Questo e Quello
The Met’s administrative offices were vandalized this morning, with “obscene messages” sprayed “on some paintings and sculptures.”
“Now, ‘grand’ can mean ‘opulent’ or ‘magnificent,’ which this concert’s singers certainly were.”
Guys, this would be funny if if weren’t so scary.
Luxuriantly maned divos Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Roberto Alagna rehearse Otello.
“God knows some day I hope to love a man,” says actress Mary Garden.
Smoldering Vesselina Kasarova is Carmen in a 2009 live performance from the Wiener Staatsoper, this week’s offering from Jungfer Marianne Leizmetzerin.
Take advantage of this brief interval, cher public, to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
With all due respect to Meryl Streep, there is only one actress currently active in film qualified to play Maria Callas.
Jaw-breaking soprano Tamar Iveri is trying to walk back her recent homophobic rant by saying she has “many gay friends.”
Our Own JJ (not pictured) debates Tim Smith, classical music critic of the Baltimore Sun, on the topic of the Met’s cancellation of the HD telecast of The Death of Klinghoffer.
“The award-winning MET Orchestra’s global reputation as a top-tier ensemble is critical to New York City’s tourism and cultural economy.”
I avoided visiting any waxworks establishment until On Site Opera’s lively production of Rameau’s one-act Pygmalion summoned me Tuesday evening to Madame Tussauds just off New York City’s Times Square.
It had to happen sooner or later: Meryl Streep will play Maria Callas.
Bowing to pressure from “the Anti-Defamation League, representing the wishes of the Klinghoffer daughters,” the Met has canceled its scheduled HD telecast of The Death of Klinghoffer next season.
The Hartford Wagner Festival’s production of Das Rheingold has been canceled.
For those of you still queasy after Mary Zimmerman’s sophomoric snarknado attack on Bellini’s La Sonnambula, the new DVD of the Stuttgart Opera production should provide a bracing restorative.
The Salzburg Festival has long had the image of this place where for a little over a month, the very best singers are brought together with the very best conductors and the very best directors to create the very best productions the opera world has to offer.
Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin offers something a little different for this week’s curtain raiser: a performance of Dido and Aeneas by Les Arts Florissants under the direction of William Christie.
Please forgive La Cieca’s tardiness this week, cher public, but she had a major snafu with her toilette.
La Cieca hears that the Met’s planned production of West Side Story in the 2017-2018 season has been shelved.
“But,” he added, “I find it distressing to be threatened by other artists.”
Ever on the avant-garde, Lyric Opera of Chicago has embraced the cutting-edge technology of “phonography” as part of their effort to attract young audiences.
Vienna never really forgave Erich Wolfgang Korngold for going to work in the movies.
“Kiwi opera singer Teddy Tahu Rhodes is reportedly involved in a sex tape scandal involving an unknown woman.”
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
