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.
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In the wake of last week’s Republican nominating convention, La Cieca was just thinking to herself, “what the world needs now is another overprivileged white male complaining about political correctness.” And, lo and behold, her wish was granted in the form of an interview with none other than Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber: “So many people nowadays…
La Cieca is looking for a member of the cher public who is already planning to attend the opening night gala at the Met and is willing to write about it for parterre.com. Your doyenne will need 400 – 600 words by 11 AM on Tuesday, September 23 for publication that day with your byline.…
La Cieca cannot help losing her heart to a stage director who compares Berg’s Lulu to “early Elizabeth Taylor,” particularly when the regisseur in question is puppylicious Paul Curran. (In this video he’s introducing the opera for his new production at Lyric Opera of Chicago opening in November.) [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/4ebzoFHR8V8″ width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
Cher public, you are getting too clever for this old doyenne. On our most recent Regie quiz, which La Cieca considered so curiously designed as to be unrecognizable, fully half a dozen of you guessed correctly that the opera was La traviata. Cocky Kurwenal was first, but stagelefty also managed to pinpoint the director, Achim…
“Clark Kent stole the show but there is nothing wrong with that!” A review of Jonas Kaufmann‘s nerdy take on Don José (in a Zurich production of Carmen) on a very interesting blog just introduced to La Cieca, Opera is magic!
Undaunted by Hurricane Hannah, La Cieca continues her presentation of Lohengrin at Unnatural Acts of Opera. Lohengrin: Jess Thomas Elsa: Claire Watson Telramund: Walter Berry Ortrud: Christa Ludwig Koenig Heinrich: Martti Talvela Heerrufer: Eberhard Waechter Vienna State Opera, Karl Boehm, 1965. Lohengrin Act 2
If a Belcore must strip down to a skintight see-through undershirt, that Belcore should be Mariusz Kwiecien (or, as he is so charmingly nicknamed at Barihunks, “The Hot Pole.”) [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/egG334v-EBY” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
La Cieca’s old, old, old (and yet somehow ageless) friend Anne Midgette isn’t just sitting around for The Season to begin like us lazy bloggers. She’s been listening to new recordings of operas by living composers including Michael Nyman, Scott Wheeler and Douglas J. Cuomo. Mr. Cuomo is best known (as they say) as the…
Congratulations to proud papa Erwin Schrott, whose 7 pound, 13 ounce boy TBA Tiago Aura Arua Schrott was born today in Vienna. La Cieca extends her best wishes as well to Anna Netrebko, though she hopes the couple will not allow any cigar smoking in the presence of The Schrott Tot. (“Tiago,” La Cieca is…
Diva of the Future Renée Fleming, whose impending assignments include modeling four couture gowns on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera, is shown here making a septuagenarian female impersonator look positively chic by comparison.
La Cieca has compliled a complete listing of Met Sirius/RealNetworks broadcasts for 2008-2009.
La Cieca is delighted to note that that ragtag band of misfits known as the Vertical Player Repertory will return to their non-traditional performing venue, the Red Hook Marine Terminal, for a new production of The Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach, weekend evenings at 8 pm September 5-21. Following up on last season’s successful…
So you doyenne may better know the minds of her cher public, she asks you to participate in the following online poll. Which Metropolitan Opera performances this year do you consider the most sizzling Sternstunden, the not-to-be-missed evenings of musico-dramatic madness, or (to put it another way) those nights when you know everyone will be…
Patrician Pat Munsel wows the panel. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/CUp9oXu8lRA” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] (Thanks to clever Youtuber jonedgar for the clip!)
Our Own Lindoro has contributed a vocal ID quiz based on Liù’s first act aria from Turandot. This one’s just for fun, so feel free to make your guesses in the comments section. Signore, ascolta!
According to a statement on the Bayreuth website, stepsisters Katharina Wagner and Eva Wagner-Pasquier will take over the Festspiele from their father Wolfgang Wagner, who is retiring after more than half a century at the helm of the festival. Members of the “Wieland” branch of the Wagner family tree are, of course, furious at this…
La Cieca can’t put anything past Tamerlano, who guessed the answer to our previous Regie quiz almost immediately: it was indeed Ariadne auf Naxos. And now, with a reminder to all that this is a guessing game, no blurting out the answers if you recognize the production, here’s out next quiz (right after the jump):Â
La Cieca (not pictured) is delighted to note that the delightful and learned Nicholas Limansky (also not pictured) will grace the stage of the next Vocal Record Collectors Society meeting to explore the controversial topic of extended or “freak” sopranos. The main topic of his talk will of course be the Peruvian songbird Yma Sumac,…
August 30 is the anniversary of the birth of a famous Quickly: Regina Resnik! [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/ipFMt7bPStg” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] And here we have Mme. Resnik in a campy mood, sending up the faux-exoticism of Kismet. Not Since Nineveh!
In honor of the 158th anniversary of the premiere of Lohengrin, Unnatural Acts of Opera presents a performance of the Wagnerian work from Vienna in 1965 under the baton of Dr. Karl Böhm. Lohengrin, Act 1
It seems our lovely Shequida was not what the judges were looking for, not that night, anyway. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/atilzaDBVcg” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] Â
La Cieca about to try one of those 21st century activities all the kids are talking about, and no, it’s not chugging Nyquil. Your doyenne is going to use crowdsourcing (that is, put you cher public to work as reporters) to cover the Met’s Opening Night Gala on September 22, 2008 at 6:30 pm. Since…
“I think that there will be an increased desire in the future to hear great singing again. Certain operas rise and fall on having the requisite vocal chops, and no degree of theatrical energy or physical glamor can replace this.” So says is IMG Artists Vice President and Artist Manager Matthew A. Horner (known affectionately…
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
