Ecco un artista?
An old clip, but worth repeating: Gina Lollobrigida plays Lina Cavalieri plays Floria Tosca in La donna più bella del mondo.
YouTube
Composer’s intentions
Following up on her rant in an earlier thread, La Cieca now proposes the debate continue on the perhaps not perfectly defined issue of “composer’s intentions.” After the jump, discussion material.
This divette sounds like that divette
Obviously, Danielle de Niese is all about the singing, or, anyway, all about the slamming bod, and then the singing. But she does talk from time to time, and when she talks, she sounds strangely familiar.
Jonas, brother!
Wow, but he does this well! [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/mYg9IvjVmds” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
Four degrees of separation from NYCO to the Final Solution
Today, September 12, thousands of protesters opposed to health care reform marched in Washington and elsewhere, carrying signs like the ones pictured above. This “9/12 Project” is brought to you in part by Americans for Prosperity, which you will all recall is headed by David H. Koch, the billionaire who is to be honored at […]
Grace on Grace
La Cieca continues her salute to Kennedy Honoree Grace Bumbry with this 1973 documentary.
Cumming attraction
This is crossover that stops just short of crossdressing.
Besos y Lagrimas
Offhand, La Cieca would never have thought of Così fan tutte done as a telenovela, but honestly? She’s seen a lot worse. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/oQwtjYkKoz0″ width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
Pillow talk
Ildebrando d’Arcangelo and Andrea Concetti get chummy in this scene from Don Giovanni. [via Barihunks]
it’s a return!
La Cieca figures if Adelaida Negri can make a comeback, so can your doyenne.
Massacre? I hardly know her!
La Cieca wishes her cher public a joyous and safe St. Bartholomew’s Day.
Uno squarcio di vita
“Verismo,” Renée Fleming informs us, “means truth.” What better demonstration of this artist’s dedication to the real-life (not to say the mundane) than her apparent decision to fire her stylist and hairdresser in hopes of achieving a greater naturalism of appearance. Indeed, La Cieca would say that Fleming has succeeded: at least as documented in […]
Sassdance
From that rarest and most coveted of all camp crossover efforts, the Sylvia Sass disco album:
forever and ewa
[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/goFTDbMyRUs” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] The Gran Teatre del Liceu has posted 70 clips from a variety of their opera productions over the last decade or so. Great singing and improbable regie: who could ask for anything more?
triumph of the willy
Here’s a glimpse of Marina Poplavskaya in the Willy Decker production of La traviata, coming to the Met in 2010. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/cJSjDBSnnUw” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
No holds Baird
This is someone we need to hear more of. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/lOraQt705FY” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
“no small parts”
[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/zeMMG440Ce0″ width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
Happy birthday Sigmund Romberg!
A birthday salute from Finnish firecracker Karita Mattila.
Attendo, attendo nè a me giungon mai!
La Cieca has to admit that what she thought would be a bang-up notion turned out to be a total damp squib: the “Letter” competition failed to rouse much interest. The sole (albeit very fine) entry follows the jump.
pretty poison
Yesterday, a performance of Lucrezia Borgia was telecast in Europe (previously recorded during a July 6 performance). This Christof Loy production from the Bayerische Staatsoper features Edita Gruberova in her first staged Lucrezia, in the company of Pavol Breslik (Gennaro) and Alice Coote (Maffio Orsini). A selection of clips follows the jump.
lost her rossini
La Cieca may have pointed this out before, but it’s worth pointing out again. Is this film clip the ultimate Renée Fleming experience, or what?
eyes wide shut
Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczala are seen (briefly) in this clip from Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta, as produced at Baden-Baden.
you, the diva
La Cieca is simply beside herself to announce what she is confident will be both the biggest and most exciting parterre box competition of all time. This competition is called “Reading the Letter,” and it will test that most basic of opera queen skills, i.e., pretending to be a soprano. After the jump, La Cieca […]
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).
Win a Free Ticket to Opening Night at the Met!
Quinn Kelsey and Lise Davidsen star in the Met's new Macbeth. We're giving away one ticket, so screw your courage to the sticking place and enter now!
