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 enigma at the center of the epic was Marina Poplavskaya’s Elizabeth.” [New York Post]
“…whenever he was joined by the baritone Simon Keenlyside, who sang Rodrigo, the Marquis of Posa and Carlo’s devoted friend, Mr. Alagna opened up in every way.” Well, wouldn’t you? [NYT]
“Because the one I had for lunch was delicious.”
The blog GTL Torn T (which La Cieca assumes has something to do with gay teens in torn t-shirts) offers a sound clip from the prima of Adriana Lecouvreur at the Royal Opera. Very attractive stuff, though La Cieca must insist that she does not care for that concert ending on “La dolcissima effigie!”
Whom would you prefer to pat down at an airline security check-in?
After a rather long afternoon at the Met, a member of the cher public writes: “The Don Carlo final dress was worth catching.” Our spy has more to say after the jump.
“Revival. Strange word, and creepy, when you think about it. Something used to be alive, then it wasn’t and now (presumably) it is, again. But it’s that last step, the actual reviving that seems so often to elude the revival of an opera production.” [Musical America]
La Cieca (left, seated) invites the cher public (center) to gather at La Cieca’s Gypsy Camp for a chat during tonight’s Met performance of Il trovatore this evening beginning at 8:00 pm. Details after the jump.
Seven decades of difference in age doesn’t stand in the way of a charming interview between Marta Eggerth and Zachary Woolfe on the occasion of her viewing her 1932 film Das Blaue vom Himmel for the very first time. (Prepare to be verklempt.) [New York Observer]
La Cieca was bcc:ed on this response from a member of the cher public to a request from the New York City Opera. With the permisssion of the author, she is publishing the note here for your discussion.
Say what you like about the cher public, but they certainly know their Prokofiev! Within half an hour of La Cieca’s posting the most recent Regie quiz, two of you identified the production as The Love of Three Oranges. The staging, by the way, is from the Stadttheater Bern, and the director was Marc Adam.…
Inspired by Our Own Camille (not pictured, obviously), La Cieca proposes a new competition in honor of the Met’s coming revival of La fanciulla del West. Your challenge: share with us the most suggestive double-entendre line in a published synopsis or review of Puccini’s opera.
La Cieca is pleased to announce that off-Broadway sensation (and parterre advertiser) The Last Castrato is offering a 50% discount on tickets to the cher public. Parterrians can enjoy this play with music suggested by the life and career of Alessandro Moreschi for only $9.00—less than the new Harry Potter! Simply use the code word “Parterre,”…
Trash television gets the “royal” treatment. [Danny Knows Best]
Which director is driving his Met cast crazy with his perfectionism? As if the rush to opening night is not enough, he’s insisting that every time a scene is rehearsed the blocking must be identical “for the HD broadcast.”
Guess who stole the show last night at the Richard Tucker gala? [ABC News]
The Austrian dramatic soprano was born November 14, 1926.
In the words of La Cieca’s old, old, old friend Mrs. Malaprop, “We will not anticipate the past, our retrospection will now be all to the future.” And that’s where our chat will be as well, if dear Betsy has anything to do with it.
Our Own JJ delves into the mysteries of time travel—as it relates to opera production, of course. [Musical America]
“Great at push-ups and pull-ups? Do you put your friends to shame at the gym? Come show us what you’ve got! San Francisco Opera announces a public casting call seeking athletic men with specific skills to appear in an upcoming Company production in Fall 2011.” [San Francisco Opera]
No, the above image is not from Sunday’s upcoming First Ever East Coast Parterre Meet and Greet, but rather dear Mr. Hogarth’s take on “The Rake’s Progress.” A more modern treatment of theme of the dissolute punished (the Stravinsky opera, La Cieca means) will be yours to enjoy via the magic of webcasting tomorrow night…
“What do you call a sex comedy that’s neither funny nor sexy? At the Met on Tuesday night, you’d have called it Cosi Fan Tutte.” [New York Post]
La Cieca has managed to nab a few moments of video of tonight’s performance of Vec Makropulos from San Francisco, proving that Karita Mattila is indeed today’s ideal interpreter of the role of Emilia Marty. [Video]
“Carmen, a passionate, headstrong gypsy and one of the best-known characters in opera, is famously enigmatic, but Ms. Garanca takes that quality almost to the point of anonymity. It can often seem not that she’s a bad actress but that she’s not quite sure what acting is.” Zealous Zachary Woolfe mulls The Garanca Paradox.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
