Opera Chic

Esa Pekka's Last L.A. Hurrah

If he were single and if he wore a proper white tie instead of those bad black Nehru jackets he inexplicably favors as concert attire, E-Pek (for those of you who didn't use to babysit his kids, Maestro Esa Pekka Salonen) would come dangerously close to being a perfect man: really talented, really smart, with a sense of humor, rich, famous, and seriously handsome (for an older guy). He also speaks really good Italian.

Then, props to Deborah Borda, who paid hommage to Esa-Pekka Salonen's impossible-to-overstate influence on the LA Phil:

We have a season and a half to go. But more importantly, it's a celebration of one hell of a guy, a man who has led us on amazing excursions and will continue to do so

The 2008-09 season, Salonen's last as Music Director, since he chose to concentrate on composing (blonde moptop and boyish smile and all, he'll nevertheless turn a secksy 50 in June), will include seven world premieres and residencies by John Adams, Yefim Bronfman, Peter Sellars and Dawn Upshaw. The Wiener Philharmoniker (led by Zubin Mehta) will make their Disney Hall debut. Kaija Saariaho's "La Passion de Simone" will receive its U.S. premiere. András Schiff will complete his Beethoven piano sonatas cycle.

Michael Tilson Thomas will conduct the SFO in "The Thomashefsky Project". Salonen's last hurrah will take place on April 19, 2009.

Then our Dudi, Gustavo Dudamel, will step in as Music Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; and for all his monster talent, his hype, and the obvious love audiences worldwide have poured over his cute wild bushy hair, he will have to demonstrate that he is worthy of the directorship once held, among others, by Carlo Maria Giulini and Otto Klemperer.

Dudi does not need to be afraid; he will only need, every once in a while, to remember the giants who came before him. Salonen's one of them.

Pop Countertenor Gets "Russian Of The Year" Award, Whatever That Is: Netrebko Got Robbed

We call shenanigans: the "Russian Of The Year" award, whatever it is, was won by Russian pop singer and alleged lypsinching countertenor Vitas (scary YouTube link), pictured here by AP smiling at the award ceremony today in Moscow, and naughtily handling his new shiny, suggestively-shaped big thick glass thing.

u r our Russian of teh year anna xoxoxo OC!

CSI: Beethoven. Seriously.

Coming soon: David Caruso as Mozart, William Petersen as Beethoven, Gary Sinise as Schonberg.

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra music director Marin Alsop figured out a way to combine her interest in CSI TV shows with the BSO's Beethoven-filled season, resulting in a program that fuses medical diagnoses, theatrical impersonation, slide projections and, oh yeah, some music, too.

The idea is to probe into the lingering mysteries of the composer's tragic deafness and questions about the cause or causes of his death, bringing the iconic genius and his longtime suffering closer to home. Part I of CSI: Beethoven, given last night at Meyehoff Symphony Hall (Part II is tonight), certainly revealed plenty of thoughtful planning, not to mention dashes of welcome humor.

File under, wtf

(in the image above: Untitled (Christ's Last Day) VI, 2007, by Julian Schnabel, @ Gagosian Gallery L.A.)

Hit The Road, Jess

Jessica Duchen's new tale of secks and violins, Hungarian Dances, goes on tour, touches English towns with crazily charming names.

Happy Bissextile Day

 

Yeah, that sounds kinda secksay, but it's actually not. Happiest Leap Day birthday to Gioacchino Rossini, born February 29, 1792.

(Thanks to Tjfloyd!)

Che Soave Sephirot: Jenkins-Domingo In China

Plácido Domingo poses with guest star Kathy J (and conductor Eugene Kohn) at a press conference in China earlier today. They will sing together this Saturday night @ the AsiaWorld-Expo, which will mark the first time The Dominger has ever sung in Hong Kong.

Katherine, a Montblanc "brand ambassador" *rolls eyes* was seen shilling the Montblanc jewellery collection. Jokes on her cuz the Montblanc emblem is a 6-sided star. We thought at first the shiksa was wearing a pair of magen david, the Star of David -- but we could prolly tell her it's the "Star of Woody Allen" and she'd believe us.

