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.
Today at 1:30 PM, live video of Médée from the Staatsoper Berlin.
“A University of Michigan student is suing the school and renowned opera singer David Daniels, also a U-M professor, alleging Daniels sexually assaulted him.”
“Renée Fleming herself will sing, of course…”
The annual starry event (featuring 2018 Award winner Christian Van Horn) will be webcast live at 6:00 PM.
Live video stream from the Staatsoper Stuttgart starting at 11:00 AM.
The Metropolitan Opera premiere of Nico Muhly‘s Marnie graces tonight’s free streaming broadcast.
At last weekend’s Opus Klassik Awards, Diana Damrau sings ABBA (with Juan Diego Flòrez among the backup artists.)
Wolfgang Koch has withdrawn from the Metropolitan Opera’s fall performances of Puccini’s Tosca, due to illness.
“Yonghoon Lee will sing Radamès in tonight’s performance of Verdi’s Aida, replacing Aleksandrs Antonenko, who is ill,” says the Met press office with a perfectly straight face.
“Hadrian leans mournfully against the sarcophagus containing Antinous’s body as five male dancers in G-strings stand statuesque in the background.”
Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Federation of Musicians Local #10-208 (CFM) announced today that they have reached a multi-year labor agreement extending through the 2020/21 season
Sonya Yoncheva dons the mantle of Cherubini’s Medée this afternoon at 1:05 PM.
La Cieca made up her mind she really must try refute Terry Teachout‘s rant against contemporary opera at the Met.
Before the advent of Jonas Kaufmann next week, Yusif Eyvazov sings his final (scheduled) Dick Johnson of the Met season tonight,streaming live starting at 7:25.
The seventh season of STAATSOPER.TV’s free live streams begins Sunday, December 2 with Otello from the Bayerische Staatsoper featuring Jonas Kaufmann, Anja Harteros and Gerald Finley.
“Love is love,” tweets tenor Michael Fabiano.
Kathleen Turner will join the cast of Donizetti’s comedy La Fille du Régiment at the Metropolitan Opera February 7–March 2.
I mean, maybe I’ve just seen Vertigo too many times, but it really creeps me out how much Aleksandra Kurzak is styled to look like Angela Gheorghiu.
Now, if there’s one thing I know about authorial intentions, it is that Verdi totally wanted the first act of La traviata to look like a dinner dance reunion for the class of 1988.
“Due to previous commitments, the corpse of Licia Albanese has withdrawn from the jury.”
The Chicago Federation of Musicians (CFM) Local #10-208 is striking against Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Venomous fishwife Norman Lebrecht has gleefully seized upon the death of beloved diva Montserrat Caballé to use her scarcely-cold cadaver as a club to attack (who else) Peter Gelb.
Today’s sad news has prompted a change of program in parterre saturday afternoon. Our Own JJ is putting together a program in tribute to Montserrat Caballé, to begin at our regular time of 2:00 PM.
The prodigiously gifted and widely beloved Catalan soprano has died. She was 85.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
