Crunching the numbers
Now that it appears the Met’s labor crisis has been averted by successful completion of contract negotiations, La Cieca thought the cher public might be interested in seeing the exact terms of at least one of the pacts.
Recent Stories
Practical magic
Notable purveyor of mayhem and infanticide Medea has lately been missing from the local operatic scene, but Sunday afternoon sections of the recently renovated Alice Tully Hall were singed by Canadian soprano Dominique Labelle’s blazing incarnation of the Greek sorceress.
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).
Belt, tightened
AGMA and Local 802 “have agreed to cut a little more than 7% of their members’ compensation during the first year of the four-year contract, growing to 7% in the second and third years.”
Overtime
UPDATE: The Met has reached tentative agreements with AGMA and Local 802. The contract deadline has been extended through midnight on Tuesday, August 19, to allow Local One and the other remaining unions with unsettled contracts more time to secure new deals with the institution.
The songs of La Bohème will live forever
Our Own Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin demonstrates the enduring quality of art with two performances of La Bohème four decades apart.
The sound of silence
This past week of contract negotiations at the Metropolitan Opera has been notable for the absence of any new PowerPoint presentations or fustian proclamations.
“Catalani is no Mrs. Billington”
The parterrians are invited to put the internecine squabbling on hold for a while, the better to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
Zing! went the strings of his heart
“Prince Charles‘s harpist, 27 leaves husband for Britain’s biggest opera star Bryn Terfel, 48″
Breaking opera news I can’t bring myself to care about
It was patriotism—and fate—that launched Heather Pawsey’s 19-year search for Ogopogo.”
Licia Albanese 1913-2014
La Cieca has just heard the sad news that the beloved soprano Licia Albanese died earlier this evening. She was 101.
If I had a talking picture of you
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.
And all the rest is talk
“Labor! Oh, the problem of labor at the Met is gargantuan,” Our Own JJ (not pictured) would have said, had he thought of it.
How cher the public
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…
The little gunmetal dress
Sleeveless Anna Netrebko sings the “Letter Scene” from Verdi’s Macbeth.
The secret of nymph
Mark Morris’ staging of Acis and Galatea at Lincoln Center is everything good about summer condensed into two hours.
Hello Amanda
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.”
Hooterdämmerung?
“It’s no surprise Kim Kardashian likes to dress as if she’s going to the opera each day.”
One charming afternoon
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.
Faustian bargain
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.
Brief pause
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.
Dell’abisso
The news from New York has been rather dire these last few weeks, cher public; La Cieca is the first to admit that.
Fra le tazze più viva è la webchat
Coming up on Sunday, La Cieca (not pictured) will host a live chat during the webcast of La traviata from the Glyndebourne Festival.
“Observer” story pushed off front page
“Camilla hopes the new work will make opera ‘more mainstream.'”