supreme, premier podcaster and archivist of the musical sublime and ridiculous. (See below.)
Kunstwerk almost gesamt
La Cieca reminds the cher public that today is the final day of the Bühnenweihfestspielkrieg competition, with the first prize a sparking new copy of the complete Ring cycle on DVD! Put on your thinking tarnhelms and comment!
Chat people
Tonight’s Met season premiere of Simon Boccanegra promises to offer far more than mere B-movie thrills. Cher plebe! Cher patrizi! You’re invited to a chat beginning at 8:00 pm!
“It ain’t got that swing” defined
La Cieca doesn’t know what to say here, which is absolutely okay in this case because the YouTube after the jump makes all, all clear.
Women behind brooms
“There was little glamour in Anna Netrebko’s first years on the banks of the Neva River. She lived in a notoriously horrible dormitory belonging to the St. Petersburg Conservatory on Ulitsa Doblesti and worked as a floor cleaner at the Mariinsky Theater where she dreamed of performing.” [St. Petersburg Times]