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.
“What you may not realize is that most of the sound effects and background music have been made entirely from a base of recorded clusters of notes sung by Ms. Fleming.”
“The first person walks out of this preview performance about 30 minutes in…”
Another new role!
The Richard Tucker Music Foundation announced today that Lisette Oropesa has been named as the winner of the 2019 Richard Tucker Award.
Let the creepiness from Met begin (for today, anyway) at 1:00 PM.
Have a Roman holiday this evening starting at 7:55 PM, cher public!
Anna Netrebko sings con Forza.
Via Facebook
The return of Sondra Radvanovsky to the Met in Aida dominated parterre box in March.
There’s a live video webcast of Puccini’s western from the Bayerische Staatsoper starting at 2:00 PM EDT.
Wake up, sleepyheads, and tune in to this afternoon’s live Met broadcast at noon.
This diva looks like that diva as that other diva.
When Anthony Tommasini finds more political content in the Ring than your stage director does, you’re doing it wrong.
And a hearty “Hojotoho!” to all of you, cher public!
The Philistines lose yet once again this afternoon at 1:00.
The rarely-heard Hans Werner Henze opera is telecast live from the Staatsoper Stuttgart beginning at 2:20 PM.
The chat is late, but it’s here! (Photo: Marty Sohl / Met Opera)
“Robert Lepage‘s direction of a crucial scene in the Ring is even worse than Otto Schenk‘s, if such a thing is possible.”
Our Own Joel Rozen is no longer Our Own, except of course in the most important sense that we will always adore him.
The year 2020 marks the first staged performances of Turandot on Anna Netrebko‘s schedule. She introduces her complete interpretation at the Bayerische Staatsoper January 28 and 31 and February 3.
A sunny opera for an overcast afternoon: the Met’s broadcast of Falstaff begins at 1:00 PM.
The Entry of the Cher Public into Valhalla begins at 7:55 PM.
Gregory Kunde will sing Samson in the March 16, 19, and 23 performances of Saint-Saëns’s Samson et Dalila, replacing Aleksandrs Antonenko, who is ill.
[via Twitter]
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
