First reports indicate major personal successes for Anna Netrebko and Charles Castronovo in last night’s Traviata at San Francisco Opera.

on June 14, 2009 at 3:10 PM

Anna Netrebko was not pregnant as of this morning, according to Jeffrey D. Vanderveen, managing director of Universal Music Classical Artists Management, who broke the non-news to Opera Chic. La Cieca will continue to keep you updated on the state of the soprano’s gravidity as the situation develops.

on May 19, 2009 at 12:38 PM

Earlier today Opera Chic reported on a still fairly vague rumor that Anna Netrebko is pregnant again. Here in New York the information is also pretty vague, but La Cieca has heard that Erwin Schrott (currently in Naples) is spilling spilled beans as proud papas will do. Whispers in New York indicate that the Met…

on May 17, 2009 at 12:21 PM

For those of you who care to continue the fracas, here’s more of Anna Netrebko‘s recent Violetta. Madamigella Valery? Vladimir Stoyanov is the Germont and Marco Armiliato conducts.

on May 01, 2009 at 4:21 PM

From a performance on April 26, Anna Netrebko does a few “traditional” things with Violetta’s first act scena. (Piotr Beczala later gets in on the fun as well.) Ah quel amor…

on April 29, 2009 at 3:49 PM

A layout (in the very nearly literal sense of the term) of “seven international opera stars who are putting to rest the ‘fat lady sings’ cliché” graces the current issue of Vanity Fair. Since nobody actually reads this magazine, La Cieca will link to the photo of the The Low BMI Septet. Click to embiggen

on April 08, 2009 at 10:53 PM

In the bodice-ripping tradition of HBOShowtime’s The Tudors, DG presents I Capuleti e i Montecchi. Or does La Cieca just think everyone looks like Jonathan Rhys Meyers?

on March 31, 2009 at 3:56 PM

One of La Cieca’s most trusted spies wangled his way into the house last night for the surprise cast change in Lucia di Lammermoor, and here’s his report: Perhaps it is the side benefit of low expectations, but I was not offended by Anna Netrebko‘s performance on Tuesday night. Though certainly not a bel canto…

on February 04, 2009 at 11:01 AM

The operatives were busy over the midnight hours: “Act 3 was a mixed bag. The opening showed Villazon in much better form, with solid phrasing. The Mad Scene started out beautiful, Netrebko spinning out haunting legato. She was completely involved and engaged. Then she fell apart at the flute solo, sounding under supported and wavering…

on January 30, 2009 at 8:09 AM

UPDATE: And now the reactions to Act 2: “Villazon continued to struggle.  Pushed upper register and passaggio. High notes he seems to accomplish (or in some cases misses) by sheer will of force. Aside from a beautiful legato in the sextet, his voice is very worrisome.  Netrebko has bloomed in this act, acuti seemingly in…

on January 29, 2009 at 10:17 PM

Mom of the Moment Anna Netrebko and her weapons-grade bazooms are featured in an interview with the Post’s Barbara Hoffman.

on January 29, 2009 at 12:49 PM

La Cieca is perhaps a little slow on the uptake these days.  Your dimwitted doyenne only just noticed (when it was pointed out to her, that is) that the conductor for Anna Netrebko‘s return to the stage at the Mariinsky on January 14 was Keri-Lynn Wilson. Ms. Wilson is of course not only a distinguished…

on January 24, 2009 at 6:38 PM

Here’s a brief video clip from Russian TV news on Anna Netrebko‘s return to the operatic stage in Lucia di Lammermoor last night at the Mariinsky. For Netrebko’s return, the Mariinsky imported a production of the Donizetti classic directed by John Doyle. It is unclear from early reports whether Netrebko was required to play the…

on January 15, 2009 at 11:22 AM

Our Own Gualtier Maldè reports: Not every opera has to be a masterpiece.  I couldn’t subsist on a steady diet of Tristan und Isolde, Die Zauberfloete, Fidelio, plus Otello,  Falstaff et al.  Frankly the occasional light comic bonbon or trashy but fun melodramatic tunefest makes a nice palate cleanser.  I am talking Adriana Lecouvreur, La…

on December 12, 2008 at 4:42 PM

Anna Netrebko has her work cut out for her…

on November 14, 2008 at 10:12 PM

As usual when it’s a Fleming Flapper doing the writing, everything is everyone else‘s fault: poor Renée just sort of wanders in off the street and all this stuff keeps happening to her:

on September 25, 2008 at 8:42 AM

At first La Cieca thought this next clip was an excerpt from the film version of La bohème lensed earlier this year in Vienna and currently in post-production. But the director of that film is Robert Dornhelm and (at least as credited) the director for this video is Vincent Paterson. Your doyenne is further not…

on September 14, 2008 at 10:33 PM

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…

on September 05, 2008 at 2:58 PM

La Cieca hears that Anna Netrebko has scheduled the birth of The Schrott Tot for September 1 in Salzburg via c-section.

on August 12, 2008 at 3:59 PM

La Cieca has just learned that Anna Netrebko, who is currently awaiting the September arrival of her first child, has withdrawn from her scheduled Met performances as Mimì on December 29, 2008 and January 3 matinee, 6, and 10, 2009. According to a press release from the met, the soprano “has decided that she will need a…

on August 08, 2008 at 10:32 AM

Pregnancy certainly seems to agree with Anna Netrebko! [kml_flashembed movie=”http://youtube.com/v/TIWw1ls4QwY” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]

on June 29, 2008 at 12:33 AM

As La Cieca first reported back in March, Jeffrey Vanderveen, recently split from IMG, will now head up Universal Music Classical Artists Management and Productions, a division “meant to provide management services for and produce live events for prominent classical musicians.” IMG has responded by filing filed suit against Vanderveen and other Universal honchos, claiming…

on May 29, 2008 at 8:41 AM

La Cieca is putting her entire nest egg into popcorn futures, since next season opera lovers will rarely emerge from their local movie palace. The Met will do an astonishing 11 HD simulcasts during the 2008-2009 season.  Monday, September 22, 2008: Opening Night Gala starring the astonishingly well-preserved Renée Fleming in fully staged performances of La Traviata (Act…

on April 22, 2008 at 3:48 PM

The recent death of Anthony Minghella leaves at least two Met projects in limbo. First is the opera commissioned from Osvaldo Golijov, Daedalus, currently scheduled for the 2011-2012 season. Minghella was set to serve as librettist and to direct the completed work. According to Variety, the late director’s plans at the Met also included a…

on March 31, 2008 at 12:56 PM