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.
Tosca
The opening night of La Scala features a new production of Tosca featuring Anna Netrebko, Francesco Meli and Luca Salsi.
Baton passed
Eun Sun Kim has been appointed the Caroline H. Hume Music Director of San Francisco Opera, effective August 1, 2021.
The Queen of Spades
A second broadcast of the Met’s winter sleeper hit!
Grigolo gone
Star tenor Vittorio Grigolo has been dismissed from the Met.
Cecilia goes to Monte Carlo
Cecilia Bartoli has been named director of the Monte-Carlo Opera, with her incumbency to begin in 2023.
The case of the vanishing opera
La Cieca has only just noticed that the time for the announced first presentation of the New York City’s Opera’s 2019-2020 season has come and gone.
Già la mansplain e preparata
“È tutto amore! Chi a una sola è fedele, verso l’altre è crudele; io che in me sento si esteso sentimento, vo’ bene a tutte quante; le donne poiché calcolar non sanno, il mio buon natural chiamano inganno.”
The Queen of Spades
Tonight’s broadcast of Tchaikovsky’s ghost story begins at 7:30 PM.
Altre parole bisbigliavi
Anna Netrebko, in Milan preparing a new production of Tosca for La Scala’s opening night, fires back at an interviewer.
It’s now or Neva
In preparation for her much-awaited Met debut, Lise Davidsen sings the arioso from Queen of Spades.
Van Oostrum sings!
Though no recording of Sunday’s lauded performance of Lohengrin from the Bayerische Staatsoper has yet surfaced, here are a couple of excerpts from Der Freischütz sung by Johanni van Oostrum.
Opera tickets to give away
A parterre box reader has had to cancel an opera trip to Germany scheduled from November 29 – December 6 and wants if possible to share his tickets with members of the cher public.
Honor and harmony
It’s that time of year again, cher public: the 47th 15th annual announcement of the recipients of the F. Paul Driscoll Awards for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence!
Seal the deal
“Yusif Eyvazov will sing Hermann in the performances of Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades on November 29 and December 2 and 5, replacing Aleksandrs Antonenko, who has withdrawn due to illness.”
Wozzeck
Alban Berg‘s masterpiece launches the Bayerische Staatsoper’s 2019/2020 STAATSOPER.TV season.
Outside the box
So here’s my question: if Tadzio is 27 years old and consciously flaunting his wang, is it still Death in Venice?
Thanks a million
“The Met acted quickly to cast her as Leonore in Fidelio, Chrysothemis in Elektra, Ariadne in Ariadne auf Naxos, Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier.”
La bohème
That bohemian opera returns to the airwaves tonight at 7:25 PM.
“Non son più Ye, son dio”
“A flawed leader with visions of grandeur who becomes mentally unstable is a plot line that [Kanye] West might relate to.”
I’ll take the fall
The days are getting shorter, but you can keep the prattle going this fall’s Talk of the Town! You will, you can, you must join in the discussion about: Great mezzo soprano performances (October),
Gained in translation (November), Teleport me back to… (December).