And all the rest is talk And all the rest is talk

“Labor! Oh, the problem of labor at the Met is gargantuan,” Our Own JJ (not pictured) would have said, had he thought of it.

on August 14, 2014 at 5:03 PM
Hello Amanda Hello Amanda

Soprano Amanda Majeski will make her Met debut on the opening night of the 2014-2015 season as the Countess in Le nozze di Figaro, replacing Marina Poplavksaya “who has withdrawn for health reasons.”

on August 13, 2014 at 1:11 PM
Breaking apart Breaking apart

I guess we can assume the season is going to happen, because the cast changes are already starting, and the Met’s press office is on it, you guys.

on August 05, 2014 at 11:52 AM
Only connect… Only connect…

La Cieca has discovered that the independent auditor chosen by the Met, AGMA and Local 802 to report on the company’s finances, Eugene Keilin, is a major donor to the Met, giving at least $25,000 in 2011-2012 according to that season’s Annual Report.

on August 05, 2014 at 11:30 AM
Namenlos in Lieb’ umfangen Namenlos in Lieb’ umfangen

SiriusXM is broadcasting right now a 1981 performance of Tristan und Isolde featuring Gwyneth Jones (pictured) and Spas Wenkoff, with James Levine conducting the work that season for the first time in his career.

on August 02, 2014 at 9:37 PM
Blood and Sandow Blood and Sandow

Friend and friend-in-law of parterre box Greg Sandow pours the oil of calm and rational analysis upon the troubled waters of the Met’s current labor negotiations in the most recent installment of his always excellent (not to mention eponymous) blog.

on August 01, 2014 at 11:49 AM
Back from the dead? Back from the dead?

AGMA and Local 802 have agreed to the Met’s proposal that Allison Beck, a representative of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, be appointed immediately to mediate negotiations, working with both sides to find a compromise agreement.

on July 31, 2014 at 1:12 PM
Fun with graphs Fun with graphs

La Cieca has come into possession of an interesting presentation, with fonts and everything, from Local 802, American Federation of Musicians, and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, outlining their solution for the current financial crisis at the Metropolitan Opera.

on July 25, 2014 at 10:00 PM
Séance on a partly cloudy afternoon Séance on a partly cloudy afternoon

Your conduit to the spirit world, La Cieca, isn’t feeling quite as clairvoyante as usual today, cher public, so she’s going to ask your help in predicting what will happen in the course of the Met’s current labor negotiations.

on July 24, 2014 at 4:11 PM
A little list A little list

In response to repeated urging by La Cieca, Our Own Dawn Fatale has contributed a “to do” list for the benefit of Met management, assuming the company makes it out of this summer alive.

on July 08, 2014 at 9:30 AM
The voice of the pundit The voice of the pundit

Our Own Dawn Fatale (artist’s conception) will take to the airwaves of Bloomberg Radio this evening at 9:00 pm to discuss the Met’s current woes.

on July 02, 2014 at 7:42 PM
Just got real Just got real

The Met’s administrative offices were vandalized this morning, with “obscene messages” sprayed “on some paintings and sculptures.”

on June 25, 2014 at 2:01 PM
The pit and the pendulum The pit and the pendulum

“The award-winning MET Orchestra’s global reputation as a top-tier ensemble is critical to New York City’s tourism and cultural economy.”

on June 18, 2014 at 9:47 PM
West side non-story West side non-story

La Cieca hears that the Met’s planned production of West Side Story in the 2017-2018 season has been shelved.

on June 14, 2014 at 11:29 AM
Gee, our old Chagalls hang great Gee, our old Chagalls hang great

It’s time to bring out the canard again, this time a whole row of them in fact.

on June 06, 2014 at 11:16 AM
Numbers game Numbers game

The Met has released what the press office calls “background financial information” relevant to the company’s ongoing union negotiations.

on May 15, 2014 at 6:46 PM
The ladies in question The ladies in question

There is a truism that there are no small parts, only small singers. Last night’s Così fan tutte has made me consider another possible truism: there are no bad productions, only miscast productions.

on May 09, 2014 at 6:53 PM
Faites vos jeux, Messieurs! Faites vos jeux, Messieurs!

The Met may be missing an angle calculated to appeal to the more adventurous attendee: opera as game of chance.

on May 07, 2014 at 1:58 PM
“Donors, Mama. They’re called donors, and every opera company has them.” “Donors, Mama. They’re called donors, and every opera company has them.”

Peter Gelb talks about the “social rejection” of the Met.

on April 28, 2014 at 12:07 PM
Change partners Change partners

Your doyenne is sure all the familiar faces and screen names will be present at 1:00 this afternoon in La Casa della Cieca, as the Met broadcasts Così fan tutte.

on April 26, 2014 at 12:00 PM
Goodness had everything to do with it Goodness had everything to do with it

The Met stage was filled with considerable magic Monday night when its dizzily effervescent revival of La Cenerentola starring Joyce DiDonato and Javier Camarena stirred a bewitched audience to some of the most ecstatic ovations heard this season.

on April 22, 2014 at 9:53 AM
Man of the future Man of the future

Javier Camerena, “as close to a rock star as the Met has produced from its male roster this season,” has big plans with the company, with at least four roles planned for future seasons.

on April 20, 2014 at 7:41 PM
Purity woman Purity woman

That’s the exact word I’d use to describe Olga Peretyatko’s debut in I Puritani last night at the Metropolitan Opera: “calm.”

on April 18, 2014 at 2:33 AM
Mad, mad, mad, mad scenes Mad, mad, mad, mad scenes

In anticipation of the Met’s revival this evening of I puritani, I thought it might be nice to take a look back at a few archival videos. In terms of commercial videos, there isn’t much out there, so once again I look to those great old pirated videos for inspiration.

on April 17, 2014 at 8:00 AM