“Ne me refuse pas!” “Ne me refuse pas!”

So, give me three good reasons we should not hear Jamie Barton as the mother of Salomé?

As if we never said goodbye As if we never said goodbye

“As for next year, Gheorghiu makes an as-yet-unannounced return for the first time in seven years to the Met in New York.”

NYCO, yet again? NYCO, yet again?

New York City Opera (remember them?) have announced a program for spring 2021, with repertoire consistent with the company’s recent policy of equal-opportunity pandering.

Roaring 20s Roaring 20s

The entire Metropolitan Opera schedule for 2020-2021, in what looks like a fairly plausible form, has been leaked.

Anticipation Anticipation

Fire up your calendars, cher public! The quintet of parterre box scribes who will be reviewing New York area performance are ready to share with you their choices for Must See Opera in the fall of 2019! 

The queen is back The queen is back

Anna Caterina Antonacci headlines the New York City Opera’s 2019-2020 season with a one night only concert performance of Britten’s Gloriana.

Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a Damnation Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a Damnation

The Met press office has just confirmed that the company’s 2020 revival of La Damnation de Faust has been converted into four concert performances January 25 – February 8.

Our retrospection will now be all to the future Our retrospection will now be all to the future

La Cieca is delighted to announce that the most popular posts for the month of February dealt primarily with the Met season yet to come.

The ‘roaring’ twenties The ‘roaring’ twenties

A week before the traditional date for the announcement of the Met’s 2019-2020 season, the clairvoyants who cobble together the Future Met Wiki have essentially the entire schedule ready for your perusal.

Ohne Meiden, ohne Scheiden Ohne Meiden, ohne Scheiden

Yusif Eyvazov just let slip what we must assume is a very long-term project indeed for himself and Anna Netrebko: the title roles in Tristan und Isolde.

All is full of Renée All is full of Renée

In what will surely be a fever dream for critics and diacritics alike, Renée Fleming sings Björk with the New York Philharmonic next season.

Höchste Lust! Höchste Lust!

Karita Mattila has just rather casually let slip that she has “signed in for [her] first Isolde.”

Better call Fall Better call Fall

A gaggle of our parterre critics (not pictured) had what the kids call a “kiki” recently and “spilled the tea” (as the middle-aged folks say) about their greatest expectations for the New York fall season. 

Paris mismatch Paris mismatch

La Cieca is almost certain that Diana Damrau will not appear at the Met this fall for La traviata.

You gotta ring them bells You gotta ring them bells

At long last (and about fucking time) undisputed genius Stefan Herheim will make his Metropolitan Opera debut, staging Les Vêpres siciliennes.

Blonde Venus? Blonde Venus?

The frequently-omniscient Future Met Wiki has recently vouchsafed a few morsels about upcoming Met seasons.

Hope Chest Hope Chest

Barihunk John Chest headlines San Francisco Opera’s Billy Budd in the fall of 2019.

Noises on Noises on

[via metopera.org]

Local tenor is a treat Local tenor is a treat

The press release for the Royal Opera’s 2018-2019 season promises “world-renowned opera stars including Michael Fabiano, Jonas Kaufmann, Anna Netrebko and Eva Maria Westbroek among other treats.

Judges for yourself Judges for yourself

With the Met’s announcement of the 2018-2019 season approximately a week away, La Cieca thought we should review the always oracular and generally accurate Future Met Wiki.

O dolce mano O dolce mano

“Briefly, the character of the heroine is a crazy bothersome hysterical bitch.”

La fanciulla del west side La fanciulla del west side

Jonas Kaufmann‘s acclaimed Dick will highlight the Met’s 2018-2019 season.

No fits, no fights, no feuds and no egos No fits, no fights, no feuds and no egos

The list of Anna Netrebko/Yannick Nézet-Séguin collaborations has expanded once again.

The once and future queen The once and future queen

In addition to her first Met Aida performances next season, forthcoming projects for the one and only Anna Netrebko just keep gushing out.