Questo e Quello
A sweet mistake
La Cieca asks: what do Julia Migenes, Carol Neblett, Joyce Castle, Marilyn Zschau and Linda Roarke-Strummer have in common?
Doom generation
The cover art says it all. Dmitri Hvorostovsky, his mouth a grim line, gazes sidelong at the title of his latest album
Rachmaninov Romances.
Bühnenweihfestspielkrieg, part deux
Following up on last year’s popular Bühnenweihfestspielkrieg competition, a challenge to be detailed after the jump.
Continental regie
Some good guesses on our previous Regie quiz, cher public, but nobody hit the bullseye.
One more “Kiss”
The Poisoned Kiss derives its plot from the legend of the girl raised on poison so that her very kiss will kill.
Pout and about
I could feel my face (to say nothing of my spirits) sink as I opened an envelope from La Cieca containing a new Decca CD
to review.
Achromatic scale
In honor of Martin Luther King day (belated), the New York Times hosts a discussion about the current Broadway production of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. As a bold gesture toward diversity and inclusion, the keynote speakers range from Anthony Tommasini to Ben Brantley.
The spying eye
La Cieca’s spy (not pictured) reports that mediated negotiations between NYCO and the unions lasted about two days before reaching another impasse.
Two on the isle
Our Own JJ liked everything about The Enchanted Island except The Enchanted Island. [New York Post]
Tales that witness madness
Orlando is the first of three Händel operas based Orlando Furioso, Ariosto’s 15th-century adaptation of the 12-century poem, Chanson de Roland, the other two operas being Alcina and Ariodante. This epic tale of heroism, love, reason and madness also served as the basis for operas by Lully, Vivaldi, Haydn and Scarlatti. In fact, Händel based […]
When divas converge
The Queen of Soul and the Queen of “Laggiù nel Soledad” compare secret diva smirks of self-satisfaction.
Some canción, others can’t
Ah, the “themed” recital disc! Sometimes it’s a special treasure in a collector’s trove showing off the lesser known skills of a beloved performer; more often, an object of mirth and ridicule toward those who’ve been ill-advised or have already committed most of their repertoire in the studio and are now starting in on someone […]
Zynergy
Not one but two scintillating pieces from zealous, zazzy Zachary Woolfe today: a takedown of The Enchanted Island in the New York Observer, and some musing on life after NYCO in the New York Times.
Old-fashioned wedding
If the Arthaus Musik release of Le nozze di Figaro from La Scala feels like a slouchy revival pulled haphazardly from the video vault, the singers are certainly not at fault. Ildebrando D’Arcangelo and Diana Damrau, starring as Figaro and Susanna, are bankable stars who live up to the hype. At the podium, Gérard Korsten […]
Alles Gute zum neuen Regie!
Yet another of the institutions of parterre, the Regie Quiz, seems to have slipped away from us, temporarily at least, with the most recent puzzler over a month ago. And yet, with all that time to ponder, not a single member of the cher public identified the work correctly! It was La Damnation de Faust, […]
Never mind, Mother: he too is Alexander
Artist manager, media mogul, impresario… and now, with no other new worlds to conquer, Peter Gelb has achieved the pinnacle career goal to which only the most outrageously successful showbiz superstars can aspire: unpaid blogger for Huffington Post.
Noble salvage
The New Year’s Eve gala at the Met ushering out 2011 was the world premiere of the much-anticipated mash-up The Enchanted Island AKA “baroque opera for those who hate (or at least don’t know) baroque opera.
Back to the beach
For this final evening of 2011, La Cieca invites you to a final chat. Starting at 6:30 PM, the cher public are invited to wade into The Enchanted Island, broadcast live from the Met.
Out with the auld
“There comes a time in every woman’s life when the only thing that helps is a glass of champagne,” says La Cieca (pictured, left). As she prepares to bid 2011 adieu, your doyenne invites the cher public (artist’s conception, right) to join her in making a few resolutions for 2012.
Square cut or pear shaped
At tonight’s Faust performance, two events of note: René Pape, upon his re-entrance after the Jewel Song, ad-libbed the spoken line “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” The performance, a broadcast, was the basso’s final one of this production.) After this moment of comedy, drama followed at the curtain calls.
A three hour tour
After today’s Met dress rehearsal of The Enchanted Island, La Cieca’s spy (pictured) reports: “You would think that if they had the entire Baroque canon to mine, they would’ve chosen music that wasn’t slow, dull, and long. In Peter Gelb‘s opening remarks, he called it ‘the Met’s Baroque Coming Out party,’ which makes me think this entire endeavor was […]
This time out she’s taking the bows
Guess who gets the showstopping “11 o’clock” spot? Why, none other than The Booty of the Baroque herself!
Intermission feature
Here’s your off-topic and general interest thread for the holiday week.
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).