Recent Stories
Could there be any more “parterre” a way to spend a Saturday afternoon than listening to a broadcast from half a century ago of what must surely rank among the queerest operas ever written? Don’t bother to answer that, it’s a rhetorical question, and while we’re on the subject, you do not know how to…
Renée Fleming and Dmitri Hvorostovsky offer an object lesson in the traditional old school performance practice of “lurch and flail” operatic acting.
“In two Verdi operas per formed less than a week apart, legendary tenor Plácido Domingo revealed that, as a conductor, he makes an OK baritone.” Our Own JJ reviews Simon Boccanegra and Stiffelio at the Met. [NYP]
There’s something happening at Zankel Hall. Lieder recitals are not what they used to be. Christine Schäfer threw us for a loop Wednesday night in a recital program juxtaposing just two composers – George Crumb and Henry Purcell – who have what, exactly, in common?
Spring must be near, because the little birds are beginning to sing! After the jump, some very specific specifics about the 2010-2011 Metropolitan Opera schedule.
Long may you multitask!
“Opera singer” Katherine Jenkins canceled her appearance at last night’s National Television Awards due to (wait for it!) a “chest infection.” [digital spy]
“Disgraced opera swindler Alberto Vilar” is now asking for leniency, or, to put it another way, he doesn’t want to go to jail. [NY Daily News]
Tell us: What’s your favorite Verdi performance?
Hasten thee to feed another quarter of conversation for The Talk of the Town!
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Don’t cry because it’s over
Don’t cry because it’s over
Grand Tier Grab Bag hearkens back to the days when Sondra Radvanovsky — who is singing no Verdi at all next season — seemed like the Verdi soprano of reference.
Grand Tier Grab Bag hearkens back to the days when Sondra Radvanovsky — who is singing no Verdi at all next season — seemed like the Verdi soprano of reference.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Rizzin’ to the occasion
Rizzin’ to the occasion
Parterre Box features the Met’s current Eugene Onegin, Iurii Samoilov, in a performance of Rossini ahead of a return to Pesaro this summer.
Parterre Box features the Met’s current Eugene Onegin, Iurii Samoilov, in a performance of Rossini ahead of a return to Pesaro this summer.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
When they go low
When they go low
Nostalgic for bass month, Parterre Box offers excerpts from two young basses to watch: Giorgi Manoshvili and Patrick Guetti.
Nostalgic for bass month, Parterre Box offers excerpts from two young basses to watch: Giorgi Manoshvili and Patrick Guetti.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Nailin’ the coughin’
Nailin’ the coughin’
Rosa Feola, still scheduled for a run of performances as Violetta in New York this spring, is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Rosa Feola, still scheduled for a run of performances as Violetta in New York this spring, is the subject of this week’s Grand Tier Grab Bag.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Landing the plane
Landing the plane
With Nixon, Klinghoffer, and Andris Nelsons on the mind, Parterre Box offers a recording of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s recent John Adams outing.
With Nixon, Klinghoffer, and Andris Nelsons on the mind, Parterre Box offers a recording of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s recent John Adams outing.
Grand Tier Grab Bag
Le galant tireur
Le galant tireur
American tenor Charles Castronovo performs a bit of Weber’s Der Freischütz ahead of the opportunity to hear Berlioz‘s take on the score at Carnegie Hall next week.
American tenor Charles Castronovo performs a bit of Weber’s Der Freischütz ahead of the opportunity to hear Berlioz‘s take on the score at Carnegie Hall next week.
La Cieca admits the Regie quiz candidate from a couple of weeks ago was something of a ringer as it was a new work, and a children’s opera at that. So it’s only reasonable that none of you guessed it was Antonia und der Reißteufel, as performed at the Vienna Volksoper. (Duh!)
Gotham Chamber Opera presented Haydn’s Il Mondo della Luna on Tuesday evening at the Museum of Natural History’s Hayden Planetarium, in a production that took advantage of the museum’s NASA constellations and a multitude of other more economical yet impressive stage and lighting effects. Despite cramped quarters and inhospitable acoustics, the company made a strong…
“In space, no one can hear you scream — but in a planetarium, everyone can hear you sing.” Our Own JJ (not pictured) reviews Haydn’s Il mondo della luna. [NYP]
Enjoy your mockery while you can, cher public. The New York Times has decided they are going to start charging for content “in early 2011.” So, in a year or so, you won’t have Tony Tommasini to kick around any more.
