They’re only in it for the do They’re only in it for the do

What with all the interest in the recent Rome performances of Aïda (and in part, at least, in Anja Harteros‘s approach to the high C in the Nile aria), La Cieca thought it would be fun to hear how some divas of the past and present have coped with that very challenging phrase. And, just…

on March 04, 2015 at 9:00 AM
Ufa the top Ufa the top

Here’s the winners of the Ildar Abdrazkov Quiz, Bluebeard and Krunoslav!

on January 25, 2015 at 5:53 PM
Daily double Daily double

Here’s a quick last-minute quiz for you Martinu fans out there: answer the question after the jump and win two tickets to Gotham Chamber Opera’s double bill program of Alexandre bis and Comedy on the Bridge this week.

on October 15, 2014 at 11:50 AM
Monster ball Monster ball

I have banged on and on about doing an “Abscheulicher” quiz for years.

on July 25, 2014 at 12:49 AM
Ah, je les écoute sans cesse Ah, je les écoute sans cesse

For your racionative pleasure, cher public, here’s an epistolary quiz in honor of the Met’s new production of Werther: 13 artists share Charlotte’s “Ces lettres! Ces lettres!” scena from Massenet’s opera.

on February 17, 2014 at 5:31 PM
No Posa ability No Posa ability

Not perhaps as enthusiastic a response as La Cieca might have liked to the recent Posa quiz, and no official winner.

on October 22, 2013 at 2:22 PM
Strike a Posa Strike a Posa

It’s just a teensy bit late for Verdi’s birthday, but La Cieca thinks you’ll enjoy the latest vocal ID challenge, cher public.

on October 12, 2013 at 7:31 PM
E d’ogni re maggior il Trubadur! E d’ogni re maggior il Trubadur!

La Cieca and DeCaffarrelli unanimously hail Trubadur as winner of the “Ladies in the Dark” vocal ID competition.

on August 15, 2013 at 11:58 AM
Pietà di me! Pietà di me!

Perhaps, you, cher public, will be crying out the above-mentioned phrase when you hear the most recent vocal collage prepared by our dear DeCaffarrelli.

on May 31, 2013 at 6:46 PM
Dead heat Dead heat

Now the deadline has passed for the Immolation Quiz, La Cieca is happy if a bit puzzled to announce that the result is a tie: two of the cher public were able to identify 23 of the 25 voices in the quiz correctly.

on May 11, 2013 at 12:08 PM
Fire down below Fire down below

The Immolation Quiz now stands tied between two competitors, each of whom has identified correctly 20 of the 25 singers represented.

on April 25, 2013 at 1:37 AM
Disc inferno Disc inferno

The music is “Brünnhilde’s Immolation Scene” and it is up to you (and I do mean you) to identify the 25 singers involved.

on April 14, 2013 at 7:11 PM
My heart at thy sweet quiz My heart at thy sweet quiz

La Cieca has heard the rumblings (from you, the cher public) that we have not had a singer identification quiz in all too long a while.

on April 03, 2013 at 12:14 PM
Ich kann nicht überspitzen Ich kann nicht überspitzen

Frankly, the response to the Elektra quiz was uneven. La Cieca will explain after the jump.

on September 18, 2012 at 8:57 PM
September song September song

Here’s a quiz compiled by Our Own DeCaffarrelli to help fill out the tedious month before the season opens, cher public.

on September 05, 2012 at 5:12 PM
Who was that Lady? Who was that Lady?

Much guesswork, most of it terribly astute, went into our most recent vocal ID quiz, and La Cieca is now ready to reveal the most accurate of a very accurate bunch.

on August 12, 2012 at 11:22 PM
In the day of success In the day of success

“I have learned by the perfectest report they have more in them than mortal knowledge.”

on August 01, 2012 at 2:22 PM
Fully equipped with fire and music Fully equipped with fire and music

“The Greek drama affords us one character which, had Shakespeare studied it in the three great tragedians of that people, and then, preserving Greek manners as ably as he did Roman, written it from his own heart and mind, might have been worthy to succeed the greatest achievement of the stage.”

on July 16, 2012 at 10:10 PM
Nun der Quiz mich müd gemacht Nun der Quiz mich müd gemacht

After a brilliantly collaborative start, the cher public fell just short of deciphering the complete Beim Schlafengehen quiz, though several of you did very well indeed.

on July 13, 2012 at 12:11 PM
A time to weep A time to weep

Don’t let the headline worry you, cher public, what’s coming up after the jump is meant to be good clean fun, with a prize even.

on June 17, 2012 at 4:37 PM

A mysterious lady in the shadows of Castellor! Who might she be?

on February 23, 2011 at 9:32 AM

A faithful reader has just informed La Cieca that, two weeks ago at the Met, during an intermission of La bohème, he saw Henry Kissinger, “flanked by two bodyguards twice his height and twelve times his weight.” Which led this reader to pose to you, cher public, the following trivia question: “What makes Henry Kissinger…

on December 15, 2010 at 3:14 PM