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 Lisette Oropesa, Angela Meade, Stephanie Blythe, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Paolo Fanale, Ambrogio Maestri and Franco Vassallo, conducted by James Levine. From December 14, 2013.
Starring Marina Poplavskaya, Anna Smirnova, Roberto Alagna, Simon Keenlyside, Ferruccio Furlanetto and Eric Halfvarson, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin. From December 11, 2010.
La Cieca has heard that Columbia Artists Management Inc. will cease operations on Monday, August 31.
“A program of the soaring arias and songs that have rocketed her to stardom around the world: selections from Wagner’s Tannhäser, Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, and Puccini’s Manon Lescaut, as well as Scandinavian songs by Sibelius and Grieg.”
Starring Diana Damrau, Juan Diego Flórez and Quinn Kelsey, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin (not pictured). From December 15, 2018.
Michael Fabiano in one of his specialties as the dashing hero of Il corsaro torn between Tamara Wilson and Nicole Cabell.
Starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Kathleen Kim, Stephanie Blythe, Marcelo Álvarez and Dmitri Hvorostovsky, conducted by Fabio Luisi. From December 8, 2012.
A recent I Masnadieri with risen stars Lisette Oropesa and Russell Thomas.
Starring Sonya Yoncheva, Olesya Petrova, Piotr Beczala, Plácido Domingo, Alexander Vinogradov and Dmitry Belosselskiy, conducted by Bertrand de Billy. From April 14, 2018.
Today’s offering is an electric performance of Verdi’s early potboiler Attila conducted by Giuseppe Sinopoli with Nicolai Ghiaurov, Piero Cappuccilli and the weirdly exciting (or is it the other way around?) Mara Zampieri.
Starring Anna Netrebko, Dolora Zajick, Yonghoon Lee, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Stefan Kocán, conducted by Marco Armiliato. From October 3, 2015.
Verdi’s Giovanna d’Arco in a rare NYC concert performance with Margaret Price, Carlo Bergonzi and Sherrill Milnes.
Starring Diana Damrau, Oksana Volkova, Piotr Beczala, Zeljko Lucic and Stefan Kocán, conducted by Michele Mariotti. From February 16, 2013.
To vary and expand the Met’s “rerun” week of telecasts of Verdi operas, our own Christopher Corwin has selected a group of earlier and lesser-known works by that composer from the vast “Trove Thursday” collection for afternoon listening.
Starring Judith Blegen, Frederica von Stade, Jean Kraft, Rosalind Elias and Michael Devlin, conducted by Thomas Fulton. From December 25, 1982.
Starring Kathleen Battle, Rockwell Blake, Leo Nucci, Enzo Dara and Ferruccio Furlanetto, conducted by Ralf Weikert. From December 3, 1988.
Riccardo Muti conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Starring Adrianne Pieczonka, Marcello Giordani, Plácido Domingo and James Morris, conducted by James Levine. From February 6, 2010.
Born on this day in 1896 soprano, newspaper columnist, voice teacher and novelist Queena Mario.
Starring Aprile Millo, Harolyn Blackwell, Florence Quivar, Luciano Pavarotti and Leo Nucci, conducted by James Levine. From January 26, 1991.
Starring Anna Netrebko, Elena Maximova, Alexey Dolgov, Peter Mattei and Stefan Kocán, conducted by Robin Ticciati. From April 22, 2017.
Starring Renata Scotto, Plácido Domingo and Cornell MacNeil, conducted by James Levine. From April 7, 1984.
Starring Patricia Racette, Roberto Alagna, and George Gagnidze conducted by Riccardo Frizza. From November 9, 2013.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
