Cher Public

Mite, gioconda, atroce

In preparation for tonight’s Angela Gheorghiu/Jonas Kaufmann Sternstunde at Carnegie Hall, La Cieca invites the cher public to share your favorite memories and YouTube clips of Adriana Lecouvreur performances present and past. (Photo: Alastair Muir)

By 72 comments

Giudici, ad Angela?

Even though that other soprano, whatever her name is, has garnered a lot of ink for opening the Met season with Anna Bolena, the real news here is the “dream team” Gheorghiu/Callas collaboration, a highlight of which has been the “Divina Draculette” photo retouching competition. La Cieca has sifted the many fine entries and has […]

By 15 comments

Photoshop ’til you drop

La Cieca would like to nudge gently the cher public with a reminder that there is only one day left in the great “Divina Draculette” photo retouching competition, noting the slight change in rules calling for you to email La Cieca with your photos. Prizes for the best in show include Sony’s live Met CD […]

By 38 comments

A generation later

On this day 34 years ago, Maria Callas died in her apartment in Paris. Since then the iconic diva has been recollected, documented, analyzed, digitized and portrayed by Tyne Daly.  La Cieca invites you, the cher public, to keep her mind today by sharing your favorite Callas performances in the comments section.

By 101 comments

Soap opera

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.

By 71 comments

Charismatic movement

Friend of the Box Zachary Woolfe follows up his provocative NYT article on charisma with an invitation to discuss this elusive quality with his cher public, a group of which La Cieca is sure you parterriani represent a significant subset. Let yourselves be heard!

By 92 comments

Buyer’s market

La Cieca was cced the following letter sent by a “long-time patron of NYCO” in response to “the recently received Subscription Renewal Brochure.” She has withheld the patron’s name by request.

By 54 comments

Chain gang

A reminder to the Regie-fanciers among the cher public: this afternoon at 19:45 (1:45 PM EDT), the Munich Festival will present a live webcast of Fidelio featuring Anja Kampe (Leonore) and Jonas Kaufmann (Florestan) with Adam Fischer conducting the Bayerische Staatsorchester. The production is directed by Calixto Bieito!  UPDATE: The webcast player is now on […]

By 122 comments

Brunchmädchen walten dort hehr

Reactions to the Zambello Ring may have been mixed, but the response to the Parterrian meet-ups was roaringly positive, as shown by the massive turnout for the last pre-Götterdämmerung brunch. So here (well, actually, not here, but rather after the jump) are the faces behind some of the monikers. 

By 37 comments

Most likely to succeed

La Cieca is always delighted but never, never surprised when a parterrian makes good, so permit her to congratulate Miguel Esteban, who has just been named Managing Director of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Cher Miguel is one of your fellow commenters here, but La Cieca will not offer any clues to his secret […]

By 30 comments

Eye witnesses?

Appearances to the contrary, La Cieca can’t be everywhere at once, so she’s relying on you, cher public, to share your impressions (written, not vocal) of the Rufus Wainwright/George Steel extravaganza last night at the World Financial Center. (Extra points for the use of the word “travertine.”)

By 23 comments

Casting: pearls before swine

Your season planning for Opera Orchestra of New York, cher public, looks a lot more interesting than what the company’s own artistic adminstration is likely to come up with. Thus far, La Cieca has heard one date for certain:  that Eve Queler default choice Rienzi, this time with Elisabete Matos—presumably in the not very interesting […]

By 18 comments

Happy Tosca Day!

Today  is the 211th anniversary of the day the events in Puccini’s Tosca took place, June 17, 1800. (This detail is not mentioned in the libretto, but it is specified in the stage directions for Victorien Sardou’s play La Tosca: “La scène à Rome, le 17 juin 1800.” To celebrate this anniversary of this most […]

By 108 comments

Last call

Our Own Batty Masetto gently prods, “The first cycle of the San Francisco Ring starts Tuesday, and time’s running out for those who haven’t checked in yet to share in the Parterre festivities. A dazzling array of Parterrians (pictured) have signed up already, so you won’t’ want to miss out on the meet-ups at the […]

By 21 comments

Shelf destruction

A member of the cher public has an interesting offer: “I have about 40 years’ worth of the British magazine Opera, most of them bound, which I would love to get rid of (no charge.) No library here is interested, but I thought some opera fanatic might want them. He or she would have to […]

By 30 comments

Sign up for Parterre’s free newsletter.

Exclusive opera reviews, commentary, and top reads
delivered to your email weekly…ish.

By submitting your email address, you will receive a free subscription to Parterre Box’s email newsletters and occasional special offers from us and our affiliates. You can unsubscribe at any time and we encourage you to read more about our Privacy Policy.