Didon’t
The theatrical expression “You can’t tell the players without a program” was never more apt than when applied to Opus Arte’s release of Cavalli’s La Didone.
Recent Stories
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).
Transparency
Opera Teen (pictured, second from left) is not kidding us: he had an interview with Peter Gelb.
Not quite right
The last of the Strauss-Hofmannsthal collaborations, Arabella, is a real problem child.
Regie off the port bow
Sometimes the simplest solutions are best, as Pat C. realized in identifying our previous Regie quiz as Samson et Dalila.
The V.I.P.s
Your doyenne La Cieca (not pictured) invites you to our weekly discussion of off-topic and general interest subjects.
Canned laughter
One of the delights of doing these weekly breakdowns is sending them in and then waiting patiently to see what sort of illustration La Cieca uses with it.
Opera pump
Happy birthday to baritone Zachary Gordin, cover boy for this year’s Barihunk Wall Calendar.
“Where was Liam Joshua?”
Anyone looking for orgiastic obscenity in Calixto Bieito‘s production of Carmen at the London Coliseum, will be bitterly disappointed, writes Rupert Christiansen.
Rose to the occasion
Count on Gotham Chamber Opera to spice up the spring season.
Evil mutants
Lyric Opera of Chicago announced today that the respected stage, film and television actor Patrick Stewart will co-host The Second City Guide to the Opera on Saturday, January 5 with internationally renowned soprano and Lyric Opera creative consultant Renée Fleming.
Working “Tito”
After an uneven start to the season, the Met brought its A game Friday to a superb revival of Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito.
The sun also rises
If you’re the sort who prefers his diva to be an unapproachable sphinx prone to infuriating cancellations while radiating ennui, I suspect that the sunny, hard-working, grateful persona of American mezzo soprano Joyce DiDonato will not appeal to you at all.
Powers that will make martial law seem like anarchy
That’s the kind of casting abilities you’ve got, cher public, two of you in particular, who are the winners of the Manchurian Candidate competition.
Who let the Doge out?
Once again, we’re back with the Parmigiani at the Teatro Regio and their Tutto Verdi project marking the upcoming bicentennial of the great maestro’s birth.
Death, warmed over
Kaiser Overall—the name is intended to be sung in English, though the opera is in German—is probably mad, though perhaps no madder than anyone else.
Gli enigmi sono tre, la chiacchierata una!
Today’s chat combines the excitement of a contest with the life-or-death nail-biting of Turandot.
Dreams I know will never come true
New York City Opera has announced complete casting for the spring 2013 season.
Manca la diva
La Cieca has just heard that Angela Gheorghiu has become indisposed after the first act of Tosca at the San Francisco Opera.
Half full
Opera Orchestra of New York has announced their 2012-2013 season of only two performances.
Why, oh why?
“Alden Drops the Ballo: His Milquetoast Take on Verdi’s Classic Fizzles at the Met”
It is what she would have wanted
Due to wellness, it is with deep contentedness that Marina Poplavskaya will after all sing the role of Alice in Robert le Diable.