In the Depression was I depressed? Nowhere near.
Put on a happy face, cher public, and discuss off-topic and general interest subjects to your hearts’ content.
Recent Stories
Hehr bist du, und heilig gewahr’ ich das Wotanskind
Coincidental with the ongoing parterre discussion about the careers of dramatic sopranos, our friends at Opera Depot are saluting the immortal Astrid Varnay.
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).
Falling in love, never again
Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s opera David et Jonathas, written for a celebration at a Jesuit school in 1688, premiered together with a Latin verse drama, Saul, now lost.
Canard of the “decade”
“Women are lucky if they get a good 10-year run with these big parts like Brünnhilde and Isolde.”
Portrait of a Lady
Congratulations to world’s wittiest diva Martina Arroyo, who has just been named a recipient of the the 2013 Kennedy Center Honors.
Piotr, principally
Vanity project or not, these albums present a sensitive and talented artist showing off two little-seen sides of himself.
Ulysses in Midtown
In the program for Opera Omnia’s production of Monteverdi’s Il ritorno di Ulisse, Crystal Manich, the company’s stage director, speaks of producing “baroque works in non-traditional ways.”
Winged victors
The winners of the ninth annual F. Paul Driscoll Awards for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence (or, as they are colloquially known, the “Opera News Awards”) have been revealed.
To the hilt
Marek Janowski’s second recorded Ring cycle began on an off note, with a Rheingold that was fleet and lucid but failed to impress in the important musical moments.
By Adriel
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Annagnorsis
Our Own JJ debuts in the pages of the New York Observer.
Doing it again
The 19th century could not cope with Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti (Thus Do They All, or The School for Lovers) with a libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte and music by Mozart, first presented in Vienna in 1790.
Slow but steady
With almost three weeks to go, New York City Opera’s Kickstarter campaign is only $956,985 short of its goal.
Shadows on the silver screen
Strange as it is to encounter two such disparate works presented with the identical production concept, it’s odder still that the opera you’d think would be the slam dunk is anything but.
Slow curtain
“New York City Opera… will be forced to cancel most of its current season and all of its next season if it fails to raise $20 million by year’s end, company officials say.”
Eyes on the prize
La Cieca (not pictured) is delighted to hear of the success of Friday night’s vigil by Gays Without Borders for LGBT citizens of Russia at the opening night of the San Francisco Opera’s new season.
A place behind the sun
How better to launch this week’s general interest discussion than with a video of Joyce DiDonato singing “Over the Rainbow” at the Last Night of the Proms?
O blind item!
Ask not which soprano just canceled her only remaining opera gig for the year; ask whether the blue gown will fit her replacement.