Questo e Quello
A Court of Appeals in Paris has ordered BelAir Classiques to remove from its catalog a video recording of Dialogues des carmélites as staged by Dmitri Tcherniakov for the Bayerische Staatsoper.
On this day in 1858 Jacques Offenbach‘s opera Orphée aux Enfers premiered in Paris.
On this day in 1973 the Sydney Opera House opened.
New York is different now, and John Zorn has this hangout, The Stone, on Avenue C (you heard me) at Second Street, a performance space the size of a largeish dorm room.
On Wednesday, the still-active, still radiant Virginia Zeani turns 90.
Born on this day in 1945, “US-amerikanische Drag Queen und Euro-Disco-Sänger” Divine.
In this new work, entitled Can Belto, a group of terrorists kidnap and hold hostage Broadway diva Idina Menzel.
La Cieca thought the cher public might like to share some of their favorite Elektra videos and anecdotes.
On this day in 1966 The Apple Tree opened at the Shubert Theater, starring Barbara Harris, won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
“In naïve, or pure, Camp, the essential element is seriousness, a seriousness that fails.”
Happy birthday to music critic Zachary Woolfe.
“English National Opera is staging a modern-day version of La bohème in which the lead female character is a heroin user rather than a consumptive.”
Happy 90th birthday actress Angela Lansbury.
There is something for everyone on the internet, even classical music aficionados who are looking for fellow bacon-lovers to share stories about breastfeeding porn arrests.
“The Spanish musician went to hospital Tuesday night after experiencing extreme pain and vomiting after conducting Tosca.”
One Saturday afternoon during my freshman year in college, Richard Strauss’s Elektra made me fall in love with Ursula Schröder-Feinen—or maybe vice versa.
On this day in 1951 I Love Lucy debuted on CBS.
Put your hands together for Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who has been named Musical America‘s Artist of the Year.
Which usually calm superstar’s running, jumping or standing (not to mention conducting) will have to be put on hold for at least two weeks while he goes under the knife at a Manhattan hospital?
“Everyone complains about how there is no great singing in opera anymore, but last week’s performances suggest that’s not so. The singing today is mostly fine; it’s everything else that’s the problem.”
On this day in 1930 Ethel Merman made her Broadway debut in Girl Crazy.
The commenting system has been mended, so the cher public (pictured) may now get back to doing what they do best.
It appears that La Cieca’s long-winded, likely drunken ravings late last Friday week attracted the most visitors last week, doubtless motivated by Schadenfreude.
On this day in 54 AD Nero succeeded Claudius as Roman Emperor.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
