One-woman Brutus and Cassius One-woman Brutus and Cassius

Anna Pirozzi and Luca Salsi reunite in blazing form in Tosca at the Teatro San Carlo

Thoughts on <em>La Forza del destino</em>: recordings Thoughts on <em>La Forza del destino</em>: recordings

As said at the beginning, I implied I’d rather see Don Carlo(s) and listen to Forza.

Hard candy Hard candy

It’s perhaps because Puccini is the master of operatic pathos that Tosca has proved so hard for people to get a handle on.

Embroidered silk Embroidered silk

Maria Agresta‘s delicately-acted, sumptuously-sung seamstress transformed what might have been just an average Wednesday night revival into something finer.

Three nights in Paris Three nights in Paris

“Oh to be young and going to Paris for the first time,” exclaimed an elderly gentleman who donned his best sweatervest for a concert at the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival this past August.

It might as well be Einspring It might as well be Einspring

Kate Royal withdrew as Mozart’s Contessa the other night (May 3) in Munich and we were forced to accept as substitute—gosh!—Anja Harteros

Three quarters of a crazy day

Our JJ‘s review of the Met’s revival of Le nozze di Figaro didn’t make it into today’s New York Post for reasons that you should be able to figure out once you’ve read the piece. At the suggestion of his editor, La Cieca is publishing it here.