Recent Stories
Meet parterre’s new tutelary spirit, tenor August Schram, star of Metube.
Take a breather, cher public, and join in the general interest and off-topic conversation in this week’s intermission feature.
This week on Operavore: “Strong Women of Opera.”
Tenor Vittorio Grigolo, easy on the eyes despite the fright wig, is one of the “Hottest Opera Stars Of 2013.”
You know, information wants to be free and all that.
Which opera company that apparently still exists has sent out a casting call for no fewer than 40 supernumeraries to appear naked in an work whose title, ironically, includes a part of the body that is generally not concealed anyway?
In the interest of absolute accuracy (for surely the cher public deserves no less!) La Cieca offers the following correction.
FINAL RSVP REQUEST: La Boheme from The Royal Opera – This Sunday, Jan. 27.
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
Grand Tier Grab Bag
When they go low
Nostalgic for bass month, Parterre Box offers excerpts from two young basses to watch: Giorgi Manoshvili and Patrick Guetti.
Nostalgic for bass month, Parterre Box offers excerpts from two young basses to watch: Giorgi Manoshvili and Patrick Guetti.
Nailin’ the coughin’
Rosa Feola, still scheduled for a run of performances as Violetta in New York this spring, is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Rosa Feola, still scheduled for a run of performances as Violetta in New York this spring, is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Landing the plane
With Nixon, Klinghoffer, and Andris Nelsons on the mind, Parterre Box offers a recording of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s recent John Adams outing.
With Nixon, Klinghoffer, and Andris Nelsons on the mind, Parterre Box offers a recording of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s recent John Adams outing.
Le galant tireur
American tenor Charles Castronovo performs a bit of Weber’s Der Freischütz ahead of the opportunity to hear Berlioz‘s take on the score at Carnegie Hall next week.
American tenor Charles Castronovo performs a bit of Weber’s Der Freischütz ahead of the opportunity to hear Berlioz‘s take on the score at Carnegie Hall next week.
My 600 performance life
Parterre Box acknowledges Riccardo Muti‘s 600th performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by highlighting two of his favorite singers — under a different conductor.
Parterre Box acknowledges Riccardo Muti‘s 600th performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by highlighting two of his favorite singers — under a different conductor.
Life imitates art
With Gustavo Dudamel in the spotlight at Parterre Box this week, Grand Tier Grab Bag foreshadows one of the New York Philharmonic’s upcoming operatic engagements.
With Gustavo Dudamel in the spotlight at Parterre Box this week, Grand Tier Grab Bag foreshadows one of the New York Philharmonic’s upcoming operatic engagements.
Ah, finally a light begins to break.
The apparently immortal Anja Silja (all those performances of Vec Makropulos must have rubbed off!) is seen here in her newest role, Babulenka in Prokofiev’s Igrok at Oper Frankfurt.
… I’ll just keep on singing until everyone hears it.
In a winter rich with splashy debuts, Friday’s performance of Le Comte Ory introduced a 27-year-old South African charmer who may well be the Met’s next big star.
There’s that old joke; What’s the difference between opera and sex? Punchline; you can have good sex.
Another Sunday, another invitation to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
Today marks the premiere of the Operavore radio show on WQXR.
Elena Manistina will make her Met debut as Azucena in the Saturday, January 19 evening performance of Verdi’s Il Trovatore, replacing Stephanie Blythe, who is [obviously] ill.
Talk of the Town
A favorite Verdi performance from Darby Fegan
Anna Tomowa-Sintow, “Ernani Involami,” from the MET Centenial Gala, 1983.
Anna Tomowa-Sintow, “Ernani Involami,” from the MET Centenial Gala, 1983.
A favorite Verdi performance from CKurwenal
Like probably all of us, there are so many different things I could have submitted for a favorite Verdi performance.
Like probably all of us, there are so many different things I could have submitted for a favorite Verdi performance.
A favorite Verdi performance from La Grunowa
I realize Igor Gorin did not sing much Verdi except for a few Papa Germonts, yet this performance of the famous baritone aria from Attila I claim is well-night perfect singing.
I realize Igor Gorin did not sing much Verdi except for a few Papa Germonts, yet this performance of the famous baritone aria from Attila I claim is well-night perfect singing.
A favorite Verdi performance from Ryan Ellerman
Luminous Lucia Popp’s “Caro Nome” beams with Gilda’s youthful passion, displaying Popp’s signature bright, beautiful timbre and magnificent coloratura.
Luminous Lucia Popp’s “Caro Nome” beams with Gilda’s youthful passion, displaying Popp’s signature bright, beautiful timbre and magnificent coloratura.
A favorite Verdi performance from Marina Rebeka
While studying Un ballo in maschera for my Vienna role debut next January, I came across this beautiful ‘Ecco l’orrido campo’ amazingly performed by Montserrat Caballé.
While studying Un ballo in maschera for my Vienna role debut next January, I came across this beautiful ‘Ecco l’orrido campo’ amazingly performed by Montserrat Caballé.
Either you adore “The World Is but a Broken Toy” from Act II of Princess Ida and have always wanted to hear it sung by voices of operatic quality… or you don’t… and you haven’t.
Your doyenne invites you to drop by La Casa della Cieca.
At last, the quintessential targeted reader of parterre.com has been identified.
La Rondine, which began as a light Viennese operetta before being transformed into an Italian tearjerker, is not a natural diva vehicle…
Leave it to a cat to transform a Wagner festival into the Jellicle Ball.
If war is hell, then Soldier Songs should rank somewhere around “purgatory.”
Which recent debut has the Met’s administrators intoxicating themselves with dreams of a return engagement for the budding star in the second cast of one of next season’s new productions?
Well, you can slash La Cieca’s veins, drink her blood and trample her corpse, because she did not see this one coming!
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