Recent Stories
Juan Diego Flórez is without question a superstar of bel canto repertory, but the recent release of the recording of his role debut as Orphée in Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice at the Teatro Real in Madrid raises some interesting questions. Among these questions, first and foremost is the nature of Orpheus, and whether Flórez has…
Mlle. La Taupe continues to report from San Francisco’s Die Walküre: “I neglected to comment about the photos of the fallen heroes, posted upon the jungle gym-like structures on the Walkuerenstein. To be noted as they are photos of fallen soldiers in recent American wars. Pictures are shown by courtesy of and with permission from…
Congratulations to Bill, who submitted comment number 125,000!
In honor of all the gala things happening to Charles Busch this summer (including the 25th anniversary of his seminal play Vampire Lesbians of Sodom and the Channel 13 telecast of the documentary The Lady in Question is Charles Busch), La Cieca is delighted to republish an interview the playwright/male actress granted to parterre box…
That trio of delicious candy-covered ladies tempted you to all sorts of wrong guesses, cher public, but nobody could figure out their relationship to each other, which would surely have given the game away. They’re cousins, you see, and the work in which they appear is Offenbach’s La Périchole as presented at the Komische Oper…
UPDATE: The results are in, and the topic for this afternoon’s chat session will be Maria Stuarda. Please look after the jump for details.
La Cieca is of the opinion that there are some sopranos who can act Manon, some who can sing Manon, and some who simply are Manon. This snippet from a recent interview may suggest which category Anna Netrebko fits into.
“Renée Fleming‘s thrilling new album ‘Dark Hope’ (Decca) debuts at #151 today on the Billboard Top 200 chart, with the highest first-week sales of the superstar soprano’s storied career…. The debut follows a performance by Fleming of Muse’s ‘Endlessly’ last week on Good Morning America, and major print and online coverage including two arts cover…
Tell us: Filth or dementia?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Goodnight, Irene
Goodnight, Irene
Grand Tier Grab Bag features the American Zwischenfach mezzo Irene Roberts ahead of an eclectic season of Wagner.
Grand Tier Grab Bag features the American Zwischenfach mezzo Irene Roberts ahead of an eclectic season of Wagner.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Poetic license
Poetic license
Parterre Box shines a light on Liparit Avetisyan, who made his Met debut as Alfredo earlier this spring.
Parterre Box shines a light on Liparit Avetisyan, who made his Met debut as Alfredo earlier this spring.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Frau Miina-Liisa will es werde Nacht
Frau Miina-Liisa will es werde Nacht
Parterre Box features soprano Miina-Liisa Värelä, making her title role debut in Die Walküre in Munich next week, in a performance of Tristan und Isolde from 2021.
Parterre Box features soprano Miina-Liisa Värelä, making her title role debut in Die Walküre in Munich next week, in a performance of Tristan und Isolde from 2021.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Lux aeterna luceat eis
Lux aeterna luceat eis
Grand Tier Grab Bag this week honors the late Limmie Pulliam with a bit of his Verdi Requiem.
Grand Tier Grab Bag this week honors the late Limmie Pulliam with a bit of his Verdi Requiem.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Kathryn the great
Kathryn the great
Parterre Box previews Kathryn Lewek‘s upcoming Salome with clips of her as another unhinged lady of antiquity.
Parterre Box previews Kathryn Lewek‘s upcoming Salome with clips of her as another unhinged lady of antiquity.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Count your blessings
Count your blessings
Fast-rising Verdi baritone Ariunbaatar Ganbataar is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Fast-rising Verdi baritone Ariunbaatar Ganbataar is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
La Cieca proposes a new weekly competition: she provides the theme, you provide the examples. This week: “Now, that’s how it’s done!”
“Even if you’re not going to the concert, you can visit the website www.mariinsky.ru and decide Guleghina’s fate.” These words fraught with doleful moment invite you, the cher public, to play at gods with the repertoire of soprano Maria Guleghina (not pictured).
The Ginger Galli-Curci was born June 18, 1903.
Our Own JJ (not pictured) interviews the legendary Charles Busch and goes on to muse on drag (not in drag, on drag) at the new joint venture Thirteen/Capital.