(photo credit: Reuters)

Bi Bi Baby: Carsen's Salome, Lipstick Thespian

Moah images from Robert Carsen's Salome in Turin.

Also, below, the dance of the seven veils -- she stays dressed while the rich h0rny dirty old men (a classic Carsen touch, with the usual subtle political undertones) who warship her, literally lose their pants.

Alan Gilbert Goes To The Metropolitan (Museum): All The Vermeers In New York

He plants himself in front of Young Woman With a Water Pitcher, entranced by the hushed fervor of the painting. The woman is tucked into an angle of a room, her head held at a contemplative tilt, her face slightly obscured by a linen scarf. She’s just begun to open a window, flooding her tight corner with a buttery daylight and an intimation of invisible horizons beyond the sill. “She’s so alone with her thoughts,” Gilbert murmurs, “but then there’s also the light from outdoors, the map hanging on the wall, and the carpet spread out on the table, which clearly comes from some distant land. You can feel the presence of the wider world.

New York Magazine profiles Alan Gilbert: Harvard man, violin dork, Vermeer fan, conductor.

The Familiar Landscapes of La Bohème. With (.) (.)

Below are some exclusive shots from the Austria set of director Robert Dornhelm's La Bohème, with *~opera stars~* Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón singing the leads. We all know we're gonna see this one, so here's a preview. Her cap in the picture above looks like a giant thong.

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SUM1s BEAN CRYI?NG!-->

No bebbe! Not in the snow! You'll get all chapped!

She DEYUHD!!!

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IN SOVIET RUSSIA AWARD WINS YOU!!! Anna Netrebko Is People's Artist

Anna Netrebko was won by an award (The People's Artist of Russia or something) earlier today in St. Petersburg (Vladimir Putin, pictured above trying hard not to scare the pregnant young lady, was in St. Pete's to attend celebrations marking the 225th anniversary of the Mariinsky Theater).

Even Cowgirls Get The Opera: La Forza Del David Pountney

Carlos Alvarez, Nina Stemme, Salvatore Licitra, Nadia Krasteva et al. in La forza del destino on stage at the Vienna opera house. Conducted by Zubin Mehta, directed by David Pountney, premieres March 1, 2008. Come one, come all to the drrrtiest little wh0arhaUs in Hornachuelos.

Pyongyang, Where the New York Philharmonic Makes History

The West-meets-East NY Philharmonic concert in Pyongyang with Maestro Lorin Maazel went off without a hitch, DPRK and USA flags flying on stage in opposite corners to represent each nation. We heard the national anthems of both countries, Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin, Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, George Gershwin's American in Paris, Farandole from Bizet's L'Arlésienne, Suite Number Two, Movement IV, Bernstein's Candide Overture, and Arirang, an old Korean folk song.

Maazel addressed the vast crowds in English, while a North Korean translator helped the audience. On ARTE, we were treated to a half time show of a French interview with Zarin Mehta. It looked like 95% of the audience was party directors and of the banker/lawyer contingent, despite Maazel’s wishes as staging, “a concert for the average citizen”.

Lorin Maazel gave a brilliant performance with the brassy, upbeat, and sparkling NY Philharmonic. They were the perfect ambassadors, and the performance was impossible to cut up. Maazel's unstoppable. He’s in Seoul on Thursday to close the Asian festival, and then he comes to Milan next week to play the entire Beethoven symphony cycle with the Symphonica Toscanini at Teatro Arcimboldi from March 4th-8th.

Here are some screenshots for those of you who didn't catch the event. You can find an Italian-language recap courtesy of Corriere here [video link!]:

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(above: the English --> Korean translator)

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(above: baggin' it for American in Paris)

(above: Glenn Dicterow, first violinist)

 

(above: Halftime show)

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I <3 Pynongyang, The Big Kimchee, The Dictatorship That Never Sleeps.

