We have always slept in the castle
For those of you still queasy after Mary Zimmerman’s sophomoric snarknado attack on Bellini’s La Sonnambula, the new DVD of the Stuttgart Opera production should provide a bracing restorative.
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Auto-da-fair
The Salzburg Festival has long had the image of this place where for a little over a month, the very best singers are brought together with the very best conductors and the very best directors to create the very best productions the opera world has to offer.
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 tale so strong and full of woe
Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin offers something a little different for this week’s curtain raiser: a performance of Dido and Aeneas by Les Arts Florissants under the direction of William Christie.
En retard
Please forgive La Cieca’s tardiness this week, cher public, but she had a major snafu with her toilette.
West side non-story
La Cieca hears that the Met’s planned production of West Side Story in the 2017-2018 season has been shelved.
Bullets over Valhalla
“But,” he added, “I find it distressing to be threatened by other artists.”
The children’s hour
Ever on the avant-garde, Lyric Opera of Chicago has embraced the cutting-edge technology of “phonography” as part of their effort to attract young audiences.
Bomb squad
Vienna never really forgave Erich Wolfgang Korngold for going to work in the movies.
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News from down under
“Kiwi opera singer Teddy Tahu Rhodes is reportedly involved in a sex tape scandal involving an unknown woman.”
La regina d’Inghilterra ho veduto cantar
“At Carnegie Hall last Thursday, a capacity crowd witnessed what might be the final official act of a monarch who has reigned for more than four decades.”
“Why Great Prima Donnas Are So Unreasonable”
“Because, science tells us, the expression centres in their brains take up all the blood supply, and the poor little higher, inhibitory centres are starved.”
Silver anniversary
In celebretion of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Richard Strauss on June 11, Our Own Jungfer Marianne Leizmetzerin offers a very special performance of Der Rosenkavalier.
Steely gaze
“Is that dear Mr. Plotkin I see?” queries a doyenne.
“Die Zeit, die ist ein sonderbar’ Ding”
Peter Gelb has single-handedly ravaged the finances of the Met not only during his own incumbency, but in the distant past as well.
The subject was Rosenkavalier
La Cieca looks forward to seeing (in the virtual sense) all her cher public bright and early tomorrow morning for the webcast of the controversial production of Der Rosenkavalier from Glyndebourne.
Gee, our old Chagalls hang great
It’s time to bring out the canard again, this time a whole row of them in fact.
Victorious, happy and glorious
Even before Italian diva Mariella Devia had completed the stunning high D natural that capped her miraculous portrayal of Elisabetta in Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux Thursday evening at Carnegie Hall, tens, then hundreds of those in attendance leapt to their feet to shout their acclaim.
Fish are jumping and the dudgeon is high
“Quaint camp, says Rupert Christiansen.”
Raven review
The NY Phil Biennial, a new music festival that is dedicated to new music, kicked off its first season at a drowsy time on the performing arts calendar, the week after Memorial Day.
“Your commissions are at risk!”
AGMA’s Alan Gordon cries “Havoc!” and lets slip the dogs of war, and by “dogs” La Cieca means “artist managers.” It’s another email, leaked after the jump.
“Too Tired to Attend Opening Night of the Opera”
“Even Mary Garden herself is said to be in a state of mind because Mme. Bourskaya has been given several of Mary’s best roles.”
Thick as thieves
This week’s operatic offering from Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin goes out as a request. Our Own Camille asked for (and got) a little Mercadante in the mix, a live performance of I briganti from 2012.
Moore, or less
La Cieca suggests the cher public kick off this week’s round of off-topic and general interest discussion with a little speculation as to which of Grace Moore‘s repertoire of operatic roles Miss Kathryn Grayson is enacting on this poster.