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 “phlegmatic diva” is 47 years old today.
So how about another angle on Mawrdew Czgowchwz? Since, at the end of the novel, the eponymous oltrano decides to take a brief hiatus from her métier of “musicry” to star in motion picture, how about we produce (in the boundless realm of imagination) a film based on the McCourt novel? Above, La Cieca’s nominee…
The Sultana of the Sobriquets herself, Renée Fleming, has copped another cognomen. The Mom of Many Monikers has just been dubbed “la Grace Kelly della lirica” by no less than Il Corriere della Sera!
The premiere of a new production of Lohengrin at Bayreuth is obviously this week’s hot topic. La Cieca suggests we continue on this thread thd discussion that began elsewhere on parterre.com and is also raging over at opera-l. (La Cieca invites the cher public and visitors to post links from other sites as well where…
La Cieca hears that a big axe just fell in the marketing department over at Sterling Cooper Draper Gelb. Look for a new director to be hired from outside the company.
The Post decided to pass on a review of the Caramoor Maria di Rohan (July 24), but the presentation is definitely worth a mention and some discussion, so let’s take it to parterre.
Given the choice, I’ll take Hans Neuenfels.
The unthinkable has happened: La Cieca managed to stump the panel. No one of you (or all of you acting as a committee) could guess that last week’s Regie quiz represented a production of Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri, as produced at the Nationaltheater Mannheim by Joachim Schlömer. This week’s puzzler is not exactly…
The premiere of Lohengrin at the Bayreuth Festival (starring, of course, Jonas Kaufmann) has just started. You can listen to the live broadcast here.
Your doyenne is occupied this afternoon getting Our Own JJ tweezed, powdered and cinched for his sojourn to Caramoor, and that’s a full-time job, my dears, because you know those venues that admit natural light can be most unkind to vain middle-aged queens. As such, La Cieca will leave you to your own devices for this…
So, if you wondering when the spit is going to hit the fan (to quote another great ’50s teen angst opus), well, the date you’re looking for is October 9, 2010. Why is that date so special or unusual, you ask? Well, for the currently ailing James Levine, it’s the day he’s supposed to be in…
By popular demand (by which La Cieca means she is going to make this discussion happen if it kills half the free world), here’s the 2002 parterre box interview with Mawrdew Czgowchwz author James McCourt.
The much-publicized Takesha Meshé Kizart has withdrawn “due to illness” from the title role of Maria di Rohan at Caramoor tomorrow night (!!!) to be replaced by her cover, Jennifer Rowley.
A very happy birthday to Susan Graham, who is 50 years old today!
UPDATE: The news breaks today, and yes, it’s Debbie, but no, it’s not Shirtless Nathan. Letting his defenses down in the role of Frank Butler at Glimmerglass will be Rod Gilfry. (Meanwhile, Mr. Gunn will continue his exploration of the esoteric Blusenrolle fach by role-debuting Eugene Onegin in Cincinnati.)
La Cieca is delighted to throw out the first ball or lift her baton or whatever it is one does to launch a discussion, which in this case is on the topic of that most quintessential of all opera novels, Mawrdew Czgowchwz—though she does insist on prefacing anything she says with the caveat that she’s…
The Met’s press office has just announced that “Stephen Wadsworth will direct the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, replacing Peter Stein, who has withdrawn for personal reasons.”
Who knows better than Peter Gelb that “into each life some rain must fall” — especially now, when the Met honcho may have to replace a director who was the rock upon which was built the upcoming season?
Jane Eaglen (remember her?) reveals a fundamental secret of the art of song. [San Francisco Chronicle]
“Hans Sachs was a shoe- / Maker and a Wainwright too?”
In light of all the recent discussion of Norma, La Cieca thought it would be interesting to listen to a great (and controversial) Druidess of the recent past.
We may have a contender in the category of Most Overdone Camp Diva Crossover Hair Extension.
“Three-time Grammy winner Rene’e Fleming is beloved by classical and opera fans around the world [ça va sans dire], but the superstar soprano has also earned the admiration of a new generation of singers and songwriters …. “
“Mexikanische Startenor” Rolando Villazón has canceled tomorrow night’s performance of L’elisir d’amore at the Munich Opera Festival due to an “acute infection.” Speaking of “a cute,” substituting in the role of Nemorino will be puppylicious Pavol Breslik. [via]
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
