Entendez ma voix!
Alexandrina Pendatchanska summons the spirits!
La Cieca
Meyer wins Wien
Dominique Meyer (currently at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées) and will take over as Intendant at the Vienna State Opera in 2010, with Franz Welser-Möst serving as Musical Director. Better luck next time Neil Shicoff, Christian Thielemann, Daniel Barenboim and Simone Young! (Via The Europe Channel)
WINNER! Chi e quella donna bruna lassu?
WE HAVE A WINNER!. The lovely and talented Eric M. was the first to identify all six mystery sopranos correctly at 10:15 AM today, followed closely by Fred at 11:47. Congratulations to Eric and Fred, and thanks ever so to all of you who played! (For the correct answers to the quiz, check the comments […]
Opera Chic recoils in Scala shocker!
Our devoted and prolific little sister Opera Chic reports that, threatened with legal action from La Scala’s cadre of highly-paid lawyers, she has removed “offending” content from her site, including photographs taken inside the celebrated opera house and even her own logo. But, as with so many things Milanese, OC tells the story best.
More dust bitten
One of our finest critics has just lost his regular gig. Peter G. Davis has been asked to sign an “agreement of separation” from New York magazine, where he has reviewed classical music for the past 26 years.
Dog Sees Diva
The month of June in New York traditionally offers scant little in the way of operatic entertainment beyond the Met’s Parks concerts. And so the premiere of an opera-themed play off-Broadway sounds like particularly good news. The show is called The Second Tosca, and it is described as “a contemporary comedy that takes place backstage […]
Allo pompo che s’appresta, meco, o schiava, assisterai
Expanding the already bulging operatic repertoire, The Pocket Opera Players have announced the the world premiere of Pumped Fiction, composed by John Eaton with libretto by his daughter Estela Eaton. Pumped Fiction is a fable about the world’s leading patentee-distributor of penis pumps. The one-off performance will be Wednesday, June 20 at 8:00PM at Symphony […]
The art of the buried lede
“Mr. Hvorostovsky looked sexy in black leather pants and an open-collared black shirt.” Final paragraph.
Shirley Dearest
A belated happy birthday to Shirley Verrett, who so far as La Cieca knows never appeared in such operatic rarities as Gianni Chitarra, La femmina sulla spiaggia or even Che fine ha fatto Baby Jane? Had it not been for the allergies, though…
UPDATED! Start the coronation without me
La Cieca hears that Ruth Ann Swenson has withdrawn from her autumn performances of Agrippina at the New York City Opera. This just in… “replacing” Swenson will be none other than the legendary Nelly Miricioiu! The Romanian diva assoluta is seen here in a 2003 performance of Anna Bolena.
Onegin, you’re pissing on my shoelace
La Cieca is distressed to inform you that her YouTube account comprising 90 videos has been suspended. The cause of the action was a series of DMCA complaints from someone called “ByOnegin S.L.” who claimed “infringement” from three videos featuring Mariella Devia and Montserrat Caballe. La Cieca is naturally distressed that all these favorite videos […]
Trema, vil schiava
Although the cult TV hit Gilmore Girls has just ended its run after seven seasons on the CW, La Cieca thought you might enjoy a video featuring the “missing” Gilmore Girl (Miss Gail, that is.)
Witchy Woman
The return of Unnatural Acts of Opera continues with another rarity, Respighi’s 1934 grand opera La fiamma. Starring in this tale of witchcraft in medieval Ravenna is American soprano Alessandra Marc as the mysterious Silvana. According to Will Crutchfield‘s review of this live 1987 performance in the New York Times, La Marc’s “voice is full, […]
Sometimes the cabin’s gloomy and the table’s bare
“Wall to Wall Opera,” a 13 hour orgy of things operatic, inhabits Symphony Space beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Among the festivities is a master class in bel canto interpretation by Renata Scotto, but the moment La Cieca most eagerly awaits will arrive courtesy of Encompass Opera Theatre. We are promised a performance of […]
Happy (belated) birthday Giulietta Simionato
The legendary mezzo-soprano celebrated her 97th birthday on May 12. In this clip she is seen rehearsing with Franco Corelli for a 1963 production of Cavalleria Rusticana, and then in an interview from 2003.
Before they were famous
A couple of weeks ago we had the chance to see and hear what Juan Diego Florez looked and sounded like at the age of 16. And now, again through the magic of YouTube, here’s a rare clip of Rolando Villazon as a boy soprano!
"Well, when you’re from Pittsburgh, you have to do something."
Interesting choice of words in this PlaybillArts headline: Nathan Gunn Pulls Out of Billy Budd in Pittsburgh
Dear Abbé
La Cieca’s favorite baby hunkentenor Stephen Costello is back on the YouTubes, this time singing Des Grieux in Manon.
Morris is less
“No one could doubt the sincerity of Mark Morris‘ admiration for the late mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, who was to have collaborated with him on the Metropolitan Opera’s new staging of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. However, the opening night performance of this production (May 2) did not convince me that the choreographer can channel this […]
Crones on notice
A Met insider whispers that new chorus director Donald Palumbo, recently praised to the skies for his “tireless” efforts on Orfeo, may not want to stay tired for long. According to our source, “warning of vocal deterioration” letters have already been drafted to be sent to several members of the Met regular chorus, especially in […]
Which Puritani: discuss.
La Cieca has finally found a way to harness the massive intellectual prowess of her commenters for what she hopes is a good and peaceful purpose. From time to time she is asked for recommendations on, well, this and that, and she’s realized that you, cher public represent an paralleled resource for advising, counselling and […]
Wie alles war, weiss ich; wie alles wird, wie alles sein wird
The Met’s press office just sent this out: New York, NY (May 8, 2007) – Bizet’s Carmen with Russian mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina in the title role will be revived during the Met’s 2007-08 season, replacing the previously announced performances of Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann. The change in repertory is due to the decision by Argentine […]
"Tales" untold
La Cieca hears that the Met will scrap next season’s revival of Les Contes d’Hoffman (scheduled for February-March 2008) in favor of Carmen. A well-informed source suggests that the switch will be done at the behest of tenor Marcelo Álvarez, who would have sung the title role in the Offenbach but will now perform his […]
News from the underworld
A Happy Shade whispers to La Cieca about the Met’s Orfeo (opening tonight): “This show is awesome. The dancing is really interesting and fits the music very well. Donald Palumbo has really worked tirelessly to make the chorus sound as good as possible, giving notes and comments all through rehearsals. I’m told from long-time members […]
Win a Free Ticket to Opening Night at the Met!
Quinn Kelsey and Lise Davidsen star in the Met's new Macbeth. We're giving away one ticket, so screw your courage to the sticking place and enter now!
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).
