Questo e Quello
Join La Cieca and the parterriani this afternoon for a chat during the premiere of Manon Lescaut from the Bayerische Staatsoper.
On this day in 1533 Francisco Pizzaro arrived in Cuzco, the capital of the Inca Empire.
“La nonna rock è impazzita per Jonas Kaufmann definito il più bel tenore del mondo.”
“In a last-minute substitution, American tenor Bryan Hymel will sing the role of Rodolfo in this evening’s performance of La Bohème, replacing Ramón Vargas, who is ill.”
The Bayreuth Festival has decided to walk away from a new Parsifal production directed by Jonathan Meese for 2016 because the budget has spiraled out of control. Andris Nelsons is still on board to conduct.
On this day in 1905, David Belasco’s The Girl of Golden West premiered in New York City.
On this day in 1918, Allied troops occupued Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire.
You figured it out a fortnight ago, cher public.
Show Boat continues to communicate, even in the less than perfect circumstances of this latest revival.
The role debut of a world-class singer is always a time of great anticipation, hopefully to be followed by celebration, if not unbridled jubilation.
“Soprano Renee Fleming at 55: ‘I May Leave Well Enough Alone'”
“There it is! The Castel Sant’ Angelo!”
On this day in 1859, Jules Leotard performed the first flying trapeze circus act in Paris.
Throw in a trio of murders and a healthy splash of vodka and you have, more or less, the plot of Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.
An early preview of the new Netrebko/Barneboim/Strauss CD
, including Anna’s first performance of the “Vier letzte Lieder.”
On this day in 1862 Verdi’s La forza del destino premiered in St. Petersburg.
Kitsch is alive and well in Rossini’s La Cenerentola at the War Memorial.
“This is obviously a difficult situation. But who knows Hans New Rock, knows his cool and objective aesthetic decision.”
On this day in 1983 Bill Gates introduced Windows 1.0.
Cecilia Bartoli, the revered, ebullient, and unique mezzo-soprano, does not like to fly in airplanes. Yet she managed to journey to St. Petersburg, Russia.
Leonie Rysanek made her Met debut as Verdi’s Lady Macbeth on 05 February 1959, and bade farewell to the company as Tchaikovsky’s Countess in Pikovaya dama on 02 January 1996. With this upload of her 25th Anniversary Gala with the company, Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin celebrates La Rysanek’s 88th birthday on 14 November 2014.
On this day in 1939 Ninotchka, starring Greta Garbo, premiered.
La Cieca is sure that you, the cher public, will make good use of your idle moments this week discussing off-topic and general interest subjects.
If you are of the belief that Show Boat can stand on its own as a classic score and thus doesn’t need the trappings of musical production, you’ll love the New York Philharmonic’s “semi-staged” production.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
