Mary est une vertu rare
“It was Thais, Massenet’s marvelously dexterous lyric drama of passion, opera of writhings, opera that repels in its most tremendous moment, yet allures and conquers, that swept grand opera to a new night of triumph.”
Recent Stories
It’s over
“New York City Opera, created 70 years ago as the ‘people’s opera,’ expects to file for bankruptcy protection on Oct. 2 and either liquidate in court or be sold to another institution, its lawyer said.”
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).
Everybody rise! Rise! Rise!
Two rising young sopranos will make their Met debuts earlier than originally scheduled when they share the role of Gilda in Verdi’s Rigoletto later this fall, replacing Aleksandra Kurzak, who has withdrawn due to pregnancy.
12 hours
“Today, an email from General Manager and Artistic Director notes… ‘We have just finished our successful run of Anna Nicole, and raised $2 million towards our target of $7 million, however there is only one day left to make a difference and help keep NYC Opera in business’.”
Fan service
It’s hard to come up with any sensible reason to dislike Joyce DiDonato.
37
“Absent the kind of deus ex machina that has saved the day in so many of the convoluted opera plots the troupe has performed over the years, City Opera will start shutting itself down next week if it fails to raise $7 million.”
Rock around the cloak
Even those of us who cannot aspire to haute couture can still discuss off-topic and general interest subjects, cher public.
61
“City Opera had waited too long to reinvent itself, Mr. Steel said. ‘I wish we had gotten to the business at hand faster’.” [Wall Street Journal]
God! what darkness dense!
The opening of Calixto Bieto‘s production of Fidelio at the English National Opera provides yet one more opportunity for the fraternity of British critics to flaunt their credentials as a passel of overeducated prats.
Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be
A nice long read for your weekend perusal, cher public, on that early 20th century diva Frieda Hempel, with special emphasis on her series of “Jenny Lind” recitals, all the musical rage in the 1920s.
Three
“Steel’s 2011 compensation, $340,000, while down 10 percent from the previous year, amounted to a third of ticket sales.”
Definitive canard
[Opera is] “an exotic and irrational entertainment.”
“Dying together’s even more personal than living together”
“New York City Opera… says it likely will fail in its goal to raise $7 million by Monday, the deadline it set for suspending the bulk of its 2013-14 season.”
This is the end?
La Cieca has just heard from a reliable snitch that the NYCO board meets tomorrow to make a very big decision that will take effect within two weeks.
‘Twas ever “Thus”
While James Levine’s name might not immediately spring to mind when pondering the great Mozart conductors, he does have a long and distinguished career leading operas by the Austrian master.
Tonight or Neva
Last night, the Met opened the 2013-14 season with a handsome, fairly conservative new production of Eugene Onegin by Deborah Warner that replaces the handsome, fairly conservative one by Robert Carsen. (The trend is clear.)
A disturbance in the force
The scene outside the Met last night (above) and inside (after the jump).
Hooterdämmerung
Is there anything more essentially operatic than the suffering of women?
“If the headline is big enough, it makes the news big enough”
For those of you who might have overlooked the fact that James Levine is conducting tomorrow night at the Met, the New York Times will get you up to speed this morning with no fewer than four (4) features on the return of “somebody who may be the greatest opera conductor in history.”