L’amour est un oiseau rebelle without a cause
Maestro Wenarto achieves video number 1,500 with this opéra comique take on the immortal “Habanera” from Carmen.
Recent Stories
Just what I wanted!
La Cieca (pictured, left) celebrated her birthday early this year when she unexpectedly received the perfect gift—the following press release.
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).
People get regie
Heavens, what with breakdown of the site a couple weeks ago, the Regie quiz has been forgotten for all too long!
We hold these truths to be self-evident
“Rufus Wainwright Talks Opera Prima Donna and Why the Genre’s ‘Not for Sissies'”
Steel yourself
La Cieca thinks it would be fun for the cher public to play George Steel (or, given the difficulty of the task, Superman) and devise an upcoming season for NYCO.
Happy Birthday Maestro Wenarto
Still going strong after (approximately) 1,500 YouTube appearances, Our Own Maestro Wenarto celebrates the anniversary of his birth today.
Rain on the Rufus
“With Anjelica Huston, Parker Posey and Yoko Ono dotting the crowd at BAM Sunday afternoon, the New York City Opera’s premiere of Prima Donna offered more diva presence offstage than on.”
She wants to be a primadonna
On Saturday I attended the premiere performance of a new production of Ariadne auf Naxos at the Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden, Germany. It was Renée Fleming’s debut in the title role…
Ach, schnapp!
“Ich zeige dem Publikum, was sie sehen sollen, und nicht, was sie sehen wollen, schließlich sind Oper und Theater kein Dienstleistungsgewerbe.”
Stargazing
It’s Sunday, and that means it’s time for your weekly intermission feature, a chance to discuss off-topic and general interest subjects.
Nothing but nets
This 2010 DVD
of Brecht and Weill’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny from Madrid assumes pride of place among the available video versions of the opera.
Business in the front, party at the back
The weekly Saturday afternoon chat continues today, cher public.
Avec la participation exceptionnelle de…
“Thomas Hampson to Sing at Groundbreaking Ceremony for Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture on Feb 22; President Barack Obama Will Deliver Remarks”
Over the moon
Mariella Devia will augment her already vast bel canto repertoire next year with the role of roles: Bellini’s Norma.
Decrease your word power
La Cieca is starting a new series of Words Critics Need to Stop Using.
Der Pelz wird fliegen
The guest soloist at the the Wiener Opernball was just introduced as “Rumäniens Antwort auf Anna Netrebko, Angela Gheorghiu.”
Charles Anthony 1929-2012
The comprimario tenor, veteran of 2,928 performances at the Met, died earlier today. He was 82.
Armiliato qua, Armiliato là
“This is the highest number of performances for a conductor in a single week in Met history.”
She’s fallen and she can’t get up
“New York City Opera performed La Traviata at BAM Sunday afternoon. That’s who, what, where and when. But this was a performance without a ‘why’.”
Curtain going up, or whatever it is curtains will do in the future
Will robots replace prompters? Will random number generators replace stage directors?
To the victors go the DVDs
Congratulations and thanks to all the many, many parterriani who participated in the second annual Bühnenweihfestspielkrieg…
A new low in linkbait
“Less than 24 hours after the death of pop-star Whitney Houston, the color-blind casting of Violetta Valery…. gave the 159-year old opera a jolt of relevance.”
Stop! or my mom will percuss
“No tenors, no arias, no orchestra pit, no plot. Can You, My Mother really be called an opera?”