We're sooo tuning into ARTE channel @ 10:00 am when we wake up tomorrow later this evening for the live broadcast of the New York Philharmonic's two hour concert in Pynongyang, DPRK. Starting at 10:00 am (Milan time, bebbe), Maazel will knock the silk socks off of Kim Jong U b illin' and his stormtroopers of death with a concert which will mark the end of a two day musical festival, which we reported here and here and here. Highlights will include the North Korea and USA national anthems, Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin, Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, and Gershwin's An American in Paris. This is gonna be the h0ttest concert north of the demilitarized zone. 

[Update]: It's like 5 mins after 10:00 am on Feb 26, and ARTE is currently showing some documentary on frikking Russia. WTF ARTE? Pynongyang, I think we have a problem. o hai, it's going to be broadcast l8r 2nite? thx bi!

Grand Opening, Grand Closing: Brendel's Farewell Tour, Boston

Brendel is the kind of serious-minded artist who would find it crass or vulgar to trumpet a string of concerts as a "grand farewell tour" but the word is out that he is retiring from performance at the end of this year. And so a sense of moment infused the atmosphere of Symphony Hall on Friday night, when he performed a Celebrity Series recital that was his final Boston appearance.

OC tips her Stephen Jones hat to the wonder that is Alfred Brendel; and as another maestro once pointed out,

Who you gone find doper than him with no pen
Just draw off inspiration
Soon you gonna see you can't replace him
With cheap imitations for these generations

All Hail Dante Ferretti, Maestro Of Opera And Cinema

One of the advantages of living in Europe is that the Oscars are perpetrated while Europe sleeps, amd OC is grateful for that. But we must give mad propsicles to signor Dante Ferretti, visionary genius of cinema and opera, who together with la signora Francesca Lo Schiavo has won the Oscar for Art Direction; Sweeney Todd is indeed a stunning nightmare , a creepy specimen of otherworldly design (old skool design, since Ferretti still works the old fashioned way, drawing everything by hand ("I use the computer for email", he likes to say).

Ferrettavo's is our favorite Oscar, this year, by far.

It's also nice that hottie Italian composer Dario Marianelli has won the Oscar for Atonement's score -- the only thing, in that sn00zefest of a movie, that didn't put us to sleep. (He's also a friend of Jessica Duchen, lucky!)

Our least favorite Oscar: the Diablo Grody victory for Best Original Screenplay, not because we didn't like her film Roe v Juno -- we didn't like it at all, ok ok but this is beside the point -- but because if you're too cool for the Oscars you either don't show up and send a fake Native American to pick up your little golden bald guy or, if you do show up, you take the time to wear something other than a Dior leopard-print shower curtain and golden slippers.

She also slammed Stuart Weitzman for, like, doing his job. Now, US$ 2,500,000 shoes may very well be a "cheap publicity stunt". But the Oscars are one, too.

Maazel Goes To North Korea, World Ends. Or Maybe Not.

The NY Philharmonic arrived in China to begin their Asia tour that will also touch North Korea (Associated Press video here, via the Los Angeles Times). The tour, sponsored by a Communist fifth column, Credit Suisse, has immediately become quite massively controversial in the press ("Arrogant vanity" is one of our favorite slams, especially because in the editorial the unassuming Marty Peretz calls Lorin Maazel egocentric) and on the Internets because, as we all know, when Glenn Gould (who was Canadian, ok ok) toured Russia back in 1957, the West immediately lost the Cold War, all because of a weird nerdy guy sitting down and playing the piano (Gould's tour was also an automatic endorsement of decades of Soviet human rights abuses; little known fact: as soon as he came back home, Gould painted his pet polar bears red).

Maazel tried to explain himself here. To no avail, because North Korea is not only Communist, but also rabidly nationalist (unlike China: see Tibet and Taiwan) and it is a shockingly medieval country (unlike Saudi Arabia). To play in North Korea is very bad. To borrow cash from China to pay for Saudi oil, is OK.

