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.
Starring Mirella Freni, Barbara Bonney, Marilyn Horne, Bruno Pola, and Paul Plishka, conducted by James Levine. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From October 10, 1992.
A Baroque Valentine’s with Opera Lafayette | Feb | DC & NYC
Celebrate love in all its guises with tender ballads, amorous duets, cheeky verses, and bawdy drinking songs plus food, cocktails and wine.
Starring Angela Gheorghiu, Ainhoa Arteta, Ramón Vargas, Ludovic Tézier, and Oren Gradus, conducted by Nicola Luisotti. Production by Franco Zeffirelli. From April 5, 2008.
Just when you think opera has reached its peak and has nowhere else left to go, here is Anna Netrebko stabbing Scarpia in the dick with a crucifix.
Starring Hildegard Behrens, Jessye Norman, Christa Ludwig, Gary Lakes, James Morris, and Kurt Moll, conducted by James Levine. Production by Otto Schenk. From April 8, 1989.
Starring Tatiana Troyanos, Jessye Norman, Plácido Domingo, and Allan Monk, conducted by James Levine. Production by Fabrizio Melano. From October 8, 1983.
From the Bayerische Staatsoper, Antonello Manacorda conducts a new production by Dmitri Tcherniakov featuring Golda Schultz, Anna Prohaska, Kyle Ketelsen and Pavel Cernoch.
Starring Dísella Lárusdóttir, J’Nai Bridges, Anthony Roth Costanzo, Aaron Blake, Will Liverman, Richard Bernstein and Zachary James, conducted by Karen Kamensek. Production by Phelim McDermott. From November 23, 2019.
Meet the Divas In Drag Italian Opera, “bringing to life operatic divas of the past, through drag-matic lip syncs.”
“German stage director David Bösch, known for his modern, enigmatic productions which uncover the psychological depths of their characters, makes his Hamburg debut with Jules Massenet’s Parisian Belle Époque masterpiece, featuring shooting star Elsa Dreisig in the title role.”
On this day in 1947 Christian Dior launched the so-called “New Look,” re-establishing Paris as the center of fashion.
Starring Aprile Millo, Harolyn Blackwell, Florence Quivar, Luciano Pavarotti, and Leo Nucci, conducted by James Levine. Production by Piero Faggioni. From January 26, 1991.
Starring Kathleen Battle, Rockwell Blake, Leo Nucci, Enzo Dara, and Ferruccio Furlanetto, conducted by Ralf Weikert. Production by John Cox. From December 3, 1988.
From the Vienna State Opera: Adam Fischer conducts Benjamin Bruns, Caroline Wenborne, Margarita Gritskova, Hila Fahima, Miriam Albano.
Happy 94th birthday soprano Leontyne Price.
Starring Leona Mitchell, Luciano Pavarotti, Sherrill Milnes, and Ruggero Raimondi, conducted by James Levine. Production by Pier Luigi Samaritani. From December 17, 1983.
Starring Wendy Bryn Harmer, Stephanie Blythe, Patricia Bardon, Richard Croft, Gerhard Siegel, Dwayne Croft, Bryn Terfel, Eric Owens, Franz-Josef Selig, and Hans-Peter König, conducted by James Levine. Production by Robert Lepage. From October 9, 2010.
Starring Shirley Verrett, Luciano Pavarotti, and Cornell MacNeil, conducted by James Conlon. Directed by Tito Gobbi. From December 19, 1978.
From the San Francisco Opera, starring Brandon Jovanovich, Camilla Nylund, Petra Lang, Gerd Grochowski and Kristinn Sigmundsson, conducted by Nicola Luisotti.
Starring Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle, Tatiana Troyanos, and James King, conducted by James Levine. Production by Bodo Igesz. From March 12, 1988.
Anna Netrebko performs “a program of captivating Russian songs by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff, and Rimsky-Korsakov, as well as selections by Strauss, Debussy, Fauré, and more.” Live from Vienna’s historic Spanish Riding School.
The Met Orchestra will stream a concert including the virtual participation of Angela Gheorghiu live from Bucharest.
From the Teatro San Carlo, featuring Sondra Radvanovsky, Celso Albelo and Luca Salsi, conducted by Antonino Fogliani.
Starring Maria Ewing, Jessye Norman, Betsy Norden, Régine Crespin, and Florence Quivar, conducted by Manuel Rosenthal. Production by John Dexter. From April 4, 1987.
From the Vienna State Opera, Christoph Eschenbach conducts Michael Schade, Margarita Gritskova, Maria Bengtsson and Chen Reiss.
Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.
