Long live the Queen! Long live the Queen!

Happy 95th birthday soprano Leontyne Price.

on February 10, 2022 at 12:00 AM
Serve with caviar and vodka Serve with caviar and vodka

“It was all surprisingly good? Even the Party Pork, which has you marinate a piece of pork neck in vermouth and steak seasoning. It shouldn’t work, and yet it did.”

on February 03, 2022 at 11:34 AM
Beauty and the ‘Bis’ Beauty and the ‘Bis’

Maria José Siri gives a historic encore performance of the aria “Io son l’umile ancella” during the March 25 performance of Adriana Lecouvreur at the Ópera de Las Palmas in Gran Canaria.

on March 27, 2021 at 10:19 AM
The vanities of the divas The vanities of the divas

Maria Callas and Montserrat Caballé are two of the most highly-regarded and esteemed exponents of the great soprano roles in both bel canto and in the operas of Verdi, and their recordings are held as artistic triumphs of the highest order.

on March 23, 2021 at 9:54 AM
Expansion and ostentation Expansion and ostentation

February was a month for diva admiration on parterre box.

on March 01, 2021 at 1:07 PM
Living in the future Living in the future

What does the opera singer of the future look like?

on July 08, 2020 at 12:16 PM
It’s the operas that got small! It’s the operas that got small!

No one ever leaves a star. That’s what makes one a star.

on March 14, 2020 at 1:55 PM
Raspberry bouquet Raspberry bouquet

Lise Davidsen, who makes her role debut tonight as Leonore in Fidelio, is still very early in what appears to be a most promising career.

on October 25, 2019 at 2:36 PM
“Madame is the greatest star of them all” “Madame is the greatest star of them all”

“What happens when that music no longer comes easily, or when the public’s attention shifts elsewhere?”

on July 05, 2019 at 2:13 PM
Serial duchess Serial duchess

Kathleen Turner will join the cast of Donizetti’s comedy La Fille du Régiment at the Metropolitan Opera February 7–March 2.

on October 11, 2018 at 10:24 AM
Mortal raises veil from before goddess’s face Mortal raises veil from before goddess’s face

Anna Netrebko is the greatest performing artist singing opera today. Nobody else comes close; she makes me love her in a way that verges on the erotic.

on September 27, 2018 at 12:37 PM
Aretha Franklin 1942 – 2018 Aretha Franklin 1942 – 2018

The Queen of Soul has died.

on August 16, 2018 at 11:00 AM
Something lies beyond the Scene Something lies beyond the Scene

I was overjoyed by the coincidence that Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival would be presenting Façade.

on August 10, 2018 at 12:01 PM
Chenez turn Chenez turn

Dapper countertenor Ray Chenez is temporarily putting aside the turbans of his operatic career for, well, the turbans of a Broadway diva as he appeals via Indiegogo for funding to record a CD of show tunes.

on July 23, 2018 at 3:23 PM
The queen’s speech The queen’s speech

Legendary diva and long-time friend of parterre box Aprile Millo offers a gracious and witty speech in acceptance of the Verdi d’Oro Prize in Busseto.

on July 15, 2018 at 11:41 AM
I’m every diva, it’s all in me I’m every diva, it’s all in me

La Cieca, fashion arbiter though she may be, cannot figure out what is going on with this day-to-evening (and then some) look Sonya Yoncheva is flaunting.

on April 17, 2018 at 1:05 PM
d’Arc victory d’Arc victory

Tonight’s program at the New York Philharmonic, Arthur Honegger’s massive oratorio dramatique Jeanne d’Arc au Bûcher, has been an occasional visitor to the orchestra’s repertoire starting with the performance conducted by Charles Munch in January of 1948.

on June 10, 2015 at 10:40 AM
Ecco un artista! Ecco un artista!

Just discovered: a Swedish documentary about Birgit Nilsson.

on March 17, 2015 at 9:23 AM
Battle of Broadway Battle of Broadway

Fall 2015 is the target date for an as yet untitled one-woman show based on the life of Kathleen Battle, scheduled to star Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o.

on October 23, 2014 at 4:22 AM
Divas merrily on high Divas merrily on high

Cecilia Bartoli and Joyce DiDonato are not the only ladies who have recorded recitals this year featuring music from the 17th and 18th centuries.

on December 11, 2012 at 2:33 AM

La Cieca supposes that maybe the reason Angela Gheorghiu doesn’t include any music from Manon Lescaut on her new “Homage to Callas” CD is that she can’t quite identify with the character?

on November 01, 2011 at 3:55 PM

“It’s just that it seems rather perverse to have cast such opulent voices and then given them not much to sing…. the role of Anna Nicole would not stretch Danielle de Niese.” Loyal parterrian Jondrytay (not pictured) looked in on the Royal Opera’s Anna Nicole and shared this thoughts on his blog Not So Wunderbar.

on March 02, 2011 at 10:04 AM

The Bulgarian diva was born December 15, 1934.

on December 15, 2010 at 12:15 AM

This is the way the public used to greet the entrance of a beloved star, and La Cieca is very unhappy to think that she will never hear the like again.  

on December 07, 2010 at 8:30 PM