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You only thought the “Brokeback” Eugene Onegin was the gayest possible take on the Tchaikovsky “lyric scenes.” Now, along comes La Cieca’s fave director Stefan Herheim‘s extravagant, transgressive, high-camp symbolist (and about a dozen other adjectives) approach to the work, “gay” in the very best sense of gay sensibility. Video after the jump!

on June 29, 2011 at 10:33 PM

A trailer for the experimental film The Violinist, promising “strange drama… sex… drugs… and classical music.” And, oh yes, with billing yet, Our Own George Steel.

on June 28, 2011 at 11:46 AM

The ever-alert PR people at the English National Opera (why can’t we have a company like this?) have assembled a “what if?” video to promote Nico Muhly‘s impending Two Boys, and thrown in an admirably scruffy “reality” actor to boot.

on June 08, 2011 at 12:08 PM

Meet Jacques Snyman of South Africa, former rugby player, current fitness model and anti-bullying activist, and possible future opera star.

on June 06, 2011 at 10:52 PM

And now, live from Pittsburgh, one of La Cieca’s newest and nicest friends, Web 2.0’s answer to Louella Parsons, the inimitable Rowna Sutin with her video review of the Met’s production of Die Walküre! 

on May 16, 2011 at 7:20 PM

La Cieca usually leaves the barihunks to, well, Barihunks, but thanks to a tip from a very loyal parterriano indeed, meet Edwin Crossley-Mercer, a lyric baritone who really does seem to have it all. (Is it fair, La Cieca asks, that besides everything else, he looks like a young(er) Anderson Cooper?)

on April 12, 2011 at 7:16 PM

A quick clip from today’s telecast of Anna Bolena; unfortunately the sound is slightly out of synch and the stage director is more than slightly “Kulturbanause.” But, still: Anna!  

on April 05, 2011 at 11:11 PM

La Cieca was a little disappointed that so few of you guessed at last week’s Regie quiz, since the opera (though not the production) has been the subject of so much discussion the past few days. That’s right, it’s Anna Bolena, as directed for the Luzerner Theater by Tobias Kratzer. A trailer for this show,…

on April 03, 2011 at 11:26 PM

Three of the Met’s most cunning vocalists, Juan Diego Flórez, Joyce DiDonato and Diana Damrau, wrap their tongues around the trio from Le Comte Ory.  

on March 22, 2011 at 6:23 PM

La Cieca (not pictured) invites the cher public to gather around for a chat tonight during the Met’s season premiere of Pikovaya dama, beginning at 8:00 pm.

on March 11, 2011 at 2:07 PM

And now, ladies and gentlemen, Christopher Maltman (among others) in Kasper Holten‘s Juan.

on February 15, 2011 at 7:01 PM

Having completed her season of Giulio Cesare in Paris, Natalie Dessay next takes on Lucia di Lammermoor in New York. A glimpse of the soprano’s Handelian chops and perhaps a hint of her current vocal estate, after the jump.

on February 15, 2011 at 1:15 PM

“The People’s Diva,” who brought so much darkness and so much hope to us in 2010, is 52 years young today!

on February 14, 2011 at 3:23 PM

The evergreen American diva was born February 10, 1927.

on February 10, 2011 at 12:05 AM