Slow curtain
La Cieca has just been informed that Deborah Voigt‘s engagement as Leonore in Fidelio at Liège has quietly disappeared from her website.
Sad
In memoriam Mike Richter
Serious opera fan and internet pioneer Mike Richter died earlier this week.
Whimper
“Opera America, a service organization for opera companies, has expressed interest in purchasing City Opera’s thrift shop…”
Patrice Chéreau, 1944-2013
The celebrated opera director and filmmaker died today of lung cancer in Paris. He was 68.
It’s over
“New York City Opera, created 70 years ago as the ‘people’s opera,’ expects to file for bankruptcy protection on Oct. 2 and either liquidate in court or be sold to another institution, its lawyer said.”
Slow curtain
“New York City Opera… will be forced to cancel most of its current season and all of its next season if it fails to raise $20 million by year’s end, company officials say.”
Who’ll stop the reign
La Cieca is most unhappy indeed to hear that coloraturafan, the undisputed monarch of opera on YouTube, has had his “fourth or fifth” account on the service deleted.
Claramae Turner 1920-2012
The American contralto, who created the title role in Menotti’s The Medium and introduced the song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” died May 18. She was 92.
Ancient German virtue of bravery gone missing
In a press release, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein at Düsseldorf has announced the cancellation of its controversial new production of Tannhäuser.
Deanna Durbin 1921-2013
The silver-voiced teen star of film musicals of the 1930s and 1940s died earlier this week.
Risë Stevens, 1913-2013
The glamorous and beloved mezzo-soprano died yesterday. She was 99.
A little off the top
Michael Capasso, General Director of the Dicapo Opera Theatre has announced that Dicapo will be going on hiatus for a period of six months.
Going, going, gone!
“New York City Opera, seeking to shed decades’ worth of old sets, costumes and props, has decided to auction off most of the material next month, the company’s general manager and artistic director, George Steel, said on Wednesday.”
Things no general director actually says of her own free will for $500, Alex
“I am thrilled that operatic superstar Denyce Graves will join the cast of The Mikado, singing the role of Katisha.”
Endgame
Based on reliable reports about reshuffling of the Met’s repertoire for the 2013-14 season, the only reasonable conclusion is that James Levine will never return to conduct with the company.
Evelyn Lear 1926-2012
American soprano Evelyn Lear died quietly earlier this evening at at Brooke Grove nursing center in Sandy Spring, Maryland. She was 86.
Opera Boston shuts doors
According to a statement issued this morning, Opera Boston is ceasing operations as of January 1. [Boston.com]
Bass cleft
Mercedes and Sid Bass, the A-list society and philanthropy couple who in 2006 gave the Met $25 million dollars—the largest single unrestricted gift paid at one time from an individual in the company’s then 123-year history—announced their divorce yesterday, ending 23 years of marriage.
In lieu of donations, send flowers
Avid scoopster Dan Wakin just couldn’t wait until next Tuesday like the rest of us, and so he’s spilled enough details about NYCO’s “next” season to make it bleeding obvious 2011-12 will also be the last. A “new” “production” of La traviata by the undead Dr. Jonathan Miller and the U.S. premiere of the dreck Prima […]
Women, children and directors of artistic planning first
NYCO’s director of artistic planning Ed Yim is leaving the company to to serve as a consultant at the New York Philharmonic. [NYT]
Song of the open road
UPDATE: A full story of NYCO’s woes, including distressing quotes from George Steel is now online at the New York Times.
The fall guy
Heads are about to roll at New York City Opera, probably including George Steel‘s—though given the troupe’s bizarro history for the past few years, who can say? This is in the wake of a letter leaked to the Wall Street Journal from singers and production staff of the embattled company, which includes this chilling statement: […]
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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).
