Recent Stories
La Cieca has just heard the sad news that the beloved soprano Licia Albanese died earlier this evening. She was 101.
More Anna Netrebko, and all that means, tomorrow at 10 AM EDT, cher public, as the Salzburg Festival production of Il trovatore is webcast over medici.tv.
“Labor! Oh, the problem of labor at the Met is gargantuan,” Our Own JJ (not pictured) would have said, had he thought of it.
You know, the commenters at parterre.com (pictured) may get a bit testy from time to time, but at least nobody here says stuff like, oh, for example…
Sleeveless Anna Netrebko sings the “Letter Scene” from Verdi’s Macbeth.
Mark Morris’ staging of Acis and Galatea at Lincoln Center is everything good about summer condensed into two hours.
Soprano Amanda Majeski will make her Met debut on the opening night of the 2014-2015 season as the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, replacing Marina Poplavksaya “who has withdrawn for health reasons.”
“It’s no surprise Kim Kardashian likes to dress as if she’s going to the opera each day.”
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Grand Tier Grab Bag
When they go low
When they go low
Nostalgic for bass month, Parterre Box offers excerpts from two young basses to watch: Giorgi Manoshvili and Patrick Guetti.
Nostalgic for bass month, Parterre Box offers excerpts from two young basses to watch: Giorgi Manoshvili and Patrick Guetti.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Nailin’ the coughin’
Nailin’ the coughin’
Rosa Feola, still scheduled for a run of performances as Violetta in New York this spring, is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Rosa Feola, still scheduled for a run of performances as Violetta in New York this spring, is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Landing the plane
Landing the plane
With Nixon, Klinghoffer, and Andris Nelsons on the mind, Parterre Box offers a recording of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s recent John Adams outing.
With Nixon, Klinghoffer, and Andris Nelsons on the mind, Parterre Box offers a recording of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s recent John Adams outing.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Le galant tireur
Le galant tireur
American tenor Charles Castronovo performs a bit of Weber’s Der Freischütz ahead of the opportunity to hear Berlioz‘s take on the score at Carnegie Hall next week.
American tenor Charles Castronovo performs a bit of Weber’s Der Freischütz ahead of the opportunity to hear Berlioz‘s take on the score at Carnegie Hall next week.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
My 600 performance life
My 600 performance life
Parterre Box acknowledges Riccardo Muti‘s 600th performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by highlighting two of his favorite singers — under a different conductor.
Parterre Box acknowledges Riccardo Muti‘s 600th performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by highlighting two of his favorite singers — under a different conductor.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Life imitates art
Life imitates art
With Gustavo Dudamel in the spotlight at Parterre Box this week, Grand Tier Grab Bag foreshadows one of the New York Philharmonic’s upcoming operatic engagements.
With Gustavo Dudamel in the spotlight at Parterre Box this week, Grand Tier Grab Bag foreshadows one of the New York Philharmonic’s upcoming operatic engagements.
In recent years the enterprising Dell’Arte Opera Ensemble has brightened the usually arid weeks of August in New York City with some worthy operatic showcases for young singers.
Two debuts of legendary singers on a single night highlight this performance of Faust from the final season of the Old Met, courtesy of Jungfer Marianne Leizmetzerin.
While we’re waiting for the webcast from Glyndebourne, cher public (and afterward, of course) please talk quietly among yourselves about off-topic and general interest subjects.
The news from New York has been rather dire these last few weeks, cher public; La Cieca is the first to admit that.
Coming up on Sunday, La Cieca (not pictured) will host a live chat during the webcast of La traviata from the Glyndebourne Festival.
“Camilla hopes the new work will make opera ‘more mainstream.'”
“The dark clouds hovering over Mr. Gelb should not obscure his very real achievements.”
A great man has passed and our consolation is that so much of his art has been preserved for us on recordings.
Talk of the Town
The Talk of the Town
A favorite Verdi performance from Marina Rebeka
A favorite Verdi performance from Marina Rebeka
While studying Un ballo in maschera for my Vienna role debut next January, I came across this beautiful ‘Ecco l’orrido campo’ amazingly performed by Montserrat Caballé.
While studying Un ballo in maschera for my Vienna role debut next January, I came across this beautiful ‘Ecco l’orrido campo’ amazingly performed by Montserrat Caballé.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Niel Rishoi
A favorite art song performance from Niel Rishoi
Hans Hotter masterfully captures the poignancy of this sublime Brahms Lied.
Hans Hotter masterfully captures the poignancy of this sublime Brahms Lied.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Arrigo
A favorite art song performance from Arrigo
While refined, Lisa della Casa sings “Four Last Songs” deeply alert to the text and with effortless vocalization that sounds fresh and spontaneous.
While refined, Lisa della Casa sings “Four Last Songs” deeply alert to the text and with effortless vocalization that sounds fresh and spontaneous.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Belfagor
A favorite art song performance from Belfagor
Funnily enough, I’m not remotely a Rachmaninov fan, but this performance by Galina Vishnevskaya in her considerable prime always gives me the chills.
Funnily enough, I’m not remotely a Rachmaninov fan, but this performance by Galina Vishnevskaya in her considerable prime always gives me the chills.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite art song performance from Rowna Sutin
A favorite art song performance from Rowna Sutin
With youthful abandon, Ms. Feola interprets an old chestnut.
With youthful abandon, Ms. Feola interprets an old chestnut.
“Anna Netrebko (Leonora) is seen during the Il Trovatore photo rehearsal on August 4, 2014 in Salzburg, Austria.”
I guess we can assume the season is going to happen, because the cast changes are already starting, and the Met’s press office is on it, you guys.
La Cieca has discovered that the independent auditor chosen by the Met, AGMA and Local 802 to report on the company’s finances, Eugene Keilin, is a major donor to the Met, giving at least $25,000 in 2011-2012 according to that season’s Annual Report.
Our own Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin goes all-American with a performance of The Ballad of Baby Doe starring Ruth Ann Swenson, James Morris and Judith Forst.
Whilst the theatrical doctor attempts to restore the voice of Mrs. Billington, you, the cher public, are asked to fill up the time with discussion of off-topic and general interest subjects.
Sondra Radvanovsky lent her luminous voice to Chamberfest for what was an unexpectedly unique recital.
SiriusXM is broadcasting right now a 1981 performance of Tristan und Isolde featuring Gwyneth Jones (pictured) and Spas Wenkoff, with James Levine conducting the work that season for the first time in his career.
Those of you who read this site faithfully (and I know there are one or two of you) will be interested to know that a boycott of parterre.com has been organized by fellow blogger Bari-Chunks.
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