Ceasefire Ceasefire

Here’s a change of pace for you parterre chatters as the Met season winds down.

on May 08, 2012 at 9:00 AM
Bonjour, je veux mon chat Bonjour, je veux mon chat

The cher public are reminded that Verdi’s Macbeth will be broadcast and streamed from the Met tonight, and naturally La Casa della Cieca will be open for business.

on March 15, 2012 at 5:28 PM
Business in the front, party at the back Business in the front, party at the back

The weekly Saturday afternoon chat continues today, cher public.

on February 18, 2012 at 10:38 AM

For this final evening of 2011, La Cieca invites you to a final chat. Starting at 6:30 PM, the cher public are invited to wade into The Enchanted Island, broadcast live from the Met.

on December 31, 2011 at 5:14 PM

After a Monday that will go down in history as “the day nothing happened,” finally we may have a bit of excitement tonight as the Met broadcasts on Sirius and the web-based Listen Live. The occasion is the season premiere of La Fille du Régiment featuring Nino Machaidze and Lawrence Brownlee, with that lovely, litigious…

on December 12, 2011 at 5:31 PM

Here’s a new idea La Cieca hopes will meeting with the approval of you, the cher public: a schedule of chats for the upcoming month, centered around the Met’s Saturday afternoon broadcasts and the “Listen Live” features during the week. Comments and addenda are, as always, welcome.

on December 01, 2011 at 3:54 PM

La Cieca (illustration courtesy of the Wall Street Journal) invites you, the cher public, to enjoy a chat tonight during the prima of Gounod’s Faust from the Met.

on November 29, 2011 at 4:30 PM

Our Own Betsy (seen at left in an “unretouched” photo) declares, “Good evening, horror-lovers, and welcome to Tales from the Box.  This is your Olde Box-Keeper with a gruesome fewsome to feed your screamin’ Mimìs.  Tonight we pay tribute to the upcoming prima at the Met of Fausit, in which an old man pays for…

on November 25, 2011 at 11:54 PM

Miss Bobolink accepts the challenge:  It’s Margaret-and-Will Day!  

on November 19, 2011 at 11:47 AM

The Handelian hilarity begins in just half an hour, cher public, so tune in to the Met’s Listen Live page and find your place in the parlor of La Casa della Cieca.

on November 14, 2011 at 7:03 PM

Since our usual (and always welcome) catalog of webcast radio opera is temporarily interrupted this week (get well soon, Betsy!), La Cieca offers as an alternative a video presentation that will become available at 2:00 PM EST (20:00 CET): Enescu’s Oedipe, from La Monnaie/De Munt in Brussels.

on November 12, 2011 at 11:26 AM

“Due to illness,” Betsy Ann Bobolink is “unable” to “perform,” so the role of chat coordinator will be taken by Cesar Romero‘s bastard grandson Mervyn (not pictured), who thanks you for your indulgence.

on November 05, 2011 at 12:43 AM

And standing in the door of La Casa della Cieca (pictured) was little Betsy Ann Bobolink, who, instead of lisping “Trick or treat!”, drawled affectedly, “In the spirit of mutual respect and commonality that so pervades our modern society, and has even at times crept onto these pages, here’s what’s available for listening (and chatting)…”

on October 29, 2011 at 10:30 AM

It is with great disappointment that Betsy Ann Bobolink (second from right) must cancel this week’s listing of Saturday opera performances, however, after listening to seven performances of the extremely taxing title role in Donizetti’s Anna Bolena at The Metropolitan Opera, she has been ordered to go on 10 days of vocal rest by her…

on October 22, 2011 at 6:00 AM

“Oh dear, dear, busy, busy busy,” said Bessie Bunny as she slipped into her pinafore. “Everyone will be at the HDTV today, and I shall have to chat all by myself. And look how early things start!  

on October 14, 2011 at 11:41 PM

Tonight’s the night, cher public: the prima of the Met’s new Don Giovanni, conducted by fabulous Fabio Luisi and featuring that leading candidate for Einspringer of the Year, Peter Mattei. The fun begins at 7:30, both on Sirius/XM and on the Met’s Live Stream, and the effete will want to sharpen their knives in anticipation…

on October 13, 2011 at 12:40 PM

Oh wow!  It’s “Rob Besserer Week”  on The Internet.  The world’s favorite Silent Opera Star is featured in a wide variety of offerings.  

on October 07, 2011 at 11:28 PM

Today Our Own Betsy inaugurates the F-K* rating system (*for “F-fete K-nives.”)

on October 01, 2011 at 12:01 AM

Tonight’s the night, cher public, traditionally the busiest of the year here at parterre. Complete details on the opening night performance of Anna Bolena after the jump.

on September 26, 2011 at 12:08 PM

Our Own Betsy (pictured) shrieks, “WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE !  A whole afternoon full of really bad bargains with  the King of the Underworld.” 

on September 24, 2011 at 8:00 AM

The place to be this afternoon is where the chat concerns Il trittico from the Royal Opera House.  The triple play broadcast begins at 1:20 EDT and may be heard on the BBC iPlayer.  (For other listening options, consult Operashare.) The chat, of course, will flow freely in La Casa della Cieca.

on September 17, 2011 at 12:23 AM

A live webcast of Britten’s The Turn of the Screw from Glyndebourne may divert the parterrians this afternoon. The event commences at 12:45, with a place to discuss the proceedings at La Casa della Cieca.

on August 21, 2011 at 12:01 PM

La Cieca (not pictured) dons her “early adopter” hat once again as she prepares to watch the live telecast of Lohengrin from the Bayreuth Festival on Sunday. It’s an online pay-per-view event (a ticket is €14.90), though the presenters promise it can alternatively be watched “on demand at a time of your own choice between…

on August 11, 2011 at 11:34 PM

The Bayreuth repertory continues today with a revival of the final triumph of the Wolfgang era, Parsifal in the production by Stefan Herheim, conducted by Daniele Gatti. The broadcast begins at 10:00 AM EDT on a variety of stations detailed at Operacast. Naturally La Casa della Cieca will be open for comments and especially questions.

on July 28, 2011 at 7:32 AM