Questo e Quello
The last day of December a parcel arrived in the mail containing an absolute delight: “Semiramide—La Signora Regale.” One of best vocal recordings of 2014, this sumptuous 2-CD set on Deutsche Harmonia Mundi features the marvelous Italian mezzo-soprano Anna Bonitatibus and includes 90 minutes of rarely-heard music written for the legendary Babylonian queen.
On this day in 1686 Jean Baptiste Lully’s Armide premiered in Paris.
Now that everyone (who is everyone) is here, cher public, proceed with the off-topic and general interest discussion!
On this day in 1939 Victor Fleming replaced George Cukor as director of Gone With the Wind.
On this day in 1816 the Teatro San Carlo in Naples was destroyed by fire.
It’s that time of the year when the Met does its season announcement, cher public.
On this say in 1947 Christian Dior unveiled a “New Look”, helping Paris regain its position as the capital of the fashion world.
“If Mozart had only had the sense to write Don Giovanni in a… single-performer format, last Wednesday’s revival at the Met would have been one for the ages.
“Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Luca Salsi will sing the role of Rodrigo in this season’s performances of Verdi’s Don Carlo, replacing Simon Keenlyside, who has withdrawn from the run due to illness.” So says the Met’s press department.
Gluck’s Iphigénie en Aulide (1774), the occasion of his Paris debut, gets far less respect than her sequel, Iphigénie en Tauride.
On this day in 55 A.D., Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman emperorship, died under mysterious circumstances in Rome, clearing the way for Nero to become Emperor.
Newton’s Third Law of Motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
A sharp-eyed parterrian reports a poster of some sort (perhaps protesting Anna Netrebko and Valery Gergiev?) has somehow been affixed to the wall of the Met lobby at balcony level during tonight’s performance of Iolanta/Bluebeard’s Castle.
On this day in 1940, the first “Tom & Jerry” cartoon debuted.
La Cieca is sure that you will be as thrilled as Creative Consultant Renée Fleming over the 2015-2016 season at Lyric Opera of Chicago.
My first experience with John Corigliano’s music was in high school with the ear and mind blowing score he wrote for Ken Russell’s film Altered States.
So, how well does Les Huguenots stand up in this, our modern world?
The program Anna Netrebko sang at Beaver Creek on Thursday included her first public performance of “Suicidio!” from La Gioconda.
Even supermodels take a break from enjoying the opera now and again to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
Born on this day in 1888 English actress Edith Evans.
Cocooned in an amiable production of Theo Morrison‘s revised Oscar, David Daniels flew to new heights in the congenial title role.
Born on this day in 1908 American swimmer and actor Buster Crabbe.
“Aida to help bring an end to Sarasota Opera’s Verdi Cycle”
On this day in 1649 the claimant King Charles II of England and Scotland was declared King of Great Britain by the Parliament of Scotland.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
