La Cieca hears that Rolando Villazón, who recently canceled his Salzburg Festival appearances citing “long-term illness” (“einer längerfristigen Erkrankung”), may pull out of the Met’s fall revival of Roméo et Juliette as well. The tenor is scheduled for five performances of the Gounod opera between September 25 and October 11, followed by another four in […]
Which one of these things is not like the others? [Nathan] Gunn is part of a new generation of performers, including Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, British soprano Kate Royal and Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez, who have helped fuel a debate about the physical attributes of opera singers. Once again, La Cieca’s Rule of Journalistic […]
The latest participant in the “Am I the Casta Diva Type?” competition is the lovely Anna Netrebko. Here, from a concert on July 28, is her first public performance of the Bellini aria. Anna Netrebko sings “Casta diva” Comments?
La Cieca just received a press release from the Met detailing some of the cast changes and reshufflings already afoot for next season. She is pretty sure than none of this has anything to do with last night’s steam pipe explosion in Midtown. Angela M. Brown will sing the title role in Aida replacing Maria […]
La Cieca has finally found a way to harness the massive intellectual prowess of her commenters for what she hopes is a good and peaceful purpose. From time to time she is asked for recommendations on, well, this and that, and she’s realized that you, cher public represent an paralleled resource for advising, counselling and […]
La Cieca (not pictured) reminds her cher public that tonight’s 40th Anniversary of the Met at Lincoln Center gala will be the subject of an online chat right here at parterre.com. The program, starring Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón, begins at 7:00 PM and so the chat room will open at 6:45. Maestro Bertrand de […]
Leave it to La Cieca to offer added value to even so glittering a performance as Act Two of I Capuleti e i Montecchi starring Anna Netrebko, Daniela Barcelona and Joseph Calleja. Your doyenne makes her legitimate acting debut in a new episode of Apocryphal Opera Anecdote Theater in the demanding role of “Lady Capulet” […]
Something new and interesting (La Cieca hopes) on Unnatural Acts of Opera: a 2004 concert performance of Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi, starring Anna Netrebko (Giulietta), Daniela Barcellona (Romeo) and Joseph Calleja (Tebaldo). Act One is the current podcast, with the second to follow on Friday. Speaking of the lovely Miss Netrebko, she and […]
Now that we all know what’s what for the Met’s 2007-2008 season, surely it’s time to start speculating about what comes after, right? Well, La Cieca has been in touch with her stable of reliable sources, and what she has heard is more than a little intriguing. N.B. All this is as heard, of course, […]
Part of Anna Netrebko‘s star turn at the Vienna Opera Ball last month. Note at the end of the clip the lovely and talented Paris Hilton sulking in Richard Lugner‘s loge.
Compare and contrast the bel canto stylings of Elizabeth Futral and Anna Netrebko tonight when La Cieca hosts yet another of her live chats here on parterre.com. The live Met/Sirius broadcast of Bellini’s I puritani featuring Futral begins at 7:30 Eastern and the taped PBS telecast with Netrebko begins at 9:00. That’s here in New […]
La Cieca’s cher public are, as in so many aspects of their existence, well ahead of the curve on foreknowledge of casting at the Met in the bel canto and German wings. Perhaps this wintry Friday is a good time to move on to a more semi-substantiated gossip, now on the subject of the operas […]
Five newspaper reviews are in for Anna Netrebko‘s Met Puritani, and the score stands at four postive, one mixed: “With the smoky colorings and throbbing richness of her sumptuous voice, Ms. Netrebko was an unusually vulnerable Elvira. Bel Canto purists may find fault with her sometimes imprecise execution of coloratura runs and roulades. But I […]
La Cieca thought that now that Puritani has opened at the Met, it’s as good a time as any to review the company’s (rumored) bel canto plans for the next five years or so. Remember, everything in this life is uncertain, so please regard these “predictions” as the gossip they are. Anyway, La Cieca hopes […]
UPDATE: Gregory Kunde is now listed on the Met’s site for the prima of Puritani. La Cieca hears that Eric Cutler did not sing the dress rehearsal of Puritani (anyone there to confirm/deny?) and, though his name’s still on the Met’s site, he won’t go on for the prima Wednesday. Thoughts? And the tittle-tattle about […]
Anna Netrebko again. Oddly, the aria is not “Da, chas nastal!”
Remember that prediction that La Cieca made about how Renee Fleming would bring her Norma into New York? Turns out that may have been inaccurate. (Yes, you have every right to be shocked and amazed. This is surely a first.) Yes, La Cieca hears, the Met is planning a production of the Bellini masterpiece, but […]
What’s happening next week on Sirius. Monday, November 13, 2006 6:00 AM Offenbach: Les Contes D’Hoffmann. 12/3/55 Monteux; Tucker, Peters, Stevens, Amara 9:00 AM Donizetti: Don Pasquale. 4/15/06 Benini; Florez, Netrebko, Alaimo, Kwiecien 12:00 PM Mascagni/Leoncavallo: Cavalleria Rusticana/I Pagliacci. 4/11/1964 Santi; Farrell, Miller, Tucker, Bardelli / Amara, Corelli, Colzani, Marsh, Ghitti 3:00 PM Wagner: Tannhauser. […]
Beginning tomorrow night with the season premiere of Rigoletto, the Met will offer weekly free (yes, that’s right, free) streaming broadcasts of opera performances over their website, metopera.org. Further broadcasts through the end of the year will include: Rigoletto (Siurina, Calleja, Pons) Wednesday October 25 Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci (Guleghina, Racette, Licitra) Monday, October 30 Il Barbiere […]
Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon in the dress rehearsal of Manon at the Los Angeles Opera.
As La Cieca rather broadly hinted yesterday, the Met Opera will indeed bump up their number of broadcasts (and telecasts) this season. Six simulcast video performances (to be viewed in movie theaters) and “more than 100” audio-only Web and satellite radio presentations are promised according to a press release on the Met’s website. The first […]
As La Cieca hinted about six months ago, Anna Netrebko‘s Violetta will hit the Met boards during the 2010-11 season in the Willy Decker production from Salzburg. In the production (also on video from DGG), the miniskirted and hyperactive Netrebko is joined by Rolando Villazon.
The performance of Angela Gheorghiu as Violetta has attracted the attention of another Violetta of the present (Anna Netrebko), who will likely be a future interpreter of the role here in New York. And at least one Violetta of a past generation is expected to pay a courtesy call: Virginia Zeani has accepted an invitation […]
Alas, La Cieca can’t comment regarding onstage goings on at last night’s Traviata at the Met (her evil twin JJ is writing about the event for Gay City News), but things were pretty gala in the auditorium as well. Representing the Blogosphere was one of the Wellsungs, Jonathan Ferrantelli, a deux with the always charming […]
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).
Quinn Kelsey and Lise Davidsen star in the Met's new Macbeth. We're giving away one ticket, so screw your courage to the sticking place and enter now!
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