More things to keep in mind whenever we slam Maazel: North Korea is a no-no, but it is fine to go play all over the various music festivals like Dubai's and others, even if those countries not only boycott Israel but will not allow you to travel there if you're Jewish.

It's also cool to go to Starbucks even if they accepted to segregate their stores all over Saudi Arabia and agreed to change their logo to cover up the siren's barely-discernable chest because Saudi Arabia is a moneymaker for Starbucks, unlike Israel, where Starbucks closed down their stores in 2003 (laying off 120 people) because Israelis don't drink as much coffee as the Saudis. Starbucks has stores in Turkey, too -- just don't mention the Armenian genocide while you're sipping on that frapp.

All the above things are OK; Beethoven in North Korea (where the politically/financially connected and the generally powerful will get all the good tickets, unlike, say, what happens at opening night at la Scala or the Metropolitan, where floor tickets are easy to find and free).

So remember kids: boycott the NYPhil tour of North Korea because immortal works of classical music do not spread democracy.

Bombs do.

"Between the necrophilia, the paedophilia and all the other philias, there are quite dull patches": McVicar Does SALO'-me; Strauss And Pasolini Maybe Don't Mix?

OC almost flew up to London for David McVicar's Salome, because we're certified McV fangirls, but we eventually decided against it because of the overlapping of the ROH Salome with Milan's fashion week, and priorities are priorities (also, we were able to enjoy the unsightly sight of Giorgio Armani slapping around -- verbally, for now -- Anna Wintour; and, speaking of Salomes, we ran into Lindsay Lohan). So it's been all good so far; and reading the initial reviews from London does not really make us regret the decision to stay back in Milan.

OC really likes Pasolini -- more Pasolini the poeta than she likes Pasolini the film director, but whatevs -- and on paper the idea McVicar had, to stage Salome in a Salò-like environment, sounds cool, there may be problems inherent with this choice.

McVicar also chose -- just like in his savagely powerful, hard to watch even, Marxist Rigoletto production -- to create two levels in his sets, where the rich have fun and where  the poor suffer (in this case, a slaughterhouse-like basement complete with animal carcasses hanging from hooks and a n4ked executioner with a big scimitar). The dance of the Seven Veils, without nudity, is essentially a series of creepy video flashbacks where there are strong hints  of Salome being molested as a child (she quite certainly does get raped at the end of the opera anyway).

Richard Morrison in the Times is a bit perplexed, and he also liked Nadja Michael much less than we liked her in Milan last year (but then it was a Bondy pretty minimalist production, def less xtreme, and Daniel "I Shall Steal Ur Thunda" Harding conducting). And then there are those who point out that "There is also a disturbing incongruity in having an interwar setting which seems to evoke a version of Germany, with soldiers dressed in what could well be Nazi uniforms, where a deranged potentate entertains five Jews for dinner" (unless of course the Jews will eventually get eaten -- hey, here's an idea for signor McVicar if he wants to tinker with his production, courtesy of OC!).

The nature of McVicar's two-level setup made it so that people who had the misfortune to be seated high up in the Covent Garden's El Cheapo seats -- over here we call them il loggione to spray some sparkling glitter on the sadness of it all -- couldn't really see what the hayl was going on among the rich peoples having their party upstairs. Funny that somebody as revolutionary as David McV often decides to leave all the good bits of his productions to the richest members of the audience, comfortably sitting in the expensive seats with full views of the stage.

OC will probably have to drive up to Torino at this point, and check out Carsen's Salome instead, see what's going on -- Salò vs Ocean's Eleven. Herr Doktor Strauss would probably hide under his desk or something. As he should.

Daniela Dessì & Fabio Armiliato @ Auditorium: Concerto Straordinario

Now that the mighty have fallen -- Netrebko & Schrott [née Villazón] are sooo not viable for soooo many reasons, while the Alagnas have quietly backpedaled into Backpedalville, the other opera couples don't really get us hard (Borodina & Abdrazakov), while all the old valentines are long gone (Callas & di Stefano, Freni & Pavarotti, Corelli & Nilsson) -- we're looking for another pair to take the crown & sceptre. This past Wednesday night at Milan's Auditorium, opera powah couple Fabio Fabulous Armiliato and Daniela Delicious Dessì brought a fresh aria to an eager audience.

