Mavra, don’t ask!
And then she was all like, “Nuh-uh! Igor was so not gay,” and I was all like…
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Count the days
What seems to be the European opera event of the summer, Elektra from the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, will be webcast just a little over 48 hours from now, starting at 2:00 PM EDT on Friday.
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).
“Mary Garden Sad” (actual headline)
She appeared almost like the ghost of Mélisande…
Who’ll stop the reign
La Cieca is most unhappy indeed to hear that coloraturafan, the undisputed monarch of opera on YouTube, has had his “fourth or fifth” account on the service deleted.
Hi, honey, I’m gnome
Between Fidelio and Der Freischutz there was “Romantische Oper,” a type of musical drama descended from medieval mystery plays in which ghosts, gnomes and other “invisibles” get entangled in the lives of unsuspecting people.
By Adriel
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Indulgence in the first degree
Coming September 17 from La Polverosa, a new CD entitled Guilty Pleasures.
“But, doctor, all I came in for was an embolism…”
“Placido Domingo Released From Hospital; Tenor Confirms He Will Sing Giovanna d’Arco”
Little red lorgnette
La Cieca (pictured) gives you leave to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
The rise of the clowns
What better way to spend a lazy Friday afternoon in midsummer than watching a webcast of Rigoletto?
O happy canard
There are so many neglected operas like Antony and Cleopatra or Les Huguenots that have been treated so unfairly…
Blind as… an item
Which Tony and Emmy winner plans to max out his acting resume by appearing at the Met next season, though, oddly enough, not in Traviata?
Blind item
If you’re a hard-core opera buff who finds the Met’s flashy sets and costumes distracting, have I got a show for you!
Monkey business
East is West and West is East—the border ever less easy to fix.
Forever plaid
Starting right this minute, Lucia di Lammermoor starring Diana Damrau and Joseph Calleja, webcast by Sonostream!
Wednesday with Mary
La Cieca apologizes for her tardiness in saluting dear Mary this week, but she thinks you will agree it’s worth the wait.
Monkey do
Opening last night, the most buzzed-about show at the Lincoln Center Festival was inspired by a 16th-century Chinese folk tale of a sassy Monkey, who uses his magic powers and awesome kung fu skills to retrieve holy scriptures from India.
Peter Gelb is a fucking bargain
So guess who makes more money than Peter Gelb and works less, sometimes a lot less? Answer: a lot of people.
Les vêpres de Westchester
The big news from Bel Canto at Caramoor’s presentation of Les Vêpres Siciliennes last Saturday is far from unexpected.
It’s the humidity
Stay cool and comment on off-topic and general interest subjects, cher public.
Nacht und Träume
We waited eagerly to hear the Munich-born Jonas Kaufmann make his role debut as Manrico at the Bavarian State Opera as well the German-Greek soprano Anja Harteros take on Leonora’s bravura difficult arias.
Canard dynasty
“Say! What about throwing your very own baby in the fire by accident? There’s one for you. Doesn’t get much more implausible than that!”
Spasimi d’amore
In belated recognition of the 70th birthday of Eva Marton (she celebrated that milestone on June 18) La Cieca offers a particularly fiery performance of Tosca from Manila in 1979.
Pardon the expression, but this is a steal
The complete recording of Der Ring des Nibelungen conducted by Christian Thielemann at the Bayreuth Festival is now on sale
for only $5.99. And, no, I am not making this up.