La Cieca thinks any revival of Adriana Lecouvreur is reason for rejoicing, though this photo made her stop and wonder: since when does Hillary Clinton sing verismo? Oh, all right, it’s La Cieca’s little joke. Our Secretary of State has not sung any opera role, recently anyhow. The Hillary lookalike is none other than Nelly…

on February 17, 2009 at 6:44 PM

Longtime friend of the ‘box Little Stevie returns to Adriana Lecouvreur: I have always believed that as with La Gioconda, a great performance of Adriana Lecouvreur needs to serve up “the four greatest singers in the world”, and the Met seems to come close to doing just that. I have attended all of the performances…

on February 14, 2009 at 11:42 AM

“Anthony Tommasini, the chief classical music critic of The New York Times, is answering questions from readers Feb. 9-13, 2009.  Questions may be e-mailed to [email protected].” [NYT]

on February 09, 2009 at 12:18 PM

The operatives were busy over the midnight hours: “Act 3 was a mixed bag. The opening showed Villazon in much better form, with solid phrasing. The Mad Scene started out beautiful, Netrebko spinning out haunting legato. She was completely involved and engaged. Then she fell apart at the flute solo, sounding under supported and wavering…

on January 30, 2009 at 8:09 AM

All the way from exotic Portland, Operaman writes: Yesterday I attended the Met HD transmission of Orfeo ed Euridice and, once I have told you my reactions and feelings about this show, I cannot wait to hear what members of your cher public who saw or heard it have to say about it. And I…

on January 25, 2009 at 2:58 PM

Counter Critic reports today that he met George Steel last night and planted his seed.

on January 16, 2009 at 12:01 PM

La Cieca wants to give a quick “shout-out” (as the youngsters say, they tell me) to “critic, novelist and record-store clerk” Daniel Stephen Johnson, who on top of all that is not only one of our newest and nicest commenters, but a smart and sassy blogger in his own right. He writes somewhat in the…

on January 14, 2009 at 7:42 PM

Yesterday “nonplused” Counter Critic Ryan Tracy unveiled his detailed plan for his directorship of the New York City Opera. Even if his manifesto is meant less than completely seriously, there are some provocative ideas there. But surely the cher public will have their own opinions.

on January 03, 2009 at 1:14 AM

He’s interested. He’s not interested. And yet, he’s still in the running. According to former NYCO honcho Mark Weinstein, “…the embattled company will appoint George Steel, the former director of Columbia University’s Miller Theater, to the [director] position in early January.” Need I add that Susan Baker hasn’t answered the phone in days? Now, La Cieca loves…

on December 23, 2008 at 5:35 PM

Tim Ashley in the Guardian Unlimited writes: When Hansel and Gretel are out of the house, their parents (Thomas Allen and Elizabeth Connell) prepare to have sex on one of the children’s beds, and we recognise the potential for deeply inappropriate behaviour lurking behind this family’s facade. And speaking of deeply inappropriate behaviour, is Anja…

on December 13, 2008 at 2:03 PM

Our Own Gualtier Maldè reports: Not every opera has to be a masterpiece.  I couldn’t subsist on a steady diet of Tristan und Isolde, Die Zauberfloete, Fidelio, plus Otello,  Falstaff et al.  Frankly the occasional light comic bonbon or trashy but fun melodramatic tunefest makes a nice palate cleanser.  I am talking Adriana Lecouvreur, La…

on December 12, 2008 at 4:42 PM

Counter Critic eschews false modesty long enough to offer a proposal for the New York City Opera.

on December 09, 2008 at 12:32 PM

Some disturbing speculations from a reader in Vienna: Just in case you are one of those opera lovers who believe that Deborah Voigt has one of the greatest voices ever, don’t read any further and press “delete”. I just heard her Salome at the Vienna Staatsoper. It was a disaster. The audience booed her ferociously,…

on December 01, 2008 at 1:59 PM

La Cieca has just about given up on the New York Times so far as accuracy goes, but it still rankles when a thoroughly disproven urban legend is casually quoted as factual truth. In a review of a novel called Winnie and Wolf, critic Patrick McGrath repeats the canard that Winifred Wagner supplied the paper…

on November 23, 2008 at 1:59 AM

In an interview in the Washington Post, Anne Midgette and Ruth Ann Swenson say the word “box” so often it starts to sound dirty.

on November 21, 2008 at 1:48 PM

Just in time for Halloween, an all-new profile by Anne Midgette, “The Undead Diva: Renée Fleming Has Virtuosity Under Control.”

on October 31, 2008 at 12:57 PM

Next week at The Morgan Library and Museum, New York City Opera General Manager-Designate Gerard Mortier will discuss his vision of opera. The lecture, entitled “The Excitement of 20th-Century Opera,” will focus on classic works composed by Claude Debussy, Leos Janácek, Olivier Messiaen, Karol Szymanowski, Mieczyslaw Weinberg, and others. Tickets for the program, scheduled for…

on October 28, 2008 at 8:00 PM

Who says media overexposure isn’t good for the career? Note, for example, how the heavily hyped bass-baritone Erwin Schrott has now made the transition into a dual career as lyric baritone and spinto soprano. And that poor schlub who used to update the blog for Martha Stewart now writes captions for the New York Times!

on September 30, 2008 at 8:33 AM

Sharpen those nails and slather on a fresh coat of “Jungle Red,” ladies, because La Cieca hears that “it’s on” between two of the biggest players in NYC’s opera criticism power gay elite. (Well, admittedly that’s not a large pool of talent, but what they lack in numbers they more than make up for in…

on September 29, 2008 at 4:24 PM

[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/hen9Gyc6ovs” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] This next stuff falls under the category of “housekeeping,” and believe you me, it’s not one of La Cieca’s favorite subjects, and if you ever saw her house, you’d know what she means. Anyway, your doyenne has noticed that of late the delightfully freewheeling discussion here has from time…

on September 24, 2008 at 10:13 AM

La Cieca hears that critic/cat lover Alex Ross is one of this year’s recipients of the MacArthur “genius” grant, to be announced later today.

on September 23, 2008 at 12:07 AM

La Cieca is looking for a member of the cher public who is already planning to attend the opening night gala at the Met and is willing to write about it for parterre.com. Your doyenne will need 400 – 600 words by 11 AM on Tuesday, September 23 for publication that day with your byline.…

on September 07, 2008 at 11:02 PM

La Cieca’s old, old, old (and yet somehow ageless) friend Anne Midgette isn’t just sitting around for The Season to begin like us lazy bloggers. She’s been listening to new recordings of operas by living composers including Michael Nyman, Scott Wheeler and Douglas J. Cuomo. Mr. Cuomo is best known (as they say) as the…

on September 05, 2008 at 6:50 PM

La Cieca’s dear colleage The Counter Critic is writing a piece for a New York paper about the Met’s HD program. He is looking for “people to interview who have seen the simulcasts, and who have strong opinions about how folks behave during the screenings.” Here’s your chance for your voice to be heard loud…

on August 21, 2008 at 11:58 AM