Visit La Cieca’s newly spiffed up MySpace page, where you can Delight in a slideshow of the Many Faces of La Cieca, Listen to a few of the doyenne’s favorite tracks, Thrill to the latest bizarre opera video, And, while you’re there, become one of La Cieca’s friends (as if you aren’t all already!) Meanwhile, […]
Scenes from the 1967 production of Die Walkuere from the Bayreuth Festival, stage direction by Wieland Wagner. Brunnhilde: Anja Silja; Siegmund: Jess Thomas; Sieglinde: Helga Dernesch; Wotan: Theo Adam. Thomas Schippers is the conductor.
Eighty years ago! This film was a part of the first “Vitaphone” presentation in New York in August 1926. Soprano Marion Talley was 19 years old and in the first season of her three-year Met career when this scene was filmed.
Everyone’s favorite non-operatic diva Faye Dunaway reacts to the news of her “firing” by Andrew Lloyd Webber. (The show, of course, was Sunset Blvd., and the year was 1994. Miss Faye sued Lloyd Webber and eventually settled out of court for a reported $2 million.)
No, it’s still not opera, but here’s a classic lounge act in the holiday spirit.
Anna Netrebko again. Oddly, the aria is not “Da, chas nastal!”
Roberto Alagna appeared on an Italian talk show this evening to explain (once again) his side of the walkout. The host is Pippo Baudo, the ex Mr. Katia Ricciarelli.
Join La Cieca on the evening of Thursday, December 21 for a live chat about the world premiere of Tan Dun‘s The First Emperor. The chat room will open for this special event at 7:30 p.m. and the yakking will continue until the final curtain. Check back at parterre.com on Thursday for a link to […]
First off, La Cieca should tell you that her producer/alter ego JJ will be heard this afternoon on WNYC’s talk show “Soundcheck” discussing (what else?) L’affaire Alagna. The program begins at 2:00 PM and JJ is scheduled to be heard in the final segment between 2:30 and 3:00. “Soundcheck” gained notoriety last month when uber-diva […]
Well, it had to happen sooner or later, and so it did happen, sometime between last night and tonight. La Cieca has decided she’s taking Roberto Alagna‘s side in The Scandale. Yes, yes, La Cieca hears your gasps and snorts of disbelief and contempt, but you know, cher public, La Cieca is, deep in her […]
The Judgment Scene from Aida, as performed by Lois Maxwell, lipsynching to Ebe Stignani. La Stignani needs no further introduction, but Miss Maxwell is perhaps better known even to operagoers for a non-operatic role.This is of course the 1953 Italian film of Aida that also starred the 19-year-old Sophia Loren with the voice of the […]
A sneak preview of Natalie Dessay‘s Lucia, scheduled for next season’s opening night at the Met. La Cieca hears that Dessay’s first Met Lucia will be a new production, but she guesses it will not be this one from the Opéra Bastille (bootlegged about six weeks ago). Though, to tell the truth, this soprano would […]
Live, unedited, current and obviously unauthorized opera video. If you discover any such snippets on YouTube, let La Cieca know.
parterre box fave Dame Gwyneth Jones is 70 today. Here’s a clip from her legendary Elektra. And here’s more of the magnificent Dame G. on YouTube.
parterre box salutes Dame Joan Sutherland on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of her birth, November 7, 2006. The tribute on Unnatural Acts of Opera includes a series of podcasts featuring a complete performance of Massenet’s Esclarmonde, plus video highlights from I puritani, Lucia di Lammermoor, La fille du Regiment, Anna Bolena, Alcina and […]
. . . though not in that order, actually. Donald Collup presents a brace of his documentary films this weekend featuring two very different divas, Astrid Varnay and Florence Foster Jenkins. La Varnay (the ecstatic part of the bargain) is profiled in “Never Before,” a two-hour video and audio journey through the early years of […]
Tatiana Troyanos and James Levine perform “Asie” from “Shéhérazade” (Ravel/Klingsor).
The 1992 short film “All the Great Operas in Ten Minutes,” from YouTube.
Not to poach on Bill Phair‘s territory, but… Ready or not, here comes Patti!
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).
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