Questo e Quello
Opera-lovers who attend too much modern opera may find that it feels like duty.
Zofia Posmysz spent two years as a prisoner in Auschwitz—and she’s still alive and standing pretty tall, in New York for the Lincoln Center Festival God bless her.
Never let it be said that La Cieca does not pamper her cher public. After the jump, and exclusively on the web, listen to the role debut of Anna Netrebko in Verdi’s Macbeth.
In celebration of the 90th anniversary of the birth of Carlo Bergonzi, our friends at Opera Depot are offering discounts on their entire catalog of the legendary tenor’s performances.
There’s hands-on and then there’s hands-on, and the latter was definitely in play in the lobby of the Kaye Playhouse just before Thursday night’s performance of La traviata by the Martina Arroyo Foundation’s Prelude to Performance program.
If Facebook is to be believed, Anna Netrebko and “Azerbaijani tenor Yusif Eyvazov (age 37)” are engaged.
Mike Richter, via CD-ROM, takes us back to the golden age of concert opera in New York City with Il pirata starring Montserrat Caballé.
In response to repeated urging by La Cieca, Our Own Dawn Fatale has contributed a “to do” list for the benefit of Met management, assuming the company makes it out of this summer alive.
“How the Dying Composer’s Sentimental Whim Was Invoked by Lucy Arbell, the English Prima Donna, to Forbid Mary Garden to Sing the Title Role in Cleopatra.”
An uplifting way to start the week from Our Own Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin: a performance of Gluck’s Iphigénie en Aulide under the baton of Riccardo Muti.
Welcome to Parterre Puzzle Corner #2. But first, the solution to last week’s challenge.
La Cieca would never kid you, cher public: it’s that time of the week when we discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
What better way to celebrate the birthday of the USA than with a fusillade of coloratura fireworks, garnered from the YouTube page of our lovely friend Coloraturafan?
So, if the opening of the Met season is canceled, Anna Netrebko can always find work as a replacement Yitzhak on Broadway.
Our Own Dawn Fatale (artist’s conception) will take to the airwaves of Bloomberg Radio this evening at 9:00 pm to discuss the Met’s current woes.
“Dress size is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone.”
Worried about the future of opera in America? Don’t be!
It’s been too long, cher public, since La Cieca last lauded the true unsung heroes of parterre box: our advertisers.
This week, Our Own Jungfer Marianne Leizmetzerin presents what is perhaps the briefest Bühnenweihfestspiel on record.
La Cieca admits she has nothing prepared, so you, the cher public, will have to keep yourselves amused with discussion of off-topic and general interest subjects.
Our Own Coloraturafan salutes the summer festival season with a compilation of Ladies Macbeth singing “La luce langue.”
Lucky Müncheners won’t be the only ones reveling in Rossini this afternoon: the opening of the Bayerische Staatsoper’s Guillaume Tell will be webcast starting at noon EDT, naturally with a session at La Casa della Cieca devoted to discussion.
The legendary conductor, mainstay of New York City Opera for 35 years, has died, says @nprclassical.
From one of the earliest Mike Richter CD-ROMs, “Odd Opera,” comes a piece definitely fitting that description.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
