La Cieca
James Jorden (who writes under the names "La Cieca" and "Our Own JJ") is the founder and editor of parterre box. During his 20 year career as an opera critic he has written for the New York Times, Opera, Gay City News, Opera Now, Musical America and the New York Post. He has also raised his voice in punditry on National Public Radio. From time to time he has directed opera, including three unsuccessful productions of Don Giovanni, a work he hopes to return to someday. Currently he alternates his doyenne duties with writing a weekly column on opera for the New York Observer.
More photos are in from the Francesca Zambello Rheingold at the WNO. Pictured below: Fasolt and Fafner.
By La Cieca
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Which star canceled his Met season due to a very “committed” performance… of his own personal Mad Scene?
By La Cieca
Devotees of Wagner’s Ring and the Fritz Lang Siegfried silent film (not to mention all those Lord of the Rings fanboys) will find at least something to enjoy in the miniseries The Dark Kingdom, beginning tonight on The SciFi Network. Now, La Cieca admits that the bio for the guy who plays Siegfried begins less…
By La Cieca
Those of you who are enjoying La Cieca’s video clips, as presented on Google Video and YouTube now can have a copy of your very own. A new web-based service called KeepVid lets you download any video on these sites to your hard drive. (Note that many of these videos are in the .flv format,…
By La Cieca
According to the indispensable Met Futures page, the role of Marie Antoinette in the Met’s 2010 revival of The Ghosts of Versailles will be sung by Angela Gheorghiu! And next season will see the debut of the singer with the best operatic name ever: Nicola Rossi-Giordano.
By La Cieca
Leonie Rysanek sings the final scene from Salome in a performance of the Vienna State Opera on tour in Japan (October 2, 1980). Hans Bierer is Herodes and the conductor is Heinrich Hollreiser. (And remember, cher public, if you’re enjoying this content, visit the Amazon Honor System to show your appreciation!)
By La Cieca
First word on Francesca Zambello‘s “American iconography” production of Der Ring des Nibelungen sounds moderately dire. Our top secret mole The Concerned Wagnerian reports from somewhere in the vicinity of the Washington National Opera: “Alberich is panning for gold in a western getup. The Rhinemaidens reveal their gold as a large quilt. Yes, a quilt.…
By La Cieca
Well, no, of course, there’s no such thing as too many tenors, but it’s good to know we have so many high male voices around these days. One from the present (Rolando Villazon) and one from the past (Beniamino Gigli) are featured in Ed Rosen’s recently-debuted podcast, and one for the future is parterre favorite…
By La Cieca
Next week, you, mon cher public, along with the rest of le tout New York will of course attend Madame Vera Galupe-Borszkh‘s 20th Annual Farewell Recital at Symphony Space. In preparation for this epochal event, La Cieca hopes you will listen to her interview with Mme. Vera’s alter ego, Ira Siff, on Unnatural Acts of…
By La Cieca
Some sudden cast changes may be in store among the Met’s low-voiced singers. Is Dimitri Kavrakos about to jump into Padre Guardiano’s sandals, replacing Vitalij Kowaljow? And what about Philip Ens — he’s in town for Luisa Miller, but is he going to make a surprise appearance in Fidelio as well?
By La Cieca
Do any of you out there ever wonder exactly what it is an “Artistic Administrator” does?
By La Cieca
It looks like the NYCO is going to one-up Gelb’s Met by nabbing Kristin Chenoweth first. The Broadway divette is in talks to star as Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance for a 16-performance stint at the State Theater in March 2007.
By La Cieca
On dit that America’s leading verista, Aprile Millo, will sing her first Manon Lescaut in the fall of 2006. La Cieca is not at liberty to divulge the venue, other than to say that it will not be in New York City. Rumor has it that the process of replacing James Levine as conductor for…
By La Cieca
According to an article in the New York Times, James Levine will cancel all his remaining Met performances this season, including a tour to Japan. He is scheduled to have surgery to repair and injured rotator cuff on March 20. House management is currently scrambling to find replacements for Levine’s characteristically heavy workload: preparation of…
By La Cieca
Tenor troubles continue: Neil Shicoff is out of the Monday prima of the Met’s Luisa Miller. As at the dress rehearsal, Eduardo Villa will jump in. Veronica Villaroel has of course replaced Barbara Frittoli for most of the run; however, the final two performances still list the ubiquitous TBA in the role of Luisa. La…
By La Cieca
La Cieca has just heard that Neil Shicoff has canceled the dress rehearsal of Luisa Miller at the Met; Eduardo Villa (cover for the run) will do it. And La Cieca has heard further that Sergio Blazquez, scheduled to make his NYCO debut in La boheme in April, is having visa problems, so Gerard Powers…
By La Cieca
Our editor JJ‘s article introducing La traviata is now available on the New York City Opera’s website. La Cieca is so cheered by this good news that she can, for the moment, refrain from ranting at length about the de-retirement of the egregious Dr. Miller, whose production of L’elisir d’amore will rear its ugly head…
By La Cieca
So here we are at the final act of Giordano’s Fedora, and all those nasty little secrets everyone’s been telling throughout the opera are about to be exposed! Marcella Pobbe stars as the mysterious Princess Fedora Romazoff in a performance from the Teatro La Fenice, February 9, 1968. And as a bonus, YouTube video of…
By La Cieca
A rather startling followup headline in the New York Times today: And is La Cieca the only one who was puzzled by the blurb for Luisa Miller in the Met’s Sunday Times ad? The cast for opening night is listed as Barbara Frittoli, Irina Mishura, Neil Shicoff, Carlos Alvarez, James Morris and Phillip Ens. But…
By La Cieca
Which still-active soprano has not only begun teaching, but has quickly moved on to the next rung of the pedagological ladder, i.e., interstudio politics? It seems our heroine was invited to a student performance, only to find the teacher of the student in question also in attendance! Air was kissed for public consumption, but once…
By La Cieca
La Cieca hears that Audra McDonald will sing the role of Kitty Oppenheimer when the Met presents John Adams‘ Dr. Atomic in the 2008-2009 season. La McDonald, it will be remembered, premiered Kitty’s aria “Easter Eve, 1945” in May 2004 with the New York Philharmonic under Adams’ baton. The versatile songstress is currently in Houston…
By La Cieca
Broadway diva Kristin Chenoweth sang for the Met Thursday in a “closed” audition. Does that mean she was behind a screen like the NY Phil does it? Rumor has it La Cheno is up for Samira (the Marilyn Horne role) the revival of Ghosts of Versailles in 2245 or whenever it is. La Cieca thinks,…
By La Cieca
Actress/model/skank Carmen Electra will live up to her dual-barrelled operatic name tonight when she attends the Vienna Opera Ball. Curvy Carmen is the date of Viennese entrepreneur/socialite/reality show star Richard Lugner, who annually throws money at a celebrated piece of arm candy in hopes of attracting publicity. La Electra (oh, La Cieca thinks that is…
By La Cieca
In an article in the LA Times focused mainly on Placido Domingo‘s renewal of his contract as general director of Los Angeles Opera, the tenor blames his current bout of tracheitis on his participation in Robert Wilson‘s production of Parsifal last fall. Domingo has already nixed his participation in a Wilson Walkuere skedded for Paris…
By La Cieca
