As if Massenet’s ghost forbade the opera
“How the Dying Composer’s Sentimental Whim Was Invoked by Lucy Arbell, the English Prima Donna, to Forbid Mary Garden to Sing the Title Role in Cleopatra.”
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Altar ego
An uplifting way to start the week from Our Own Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin: a performance of Gluck’s Iphigénie en Aulide under the baton of Riccardo Muti.
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).
Pan labyrinth
Welcome to Parterre Puzzle Corner #2. But first, the solution to last week’s challenge.
P.S. I glove you
La Cieca would never kid you, cher public: it’s that time of the week when we discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
Happy Birthday USA!
What better way to celebrate the birthday of the USA than with a fusillade of coloratura fireworks, garnered from the YouTube page of our lovely friend Coloraturafan?
And she’s shining like the brightest star
So, if the opening of the Met season is canceled, Anna Netrebko can always find work as a replacement Yitzhak on Broadway.
The voice of the pundit
Our Own Dawn Fatale (artist’s conception) will take to the airwaves of Bloomberg Radio this evening at 9:00 pm to discuss the Met’s current woes.
She declares witheringly
“Dress size is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone.”
How can they see with sequins in their eyes?
Worried about the future of opera in America? Don’t be!
O Mäzene!
It’s been too long, cher public, since La Cieca last lauded the true unsung heroes of parterre box: our advertisers.
Rédempteur à toute vitesse
This week, Our Own Jungfer Marianne Leizmetzerin presents what is perhaps the briefest Bühnenweihfestspiel on record.
“For my first encore…”
La Cieca admits she has nothing prepared, so you, the cher public, will have to keep yourselves amused with discussion of off-topic and general interest subjects.
The dark is light enough
Our Own Coloraturafan salutes the summer festival season with a compilation of Ladies Macbeth singing “La luce langue.”
Bullet time
Lucky Müncheners won’t be the only ones reveling in Rossini this afternoon: the opening of the Bayerische Staatsoper’s Guillaume Tell will be webcast starting at noon EDT, naturally with a session at La Casa della Cieca devoted to discussion.
Julius Rudel 1921-2014
The legendary conductor, mainstay of New York City Opera for 35 years, has died, says @nprclassical.
Feast of the Marys
From one of the earliest Mike Richter CD-ROMs, “Odd Opera,” comes a piece definitely fitting that description.
Just got real
The Met’s administrative offices were vandalized this morning, with “obscene messages” sprayed “on some paintings and sculptures.”
Grand slam
“Now, ‘grand’ can mean ‘opulent’ or ‘magnificent,’ which this concert’s singers certainly were.”
Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard provide important political balance
Guys, this would be funny if if weren’t so scary.
“O, beware, my lord, of TRESemmé!”
Luxuriantly maned divos Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Roberto Alagna rehearse Otello.
Mary Garden was eating grapes
“God knows some day I hope to love a man,” says actress Mary Garden.
Cigar rush
Smoldering Vesselina Kasarova is Carmen in a 2009 live performance from the Wiener Staatsoper, this week’s offering from Jungfer Marianne Leizmetzerin.
A loge of their own
Take advantage of this brief interval, cher public, to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.