Questo e Quello
On this day in 1040 King Duncan I of Scotland was killed in battle against his first cousin and rival Macbeth (not, as per Shakespeare’s play, murdered in his sleep.)
The reviews for Geraldine Farrar‘s Metropolitan Opera debut (Opening Night of the 1906-1907 season) could almost have been written by her own mother.
On this day in 1965 (i.e., 50 years ago), Sonny & Cher‘s “I Got You Babe” hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Metropolitan Opera just announced that Mary Jo Heath, who has worked as a producer and guest host for the company over the past nine seasons, will become the fourth full-time radio host in the company’s history this September.
Surely this is the zenith of the history of the footnote.
Happy 67th birthday soprano Kathleen Battle.
Few new operas have received the near-unanimous acclaim that has greeted Written on Skin since its first performance at the 2012 Aix-en-Provence Festival.
On this day in 1877, Thomas Edison invented the “Edisonphone,” an early phonograph.
On this day in 1866 the world’s roller rink opened, in Newport, Rhode Island.
La Cieca is delighted to announce that the video of the Glyndebourne production of Donizetti’s Poliuto will be streamed beginning Sunday, August 16th at noon EDT.
Yusif Eyvazov will make his Met debut singing the role of Calàf in the performances of Puccini’s Turandot on November 7 matinee and November 12.
Anja Silja staked a claim as a leading Senta of her era with a series of searing performances of Der Fliegende Holländer while in her early twenties.
I have been remiss in posting works of important 20th century composers, tops among them Hanz Werner Henze, a name which sends most opera fans running for the exits.
On this day in 1948 Allen Funt‘s Candid Camera debuted.
I was greatly anticipating Karita Mattila’s recital on Friday in Toronto’s Koerner Hall.
“The British like good tunes, not pretentious noise.”
On this day in 1930 Betty Boop first appeared in Max Fleischer‘s animated cartoon “Dizzy Dishes.”
On this day in in 1963, the Kingsmen released “Louie, Louie”, later the subject of a two-year investigation by the FBI on the charge of obscenity.
Geraldine Farrar has gone and the Gerry-flappers are disconsolate.
When LaCieca asked me to choose my favorite live recording, I had to think… and think.
On this day in 1954 the musical The Golden Apple closed at the Alvin Theater after 125 performances.
The CD explosion coincided with an enormous increase in interest in HIP (historically informed performance) so now there were lots of commercial recordings of the sort of operas I had turned to pirates to find.
Born on this day in 1881 gossip columnist Louella Parsons, and in 1911 actress Lucille Ball.
Many live treasures (and some duds) began to take up more and more space—first in my dorm room, then in my first little studio apartment thanks to a group of quite special men, none of whom I ever met face to face.
Tell us: Filth or dementia?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
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