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.
Well done, Jim: the opera in question was indeed Fidelio, and La Cieca has no idea what that horse is all about either. Better you should ask Benedikt von Peter, who directed it for the Komische Oper Berlin. And while you’re at it, maybe he’ll offer a guess or two what’s going on after the…
So the drama continues. After the first act, the conductor summons the Decider to his dressing room to complain that the prima donna has made an unmusical mess of the opera thus far.
Welcome to the Saturday afternoon chat about Alban Berg‘s Lulu, as broadcast from the Met beginning at 1:00 pm.
Don’t worry: no clips from The Music Lovers to mark the 170th anniversary of the composer’s birth. Instead, after the jump, a treat from the summer of 2009.
La Cieca presents the first in a series of speculations why seemingly talented and well-respected artists don’t get hired — or rehired — by the Met.
Wearing her own hair (in a Zeffirelli production!) and sounding fabulous: a snippet of Anna Netrebko‘s Micaëla from Vienna on May 3.
Legendary mezzo-soprano Giulietta Simionato died this morning. She was 99. [Corriere della Sera]
La Cieca has it on good authority that the new music director for the Santa Fe Opera will be Frédéric Chaslin (not pictured), who will preside over a 2011 season featuring Faust, La Boheme, Vivaldi’s Griselda, Wozzeck, and (you guessed it) The Last Savage.
The American coloratura soprano was born May 4, 1930.
“I’m not advocating a tonal takeover of opera, I would just like there to be a little more space for opera as entertainment. Brahms made room for Strauss Jr, Wagner for Rossini, and I think there’s enough room for me now, God knows its not too crowded or anything.” [Times Online]
UPDATE: Tonight’s performance of Simon Boccanegra at La Scala (featuring Placido Domingo) has been canceled because of a strike called by unions protesting the “decreto Bondi,” a measure to privatize all of Italy’s major opera houses and reduce salaries at these theaters across the board. Our Own Ercole Farnese reviewed yesterday’s news reports about this…
Tonight Lori Phillips will make her Met debut as Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer, replacing Deborah Voigt, who is ill.
With barely a month (!) remaining before La Fleming’s Hope drops, your doyenne has determined that we (meaning you, the cher public) should do our (i.e., your) utmost to mark this turning point in the history of music.
Romanian tenor Stefan Pop, 23, is one of this year’s first-prize winners in the Operalia competition. There’s a glimpse of the budding hunkentenor in action after the jump.
“Exciting! Indomitable! Alluring! Rigid! Enormous! Pulsing! Penetrating! Riveting! The public shame of being flogged! Aching tenderness!” [NYT]
Color La Cieca impressed! Friendly Fritz guessed correctly that the opera depicted in last week’s Regie quiz was Franz Schreker‘s Die Gezeichneten — as produced at the Teatro Massimo di Palermo by Graham Vick. Following the jump, a glimpse of what that production looked like in action.
Internationally acclaimed dance club pop sensation Renée Fleming returns to her roots (she often sang opera during her college days) for this afternoon’s Met broadcast of Rossini’s Armida.
“Marianne Cornetti‘s Amneris…. gives the audience a heart attack every time she opens her mouth, possessing an ability to literally drown out the orchestra.” La Cieca has a new favourite opera critic, and his name is Jamie Tabberer.
Dwayne Croft will make his Met role debut as Escamillo Saturday night, replacing Mariusz Kwiecien, who is ill.
Our Own JJ lends his voice to the debate about nudity in art this afternoon on WNYC’s Soundcheck. UPDATE: you can now listen to the show after the jump.
Now that the exciting and welcome news about Fabio Luisi‘s new position as Principal Guest Conductor has had a chance to settle a bit, La Cieca would like to quote an old, old, old friend and suggest that “our retrospection shall be all to the future.” Let’s slip into our Zukunftsbrillen after the jump, shall…
Carmen just started on Sirius. You know where the live chat is!
Don’t piss off the costumer!
In order to facilitate more in-depth discussion, La Cieca has asked the parterre.com web guru to reinstate “threaded” comments.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
