La Cieca admits she’s a little late to the table with this one, but here’s a German TV report on the all-new, all-nude Calixto Bieito production of Gluck’s Armide, currently playing at the Komische Oper. [NSFW, and how rarely La Cieca gets to say that!] [kml_flashembed movie=”http://tr.youtube.com/v/LINaWb2eiEo” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
Tell us: What was the best of 2025?
Parterre Box concludes the thrilling first year of Talk of the Town by inviting your lightning rod opinions on several more categories of operatic argumentation.
A layout (in the very nearly literal sense of the term) of “seven international opera stars who are putting to rest the ‘fat lady sings’ cliché” graces the current issue of Vanity Fair. Since nobody actually reads this magazine, La Cieca will link to the photo of the The Low BMI Septet. Click to embiggen
[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/26lm82M7L2Q” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] From The Great Waltz (1938), one of Renée Fleming‘s favorite films!
In an exclusive scoop you will not read anywhere else, La Cieca has obtained the story line for Rufus Wainwright‘s next opera, the followup to the much-discussed Prima Donna. According to La Cieca’s source, the wispy composer’s second effort is to be entitled “A Vampyre Story.” Deep within the walls of a gloomy castle in…
Wieland Wagner directs James King and Leonie Rysanek in the legendary 1965 production of Die Walküre at Bayreuth. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/ILGJSK-i65I” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] Note at around 0:40 Wieland gets Rysanek set up for her explosive gesture at 1:20. The long, tense stillness suddenly broken by a quick, strong movement is a trademark of this…
[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/QTcYgDCCcy0″ width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
First there was Florence Foster Jenkins, and in her wake followed Vassilka Petrova and Sylvia Sawyer. Then came Olive Middleton, and hot upon her sling-back heels Mari Lyn. And then, it seems, the line of high-caliber singing ladies dwindled… until, of course, the recent advent of Angel Taormina. In fact, La Cieca has unearthed the…
Since we in New York are not going to hear Rolando Villazon until (at the earliest) April 8, La Cieca thought it would be interesting to share a recent document of his singing. Here’s a scene from Act 3 of Werther, as sung in Paris earlier this month. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/1EpdcOzw8o4″ width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] (Thanks,…
Many of you (well, a few of you) have expressed an interest in La Cieca’s working process as a journalist. As such, your doyenne thought she would share with you dear people some rare documentary footage of La Cieca’s early days reporting and writing opera gossip. Or, in other words: this, cher public, is how…
For the first time in, well, quite a while really, La Cieca reminds the cher public that your donations help support the various goings-on here at parterre.com. Won’t you take a moment to click on the PayPal link below? We now return you to our unscheduled programming.
Sempiternal Magda Olivero celebrated her 99th birthday earlier this week.
“Salvatore, viens, j’ai trouvé une étoile!” [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/5xXf8mh81dg” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] Wenarto, watch your back!
In tribute to the last revival ever of the Met’s beloved “rags ‘n rocks” production of Wagner’s Ring, here’s a rare video clip from an early rehearsal of the cycle.
As we wish Joan Crawford a happy 101st (or 105th) birthday, La Cieca asks you to imagine what it might have been (pronounced “bean”) like if Our Lady of the Shoulders had continued her vocal studies with Rosa Ponselle. Not “Joan Crawford Sings Verdi” exactly, but, my goodness, that woman could certainly fill out an…
Opera composer Rufus Wainwright sings Berlioz. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/psUGIE7Ugjw” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/2bY1unOjt7w” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] “I just think she always sounds like she’s drunk, especially when she tries to be serious.” – YouTube Commenter
A quick YouTube search for “opera” this morning yields this startling snippet. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/EM1YsAZnBAU” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
The staging you may like or not like (and La Cieca is sure you will not be shy about expressing your opinion), but, my goodness, what gorgeous singing from Tatiana Monogarova and Mariusz Kwiecien! [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/kC6cuSQuyd0″ width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
It’s good to know that after the nuclear apocalypse there will still be Lois Kirschenbaum to keep Cher and the cockroaches company. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/FGnWt7pWRPs” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
Con sottotitoli!
[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/5L2YrKB6_XU” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
Angel Taormina is back and she’s remixed!
Those of you who have been fretting about the recent decline in dowdy, badly-coiffed divas who buy their gowns online will be happy to know that Fiorenza Cedolins is bucking the trend. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/CEzNJPYyKX0″ width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /]
