“It’s scary, but what can you do?”
“Ms. Netrebko, 43, spoke about her willingness to take risks…”
Recent Stories
Stockholm syndrome
The big news out of the Bay this week, of course, is that David Gockley, after ten years at the helm here and over forty in opera, has decided not to pull a Bloomberg/Galupe-Borszkh.
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).
Open mike night
Some very clever casting indeed in this week’s “Dream Team” competition.
The gang’s all here
Sa virtu m’atire
On this day in 1568, the Earl of Moray produced the Casket letters of Mary, Queen of Scots at a conference in York, headed by Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk.
The return of the intermission feature
You, the cher public (pictured) have spoken, and La Cieca is happy to reinstate this weekly posting where you are invited to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
Addressing the lacunae
Now’s the time to fill those gaps in your collection, cher public.
When she has sung her songs
Given Anna Netrebko‘s continuing success at the Met in Macbeth (as evidenced by an mid-scene “brava” in last night’s Sirius broadcast), it’s time to think about the future—specifically her local assignments for next season.
Panning for gold
Giacomo Puccini’s horse-opera version of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” La Fanciulla del West, based on David Belasco’s play, The Girl of the Golden West, enjoyed the status of a curate’s egg for quite a while.
Nightingale
Readers of this site are typically up to speed on emerging vocal talents, so clearly there is no need for me to write a review of Chilean-German soprano Carolina Ullrich’s riveting recital at the Paris Opera?
All aboard!
On this day in 1961, Noël Coward‘s musical Sail Away opened at the Broadhurst Theater.
Stella for star!
Tonight, Joyce DiDonato will perform the music from her new album Stella di Napoli at the Gowanus Ballroom.
Ten thousand bedrooms
The Metropolitan Opera desperately needed a new production of Le nozze di Figaro.
Poe but honest
On this day in 1849, American author Edgar Allan Poe was found delirious in a gutter in Baltimore, Maryland under mysterious circumstances.
Sanity clause
Born on this day in 1890 Groucho Marx, American comedian, actor, and singer.
Grand hotel
On this day in 1907, the Plaza Hotel opened in New York.
Blind advancement
What retired executive might be on the cusp of fulfilling a lifelong dream?
It’s a life of smiles and a life of tears
On this day in 1908, Maurice Maeterlinck‘s play L’Oiseau bleu premiered in Moscow.
Context unbecoming
Actual contextual advertising served with an anti-Klinghoffer screed.
Dream team
In honor of WQXR’s salute to the Richard Tucker Music Foundation next week—featuring Tucker honoree Michael Fabiano and hosted by legendary Renata Scotto—La Cieca invites the cher public to compete for free tickets to the mini-concert.
Barber on the verge of a nervous breakdown
It’s a place where the one thing you can expect is the unexpected. The place is… Philadelphia?
“Pretentious? Moi?”
Well, it’s finally happened. Jessye Norman has reached that moment in her career when she starts pronouncing the word “costume” with the accent on the second syllable.
Everything but the bloodhounds snappin’ at her rear end
This week Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin presents for our delight a rare live performance of Tchaikovsky’s The Enchantress.