fjord foundation
Alaska Governor and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin (center, in fur) is seen here shmoozing with chorus members following a performance of Götterdämmerung by the Lyric Opera of Wasilla.
Recent Stories
I attempt from love’s sickness to fly
“…the conception of Brundle, at least as portrayed by Mr. Okulitch, has poignant allure. Mr. Goldblum was a mad, wiry scientist with raging eyes. The young, boyishly handsome Mr. Okulitch makes Brundle more of a dreamer, awkward and soulful, who has lived in near seclusion, building his telepods and fantasizing about transporting himself, transcending the […]
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).
sissy goes to the opera
[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/Obp0PAZB108″ width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
wicked whinge of the west
In the wake of last week’s Republican nominating convention, La Cieca was just thinking to herself, “what the world needs now is another overprivileged white male complaining about political correctness.” And, lo and behold, her wish was granted in the form of an interview with none other than Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber: “So many people nowadays […]
desperately seeking critic
La Cieca is looking for a member of the cher public who is already planning to attend the opening night gala at the Met and is willing to write about it for parterre.com. Your doyenne will need 400 – 600 words by 11 AM on Tuesday, September 23 for publication that day with your byline. […]
puppy on a hot tin roof
La Cieca cannot help losing her heart to a stage director who compares Berg’s Lulu to “early Elizabeth Taylor,” particularly when the regisseur in question is puppylicious Paul Curran. (In this video he’s introducing the opera for his new production at Lyric Opera of Chicago opening in November.) [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/4ebzoFHR8V8″ width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
regie revisited
Cher public, you are getting too clever for this old doyenne. On our most recent Regie quiz, which La Cieca considered so curiously designed as to be unrecognizable, fully half a dozen of you guessed correctly that the opera was La traviata. Cocky Kurwenal was first, but stagelefty also managed to pinpoint the director, Achim […]
mild mannered
“Clark Kent stole the show but there is nothing wrong with that!” A review of Jonas Kaufmann‘s nerdy take on Don José (in a Zurich production of Carmen) on a very interesting blog just introduced to La Cieca, Opera is magic!
strum und drang
Undaunted by Hurricane Hannah, La Cieca continues her presentation of Lohengrin at Unnatural Acts of Opera. Lohengrin: Jess Thomas Elsa: Claire Watson Telramund: Walter Berry Ortrud: Christa Ludwig Koenig Heinrich: Martti Talvela Heerrufer: Eberhard Waechter Vienna State Opera, Karl Boehm, 1965. Lohengrin Act 2
tank your lucky star
If a Belcore must strip down to a skintight see-through undershirt, that Belcore should be Mariusz Kwiecien (or, as he is so charmingly nicknamed at Barihunks, “The Hot Pole.”) [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/egG334v-EBY” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
but alive
La Cieca’s old, old, old (and yet somehow ageless) friend Anne Midgette isn’t just sitting around for The Season to begin like us lazy bloggers. She’s been listening to new recordings of operas by living composers including Michael Nyman, Scott Wheeler and Douglas J. Cuomo. Mr. Cuomo is best known (as they say) as the […]
it’s a boy (but you knew that)
Congratulations to proud papa Erwin Schrott, whose 7 pound, 13 ounce boy TBA Tiago Aura Arua Schrott was born today in Vienna. La Cieca extends her best wishes as well to Anna Netrebko, though she hopes the couple will not allow any cigar smoking in the presence of The Schrott Tot. (“Tiago,” La Cieca is […]
“…replacing madge alsop, who is ill”
Diva of the Future Renée Fleming, whose impending assignments include modeling four couture gowns on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera, is shown here making a septuagenarian female impersonator look positively chic by comparison.
aural sex
La Cieca has compliled a complete listing of Met Sirius/RealNetworks broadcasts for 2008-2009.
pier review
La Cieca is delighted to note that that ragtag band of misfits known as the Vertical Player Repertory will return to their non-traditional performing venue, the Red Hook Marine Terminal, for a new production of The Tales of Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach, weekend evenings at 8 pm September 5-21. Following up on last season’s successful […]
catch our act at the met
So you doyenne may better know the minds of her cher public, she asks you to participate in the following online poll. Which Metropolitan Opera performances this year do you consider the most sizzling Sternstunden, the not-to-be-missed evenings of musico-dramatic madness, or (to put it another way) those nights when you know everyone will be […]
overlook her once
Patrician Pat Munsel wows the panel. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/CUp9oXu8lRA” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] (Thanks to clever Youtuber jonedgar for the clip!)
non piangere, cher public
Our Own Lindoro has contributed a vocal ID quiz based on Liù’s first act aria from Turandot. This one’s just for fun, so feel free to make your guesses in the comments section. Signore, ascolta!
wagner family reacts to wagner news at wagner festival
According to a statement on the Bayreuth website, stepsisters Katharina Wagner and Eva Wagner-Pasquier will take over the Festspiele from their father Wolfgang Wagner, who is retiring after more than half a century at the helm of the festival. Members of the “Wieland” branch of the Wagner family tree are, of course, furious at this […]
la fille du regie
La Cieca can’t put anything past Tamerlano, who guessed the answer to our previous Regie quiz almost immediately: it was indeed Ariadne auf Naxos. And now, with a reminder to all that this is a guessing game, no blurting out the answers if you recognize the production, here’s out next quiz (right after the jump):Â
freak show
La Cieca (not pictured) is delighted to note that the delightful and learned Nicholas Limansky (also not pictured) will grace the stage of the next Vocal Record Collectors Society meeting to explore the controversial topic of extended or “freak” sopranos. The main topic of his talk will of course be the Peruvian songbird Yma Sumac, […]
we could sing ‘happy birthday’ tomorrow
August 30 is the anniversary of the birth of a famous Quickly: Regina Resnik! [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/ipFMt7bPStg” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] And here we have Mme. Resnik in a campy mood, sending up the faux-exoticism of Kismet. Not Since Nineveh!
a knight to remember
In honor of the 158th anniversary of the premiere of Lohengrin, Unnatural Acts of Opera presents a performance of the Wagnerian work from Vienna in 1965 under the baton of Dr. Karl Böhm. Lohengrin, Act 1