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Ballopalooza! Ballopalooza!

With the Met season soon to finish, I am sure many will want to unwind with a little after party/masked ball.

Happy vernal equinox! Happy vernal equinox!

What better way to say, “welcome, first day of spring” than with Elena Cernei singing “Printemps qui commence?”

A hymn to heme A hymn to heme

That 60 Minutes piece everyone’s been talking about, with Peter Gelb describing opera as “blood sport,” after the jump.

Mama’s talkin’ loud Mama’s talkin’ loud

Sleep soundly tonight, Kasper Holten: your Vêpres Siciliennes casting problem has just been solved!

Oh, signor Johnson Oh, signor Johnson

La Cieca is going to go out on a not very long limb here and say that Dick Johnson in La fanciulla del West is a great role for Jonas Kaufmann and may well turn out to be one of his three or four greatest.

Tucker everlasting Tucker everlasting

Those dear, dear people over The Greene Space at WQXR would like you, cher public, to join them this Friday for a concert saluting this year’s winner of the Richard Tucker Award, mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard.

there s a dance in the old dame yet there s a dance in the old dame yet

Karita Mattila (pictured) sings a little Verdi.

A place behind the sun A place behind the sun

How better to launch this week’s general interest discussion than with a video of Joyce DiDonato singing “Over the Rainbow” at the Last Night of the Proms?

Who’ll stop the reign 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.

She sang a mouthful She sang a mouthful

Soprano Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs sings the final scene from Salome in the Stefan Herheim production for Den Norske Opera.

Hommage fires burning Hommage fires burning

La Cieca (not pictured) asks, is it just me (it usually is), or does the new trailer for the Royal Opera’s 2013 Summer season feel a little, oh, I don’t know, familiar?

Constellation Constellation

Here, for the first time in 40 years, the CBS telecast of the April 21-22 gala honoring the retirement of Sir Rudolf Bing.

Dark side of the moon Dark side of the moon

Finally some video of Stefan Herheim‘s Salome production shows up on YouTube.

What becomes two legends most? What becomes two legends most?

On the final night of her farewell engagement at the Café Carlyle, cabaret legend Elaine Stritch took a few questions from the audience.

Just a little touch of tsar quality Just a little touch of tsar quality

The gripping Calixto Bieito/Kent Nagano production of Boris Godunov from the Bayerische Staatsoper—with authoritative Alexander Tsymbalyuk in the title role…

A tsar is born A tsar is born

Vot tsar’ vash!” Here is your Tsar, the 38-year-old Ukranian bass Alexander Tsymbalyuk.

Ring them bells Ring them bells

The new Boris Godunov from the Bayerische Staatsoper (directed by Calixto Bieito and conducted by Kent Nagano) looks absolutely remarkable.

Dream team 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.)

I can name that diva in six notes 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.

Swiss you were here Swiss you were here

The Pierre Audi production of Guillaume Tell has opened at De Nederlandse Opera.

Point and shoot Point and shoot

Meet parterre’s new tutelary spirit, tenor August Schram, star of Metube.

Happy birthday, Giacomo Puccini Happy birthday, Giacomo Puccini

“Il Leone di Lucca” (as La Cieca has never heard the composer called) was born December 22, 1858.

Turandot on ice, now with more breakdancing! Turandot on ice, now with more breakdancing!

Those slackers among you who were not in attendance for Sunday’s chat/viewing of the Bayerische Staatsoper Turandot now have the chance to get up to speed.

Ugh! Neve! Ugh! Neve!

La Cieca celebrates (if that is the word) the first snowfall of the season in New York in the traditional manner.