And another thing
The MET Orchestra musicians who, we are assured, ‘love the Metropolitan Opera and want it to succeed” have revised their PPT deck to identify what they claim is an additional $1.2 million in cost savings to the company…
Questo e Quello
Hosenschlange
Die langen schwarzen Haare nach hinten gegelt, in schwarzer Hose und Hemd und Schlangenmustermantel zeigt er bodygebuildete Muskeln, die gut und gerne darauf schließen lassen, dass er auch Ähnliches in der Hose haben könnte.
Rough trade and regie
Meet Tobias Kratzer (left) who is scheduled to direct Tannhäuser for Bayreuth in 2019.
Tomb raider
Despite the continued popularity of Der Freischütz in German-speaking countries, are the magical mature operas of Carl Maria von Weber otherwise really so problematic, their libretti so unwieldy to explain their continued absence from the world’s stages?
Calpesta il mio cadavere!
This week, Our Own Jungfer Marianne Leizmetzerin turns her vigilant ears to the recent past to take in a performance of Il trovatore featuring Anna Netrebko and Plácido Domingo.
Dog days
As the clock continues to tick on the Met’s impending labor crisis, La Cieca is sure the cher public will have plenty to say about off-topic and general interest subjects.
Carlo Bergonzi 1924-2014
The legendary and beloved Italian tenor died earlier today. He was 90.
Fun with graphs
La Cieca has come into possession of an interesting presentation, with fonts and everything, from Local 802, American Federation of Musicians, and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, outlining their solution for the current financial crisis at the Metropolitan Opera.
Fairy tale
“Conduct Salome and Elektra as if they were by Mendelssohn: Fairy music.” Seriously, how often has that happened?
Monster ball
I have banged on and on about doing an “Abscheulicher” quiz for years.
Barn yesterday
Christine Goerke is the Prima Donna in this scene from Francesca Zambello‘s Glimmerglass production of Ariadne auf Upstate New York, and Did I Mention That the Komponist is a Dyke?
Séance on a partly cloudy afternoon
Your conduit to the spirit world, La Cieca, isn’t feeling quite as clairvoyante as usual today, cher public, so she’s going to ask your help in predicting what will happen in the course of the Met’s current labor negotiations.
The battle is on
“The labor strife at the Metropolitan Opera took on a new urgency Wednesday, when the company’s general manager, Peter Gelb, sent its orchestra, chorus, stagehands and other workers letters warning them to prepare for a lockout if no contract deal is reached by next week.”
You’ll get no argument from me
“Renee Fleming appears to be having as much fun as the audience with her send-up of a fragile opera diva.” [Troy Record]
Play your hunch
Bel Canto at Caramoor is something that I’ve always wanted to attend but never have because … well because frankly I’m just too lazy during the summers, and I’m also a big baby about outdoor performances.
The curse of drink
Two operas both alike in dignity, set in dimly lit Renaissance towns ruled by seething, conspiratorial courts.
Funspielhaus
Our Own Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin gets all giddy and girlish as she salutes the opening of the 103rd Bayreuth Festival this week.
parterre for the course
No need to crowd, cher public: there’s plenty of room for everyone to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
Suivez-moi! suivez-moi!
Hey, folks! I wanted to put together a compilation of arias from a unique part of opera history, French grand opera. Today, from that genre, we’re going to hear great tenor arias.
If it quacks like a Lebrecht
“Peter Gelb says opera in the United States is having trouble finding an audience.”
Happy Birthday Eleanor Steber
Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of that superb American soprano Eleanor Steber.
“Ya proklinayu tebya, moy rokovaya krasota!”
One of the late Mike Richter‘s most endearing traits was his fascination with rare or downright offbeat recordings, such as this complete 1963 performance of Verdi’s Don Carlos in Russian by artists of the Bolshoi.
Delicate exotic fruit
“The description I read of this Boris, which I have not seen…”
Indian summer
“Who will dare dance with me the ancient Dagger-Dance of the Californians?”
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).