Many cats are the death of the mouse
On this day in 1828, the mysterious feral child Kaspar Hauser was discovered wandering the streets of Nuremberg.
Recent Stories
While I was sleeping
If La Cieca’s life were a romantic comedy, then your doyenne would surely be 1990s era Sandra Bullock, you know, the heroine, right?
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).
A bridge too Farrar
On this day in 1430 Joan of Arc was captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne.
Up to speed
“New York is great. Opera is great. They deserve each other. So what can we do to get them together? Who can show us how it’s done? We need to ask the Germans.”
A committee should be organized
On this day in 2015 it was announced that Cecilia Bartoli would sing the role of Maria in West Side Story at the 2016 Salzburg Pfingstfestspiele, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, no less!
My day at the polls has come to an end, I know
The results are in for the 2015 Pubie Awards, cher public, and may La Cieca just say that you could knocked her over with featheras some of the results!
How’s your head?
Now here’s a competition for a parterrian: the Bayerische Staatsoper is looking for a drag performer to lip sync the final scene from Salome!
Here she is, boys!
On this day in 1959 Gypsy opened at the Broadway Theater, to run 702 performances.
Heralded tribune
On this day in 1347, Cola di Rienzo, a Roman commoner, declared himself Emperor of Rome in response to years of baronial power-struggles.
Cooting edge
Fans of the “context-free laundry list” school of opera criticism will be happy to know that “the world’s preeminent philosopher in the field of aesthetics,” Roger Scruton, has now shouldered the white man’s burden of rescuing opera from interpretation.
You mean all this time we could have been friends?
On this day in 1568 Queen Elizabeth I of England arrested Queen Mary of Scotland.
Simon, pure
Celebrating Simon Keenlyside, the most popular artist on your alte Jungfer’s Mixcloud Web site.
Now you see her…
On this day in 1926, evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson vanished while visiting a beach in Venice, CA. She reappeared a month later with the claim that she had been kidnapped.
On this day nothing almost happened
On this day in 2015, parterre.com was offline for almost five hours due to a server error.
Words and music
As is happening increasingly in opera productions today (e.g., the Rosenkavalier in Stuttgart), the action of Moses und Aron at the Komische Oper begins some minutes before the music does.
Much Fruit of Sense
On this day in 1711 Alexander Pope‘s “An Essay on Criticism” was published anonymously.
21st century blues
Your doyenne peers into the future, or, to be more accurate, into the Future Met Wiki, to reveal the latest rumors on casting and repertoire.
Mezzos don’t cry
Alice Coote talks about her life as a man. (No, really.)
Where is style? Where is skill?
Born on this day in 1933 Welsh actress Siân Phillips.
Macaronic and cheese
The Berlin Komische Oper was the scene of one of my greatest opera experiences five years ago, so I particularly looked forward to a return to this theater.
Women want love to be a novel
Born on this day in 1907 English author Daphne du Maurier.
The girl with the Onassis tattoo
Swedish actress Noomi Rapace has been named as star of a film biography of Maria Callas to be directed by Niki Caro, reports Variety.
Beltway outsiders
Yes, it’s that time of year again, cher public. Which artists will win the treasure of a 2015 parterre box “Pubie” Award? Just follow the trail after the jump for your chance to vote!