Beside the River Seine
On this day in 1889 the Moulin Rouge opened in Paris.
Recent Stories
For the ladies
“The anvil scene is enlivened for female members of the audience by the importation of lusty non-singing blacksmiths.”
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).
Out here in the dark
This is the tenth season of the Met’s HD broadcasts, not that I would know it.
Battle of the network tsars
For all their orchestral and vocal attractions, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s 15 operas are rarities in the West.
Head over heels
I guess you have spoken: “Bring us insane divas in operas we already know!”
Number one with an axe
Here you are, cher public, your ten most popular parterre box postings (by numbers of pageviews) for the week of September 27-October 3, 2015.
Sack the entire washing-up staff
On this day in 1969 the first episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus aired on BBC One.
Joseph Gordon-Who?
This weekend Il Trovatore outgrossed the The Walk, a new IMAX film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ben Kingsley.
Go hollanderize it for some other dame
Born on this day in 1880 journalist and author Damon Runyon.
One is as one does
On this day in 1970 the musical Coco closed at the Mark Hellinger Theater after 333 performances.
The Friday afternoon news dump in excelsis
“Met Music Director James Levine has decided to lighten his workload by removing the new production of Berg’s Lulu from his schedule so that he may focus his energies completely on Wagner’s epic drama Tannhäuser.”
Cavalier treatment
“Roberto Aronica will sing Cavaradossi in the first five performances of Puccini’s Tosca at the Met this season—October 16, 21, 24 matinee, 29, and November 2—replacing Massimo Giordano, who is ill.”
Storm warning
Forget the hurricane preparations for a few hours this afternoon and enjoy the live webcast of Les Contes d’Hoffmann from the Komische Oper Berlin, starting at 12:55 PM.
Mlle. Destinn in huff
“The Kaiser’s Royal Opera of Berlin, which has been a hotbed of jealous intrigue ever since the invasion of American singers began a few years ago, is agitated afresh.”
In Hollywood, if you don’t have happiness you send out for it
Happy 77th birthday critic and interviewer Rex Reed.
A quell’amor ch’è palpito
Yes, obviously it’s La traviata, but where?
Fine dell’opera
Gotham Chamber Opera is ceasing operations and will be closing.
Prison break
“Taylor Stayton will sing the role of Percy in this evening’s performance of Donizetti’s Anna Bolena, replacing Stephen Costello, who is ill,” says the Met press office.
Coffee break
La Cieca (pictured, in her dreams) would like to pause just a moment in her editrixing duties for a spot of housekeeping.
Beige like me
Leave it to the New York Times to present a hard-hitting, no-holds-barred debate on the explosive subject of race, with Anthony Tommasini and Ben Brantley boldly in agreement throughout.
Fanale ultimo
Tenor Paolo Fanale rehearses the Rossini Stabat Mater with Jesús López Cobos and L’Orchestre de Paris.
Beauty in its highest lustre
Although it falls into the 18th century opera-comique tradition, Tom Jones is actually a comédie mêlée d’ariettes, a comedy mixed with brief arias.
One day that shook the world
On this day in 1907 the Plaza Hotel opened.