Fit of pique
La Cieca (not pictured) invites the cher public to gather around for a chat tonight during the Met’s season premiere of Pikovaya dama, beginning at 8:00 pm.
Recent Stories
Kremlin watching (almost literally)
Some interesting turns of phrase in the Met press office’s announcement that Valery Gergiev will not (shockeroo!) show up tomorrow to conduct a single performance of Boris Godunov:
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).
Shirt tale
Among symbolic classical tropes, one of my favorites (perhaps because only another classicist will understand it) is Nessus’ Shirt, an emblem of glory (a promotion, say, or an expensive luxury) that destroys you.
One-eyed king
Which recently disgraced genius is tingling with excitement at an offer to help a fellow artist achieve redemption?
Mystery date
The moral of Lohengrin is clearly set out: Don’t talk on your wedding night. Even more important, don’t sing. Happily, at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Johan Botha in the title role and Amber Wagner as Elsa of Brabant ignored this advice.
I can’t do the sum
Pencils down! We have a solution; please see below.
Bye bye Verdi
UPDATE: La Cieca now has audio evidence of Micaela Carosi‘s dress rehearsal of Aïda. PREVIOUSLY: La Cieca has heard of sweeping changes of cast in important Verdi revivals across the pond: Elisabete Matos has suddenly been dropped from Rome Opera’s Riccardo Muti-helmed Nabucco, with Csilla Boross jumping in as Abigaille.
What’s wrong with James Levine?
La Cieca was just sent an announcement about “James Levine: 40 Years at The Metropolitan Opera, an extraordinary insider’s view of the legendary conductor’s Met career, illustrated with vivid historic photographs…. Marking the 40th anniversary of Met Music Director James Levine’s company debut on June 5, 1971, the book celebrates his unparalleled artistic achievements through […]
The mystery of the disappearing dress
Three Juliettes, three different seasons of the Met’s Roméo et Juliette: Natalie Dessay in 2005, Anna Netrebko in 2007, Hei-Kyung Hong in 2011. At this rate, La Cieca predicts that the role will be performed in the nude sometime around 2025. (Photos: Dessay and Hong by Marty Sohl, Netrebko by Ken Howard.)
Reverse Regie quiz
Usually the idea of the Regie quiz is: you know the music, but the visuals are unfamiliar. Now let’s try it a different way.
One thing after the other
UPDATE: “Alan Held will sing the title role in the revival of Wozzeck for all performances this season, replacing Matthias Goerne, who will undergo knee surgery in April,” says the Met press office. EARLER: La Cieca has been alerted that “wir arme Publikum” should be ready for a major cancellation/casting change announcement from the Met […]
Ironic (So Far Away)
“The first installment of Crain’s Business of Arts & Culture series will explore how competition for strong and deep-pocketed trustees has never been steeper as more potential board members are choosing to support fewer organizations. We will also look at how to find new board members, keep them, and use their expertise to help grow […]
Orchestra and balcony
Our own JJ reflects on a pair of French operas, Roméo et Juliette and L’africaine, neither of which you could exactly call “grand.” [New York Post]
Drive-In Regie
Though semi ramide got there first, kudos as well to Indiana Loiterer III for pinpointing the exact scenes of Rusalka depicted in this Barrie Kosky production for the Komische Oper Berlin—a staging, by the way, that your own doyenne will witness a couple of weeks from now during her Regietournee. After the jump, video of […]
Put a chat on it
La Cieca (pictured, left) invites all the single cher public to join in circa 1:00 pm for a discussion of this afternoon’s absolutely last and final performance of Armida. Ever.
Is this the happy couple?
“Renee Fleming and Timothy Jessell arrive for the formal artist’s dinner for the Kennedy Center Honors at the United States Department of State December 4, 2010 in Washington, D.C.” More (circumstantial) proof after the jump.
Solid gold
Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard has been named the recipient of the sixth annual Beverly Sills Artist Award for young singers at the Metropolitan Opera. She receives a $50,000 prize and is married to Teddy Tahu Rhodes, which frankly strikes La Cieca as overkill. (Photo: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera)
Nice day for a blind item
Which diva—whose recordings, though popular, are sometimes obscure—anticipates becoming a bride as well as a mother? The lady’s beau, we’re told, is a tax attorney in our nation’s capital.
Big Daddy says bull
“Margaret, what is it Big Daddy always says when he’s disgusted?” asks the immortal Big Momma in dear Tennessee Williams‘ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which Maggie answers, “He says bull when he’s disgusted.” Well, your own Big Momma (i.e., La Cieca has been speaking to a Met insider (pictured) about certain recent headline-grabbing […]
Know where your towel is
La Cieca, who is beginning to feel just the tiniest bit like dear Julian Assange, has been leaked upon yet again. This time she’s been forwarded a message that Peter Gelb sent to the minions of the Met late yesterday afternoon. Naturally your doyenne was certain you, the cher public, would want to read it.
It happened in Boston
UPDATE: It’s official. EARLIER: La Cieca hears from a generally reliable source that James Levine has resigned from his post as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Expect an official announcement later today.
Star, crossed
UPDATE: This just in from the Met press office: “Hei-Kyung Hong will sing the role of Juliette in Roméo et Juliette for performances from March 3 through March 22 this season, replacing Angela Gheorghiu, who is ill. The role of Juliette for the Saturday, March 26 performance is TBA.” EARLIER: Angela Gheorghiu has just announced […]
Blonde item
“It’s just that it seems rather perverse to have cast such opulent voices and then given them not much to sing…. the role of Anna Nicole would not stretch Danielle de Niese.” Loyal parterrian Jondrytay (not pictured) looked in on the Royal Opera’s Anna Nicole and shared this thoughts on his blog Not So Wunderbar.