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.
Anna Netrebko and Anita Rachvelishvili are rival princesses in the Met’s Live in HD.
A rare revival of Rimsky-Korsakov’s fanciful opera from La Monnaie.
Bellini’s bel canto tragedy starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Joyce DiDonato, Joseph Calleja and Matthew Rose, conducted by Carlo Rizzi.
Verdi’s melodrama stars Anna Netrebko, Joseph Calleja, Zeljko Lucic and René Pape, conducted by Fabio Luisi.
The Rossini dramma buffo performed at La Scala features Rosa Feola as Donna Fiorilla.
That most American of all operas, as performed in February by the Metropolitan Museum in collaboration with The Juilliard School and the New York Philharmonic.
Opera in Exile veers off on a temporary tangent today, programming two fringe/niche works.
On this day in 1975 soprano Magda Olivero made her legendary Metropolitan Opera debut as Tosca.
Intrigue in the Spanish court with Marina Poplavskaya, Roberto Alagna, Simon Keenlyside and Ferruccio Furlanetto, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
What could be more appropriate for Opera in Exile than a production that never happened?
Making history at the Met with John Adams and Peter Sellars.
Naturally the top ten posts on parterre box for the month of March focused on the encroaching menace of COVID-19.
A spectacular production of Richard Strauss‘s enigmatic masterpiece from the Vienna State Opera.
This afternoon’s “Opera in Exile” features a live recording of Fedora with Franco Corelli and Maria Callas.
From the first season of Live in HD, Joyce DiDonato, Juan Diego Flórez and Peter Mattei star.
Happy 68th birthday soprano Nelly Miricioiu.
More repertoire from the Vienna State Opera.
Last season’s stunning Met revival of the Poulenc classic.
Dmitri Tcherniakov‘s eerie production of the Rimsky-Korsakov romance is performed by the Staatsoper Unter den Linden.
Eva-Maria Westbroek, Michelle DeYoung, Johan Botha, Peter Mattei and Gunther Groissböck star in Wagner’s romantic opera.
Ivo van Hove‘s production of the Mozart opera, as seen at the Opéra national de Paris.
Annette Dasch, Johan Botha and Michael Volle, conducted by James Levine headline this performance from 2014.
Lise Davidsen and Jonas Kaufmann headline this new production from Covent Garden.
Join the gang at parterre box to watch the world end tonight.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
