Empire records
That’s what it must have been like in 1726 London when Handel composed Alessandro for perhaps the three most famous (and expensive) singers of the day.
Questo e Quello
One touch of venous
Like the hero of Parsifal, who finds the Holy Grail after a lifetime of frustrated wandering, the Met’s audience was finally rewarded for its patience.
“And the portions are so large!”
A parterre reader just back from the matinee of Powder Her Face relates this story of two elderly ladies seated in the second row…
Strange music
Sempiternal soprano Edita Gruberova celebrates her “45th stage anniversary” tomorrow, Monday February 18 with a performance of Alaide in Bellini’s La Straniera live from the Vienna Musikverein.
State of Her Grace
Like Miss Adelaide the well-known fiancée in Guys and Dolls, the New York City Opera may be down but she’s not flat as all that.
Zips up the back and no bones
La Cieca invites the cher public (pictured) to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
Bühnenweihfestgespräch
A reminder, cher public, La Casa della Cieca opens early this evening (5:55 PM EST, to be precise).
Einspring can really hang you up the most
Winter Met sensation Pretty Yende does another jump-in this weekend, again in Le Comte Ory, but this time at the Theater an der Wien.
Ring them bells
The new Boris Godunov from the Bayerische Staatsoper (directed by Calixto Bieito and conducted by Kent Nagano) looks absolutely remarkable.
Happy Birthday Philippe Jaroussky!
The French countertenor is 35 years old today.
Fools rush in
A member of the cher public writes La Cieca suggesting that parterre readers attending the first night of the Met’s Parsifal might want to meet and/or greet.
Wang Center
Now it seems the NYCO’s Duchess of Argyll will have to make do with a mere 25 lovers in the company’s production of Powder Her Face—instead of the originally planned 88.
Things unseen
Which artist who’s no longer in denial about waning abilities is about to withdraw (or be withdrawn) from the next (and probably last) Met project?
Ring à la russe
Wagner is becoming an important calling card for Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theatre.
Intermission feature
Here’s your chance to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects and maybe make time for a waltz or two, cher public.
Big Daddy says “bullfighter”
“Teddy Tahu Rhodes, who determined in rehearsals that the role was no longer suitable for his voice.”
Wack on Wacker
The announcement of the 2013-2014 season at Lyric Opera of Chicago is not good news at all.
The sound of two hands clapping
If it’s in the New York Times, it must be true, right?
Dream team
Director Daniel Moshel (not pictured) who created the YouTube sensation MeTube, sat down recently—and virtually—to chat with La Cieca (also not pictured.)
Robber soul
C-Major continues their full frontal attack on the Verdi catalogue with this release of I Masnadieri which, I’m thrilled to report, does not hail from the Teatro di Regio in Parma like the previous aspirants. We’ve travelled south to Naples and the Teatro di San Carlo and we’re all the better for it as the […]
E il sol dell’animator
Something contemporary for the cher public: starting at 2:00 PM on Wednesday, the new Philip Glass opera The Perfect American.
I can name that diva in six notes
In this clip from an Italian quiz show of the 1950s, Toti dal Monte requires not even a whole phrase to identify the unique voice of Magda Olivero.
World of song conquered
La Cieca invites the cher public to take a brief respite from the performance of La Alexander to enjoy this week’s discussion of off-topic and general interest subjects.
Sticks and stones
Here’s a story in which practically nobody in authority comes off well.
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).