To the Emerald City, as fast as lightning!
Aidan Lang has been named Seattle Opera’s third General Director effective September 1, 2014.
Breaking
Ancient German virtue of bravery gone missing
In a press release, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein at Düsseldorf has announced the cancellation of its controversial new production of Tannhäuser.
Énée day now
Tenor Bryan Hymel has been named the recipient of the eighth annual Beverly Sills Artist Award for young singers at the Metropolitan Opera.
E “La Nave” va
La Cieca has just heard that Teatro Grattacielo’s performance of Montemezzi’s La Nave has been rescheduled and confirmed for Wednesday October 31 at 8:00 PM at the Rose Theater.
Gone in sixty seconds
Out of nowhere, Santa Fe Opera’s chief conductor Frédéric Chaslin has resigned his position.
Breaking dawn
When Giuseppe Filianoti isn’t busy being one of the world’s more versatile tenors, he plays detective.
Fit to print
La Cieca (pictured, right) invites you to peruse what’s making headlines today.
ENO is enough
The repertory for the upcoming season of the English National Opera (also known as “Peter Gelb‘s shopping list”) boasts the world premiere of a new opera by Philip Glass, The Perfect American, which imagines the last days of Walt Disney.
Doge gone
Opera Orchestra of New York just announced that it has cancelled the March 7 opera-in-concert presentation of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra.
Opera Boston shuts doors
According to a statement issued this morning, Opera Boston is ceasing operations as of January 1. [Boston.com]
Wendy White injured?
UPDATE: A source at tonight’s Met Faust tells La Cieca that after Wendy White fell from a platform on her entrance into the garden scene, there was an intermission, then “…her cover [Theodora] Hanslowe went on from the ‘Eh quoi, toujours seule’ . . . . At second intermission now. Announcement just made that Wendy […]
Das Ende
James Levine will not conduct this spring or in the entire 2012-2013 season, says a press release from the Met. The most apparent result of this decision is that Fabio Luisi is now officially on the podium for all three of this spring’s Ring cycles. The complete press release follows the jump.
Devil’s playground
UPDATE: Blogger Out West Arts reflects on the “Occupy Wall Street” incident at the Met’s Faust last night, noting that the shouts (and various responses from members of the audience) did not interrupt the music.
Excuse ex machina
The Machine malfunctioned tonight in Siegfried at the Met, only one performance behind schedule. La Cieca is told that the final transition to the “Valkyrie Rock” could not be completed. “Just as Siegfried was starting his climb, multiple planks thudded into ‘down’ position. Lots of shouting into walkie-talkies. The set never moved again,” a witness […]
Bass cleft
Mercedes and Sid Bass, the A-list society and philanthropy couple who in 2006 gave the Met $25 million dollars—the largest single unrestricted gift paid at one time from an individual in the company’s then 123-year history—announced their divorce yesterday, ending 23 years of marriage.
Levine out all fall; Luisi new Met Principal Conductor
This just in from the Met press office: “After a fall last week that damaged one of his vertebrae, James Levine underwent emergency surgery on Thursday in New York, forcing him to withdraw from his performances at the Metropolitan Opera this fall…. While Levine will continue in his position as Music Director, Fabio Luisi has […]
Date saved
BREAKING! New York City Opera has just announced that they are going to announce their 2011-2012 season. The by-invitation-only press conference is set for Tuesday, July 12 at 1:00 PM at New York’s trendy Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Thanks to her eerie ability to see into the future, La Cieca already has film of this […]
Norway or the highway
Paul Curran, who has been head of Norway’s National Opera since 2007, has resigned, ending his contract with the company two years early. His immediate plans include staging La bohéme at Santa Fe this summer, then returning to Oslo to direct Die Zauberflöte before stepping down from his post at the end of December.
The fall guy
Heads are about to roll at New York City Opera, probably including George Steel‘s—though given the troupe’s bizarro history for the past few years, who can say? This is in the wake of a letter leaked to the Wall Street Journal from singers and production staff of the embattled company, which includes this chilling statement: […]
Elena est enceinte
UPDATE: La Cieca has just heard from Ernesto Palacio, manager for Elina Garanca, who confirms that the mezzo-soprano is pregnant. EARLIER: The news has just broken that Elina Garanca “is expecting a baby at the end of October…. Garanca and her British-born husband, conductor Karel Mark Chichon, had informed their friends of the good news […]
Musical world reels: Levine to wave baton
BREAKING! In a sudden and shocking turn of events, James Levine will go on as scheduled tonight, conducting Simon Boccanegra at the Met. However, according to an email from the Carnegie Hall press office, the maestro “and The MET Chamber Ensemble must regrettably cancel their concert scheduled for this Sunday, January 30 at 5:00 p.m. […]
This beaver looks like that beaver
Separated at birth: “Tu che di gel” goddess Renata Scotto and “Too much hair gel” oddness Johnny Weir. This is also holiday-themed breaking news because Johnny has now officially donned his gay apparel. [After Elton]
Domingo ankles DC
Placido Domingo will not renew his Washington National Opera contract when it expires in June 2011. Anne Midgette has the story! [Washington Post]
Breaking! Alagnas still married!
According to an Angela Gheorghiu fansite (and what more reliable source could La Cieca ask?), the raven-tressed diva stated in an interview on Romanian television that she and current husband Roberto Alagna have no current plans to change their current matrimonial status.
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).
Win a Free Ticket to Opening Night at the Met!
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!
