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.
From the Vienna State Opera, with Angela Gheorghiu, Massimo Giordano, Elena Zhidkova and Roberto Frontali. Evelino Pidò conducts. Performance of February 22, 2014.
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.
New York Times Classical Music Editor Zachary Woolfe (pictured) joins #KikiKonversations with Karen Slack.
With: Anna Netrebko, Elina Garanca, Ildebrando D’Arcangelo, Francesco Meli, Elisabeth Kulman; Evelino Pidò conducting.
Starring Sasha Cooke, Thomas Glenn, Gerald Finley, Richard Paul Fink, and Eric Owens, conducted by Alan Gilbert. From November 8, 2008.
With Nina Stemme, Jonas Kaufmann and Tomasz Konieczny conducted by Franz Welser-Möst.
La Scala opens with an ultra-starry gala.
Starring Shirley Verrett, Luciano Pavarotti, and Cornell MacNeil, conducted by James Conlon. From December 19, 1978.
Born on this day in 1900 actress Agnes Moorehead.
Starring Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle, Tatiana Troyanos and James King, conducted by James Levine. From March 12, 1988.
Performance from March 2, 2002.
Starring Barbara Frittoli, Elina Garanca, Roberto Alagna, and Teddy Tahu Rhodes, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. From January 16, 2010.
From the Vienna State Opera: Alain Altinoglu leads Bernarda Fink, Adrian Eröd, Simon Keenlyside, Olga Bezsmertna, Maria Nazarova and Franz-Josef Selig.
Starring Anna Netrebko, Joseph Calleja, Zeljko Lucic and René Pape, conducted by Fabio Luisi. From October 11, 2014.
Joyce DiDonato as the tormented Queen of Babylon.
Starring Katarina Dalayman, Jonas Kaufmann, Peter Mattei, Evgeny Nikitin, and René Pape, conducted by Daniele Gatti. From March 2, 2013.
Live from the Bayerische Staatsoper, featuring Wolfgang Koch and Ailyn Pérez.
Born on this day 97 years ago.
Starring Leontyne Price, Fiorenza Cossotto, James McCracken and Simon Estes, conducted by James Levine. From January 3, 1985.
It’s a Christmas miracle: leading our Top Ten listing for November is Jonas Kaufmann singing Mariah Carey!
With Camilla Nylund, Markus Eiche, Michael Schade, Adrian Eröd, Wolfgang Bankl, Angelika Kirchschlager; Michael Boder conducts.
The Met kicks off “Stars in Signature Roles” week with Renée Fleming and Dmitri Hvorostovsky from February 24, 2007.
Jonas Kaufmann and Rachel Willis-Sørensen star in a staged streaming-only performance from the Bayerische Staatsoper.
Starring Kiri Te Kanawa, Plácido Domingo, Vladimir Chernov, and Robert Lloyd, conducted by James Levine. From January 26, 1995.
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.
