Sail away
Opening the 2013 Bayreuth Festival today, Der Fliegende Holländer conducted by Christian Thielemann (not pictured).
Questo e Quello
Get your kicks on Route Sechsundsechzig
Revealed: first images of Frank Castorf‘s production of the Ring, launching Friday at Bayreuth.
Exactly what it says on the tin
Florida Grand Opera to Honor Deborah Voigt with SMOKE & MIRRORS Celebration
Those “Das-is-ein-fideles-Gefängnis-da-werd-ma-einen-kleinen-Schligowitz-ein-schalten-net” Blues
Broadway actor Danny Burstein will make his Metropolitan Opera debut in the non-singing role of Frosch in this season’s performances of Die Fledermaus.
Agrees with critics that she is creator, not a singer
Mary Garden wondered last night what would have happened to her if, instead of coming to America with her parents, she had gone to a little town in Scotland, married and settled down.
In a jamb
Due to a household accident that has resulted in a severe concussion, Andris Nelsons will not be able to conduct the Verdi Requiem at Tanglewood on July 27.
Autumn leaves
It may have taken most of Verdi’s canon to do it, but the “Tutto Verdi” collection finally manages to do justice to Verdi in his last two operas.
Unmasked
It is quite unusual to stage a new indoor production in the middle of summer in Italy when so many outdoor venues are open, but general manager of La Scala Stéphane Lissner – who will leave next year – decided to close the first half of this Verdi-Wagner year with a beloved hit of il cigno di Busseto.
Happy birthday, Licia Albanese
The legendary verista and Verdian celebrates the (official) 100th anniversary of her birth today.
Eschorcher
Giuseppe and I have always had a complicated relationship.
Joys in the Attic
Taneev was quite a high-minded fellow, so it’s not altogether surprising that nothing less than Aeschylus (and the whole of his Oresteia!) would suffice as a libretto for his first and only opera.
With the air of an empress
La Cieca leaves her loge, though not “in disgust,” to join democratically among the plebian members of the cher public.
Les amours de Carmen ne durent pas six mois
With the well-known guitar player Milos Karadaglic, celebrating the decission of working together on a new, surprising and innovative project.
Canard à la mode
When people talk about an opera “production,” they tend to mean “the sets and costumes,” that is, the physical production.
Jest the way you are
I’m happy to report that Rigoletto from the 30 DVD Tutto Verdi set from the Teatro Regio di Parma is a blockbuster
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Mavra, don’t ask!
And then she was all like, “Nuh-uh! Igor was so not gay,” and I was all like…
Count the days
What seems to be the European opera event of the summer, Elektra from the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, will be webcast just a little over 48 hours from now, starting at 2:00 PM EDT on Friday.
“Mary Garden Sad” (actual headline)
She appeared almost like the ghost of Mélisande…
Who’ll stop the reign
La Cieca is most unhappy indeed to hear that coloraturafan, the undisputed monarch of opera on YouTube, has had his “fourth or fifth” account on the service deleted.
Hi, honey, I’m gnome
Between Fidelio and Der Freischutz there was “Romantische Oper,” a type of musical drama descended from medieval mystery plays in which ghosts, gnomes and other “invisibles” get entangled in the lives of unsuspecting people.
By Adriel
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Indulgence in the first degree
Coming September 17 from La Polverosa, a new CD entitled Guilty Pleasures.
“But, doctor, all I came in for was an embolism…”
“Placido Domingo Released From Hospital; Tenor Confirms He Will Sing Giovanna d’Arco”
Little red lorgnette
La Cieca (pictured) gives you leave to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
The rise of the clowns
What better way to spend a lazy Friday afternoon in midsummer than watching a webcast of Rigoletto?
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).