Spring can really hang you up the most
Zeljko Lucic has withdrawn from his spring Met engagements due to illness.
Questo e Quello
Ecco un artista!
Just discovered: a Swedish documentary about Birgit Nilsson.
With crows
On this day in 1901 a showing of seventy-one Vincent van Gogh paintings in Paris, 11 years after his death, created a sensation.
Ah, youth!
Once again, your alte Jungfer is pleased to offer a performance by a polarizing diva: it seems that parterriani either love her or loathe her.
Una vendetta in domino
On this day in 1792 King Gustav III of Sweden was shot by Count Anckarström at a masked ball at the Opera.
Opera snooze
That much-anticipated and much-feared “exposé” about Peter Gelb and the Met? Almost completely rehash.
Plunging
Never mind the décolletage, cher public, but rather discuss off-topic and general interest topics. For starters, take a look at today’s birthday greetings, after the jump.
Jewels of the nile
No two ways about it, cher public, you fell in love with the “They’re only in it for the ‘dp'” competition, and two of you came around the last turn neck and neck.
Kitchen confidential
On this day in 1936 the first all-sound film version of Show Boat opened at Radio City Music Hall.
Where in the world is Cecilia Bartoli?
“Famed mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli has canceled her California tour, including performances March 31 and April 2 at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall.”
“Give me Kitty Carlisle any day!”
“On The Academy Awards [Lady Gaga] was a travesty. It was ridiculous, as it would be from any singer who treats that music in semi-operatic style.”
Corner of the sky
On this day 1781 William Herschel discovered Uranus.
Plain and simple
“Michael Volle is not into bling,” begins an article in ACT-O, the glossy magazine of the Grand Théâtre de Genève.
Magic “Flute”
A confession: I have a real love/ hate relationship with Mozart’s Die Zauberflote.
I been to college like everybody else
Happy 87th birthday playwright Edward Albee.
Not pretty or safe or easy
La Cieca hears that the Théâtre du Châtelet will continue its series of Stephen Sondheim productions with Passion, set to star Natalie Dessay (as Fosca, bien sûr!)
Dongs of mirth and triumph sing!
Donkey dick and other Asian Fusion vaudeville acts arouse “The BAM Effect” at Handel’s Semele.
Au revoir les infantes
On this day in 1867 Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Don Carlos premiered in Paris.
Je sens une pure flamme
Our Own JJ‘s take on the Massenet will not appear until next week, but for now you are invited to make do with Zachary Woolfe‘s rave in the New York Times.
It’s all you had and you’ve had it
On this day in 1959 Tennessee Williams‘ Sweet Bird of Youth premiered at the Martin Beck Theatre.
Commie dearest
The Manchurian Candidate is indeed operatic: outsized characters, a doomed love story and a narrative fraught with suspense.
The devil is in the details
Certain operas are better in theory than practice.
How Green was my Verdi
As the world knows, Anja Harteros dropped out of this series of Don Carlo for a stab at Aïda in Rome. Illness sidelined Ramón Vargas from the title roles in both Don Carlo and Werther. While Wiener Staatsoper has been plagued with cancellations all season (even substituting L’elisir d’amore for La Juive at the last […]
Nell’ebbrezza d’un amplesso ch’io viva!
On this day in 1562, kissing in public was banned and made punishable by death in Naples, Italy.
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).