Red all over
You’ve heard what it sounded like; now you can see Saturday afternoon’s HD of La traviata, thanks to YouTube.
Metropolitan Opera
The mothership and mecca of opera in America—and home base for Parterre Box.
The sorrowful précis
Brian Kellow‘s “Coda” piece in the current Opera News, summarized: “I’m so cranky that even namedropping has lost its thrill.” (Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera)
Ass backwards
Zachary Woolfe went to Las Vegas and all we got was a thoughtful analysis of why Robert Lepage was never a good fit for the Ring.
Gold standard
Like everyone else, La Cieca was watching Mad Men last night, and suddenly something clicked.
And that’s when I clicked “close gesamtkunstwerk”
A sharp-eyed spy at tonight’s performance of Die Walküre at the Met notes that, while there were no malfunctions of the Machine per se, there was an unexpected projection toward the middle of the third act.
Slow curtain, the end
Here’s a taste of what’s in store for the Met’s HD audience on Saturday
Recovered girl
Here’s a bit of good news for all you Traviata fans with tickets for tomorrow night’s Met performance or Saturday afternoon’s HD.
Starless night
An understudy saved the show at the Met’s La Traviata Friday night, but no star was born.
Cover up
Says the Met’s press office: “Hei-Kyung Hong will sing the role of Violetta Valéry in Verdi’s La Traviata at tomorrow’s performance, replacing Natalie Dessay, who is ill.” (Photo: Marty Sohl)
Damage control
Just in time for the beginning of the first cycle of the Robert Lepage Ring (pictured), Peter Gelb tries to convince Anthony Tommasini that everything is just fine, thank you…
More news from the future
Here La Cieca has scarcely returned home from a very pleasant concert performance of Pipe Dream (feeble show, attractive songs, fine cast) and what should she find in her inbox but an alert from the Playbill Club.
The party’s over
When the hard-partying heroine of Massenet’s Manon hits bottom, she literally lands in the gutter.
The Ironic Lady
Another grim narrative of the Gelb years, and one I think is generally hogwash, is that the Met has (at least in theatrical terms) lost its way entirely.
Sound of gnashing teeth noted
A phrase no one ever thought to see in print…
Lady of the Fake
When Verdi’s Macbeth returned to the Met Thursday night, miscasting doomed the revival as surely as any witch’s curse.
And no bones!
Apparently, opera fans got the bright side of the bargain: say “Macbeth” in the theater and you court cataclysm; utter the name in the opera house and, as often as not, you merely predict disappointment.
Sensational
“Juan Diego Flórez made an untraditional Nemorino, his small but diamond-bright tenor unlike the luscious lyric voice usually heard in this part.”
Teenager in love
L’elisir d’amore, Donizetti’s evergreen comedy about young love, returned to the Met last night with a strong cast, a high energy level from all the performers, and last but not least, a very full house.
Mein Ross! Sei mir gegrüsst!
“Pound for pound, ton for ton, it is the most witless and wasteful production in modern operatic history.”
Dessa!
La Cieca hears that soprano Latonia Moore will make her Metropolitan Opera debut this Saturday afternoon.
Dark victory
“In a season of high-profile duds like Don Giovanni and the Ring, the Met has found a winner in a dark horse, Mussorgsky’s moody Khovanshchina.”
Balk like an Egyptian
Sondra Radvanovsky will make her Met role debut as the title character in Verdi’s Aida on February 28…
Time to say goodbye
La Cieca has just heard some interesting and completely plausible gossip about 2013-14.
The not too distant future
The Met’s top-secret hush-hush season announcement will emerge from the Holy Grail shrine later today.
I’ll take the fall
The days are getting shorter, but you can keep the prattle going this fall’s Talk of the Town! You will, you can, you must join in the discussion about: Great mezzo soprano performances (October),
Gained in translation (November), Teleport me back to… (December).
Win a Free Ticket to Opening Night at the Met!
Quinn Kelsey and Lise Davidsen star in the Met's new Macbeth. We're giving away one ticket, so screw your courage to the sticking place and enter now!
