Questo e Quello

Teen dream Teen dream

Some days you can feel like a hero just getting out of bed in the morning.

Blindsided Blindsided

The story is short, but to the point: this soprano has been “sacked” from a major opera house’s gala Puccini revival.

Slow curtain, the end Slow curtain, the end

Here’s a taste of what’s in store for the Met’s HD audience on Saturday

Who can that attractive girl be? Who can that attractive girl be?

La Cieca wants to be among the first to congratulate soprano Ailyn Pérez, who is the winner of the 2012 Richard Tucker Award.

How tweet the sound How tweet the sound

“I will be on #Broadway again!”

Pain and suffering Pain and suffering

A woman unhappy with the Bolshoi Opera’s controversial staging of Ruslan and Ludmila was denied a one million ruble compensation bid by Moscow’s Tverskoi court on Monday.

Insolito vigore Insolito vigore

Well, this looks pretty definitive.

Recovered girl Recovered girl

Here’s a bit of good news for all you Traviata fans with tickets for tomorrow night’s Met performance or Saturday afternoon’s HD.

Starless night Starless night

An understudy saved the show at the Met’s La Traviata Friday night, but no star was born.

Lulu (some) Lulu (some)

Daniel Barenboim does not want to conduct Berg’s Lulu. Or so it seems.

Square cut or pear shaped Square cut or pear shaped

La Cieca (in larger tiara) thinks it’s high time we all took a break from Regie watching and everything else…

There will have been blood There will have been blood

There’s nothing like a good performance of Verdi’s Macbeth and here is proof positive because this dvd is (almost) nothing like a good performance.

Daniela abbandonata Daniela abbandonata

Our own Ercole Farnese has alerted La Cieca to a breaking story in Il Secolo XIX: Dessì diserta Genova per amore.

Geherheimnis Geherheimnis

“Since no opera company in the U.S. has quite got up the courage to present a Herheim production, this webcast offers us a chance to sample this director’s unique style of Regie.”

Cover up Cover up

Says the Met’s press office: “Hei-Kyung Hong will sing the role of Violetta Valéry in Verdi’s La Traviata at tomorrow’s performance, replacing Natalie Dessay, who is ill.” (Photo: Marty Sohl)

It might as well be spring It might as well be spring

…and songs from her 2010 indie rock album Dark Hope.

I’ll plant my own tree I’ll plant my own tree

Nicholas Hytner’s much-travelled and well received 1985 production of George Frideric Handel’s 1738 opera Xerxes has been released on DVD from Arthaus Musik, in a performance recorded live from the English National Opera in 1988.

Damage control Damage control

Just in time for the beginning of the first cycle of the Robert Lepage Ring (pictured), Peter Gelb tries to convince Anthony Tommasini that everything is just fine, thank you…

Red dress diaries Red dress diaries

La Cieca has just received a complete report from her spy at today’s open dress rehearsal of La traviata at the Met.

And painted birds do hush their singing And painted birds do hush their singing

[Ian Bostridge on Twitter]

Sunday in the park with Tannhäuser Sunday in the park with Tannhäuser

Certain contemporary opera directors have taken to portraying Wagner protagonists as visual artists to better illuminate the characters’ moral and aesthetic struggles.

J’ai désespéré dans les feux de tes charmes J’ai désespéré dans les feux de tes charmes

Since wer’re already in a Massenetesque frame of mind, cher public…

8-bit Regie 8-bit Regie

Even if no one guessed the correct opera on our most recent Regie quiz, Our Own Batty Masetto did the next best or perhaps even better thing…

More news from the future More news from the future

Here La Cieca has scarcely returned home from a very pleasant concert performance of Pipe Dream (feeble show, attractive songs, fine cast) and what should she find in her inbox but an alert from the Playbill Club.