The canards begin at Calais
“Nicholas Hytner‘s ENO production of Xerxes, unveiled on the 300th anniversary of Handel’s birth and packed with visual conceits, might be seen as marking the beginning of the modern Handel renaissance on stage.”
Questo e Quello
Maid in Manhattan
Jane Archibald will sing the role of Adele in all 14 performances of the new production of Johann Strauss’s Die Fledermaus at the Met this season.
Est-ce vrai? Grand merci!
Among the many reasons La Cieca has to be thankful: the legacy of Mike Richter on his CD-ROMs.
Britten on the wind
Ambiguity. That’s the theme of the operas of Benjamin Britten (ennobled as Baron Britten of Aldeburgh).
Desperately seeking Mary
“She said also her costume would probably be ‘a blaze of jewels,’ patterned after the image of a Madonna she saw in Rome last year…”
Single lady
Soprano Anna Netrebko and bass-baritone Erwin Schrott have amicably ended their relationship after six years because of their “demanding schedules and the resulting constant time apart.”
Die Frau ohne Bademantel
What looks to be a very provocative production of Die Frau ohne Schatten (directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski) is the next STAATSOPER.TV presentation from the Bayerische Staatsoper.
Talk turkey
It’s that time of year, cher public, when we give thanks for our off-topic and general interest discussions.
Rêve divin! heureux délire!
Attendees of tomorrow’s parterre meet and greet (pictured) are reminded that Our Own JJ will be available in the Bar Thalia area of Symphony Space beginning at 2:00 for ticket pickup.
Get happy
Lincoln Center hosted two milestones this week.
Eine wienerische Maskerad’
La Cieca invites all the cher public to participate in tonight’s chat session at La Casa della Cieca during the Met’s season premiere of Der Rosenkavalier, beginning at 6:55 pm.
Les trois canards
“It’s often said that Verdi wrote [Violetta’s] music with three different voices in mind: a light, leggero soprano for the first act, a lyric voice for the second and a dramatic for the third.”
Less cowbell
An auction of the meager remains of the bankrupt New York City Opera’s property musical instruments, some bits of scenery and costumes is scheduled for December 12.
This woman is dangerous
Our weekly peek into the Mike Richter treasure trove yields a live recording from his “Operas of Richard Strauss” CD-ROM, Die Frau ohne Schatten from the Bayerische Staatsoper on July 16, 1988.
Disoriented
What we go to Grattacielo for is fresh young voices singing their guts out.
Sunday in the dark
La Cieca is putting the final touches on Sunday afternoon’s meet-greet-and-Vêpres event.
Rogo boy
Berliners anxious about casting of the Staatsoper’s new staging of Il trovatore since Aleksandrs Antonenko canceled can breathe a sigh of relief, since tenor Gaston Rivero (pictured) will jump in as Manrico.
Sink or swim
Says the Met press office, “Erin Morley will sing the role of Sophie in all performances of Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier this season…”
Long division
La Cieca hears that Anna Netrebko and Erwin Schrott are going their separate ways. Expect an official announcement within a day or so.
Mary II: the tantalization
“The tantalization of the monk in the luxurious apartments of Thaïs was daring and earnest in its realism.”
Head start
A preview of sorts of next weekend’s parterre get-together right this minute as BBC Radio 3 broadcasts Les Vêpres Siciliennes.
Awakening scene
Better late than never, cher public: you’ve still got a whole week to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
Canard en retard
Please forgive the lateness of this week’s howler, which in any event is something more of a squeaker anyway.
Appearing nightly
I suspect most New York City opera-lovers had long since given up hope that the fascinating soprano Anna Caterina Antonacci would ever return to their city.
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).