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Ma, falle gli occhi azzuri!
Another treasure from Mike Richter‘s trove: the only studio recording of Dorothy Kirsten‘s celebrated Tosca. From the Richter CD-ROM “MORC,” a selection from the Metropolitan Opera Record Club,...
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This woman is dangerous
Our weekly peek into the Mike Richter treasure trove yields a live recording from his “Operas of Richard Strauss” CD-ROM, Die Frau ohne Schatten from the Bayerische Staatsoper on July 16, 1988. Die...
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Est-ce vrai? Grand merci!
Among the many reasons La Cieca has to be thankful: the legacy of Mike Richter on his CD-ROMs, represented here by a live performance of Manon. Massenet: Manon San Francisco Opera, October 8, 1971...
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Marriage in München
Our weekly find from the Mike Richter collection: Le nozze di Figaro from the Bayerische Staatsoper with a geniunely A-list cast. From “Opera from München, Volume 1,” a live recording from July 27/29,...
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Meyerbeer goggles
In honor of Giacomo Meyerbeer, the unjustly or (depending on how you look at it) justly neglected 19th century opera composer, a selection from Mike Richter‘s “Meyerbeer Operas” CD-ROM. Il Crociato in...
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Art school confidential
This week, our peek into the Mike Richter collection reveals a long listen for those lengthy midwinter nights: Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. From “Opera from Bayreuth” Richard Wagner: Die...
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Their master’s voice
One of Mike Richter‘s most spectacular achievements was the remastering and digitization of the complete master classes conducted by Maria Callas at the Juilliard School in 1971-1972. Selections from...
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Precious snowflake
Bundle up warmly, cher public, and enjoy a weather-appropriate selection from the Mike Richter hoard. It’s Rimsky-Korsakov’s Snegurochka from his “Russian Opera” CD-ROM. Bolshoi Theater, 1957. Evgeni...
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Herself you shall adore
From an early Mike Richter CD-ROM, “Odd Opera” comes this gem, a live performance of Handel’s Semele at Carnegie Hall on February 23, 1985, the 300th anniversary of the composer’s birth. Conductor:...
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Mask me no questions
In what seems to be turning into an informal salute to Kathleen Battle (not pictured), our gem from the Mike Richter collection this week is a performance of Un ballo in maschera, featuring Jose...
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Mike Richter meets Claudio Abbado
La Cieca assumes, or at least hopes, such an encounter is currently taking place on some other plane. In slightly more mundane terms, though, Mike Richter did “meet” Claudio Abbado, though not in the...
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Your doyenne’s goodness is extreme
Well, “extreme” is such an, oh, how shall I put it… extreme word, my dears; really La Cieca is no more than the humble intermediary here between Mike Richter‘s CD-ROMs and you, the cher public. This...
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Talor dal mio forziere
A summer performance of a wintry treat is this week’s bonbon from the Mike Richter collection, this time from his “Opera from Munich” CD-ROM, AE204. It’s a live, in-house performance of La bohème under...
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Vieni a mirar la cerula
More Verdi from the Mike Richter collection, this time from CD-ROM SFO-02, a performance of Simon Boccanegra featuring Ingvar Wixell and Kiri Te Kanawa. Verdi: Simon Boccanegra 14 November 1975 San...
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Miss Right
A particularly delectable treat from the Mike Richter trove: Wolfgang Sawallisch conducts a 1985 performance of Arabella at the Bayerische Staatsoper, featuring Lucia Popp and Wolfgang Brendel....
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Fifty Shades of Gré
From Mike Richter‘s CD-ROM “El Anillo,” here is radiant soprano Gré Brouwenstijn in the first act of Die Walküre as performed at the Teatro Colón in 1962. Wagner: Die Walküre, Act One Teatro Colón,...
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Spin cycle
By popular demand, La Cieca brings you Der Ring des Nibelungen, as recorded at the Teatro Colón and preserved on Mike Richter‘s CD-ROM “El Anillo.” First up (naturally), Das Rheingold. Wagner: Das...
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Horseplay
Mike Richter‘s documentation of the 1962 Buenos Aires Ring continues with the second act of Die Walküre featuring Birgit Nilsson and Hans Hotter. Wagner: Die Walküre, Act Two Teatro Colón, September...
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Flame on
From the Mike Richter collection, Act Three of Die Walküre at the Teatro Colón, featuring Hans Hotter, Birgit Nilsson and Gré Brouwenstijn (not pictured.) Wagner: Die Walküre, Act Three Teatro Colón,...
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Into the woods
Continuing “El Anillo” from the Mike Richter collection, Siegfried at the Teatro Colón (not pictured). Wagner: Siegfried, Act One Teatro Colón, October 12, 1962 Siegfried: Hans Hopf Der Wanderer: Hans...
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Hast du Übermut?
From the legendary Mike Richter collection, here’s another segment of “El Anillo,” act two of Siegfried from the Teatro Colón. Wagner: Siegfried, Act Two Teatro Colón, October 12, 1962 Siegfried: Hans...
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Sleep no more
The long slumbers of Brünnhilde and La Cieca are finally at their respective ends as we continue “El Anillo” from the Mike Richter collection with the third act of Siegfried. Wagner: Siegfried, Act...
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Norn yesterday
The final day of the Buenos Aires Ring dawns in our latest sampling from the Mike Richter’s trove of CD-ROMs. Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Prologue and Act One Teatro Colón, October 26, 1962 Brünnhilde:...
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The revengening
Legendary Birgit Nilsson heads a spectacular cast in the second act of Götterdämmerung, our latest treasure from Mike Richter‘s trove of CD-ROMs. Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act Two Teatro Colón, October...
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Final chapter
The mighty Teatro Colón Ring cycle draws to a close, courtesy of Mike Richter‘s superb CD-ROM “El Anillo.” Wagner: Götterdämmerung, Act Two Three Teatro Colón, October 26, 1962 BBrünnhilde: Birgit...
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The princess diaries
By special request of Our Own DeCaffarrelli, and courtesy of Mike Richter, here’s a treat: a 1969 performance of La Cenerentola starring the delectable Teresa Berganza. Rossini: La Cenerentola San...
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The waiting game
This week’s gem from the Mike Richter collection is all the more precious for its rarity: a performance of Fauré’s Pénélope starring ravishing Régine Crespin. Fauré: Pénélope Radio concert performance,...
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Feast of the Marys
From one of the earliest Mike Richter CD-ROMs, “Odd Opera,” comes a piece definitely fitting that description. It’s a live performance of Antônio Carlos Gomes’ Fosca! Gomes: Fosca Theatro Municipal de...
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Mad woman
Mike Richter, via CD-ROM, takes us back to the golden age of concert opera in New York City, i.e., 1966, with Il pirata starring Montserrat Caballé. Bellini: Il Pirata “On 25 April 1966, the American...
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“Ya proklinayu tebya, moy rokovaya krasota!”
One of the late Mike Richter‘s most endearing traits was his fascination with rare or downright offbeat recordings, such as this complete 1963 performance of Verdi’s Don Carlos in Russian by artists of...
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