Fear itself Fear itself

Lately I’ve been preoccupied with Verdi and Il trovatore in particular anticipating the opera’s return to the Met later this month for the first time since 2018, this unusual deep-dive Chris’s Cache (on my birthday) is the result.

on October 14, 2024 at 9:00 AM
Everybody rose! Everybody rose!

Some answers to the Rosenkavalier Trio Vocal ID quiz for you!

on February 27, 2021 at 3:23 PM
Three by three Three by three

I’ve got some new software and messing around with it today I had the insane notion that a vocal ID quiz featuring the Rosenkavalier trio might be fun.

on February 19, 2021 at 10:41 AM
Who’s that Fiordiligi? Who’s that Fiordiligi?

The long-awaited solution to the Fiordiligi Quiz!

on October 23, 2020 at 12:31 PM
A bouquet of Fiordiligis A bouquet of Fiordiligis

I am embarrassingly bad at vocal ID quizzes—I may never get over the one where I was convinced every single excerpt was Leontyne Price—but I do love to put them together.

on October 13, 2020 at 2:27 PM
parterre boxing parterre boxing

A new series where we pit Zerbinetta against Zerlina, Caballé against Callas, Berg against Bellini in the ultimate operatic showdown.

on May 19, 2020 at 3:16 PM
World of Wunders: the solution! World of Wunders: the solution!

Congratulations to kankedort who correctly identified 17 of 24 selections!

on May 12, 2020 at 2:43 PM
World of Wunders: last chance! World of Wunders: last chance!

The competition to guess the identities of 24 sopranos singing “O hehrstes Wunder!” ends tonight, Monday May 11 at midnight EDT.

on May 11, 2020 at 2:23 PM
World of Wunders, part three World of Wunders, part three

The final third of this week’s vocal-identification quiz brings together perhaps the most difficult-to-name sopranos offering Sieglinde’s “O hehrstes Wunder!” from Die Walküre.

on May 08, 2020 at 12:53 PM
World of Wunders, part two World of Wunders, part two

Today’s installment of parterre box’s latest vocal-identification quiz brings eight more Sieglindes proclaiming “O hehrstes Wunder!”

on May 06, 2020 at 12:46 PM
World of Wunders World of Wunders

For an ecstatic outburst lasting less than a minute I swiftly gathered up an exaltation of Sieglindes from live performances spanning nearly 80 years. In fact, there were so many I decided to split up the quiz into three parts.

on May 04, 2020 at 10:00 AM
Multitudes of Elviras Multitudes of Elviras

It seems to me that we have a tie!

on March 31, 2020 at 4:50 PM
Tutto sprezzo che d’Ernani Tutto sprezzo che d’Ernani

When La Cieca reached out asking for content, I resurrected a hoary standby—the vocal ID quiz.

on March 23, 2020 at 1:27 PM
Unveiled Unveiled

Congratulations to Christian Ocier (not pictured) who guessed all 16 of our mystery Salomes correctly!

on June 28, 2018 at 11:00 AM
That midnight kiss That midnight kiss

A challenging Salome-themed vocal identification quiz arranged by Our Own Christopher Corwin.

on June 20, 2018 at 11:28 AM
Sausendes, brausendes Rad der Zeit Sausendes, brausendes Rad der Zeit

At long last, cher public, a finale to our Senta’s Ballad quiz, nearly a month late! The name of the winner and the complete lists of sopranos after the jump. 

on May 23, 2017 at 8:00 AM
Spin the dial Spin the dial

After the jump, a quiz featuring 15 singers performing Senta’s Ballad.

on April 24, 2017 at 9:56 AM
Panel stumped Panel stumped

La Cieca admits she was surprised the historically well-informed cher public missed the mark so frequently on the “Breadbox” quiz.

on February 16, 2017 at 10:00 AM
Intorno a me s’oscura il ciel! Intorno a me s’oscura il ciel!

The Manon Lescaut identification quiz, which La Cieca thought would be pretty much a cakewalk, turned out vastly more challenging than she imagined.

on February 15, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Ah! Manon, mi tradisce Ah! Manon, mi tradisce

Our Own Chris Corwin (not pictured) has taken a peek at the current guesses for the “Sola perduta” quiz and notes that fewer than half of the selections offered have been correctly identified.

on February 10, 2016 at 11:58 AM
La deserta donna La deserta donna

La Cieca hopes the cher public won’t let poor Manon Lescaut get too lonely out there in the bayou or the heath or whatever it is, because you’ll want stay close to listen to our latest Identification Quiz, 15 sopranos in full hysterical wail.  

on February 05, 2016 at 11:57 AM
Chiamo il mio ben così Chiamo il mio ben così

Congratulations to  Leitbreite, whose cunning ears identified all but one of the singers in last week’s “Orpheus” quiz.

on November 26, 2015 at 3:48 PM
Before sunset Before sunset

In honor of the upcoming Met Opening Night, here’s a singer identification quiz featuring, for a change, music for a tenor: the climactic phrase from Otello’s third act monologue.

on September 14, 2015 at 11:00 AM
Triskaidekaphilia Triskaidekaphilia

Your task: name the Ortruds, all unlucky 13 of them.

on June 17, 2015 at 12:27 PM