La Cieca
The legendary mezzo-soprano of the Russian Soviet period, Zara Dolukhanova, died last week at the age of 89. Though she excelled in brilliant Rossini roles in the opera house, her greatest success was as a recitalist. Dolukhanova’s broad repertoire included music from arie antiche to Prokofiev and Stravinsky; unusually for Soviet-era singers, she often included…
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Mae West goes mezzo-soprano for this scene from her 1935 vehicle Goin’ to Town.
Introducting a new guest critic, Giulia Grisi, who blogs regularly for “Il Corriere della Grisi.” La Scala’s 2007-8 opera season opened last night (December 7) with a new production of Tristan und Isolde. The Milanese theatre hadn’t presented Wagner’s masterpiece since 1978, when Carlos Kleiber‘s masterful interpretation became an instant classic, in spite of a…
La Cieca enthuses about her recent visit to the Lyric Opera of Chicago before introducing the third act of Adriana Lecouvreur starring Renata Scotto. Your doyenne’s favorite diva returns after the act for a rare live recording of an excerpt from one of her most celebrated roles. All this, plus Milton Host‘s wonted bemusement, on…
That “Cate Blanchett” Traviata we were talking about earlier? Turns out there’s video of the dress rehearsal.
The people have spoken, and they have chosen Winpal as the author of the wittiest Season Brochure. Congratulations to Winpal and all you cher public who participated!
Fiorenza Cedolins gets off to a bad start in this performance of Luisa Miller. La Cieca feels that if you’re going to sing like that, you really should avoid the Grayson Hall wig.
UPDATE: La Cieca has just heard that the “dark season” is not a done deal just yet. The NYCO board meets next week to make that decision. (Given how late in the game this is, most likely the “decision” will be no more than a formality. But La Cieca will keep her ear to the…
La Cieca would never have thought this would work. And yet…
And don’t call her Shirley! It’s the one and only Ruby Hinds singing the cabaletta to “O mio Fernando” at a tribute to Doris Roberts (yeah, go figure) in Beverly Hills.
La Cieca is sure she doesn’t wish ill on anyone, but Maria Guleghina‘s return to Norma tonight is turning filthy already.
Excellent lines from some of the many, many “Season Brochures” that didn’t make the final five. Soprano Montserrat Caballe stars as Jeanette, a virginal pony who for most of the opera is disguised as a mysterious duck. Montserrat Caballe is perhaps best known from TV’s Sex & The City where she sang the lilting melody…
Now is the time to restore La Cieca’s faith in the democratic process, cher public! The polls will remain open until midnight on Thursday, December 6. Remember, the winner receives a gift certificate from amazon.com. Which is your favorite Season Brochure? The 1924 Season for Parma Grand Opera by Julian The 1954 Season for Selma…
La Cieca was franky overwhelmed by both the volume and the quality of the “Season Brochure” contest entries, so she’s decided to ask you, her cher public, to help decide the winner. In this and four other posts, she will present five finalists. Later today, she will post a ballot so you, the cher public,…
La Cieca was franky overwhelmed by both the volume and the quality of the “Season Brochure” contest entries, so she’s decided to ask you, her cher public, to help decide the winner. In this and four other posts, she will present five finalists. Later today, she will post a ballot so you, the cher public,…
La Cieca was franky overwhelmed by both the volume and the quality of the “Season Brochure” contest entries, so she’s decided to ask you, her cher public, to help decide the winner. In this and four other posts, she will present five finalists. Later today, she will post a ballot so you, the cher public,…
La Cieca was franky overwhelmed by both the volume and the quality of the “Season Brochure” contest entries, so she’s decided to ask you, her cher public, to help decide the winner. In this and four other posts, she will present five finalists. Later today, she will post a ballot so you, the cher public,…
La Cieca was franky overwhelmed by both the volume and the quality of the “Season Brochure” contest entries, so she’s decided to ask you, her cher public, to help decide the winner. In this and four succeeding posts, she will present five finalists. Later today, she will post a ballot so you, the cher public,…
In order to stem what seems to be a rising tide of anonymous postings (and to save herself the hassle of deleting them) La Cieca offers these instructions on how to post comments using a Nickname. When you click on the “POST A COMMENT” link, you go to the “Leave your comment” form. At the…
A helpful reader has pointed La Cieca to an interview in the current Opera News, a publication she picks up all too infrequently, alas. But the chitchat between Brian Kellow and Francesca Zambello is just too delicious to ignore. Ms. Zambello is the director of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, a show that just last week…
Not the clearest sound, but, oh my dear, could those girls ever sing back then!
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