The two swooped into town, between performances, to gift the sadly struggling laVerdi orchestra a concerto straordinario. The Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi holds a special place in our <3s, as it is comprised of the kids that still hold the reverberations of Maestro Giulini's loving retirement lessons, and we're always keen to support them. As the orchestra began with Verdi's overture from I Vespri Siciliani, the night was off to a nice start.

Time for the first aria, and Armiliato came out on the stage singing from Verdi's Otello, "Dio mi potevi scagliar", looking slick in a black suit and a black button-up shirt, with super shiny patent leather shoes. His acting was pensive and concentrated. Armiliato made a fine Otello, (and one that most fans were eager to sample) with a forceful demeanor, luscious voice, and memorable drama. 

Second aria was from Verdi's Il Trovatore, “Tacea la notte placida” sung by Daniela. She came on stage wearing a gorgeous gown, a classic Vera Wang wedding style in pale pink. The bustier was tight, with an adorable corseted back, and a thick pink silk ribbon wound through. The full skirt was gathered with layers and layers of heavy fabric. Only inches from her b3wbs rested a gorgeous diamond necklace, tiered with pendants, and matching bling on her wrist. Her voice bloomed and flourished from the warm wood of the gorgeous auditorium. Then the orchestra played again, with Verdi's La forza del destino sinfonia. Then the two came out together to sing from Verdi's Otello, “Già nella notte densa”.

Last October 2007 was the last time we saw the two sing together, when we had traveled to Vienna for the dynamic duo in Puccini's Manon Lescaut at the Wiener Staatsoper, which was only disappointing via Robert Carsen's faulty vision. Of course, there are perks to singing with your significant other -- the comfort, the chemistry, the trust, and synchronicity -- and these two know the drill. As the orchestra warmed the opening measures, Daniela caressed Fabio's face tenderly, which he reciprocated by taking her hand and kissing it. Playful Daniela picked at Fabio's jacket, tugging at a black cloth handkerchief that needed straightening. They sang locked in an embrace, holding hands, and fitted against each other like cutlery. At the end of the aria, they lovingly exchanged a quick, supportive kiss on the lips, Fabio planted one on her forehead, and they bathed in their deserved applause. They sang tenderly, with technique at full throttle.

We broke for 20 minutes so the singers could rest a bit, and then the fresh faces of la Verdi played their version of the Intermezzo from Puccini's Manon Lescaut to start the second half.

Then out came Armiliato ready to tear into his next aria, which hit with the force of a lightning bolt. He launched into the Improvviso from Giordano's Andrea Chénier and stunned the audience with his skills, which exited to the most thunderous applause and bravi. His voice filled the auditorium with ease, washing the hall without breaking a sweat.

Next was Daniela's turn, who had drastically changed her former pink froth into a smart black number. She showed-off a slimmer silhouette than what we've seen in recent years, firmer arms and slender waist (must have been working out but the out-of-control b3wbs are still there in all their impressive glory, good for her). Her dress was a straight long skirt to the floor, made from rows and rows of thin lace, while a black satin bow demarcated the bodice from the skirt. The top formed a deep v-neck with meaty straps, showcasing the same diamond necklace from the first half. She looked stunning, and showed off her secksy black stilettos while walking astride to (the not-always-flawless) conductor Marco Boemi.

She set it off with Verdi's La forza del destino "Pace mio Dio" and gave us a lesson in perfection, her voice growing more beautiful with every passage. She was a storm of bottled emotion with dramatic sweeps of her hands. After lots of cheers the orchestra enjoyed themselves with Ponchielli's Gioconda, Danza delle ore, with such energy that at one point, Boemi was pop-locking on the podium. Best moment of the night.

