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.
“In his surprisingly tragic interpretation, the renowned Italian director Damiano Michieletto plays with the clichés of the ruthless ballet world and crosses the line between fairytale magic and reality.”
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 Kathleen Kim, Joyce DiDonato, Alice Coote and Stephanie Blythe; conducted by Bertrand de Billy. Transmitted live on April 28, 2018.
From the Vienna State Opera, Juan Diego Flórez, Daniela Fally and Luca Pisaroni; conducted by Guillermo García Calvo.
Starring Ying Huang, Erika Miklósa, Matthew Polenzani, Nathan Gunn, and René Pape, conducted by James Levine. From December 30, 2006.
Hans Werner Henze’s opera at the Vienna State Opera features Vera-Lotte Boecker, Bo Skovhus, Josh Lovell, Erik Van Heyningen, Kangmin Justin Kim, Stefan Astakhov and Martin Häßler.
Starring Deborah Voigt, Wendy Bryn Harmer, Waltraud Meier, Jay Hunter Morris, Iain Paterson, Eric Owens, and Hans-Peter König, conducted by Fabio Luisi. From February 11, 2012.
From the Vienna State Opera: Roberto Alagna, Aleksandra Kurzak, Dalibor Jenis.
Starring Liudmyla Monastyrska, Jamie Barton, Russell Thomas, Plácido Domingo, and Dmitry Belosselskiy, conducted by James Levine. From January 7, 2017.
Performance from January 6, 2018. Donald Runnicles; Lisette Oropesa (Gretel), Tara Erraught (Hansel), Dolora Zajick (Gertrude), Gerhard Siegel (Witch), Quinn Kelsey (Peter).
Born on this day in 1915 singer Edith Piaf.
Starring Ekaterina Semenchuk, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Oleg Balashov, Evgeny Nikitin, René Pape, Mikhail Petrenko, and Vladimir Ognovenko, conducted by Valery Gergiev. From October 23, 2010.
Live from the Vienna State Opera with Martina Serafin, Daniela Sindram, Günther Groissböck, Erin Morley, Jochen Schmeckenbecher and Piotr Beczala, conducted by Philippe Jordan.
On this day in 1969, a legend portrayed a legend, when the André Previn musical Coco presented Katharine Hepburn as Coco Chanel.
Starring Renata Scotto, Plácido Domingo, and Cornell MacNeil, conducted by James Levine. From April 7, 1984.
Starring Deborah Voigt, Susan Graham, Karen Cargill, Bryan Hymel, Eric Cutler, Dwayne Croft, and Kwangchoul Youn, conducted by Fabio Luisi. From January 5, 2013.
More schwanning around, this time with Eva Marton, Leonie Rysanek, Peter Hofmann, Leif Roar and John Macurdy, conducted by James Levine. From January 10, 1986.
From the Theater an der Wien, recorded in September 2018.
Starring Elina Garanca, Roberto Alagna, Laurent Naouri, Elchin Azizov, and Dmitry Belosselskiy, conducted by Sir Mark Elder. From October 20, 2018.
From San Francisco Opera: Michael Fabiano, Alexia Voulgaridou, Alexey Markov, Nadine Sierra, Christian Van Horn
and Hadleigh Adams star.
Calixto Bieito directs Roberto Alagna, René Pape, Vida Mikneviciute, Ekaterina Gubanova and Martin Gantner in this livestream from the Staatsoper Unter den Linden.
Live from the Vienna State Opera, starring Anna Netrebko, Yusif Eyvazov and Wolfgang Koch; Bertrand de Billy conducts.
Starring Teresa Stratas, Astrid Varnay, Richard Cassilly, and Cornell MacNeil, conducted by James Levine. From November 27, 1979.
Legendary bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel performs a holiday program with several special musical guests, live from Brecon Cathedral in his native Wales.
Streaming and discussion begin at 7:30 PM. Photo: Ken Howard / Met Opera
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.