Our Own JJ scoops the world, yet once again. By two weeks, yet.
A glimpse of Il mondo della luna, the Gotham Chamber Opera production opening tonight at NYC’s Hayden Planetarium.
The Met role debut of Plácido Domingo as “Simone” Boccanegra (as those lady journalists insist on calling him) is the subject of tonight’s broadcast chat.
The host of “The Vocal Scene” and frequent commentator on the Met broad casts has died. He was 100. [WQXR] After the jump, a sampling of George Jellinek‘s legendary interviewing and programming skills.
Talk of the Town
The Talk of the Town
A favorite Verdi performance from Tildy Diva
A favorite Verdi performance from Tildy Diva
A well-known Met Aïda with a starry cast from 1967 is TildyDiva’s Favorite Verdi Performance
A well-known Met Aïda with a starry cast from 1967 is TildyDiva’s Favorite Verdi Performance
The Talk of the Town
A favorite Verdi performance from Arrigo
A favorite Verdi performance from Arrigo
My favorite Verdi performance is Claudio Abbado Don Carlo opening of the Scala.
My favorite Verdi performance is Claudio Abbado Don Carlo opening of the Scala.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite Verdi performance from Peter Russell
A favorite Verdi performance from Peter Russell
The purely musical performance preserved here is thrilling, ratcheted to a higher intensity than the Deutsche Grammophon studio recording
The purely musical performance preserved here is thrilling, ratcheted to a higher intensity than the Deutsche Grammophon studio recording
The Talk of the Town
A favorite Verdi performance from TC
A favorite Verdi performance from TC
Victoria de los Ángeles has always been my Violetta of choice, a portrayal that never ceases to move me.
Victoria de los Ángeles has always been my Violetta of choice, a portrayal that never ceases to move me.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite Verdi performance from Anna Netrebko
A favorite Verdi performance from Anna Netrebko
I feel that the best years of Maria Callas’s vocalità, when we hear such a unique freedom and generosity in her singing, were captured in her early recordings.
I feel that the best years of Maria Callas’s vocalità, when we hear such a unique freedom and generosity in her singing, were captured in her early recordings.
The Talk of the Town
A favorite Verdi performance from Armerjacquino
A favorite Verdi performance from Armerjacquino
Before the screams of horror begin, it says ‘favorite’, not best.
Before the screams of horror begin, it says ‘favorite’, not best.
According to the Opéra national de Paris website, “Le retrait d’Emmanuelle Haïm de la production fait suite au constat réciproque, au terme des premières répétitions, que le temps de travail nécessaire pour faire converger son approche artistique et celle de l’orchestre était incompatible avec les contraintes de programmation de l’Opéra national de Paris.”
Any article bearing the headline “I am doing this for the public” is sure to catch La Cieca’s attention. All the better when the “this” is a new recording of La traviata starring the exiles of Rome Opera, Daniela Dessì and Fabio Armiliato.
A new toy to play with, cher public: it’s called YouTube Doubler. (Caution: Video autoplays when you click through the jump!)
La Cieca hears that Emmanuelle Haïm has been protested by the orchestra of the Opéra national de Paris and will be removed as conductor of the company’s new production of Idomeneo opening on Wednesday. Replacing her will be Philippe Hui, whoever that is.
For her role as Maria Callas in the Kennedy Center’s Master Class, Tyne Daly sure cleans up nicely!
Cher public, did you think your doyenne would let today’s broadcast of Carmen go by undiscussed — especially since Teddy Tahu Rhodes is jumping in for the (presumably) ailing Mariusz Kwiecien?
Congratulations to Rysanekfreak (pictured), contributor of the best top ten list in La Cieca’s Oughty But Nice competition. The ‘Freak’s somewhat meta compilation was entitled The Top Ten Participants I Have Most Enjoyed Reading on Parterre Box During the Last Decade. Rysanekfreak will receive a $100 gift card from amazon.com.
The Sultan of Seattle himself, Wenarto, thought of it first. In fact, he created the legend that is Izzy Anderson. And now, that British TV show has taken his idea and just polished it up a little. Royalties, please!
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