As quite a few of the cher public surmised, the most recent Regiequiz depicted a production of Don Giovanni (at the Landestheater Linz, to be precise) featuring barihunk Martin Achrainer as the eponymous erotomaniac: Herr Achrainer has become something of a blogger’s darling of late, featured at Barihunks as well as Our Own site in…
Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.
but she can be a little mysterious a times. The cher public averaged seven out of 11 answers correct on our Casta Diva Quiz, with a four-way tie-up for first position. (By which, La Cieca should perhaps add, she means that four contestants had exactly 10 correct answers, not that your doyenne resorted to some…
Our previous modern-dress interpretation was, as many of you guessed, Falstaff. Now, what opera might contain these stylish folk? Reminder: if you recognize the production, hold your tongue whilst the others make fools of themselves!
[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/swCCLgzP7Bo” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] Here they are, cher public, your Normas. Very special thanks to bodacious Beau for creating both the quiz and the solution! La Cieca received several entries with 10 correct answers, so she’ll announce the winner of the amazon.com gift certificate.
Okay, the score is tied and nobody has all 11 correct … so far. There are two Normas in the group that seem to defy identification. And so La Cieca has decided to give you a hint, or, in fact, three hints. Listen carefully, cher public. Both the mystery singers were born during the 1960s.…
La Cieca was just recalling that soon after she arrived in New York back in 19-mumble-mumble, she screwed up her courage to audition for that most august of impresarios, Ira Siff of La Gran Scena Opera. Back in those days your doyenne thought she had what it took to be a great prima donna (including…
Our previous Regie quiz didn’t stump many of you: the opera was Der Fliegende Holländer in productions by Calixto Bieito (doghouse), Peter Konwitschny (spinning class) and Christopher Alden (corpse bride). And now, what might this opera be?
11:40: Then Rene Pape matched Hvorostovsky, then Zajick matched (topped?) them both, then who the hell had the idiotic idea of doing the Easter Hymn with a mezzo who can’t sing it and the chorus apparently stoned or else in another city? (Oh, and did you notice the long, noisy scene change afterward? Vintage Volpe.)11:05:…
Rolando Villazon not apparently in his very best form but La Cieca is very impressed with a) his willingness to sing out and take chances even when he is less than 100% and b) his well-supported legato that is the basis of even his most vehement singing. Anna Netrebko found a way to interpret Gilda…
La Cieca thanks the record number of listeners who have downloaded the “Unnatural Acts Gala” already. Two of the prizes have been awarded to sharp-eared fans, but two DVDs remain to be awarded. Everyone so far has got the first two questions correct, but the third seems to be the sticking point. La Cieca will…
Here it is, cher public: the Unnatural Acts Gala and Quiz. To listen, just click on the arrow button. (Make sure your speaker volume is turned up, and allow 10 – 15 seconds for the show to start playing.) Listen to the Gala and Quiz! You can also download the mp3 at this direct link.…
Be sure to check back here on parterre.com at noon (17:00 GMT) tomorrow for the First Unnatural Acts of Opera Gala and Quiz, featuring performances by Leontyne Price, Placido Domingo, Beverly Sills, Simon Keenlyside, David Daniels, Regine Crespin, Piero Cappuccilli, Regina Resnik, Diana Soviero and Eleanor Steber. (There will be some filth as well, but…
Today is the “birthday” of Billy Budd, the 54th anniversary of the premiere of the Benjamin Britten opera. To mark the occasion, the popular (?) podcast featurette “The Enigmas of La Cieca” goes international next week when a lucky listener to “Unnatural Acts of Opera” will win a pair of prime seats to the English…
Quiz question: who said this, and in what context? “If you’ve got the right image and the right picture in your head, it makes a huge difference. The more you work with words in songs, the more you will find your texture. These are light, light songs, but if you really infuse them with a…
Gold, Silver and Bronze Medalistsin the Helen Traubel lookalike contest Goetterdaemmullet!
The Impresarios The Ballad of Billy Budd All About Steve A Bitchy Class Just Jessye! Ain’t it a pretty voice? Valley of the Divas The Texaco Opera Queens New Roles for Cecilia Bartoli Bartoli Meets Swenson Beefcake in Opera Ten Rules for Stage Directors Ten Questions You’ll Never Hear on the Opera Quiz Missed Opportunities…
