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And the award goes to…
On this day in 1668 Antonio Cesti‘s opera Il pomo d’oro premiered in Vienna.
Win a Free Ticket to Opening Night at the Met!
Quinn Kelsey and Lise Davidsen star in the Met's new Macbeth. We're giving away one ticket, so screw your courage to the sticking place and enter now!
And now a word from our sponsor
La Cieca sends kudos our most faithful benefactors.
“I never expect to see a perfect work from an imperfect man”
On this day in 1804 Former United States Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton died after being shot in a pistol duel by Vice President Aaron Burr.
Biblical sense
Shirley Verrett remains one of my all-time favorite artists, and I am pleased to introduce her to my Mixcloud site in one of her parade roles: the femme fatale in Saint-Saëns’ Samson et Dalila.
Northern light
Happy 92nd birthday tenor Nicolai Gedda.
Maralin Niska 1926-2016
Soprano Maralin Niska, a mainstay of New York City Opera and America’s regional opera companies from the 1960s through the 1980s, died at her home in Santa Fe yesterday.
Gut’ Bess’rung dem Meister!
Happy 47th birthday and get well soon tenor Jonas Kaufmann.
Drunk in love
According to my taste, Die Fledermaus is an intoxicating opera
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).
Kavalierbariton
Born on this day in 1929 baritone Eberhard Waechter.
The singer’s art
Call me old fashioned, but when I go to the opera, I go to hear beautiful singing.
“It wasn’t my intention to get notoriety”
On this day in 2009, Zachary Woolfe made his debut as an opera critic in the Observer.
Neighbors
If you were in New York on July 7, 1975 chances are you were at the Met reveling in the visiting Bolshoi Opera’s Eugene Onegin.
Drive, she said
Born on this day in 1939 mezzo-soprano Elena Obraztsova.
My job gives me the attention I’d otherwise crave
>Happy 58th birthday actress, comedian and screenwriter Jennifer Saunders.
Je suis un mensonge qui dit toujours la vérité
Born on this day in 1889 writer, filmmaker and designer Jean Cocteau.
Cost disease rampant in city!
Intrepid cub reporter Terry Teachout has scored the scoop of the century!
Mourning Wood
Sometimes when you find the club that will have you as a member, you do not easily give up your spot.
All shook up
Subtitled by its creators as “A Fearful Radio Show,” this opera reminded Jerome Robbins of Orson Welles’ 1938 broadcast of War of the Worlds.
America forever!
Happy Independence Day All U.S. Parterrians!
Regards
Born on this day in 1878 composer and performer George M Cohan.