Zack Woolfe, shirtless, and Seth Colter Walls take the High Line when deconstructing Dark Hope. [The Awl]
Further proof of the endemic menace of casting singers purely for appearance is this photograph of the dewy juvenile leads in Simon Boccanegra promoting tonight’s Channel 13 telecast of the opera.
The good news is that the Met reduced its operating deficit for 2008-2009 to $1.3 million, down from $12.2 million a year earlier. The bad news is the company’s assets fell by $72.6 million (down to $422.7 million) primarily because of investment losses. In other news, the Met paid James Levine a bit more than…
The Canadian contralto opera artist and recitalist has died. She was 79. [The Globe and Mail]
Talk of the Town
The Talk of the Town
Patrizia Ciofi should have made it to the Met
Patrizia Ciofi should have made it to the Met
The artist who I feel should have made it to the Met is Patrizia Ciofi.
The artist who I feel should have made it to the Met is Patrizia Ciofi.
The Talk of the Town
Giannina Arangi-Lombardi never made it to the Met
Giannina Arangi-Lombardi never made it to the Met
Giannina Arangi-Lombardi never sang at the Met.
Giannina Arangi-Lombardi never sang at the Met.
The Talk of the Town
Andrée Esposito and Alain Vanzo should have made it to the Met
Andrée Esposito and Alain Vanzo should have made it to the Met
This Mireille duet unites Andrée Esposito and Alain Vanzo and shows the timbral and stylistic qualities that made them exemplary.
This Mireille duet unites Andrée Esposito and Alain Vanzo and shows the timbral and stylistic qualities that made them exemplary.
The Talk of the Town
Ebe Stignani and Anita Cerquetti should have made it to the Met
Ebe Stignani and Anita Cerquetti should have made it to the Met
Subtlety is for cowards, say the blazing Anita Cerquetti and the blaring Ebe Stignani.
Subtlety is for cowards, say the blazing Anita Cerquetti and the blaring Ebe Stignani.
The Talk of the Town
Sena Jurinac should have made it to the Met
Sena Jurinac should have made it to the Met
Sena Jurinac, a celebrated Mozart and Strauss singer here as the Composer, a signature role.
Sena Jurinac, a celebrated Mozart and Strauss singer here as the Composer, a signature role.
The Talk of the Town
Janet Baker should have made it to the Met
Janet Baker should have made it to the Met
The divine Dame Janet Baker never sang at the Metropolitan, sadly for American audiences.
The divine Dame Janet Baker never sang at the Metropolitan, sadly for American audiences.
Idomeneo is one of those operas I always meant to get around to, but never did. Composed in 1780, it’s considered Mozart’s first “mature” opera. If you collect live recordings of significant debuts, this 1964 Glyndebourne Festival live recording might be of interest. So far as I can tell, this may be the first full…
Next time you feel like rolling your eyes at one of La Cieca’s informal for-entertainment-only polls, put then back in your head and gaze on this silliness.
The music video we have all been waiting for.
Departing Wiener Staatsoper General Director Ioan Holender has signed a two-year agreement to act as consultant to the Met. La Cieca speculates: is he replacing the less than effectual Eva Wagner-Pasquier? [Die Presse]
“Francesca Zambello, the new general and artistic director of the Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown, N.Y., has put an immediate stamp on the institution, changing its name to the Glimmerglass Festival and adding a regular piece of musical theater to the agenda…. The musical will be Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun.” [NYT]
It’s too bad bookmakers don’t offer odds on the casting predicted on Bradley Wilber’s Met Futures Page. Because, if they did, it would be hilarious to see just how long the odds would be against a 2011-2012 “NABUCCO with Maria Guleghina.” Or do you think there is any less likely casting anywhere in the latest…
A century ago, Mary Garden parlayed an interview with the New York Times on the subject of her bizarre attire into blatant promotion for an upcoming tour date. Miss Garden truly was the Lady Gaga of her day. [The Awl]
Next music director at the Metropolitan Opera? Well, it’s sure not going to be Yannick Nézet-Séguin. [NYT]
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