Her maestro’s voice
Our Own Poison Ivy interviews conductor Alain Altinoglu over at her own blog, Poison Ivy’s Wall of Text.
Recent Stories
Ready, aim…
“Including staff benefits, Gelb says a full-time chorus member at the Met earns an astonishing $300,000 (£180,000) a year, while the players of the Met Orchestra earn more than any orchestra in the US.”
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).
L’Histoire du soldat
Just in from the Met: “Daniel Sutin will sing the title role in tonight’s performance of Berg’s Wozzeck, replacing Thomas Hampson, who is recovering from bronchitis.”
Missing Marianne
La Cieca is delighted to salute the return of Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin to the regular Monday lineup at parterre.com. And what a special treat she has for us this week: a live performance of Werther starring Franco Corelli and Christa Ludwig!
A pretty boy milking his bows
This afternoon at the Met, Grigolo sold his performance like the rent was due tomorrow and he was down to his last penny.
Gerard Mortier 1943-2014
Impresario Gerard Mortier died earlier today of pancreatic cancer. He was 70.
The lonely stage
There’s always companionship of a sort here, cher public, whether it’s off-topic or general interest subjects you feel like discussing.
West side, east side
Recently, opera showed up at both Mets, the Metropolitan Opera and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The lovely bones
Peter Gelb, the Met’s general manager… has engaged Mr. Domingo to sing Don Carlo in Ernani next season, Simon Boccanegra the following season and Nabucco in 2016-17.”
Full of beans
It’s been a bitterly cold winter in NY. When it’s bitterly cold, the air is dry.
Partial eclipse
We must be doubly grateful that The English Concert’s recent Theodora was so quickly followed by the American Classical Orchestra’s fine Samson on Tuesday evening at Alice Tully Hall.
All fall down
parterre box has obtained a memo sent to artists’ managers in which AGMA Executive Director Alan Gordon warns singers contracted to sing at the Met in the 2014-2105 season that due to unpromising developments in upcoming labor negotiations the company may be dark for part or all of the season.
Wir arme Leut
“Matthias Goerne is stepping into the title role in tonight’s opening night performance of Berg’s Wozzeck, replacing Thomas Hampson, who has withdrawn due to illness.”
Fifty Shades of Gré
From Mike Richter‘s CD-ROM “El Anillo,” here is radiant soprano Gré Brouwenstijn in the first act of Die Walküre as performed at the Teatro Colon in 1962.
That’s entertainment!
The highlight of the Bayerische Staatsoper’s 2014-2015 season is a new production of Manon Lescaut featuring Anna Netrebko and Jonas Kaufmann, directed by Claus Guth.
Marc Two
Issue #43 of parterre box, the queer opera zine is called “Marc Two” in honor of dramatic soprano Alessandra Marc, subject of an interview with Our Own JJ.
The cup runneth over
I am grateful to Sony for this new release
of the Metropolitan Opera’s latest production of Parsifal and I hope I’m not the only one who discovers what a rich experience this opera can be because of it.
Sinking ship
“Billy Zane, star of James Cameron’s blockbuster Titanic and Broadway’s Chicago, cast as Captain von Trapp.”
Bortsch Mary Garden
“Men have been known to sniff scornfully at the crazy notion of putting beets into soup, but those who protest most violently are usually the first to come back for a second helping.”
A shot in the dark
Jean-François Borras will make his Met debut in the title role of Massenet’s Werther at this evening’s performance, replacing Jonas Kaufmann, who is ill.
Woman on the verge
Anna Netrebko sings “Sola, perduta, abbandonata” from Manon Lescaut at the Rome Opera, Riccardo Muti conducting.
One final glimpse
Which age-appropriate role will serve as the vehicle the return of a veteran diva to the New York stage for the first time this century?
