The Prussians are coming
Sometime in 1753, Frederick The Great of Prussia, following a tiff with his great friend Voltaire, began writing an opera libretto in French prose that was to elucidate his ideas about the role of an enlightened monarch.
Recent Stories
Closet drama
I have a confession to make about Britten’s opera Billy Budd: I don’t like it very much.”
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).
Evelyn Lear 1926-2012
American soprano Evelyn Lear died quietly earlier this evening at at Brooke Grove nursing center in Sandy Spring, Maryland. She was 86.
Intermission feature
Stay cool, cher public, as La Cieca (center) invites you all to comment on off-topic and general interest subjects during the week of July 1.
A disc fit for the gods
As we lurch into the month of July, La Cieca (not pictured, one hopes) wants quietly but firmly to draw the attention of her cher public to some of the more interesting releases on audio and video newly available on Amazon.com.
Sky rockets in flight
Says Betsy Ann “Yankee Doodle” Bobolink; “In honor of the upcoming holiday, today’s breakdown will forego the usual F.K. evaluation system in favor of rating each opera according to its ‘Ooo-Aah’ factor. “
Infectious diseuse
Our Own JJ once again is dipping his toe into light entertainment, writing and directing a cabaret act for his old, old, old friend Dorothy Bishop.
The big sleep
It’s time yet once again for a listening quiz, cher public, courtesy of Our Own armerjaquino.
Regie Bergère
The little grey cells of cosmodimontevergine came in quite handy in unraveling the mystery of our previous regie quiz.
‘Tis the season of blindness!
Do you not feel in the air that a certain legendary soprano will make a surprise singing appearance this evening?
Mist opportunity
The story is enough of a cipher to make any regie-bent director salivate.
In it to win it
Leave it to Maury D (pictured) to show how it’s done.
Viva, viva il nostro Alcide!
Congratulations to Cesare 15 (pictured, right) who came, saw and—after a false start or two—conquered in the very challenging “Piangerò” quiz devised by Our Own DeCaffarrelli!
Renaissance: fair
On this Gay Pride weekend, I remember my late friend Robert Chesley, activist and playwright (Stray Dog Story), who had also been an elementary schoolteacher.
Intermission feature
La Cieca invites the cher public (pictured) to discuss general interest and off-topic subjects during the week of June 24.
It bleeds, it leads
La Cieca would never leave the cher public without something to gossip about, even in the middle of June.
The maestro trap
Il maestro Fabio Luisi dirige correttamente e talora anche con qualche eleganza; ma sta così male sul podio!
Round midnight
As a child I had but a few criteria that were necessary to ensure a happy entertainment. These included mostly ball-gowns, fairy godmothers and Julie Andrews, though Sally Ann Howes was acceptable in a pinch.
Richard is better
The Tucker Foundation will be the subject of a special event on Wednesday June 27 at 7 pm, when WQXR’s Naomi Lewin (not pictured)…
Huis Clos
That most operatic of all operas, Il trovatore, has been done many ways, but here’s a first: the warhorse as bottle episode.
The only work that really brings enjoyment
James Levine received $2.1 million in compensation from the Met for the 2010-2011 season, during which time he conducted 31 performances.
Blinded by the lights
Which much-lauded diva has been canceling lots of performances lately, but not necessarily because she suffering from “swollen cords,” as she claims?
Blonde item
This year, I attended one of Natalie Dessay‘s only fully-sung Traviatas at the Met.