The beautiful glass is empty
“Juliane Banse will make her Met debut as Zdenka in this season’s performances of Strauss’s Arabella, replacing Genia Kühmeier, who has withdrawn for personal reasons.”
Recent Stories
Winter wonder man
Life is not fair. There are rules that apply to Jonas Kaufmann, and rules that apply to everyone else.
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).
La “Fille” mal gardée
“Natalie Dessay de retour dans la Fille du Régiment“
Kate Royal, Toby Spence ink 10-year Met deal
“Robert Rattray, who has long experience in artist management, has been appointed the Met’s next assistant general manager for artistic affairs, replacing Sarah Billinghurst, who will retire at the end of this season after two decades at the Met, the company announced Tuesday.”
By La Cieca
“Opera stars clash over our judgment”
“The article was written before Mme. Tetrazzini’s arrival,” continued Miss Garden yesterday.
Ah, je les écoute sans cesse
For your racionative pleasure, cher public, here’s an epistolary quiz in honor of the Met’s new production of Werther: 13 artists share Charlotte’s “Ces lettres! Ces lettres!” scena from Massenet’s opera.
Das waren die Freimaurer! Ich hab’s! Die Freimaurer!
“Unexpected conflicts and complications have occurred in Mr. Hampson’s schedule as he prepares the title role in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of Wozzeck.”
Diva of Détente
Our Own Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin (not pictured) takes us back to the turbulent 1970s at the Met for the spectacular company debut of electrifying Elena Obraztsova as Amneris.
Easy as falling off a loge
No effort is required, cher public, to enjoy a discussion of off-topic and general interest subjects.
Kingdom of the blind item
If there is truth in this rumor, which New York opera company will attempt a renaissance this summer with a revival of an operatic rarity, though likely without the magnificent cast the conductor assembled for his recent recording of the same work?
Hoop dreams
This Clemenza di Tito today is something of a wild card: an offbeat cast, the relative newbie opera director Jan Bosse and the exciting conductor Kirill Petrenko. If you’re intrigued, here’s the webcast starting at 1:00 pm.
Vieni a mirar la cerula
More Verdi from the Mike Richter collection, this time from CD-ROM SFO-02, a performance of Simon Boccanegra featuring Ingvar Wixell and Kiri Te Kanawa.
Brass ring
Marek Janowski’s survey of Wagner operas on PentaTone so convincingly captures the pulse and dramatic flow of many of the works that the music-making at times sounds almost effortless.
By Adriel
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Metropolitan Opera 2014-2015
Here you are, cher public, details of the Met’s (to be perfectly frank) not particularly spectacular mid-decade season.
It’s today!
La Cieca’s spy informs her that the Met will announce its 2014-2015 “Wednesday evening.” Watch parterre.com starting at 4:00 pm tomorrow for up-to-the-minute coverage.
Recklessly passionate
Before you ask, cher public, there is no Issue #41 of parterre box, the queer opera zine, or, rather, this issue, #42 is the 41st.
My knapsack on my back!
Cher public, I give a photograph of Jonas Kaufmann in a hoodie with a teeny birdie on his shoulder.
There’s no business like Mary business
“We Americans are not so critical of art as we are of showmanship.”
Slavas of New York
Even when the opera performed is a masterpiece, a truly superb opera performance is exceedingly rare.
Billy’s club
When Winston Churchill was First Sea Lord, the story goes, an indignant admiral accused him of violating British naval tradition, to which Churchill replied that the only traditions of the British Navy were rum, sodomy and the lash.
Je suis heureuse ici
This week, Jungfer Marianne Leitmetzerin has been unusually generous, sharing a performance of Pelléas et Mélisande featuring the dream pairing of Simon Keenlyside and Lorraine Hunt Lieberson.
Dwarf star
Verdi’s Macbeth poses a challenge to any company with the audacity to mount it.
New faces
Mr. Ian Rosenblatt is a London solicitor and patron of charitable causes in Britain primarily focused on classical music.