Wicked woman
Born on this day in 1900 actress Agnes Moorehead.
Recent Stories
You’re only human once
Born on this day in 1898 soprano and film diva soprano Grace Moore.
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).
Broadcast: La Traviata
For your listening and discussing pleasure, cher public: the opening night of the Met’s new Traviata.
Source code
WQXR, the Metropolitan Opera, and WNYC Studios introduce Aria Code.
The mortgage lifter
Born on this day in 1921 singer and actress Deanna Durbin.
A starred day’s night
Anna Netrebko sang throughout with a palpable sense of joy and ease in vocal production, never a hint of strain or any moment forced.
Turkey lurkey time
Some less than stellar reviews dominate the top ten posts on parterre box for November 2018.
And now a word from our sponsors
On this joyous day, La Cieca is delighted to salute the advertisers who make parterre box possible.
It’s a wonderful opera
There comes a time where everything falls into place, and more importantly, when your head and heart are also in the right mindset. That’s when when the opera becomes cathartic, life-changing experience.
Overview: Riccardo Chailly
Riccardo Chailly’s appointment as La Scala’s new music director was news that I greeted with enthusiasm when first announced in 2013.
That girl!
On this day in 1983 soprano Aprile Millo made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Amelia in Simon Boccanegra.
Silver lies hidden in the core of dreams
parterre box published its first issue on December 3, 1993. That date was chosen because Our Own JJ wished to honor the 70th anniversary of the birth of Maria Callas.
Video webcast: Otello
The thrilling trio of Jonas Kaufmann, Gerald Finley (pictured) and Anja Harteros star in the Bayerische Staatsoper’s production of Otello.
Things unseen
Sources in whose reliability La Cieca has an almost holy faith suggest turning one’s perfect vision westwards.
Höchste Lust!
Karita Mattila has just rather casually let slip that she has “signed in for [her] first Isolde.”
Broadcast: Mefistofele
Today at 1:00 PM, Boito’s Mefistofele kicks off the Met’s 88th year of live Saturday broadcasts over the Toll Brothers–Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network.
Death be not proud
The New Camerata Opera performs a double bill of John Blow’s Venus and Adonis, sometimes dubbed the first English opera, and Gustav Holst’s Savitri.
Broadway melodies
On this day no skies are gray on that great white way.
Parce qu’il fait froid et qu’il n’y a plus de feuilles
On this day in 1962 conductor Ernest Ansermet made his in-house Metropolitan Opera debut conducting Pelléas et Mélisande.
Man of the camellias
Tuesday the Met unveils its sixth new production of La Traviata since moving to Lincoln Center.
The Met in low def
On this day in 1948 Verdi’s Otello was the first opera to be telecast from the Met.