When I am down to earth
What does it mean anyway to get to know a diva, and why exactly would we wish to do such a thing?
Recent Stories
A place in every heart and a finger in every pie
On this day in 1949, The Goldbergs, the first sitcom on American television, premiered.
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).
Wish upon a star
At what moment does a “rising star” become simply a “star”?
A Magnetizer and a Wandering Goy walk into a bar
The visit of the Mariinsky Theater’s resident company to the glittering opera house of the Brooklyn Academy of Music consists of three ballet programs with starry casts preceded, last night, by a single performance of Rodion Shchedrin’s opera, The Enchanted Wanderer.
Funny lady
On this day in 1947, actress Andrea Martin was born.
Boys and girls, not together
It’s particularly bewildering that before 2013 there was no such thing as the Prototype Festival.
Unto the second generation
On this day in 1984 Madonna first sang “Holiday” on American Bandstand.
A wasted time
Vittorio Grigolo in the title role of the Met’s revival of Les Contes d’Hoffman is the opera version of the charming homeless drunk.
Sull’aria
On this day in 1910, the first public radio broadcast took place: music from Cavalleria rusticana was sent out over the airwaves from the Metropolitan Opera House.
Sight reading
Which American opera diva’s next starring project will be an appearance as Florence Foster Jenkins in a film about that earlier American diva’s life and times?
Perfectly Franco
It’s Corelli two ways and across nearly two decades in this dream double bill of Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci.
Elena Obraztsova 1939-2015
The celebrated Russian mezzo-soprano has died. She was 75.
How to succeed in Byzantium without really trying
On this day in 475, Basiliscus became Byzantine Emperor, with a coronation ceremony in the Hebdomon palace in Constantinople.
Theodora goes wild
On this day in 1055, Theodora was crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire.
Crush
Take your time promenading, cher public, but please return in time to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects before the bell rings for the next act.
Job description
La Cieca is sometimes asked what it is that a dramaturg does, or why it is that an opera house need a dramaturg
Alea iacta est
On this day in 49 BC Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war.
City of night
Krzysztof Warlikowski‘s controversial production of Don Giovanni at La Monnaie is now streaming online.
Hands on
On this day in 2007, Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs announced the iPhone.
Thanks a lot, but…
Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin (not pictured) congratulates Countervail for the best attempt at identifying the “Brass Divas.”
Scottish tragedy
On this day in 1735, the premiere performance of George Frideric Handel’s Ariodante was given at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
The opposite sextoness
The San Francisco Opera has just done the big reveal for 2015-2016 and here’s what we have in store.