Then the couple came out for their last listed duet, which was Giordano's Andrea Chénier “Vicino a te s'acqueta". Again, the chemistry and tenderness between the two singers was impossible to deflect, and so genuine. As they finished their last aria, their voices already filling the auditorium for the past two hours, the audience exploded.

In the end, they gave three bis. The first they gave together in duet, the Brindisi from Verdi's La Traviata...a playful, sweet round with the orchestra filling in for the missing chorus. Corny, kinda cheesy, yeah, but hay...

Then came out Fabio for his solo bis, which he chose as Nessun Dorma from Puccini's Turandot. Great, but it proved to be the fertile breeding ground for the only abberation of the evening, as Armiliato broke the last note of the aria's last "Vincerò" and dropped it like it was hawt. No matter, as the audience bolstered his over-extension and eagerly applauded before the end of the piece, like devoted sports fans at an injured player taken off field.

Daniela ended the evening on a glorious note and Callasized "Poveri fiori" from Cilèa's Adriana Lecouvreur. Her pronunciation was superb ("soave e forte bacio di morte") showing us her many years of following the old skool by not eating your words when you sing.

After the performance, as it was already 11pm, Fabio and Daniela went into overtime by signing autographs in the downstairs lobby of Auditorium for their adoring fans and selling their duet disc. OC, although certainly an adoring fan, had to rush out at the last note of Poveri Fiori, and was unable to meet teh superstars. But it's all good. OC had a Dirty Dancing dream that night. Armiliato was Johnny Castle, Daniela was Penny Johnson, and OC was Baby (of course)...and we all danced the drrrrty mambo and ate watermelon. I HAD TEH TIME OF MY LIFE! [warning: youtube link].

Lindsay Lohan Skanks Up Milan

The Milan fashion shows -- la moda -- are a pain in the a$$, because our regular lunch tables at our favorite restaurants are all booked up, taxis are impossible to find, and the amount of obnoxious skanks buying-out the small sizes in our coveted boutiques is doubled. Mostly you run into nobodies who have inflated senses of self-worth, but once in a while you'll see a ^~^celebrity^~^.

First we catch La Lindsay Lohan @ the Dolce & Gabbana fashion show, as a (quite baffled) special guest of the designers (in the photo above). But it's OK, because Domenico & Stefano inexplicably like her, and she's an affordable Muse -- less annoying than old Dolce & Gabbana icon Madonna (even if Lohan looks about Madge's age now she's less of a pain), and less expensive than Bellucci.

This afternoon, as *~*OC*~* was rushing to the gym in between le sfilate, she spots Lindasy Lohan and assorted clinger-ons in Via Dante, a store-lined street closed to traffic that runs from Castello Sforzesco towards Duomo (and vice versa). Which is odd because you'd think Linds would be on via della Spiga or via Sant' Andrea or via Montenapoleone trying to play the good graces of the couture headquarters, instead of the bleak (yes, but gorgeous) via Dante with middle-to-low-end stores like Petit Bateau, Max Mara, and Geox.

Lindsay -- who I wish I could say is a fragile little daisy -- plodded ungracefully along the cobblestone in her 7" platform boots, noticeably uninterested in anything, while [rumored long-time girlfriend] Samantha Ronson, in kicks, took everything in. They stopped in the middle of the road for a group portrait, gawked at a street vendor, and continued for Sforzesco.

Lindsay and her posse have been in Milan since last night for the Fall 2008 Ready-to-Wear Dolce & Gabbana show, which was a bright moment amid this year's drab and disappointing shows. Last time LiLo was here was two months ago to ring in the New Year, when she was photographed trapsing around Milan and Como, hooking-up with three Italian semi-celebrities in three days. Linds, keep yo' legs in those black leggings. Those Italian men are nothing but trouble...

Here are a few shots, and a movie below. Go to the Opera Chic Blog Flickr page for more high-res photos, and go to the Opera Chic YouTube page for a short video (or watch it embedded below).

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Here are some shots of Lindsay (by the paps) out and about on Thursday night. She went to Dolce & Gabbana's restaurant "Gold" [warning: loud music link] on via Carlo Poerio. Ugh. Gold lamé everywhare. So subtle. Gold flakes on my uova al tartufo?? I must be going insane. F**k the world. I'd better pay with my AmEx Black.

Renzo Piano To Design New Opera House In Athens, Parthenon To Become Redundant Bunch Of Old Rocks

As of now, the Parthenon is the most impressive building in Athens.

That's bound to change soon since Renzo Piano, has been commissioned to build Athens' new opera house and national library.

The $442 million project will be funded with an endowment from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Upon completion, it will be handed over to the Greek state.

Pregka Trebka Goes To Abu Dhabi Fe$tival

$ay what you want about Abu Dhabi, but it i$ certainly a fir$t-cla$$ venue for cla$$ical mu$ic, unlike provincial hou$e$ $uch as Covent Garden, Liceu, or, for that matter, la Scala (la Scala, where she has in fact never ever sung -- she's scheduled to do so in a very hazy future Otello that she may or may not want to study for).

Carefully choosing engagements now, after announcing her pregnancy and the streak of cancellations raining down on her schedule, Anna Netrebko will take the time to rawk the Abu Dhabi Festival, together with a team of gung-ho IMG arti$t$ willing to add such a venue to their already impressive resumes, all for the love of mu$ic.

The program opens March 22 and runs to April 2. Highlights will include violinist Nikolaj Znaider and the London Philharmonic under the direction of Vladimir Jurowski; pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet in an evening of Mozart, Ravel and Prokofiev; and Grammy-nominated soprano Anna Netrebko in a special gala with the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra.

Anna Bananna on March 29 will be joined by Elina Garanca and Anna's own bebbedaddy Erwin Schrott in an evening of Mozart and Verdi with the Bolshoi group.

And then they make fun of poor Andrea Bocelli for singing in Vega$.

Chailly For Change: How To Solve The CSO Dilemma

Waiting for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to signal its intentions about its next music director has been more prolonged than this year's presidential primaries, and very nearly as suspenseful.

Our money's on a (apparent) dark horse: Riccardo Chailly.

Excellent Italian repertoire, deep knowledge of the 20th Century, great experience at the Concertgebouw. Yes he can.

Yes. I Play The Piano. Why Do You Ask?

With yet another take on the piano keyboard scarf, here's Milan-based fashion designer Frankie Morello's version.

Fabio Armiliato & Daniela Dessì Tonight @ Auditorium di Milano

Powah couple, Fabio Armiliato & Daniela Dessì [warning: sound file plays upon loading], will be appearing live tonight at Auditorium di Milano @ 8:30 pm, singing Italian duets and arias. We'll hear selections from Verdi's Otello, Il Trovatore, and La Forza del destino, with more arias from Manon Lescaut, Andrea Chénier, and la Gioconda. Stay tuned for a full report this evening.

 

"You Are One of the Few Who Attract Both Men and Women," Ferragamo Head Says of Roberto Bolle.

Women's Wear Daily covered Tuesday's Salvatore Ferragamo show, known to us Bolle warshippers as “The Show That Launched A Thousand Wet Panties”. Yes, yes. I went there...and I'll go there again. As the directors behind Ferragamo introduced Bolle as the new face of their ad campaign, they described the scene of the ballerino being mobbed by paparazzi (image above from WWD of Bolle @ the show).

Ferragamo head exec said of Bolle: "You are one of the few who attract both men and women." You can read the story here.

Hear that Jake Gyllenhaal and Javier Bardem??? Your days are numbered!! Too bad the new Ferragamo collection bombed, as incoming creative director Cristina Ortiz presented a tacky, Las Vegas-inspired fashion flop with the requisite Lucite wedge heels, halter tops, and silk jumpsuits. Sounds like something str8 out of Jennifer Lopez’s J.Lo Collection. Groce.