Christopher Macchio Slaughters Puccini In Political Propaganda Night

Opera suffered a major blow in the America's capital. Donald Trump ended the fourth evening of the Republican National Convention on the lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., with singer Christopher Macchio attempting to interpret Puccini's well-known "Nessun Dorma" from the portico balcony. Struggling through music that is beyond his faculties, even with a microphone, he followed the aria with Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," Schubert's "Ave Maria," Irving Berlin's "God Bless America," and ended with Katharine Lee Bates's "America the Beautiful." The entire spectacle was reminiscent of autocratic regimes in the world that flaunt crowds and wealth as political power. Remember in the context of the opera Turandot, from which the aria derives, the title character has threatened "This night, none shall sleep in Peking! The penalty for all will be death if the Prince's name is not discovered by morning." It's not clear whether the administration knew this in advance or perhaps that is why is was selected. 

According to various biographies, the entertainer attended the Manhattan School of Music in New York. Macchio came to the attention of Donald Trump after he performed at a New Year's Eve Party thrown at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. Read more about his achievements here. "His exploits can be followed online though his website, www.christphermacchio.com, through social media, and experienced on his debut album, DocliMomenti, which showcases a stylistic range that can delicately draw an audience in, and
then build to a virtuoso climax that leaves
goosebumps on the arms and tears in the eyes."

Reviews have been less than favorable of the performance. Watch it here. A professional version of the famous aria can be found after the jump.

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Schubert "Die Forelle" Used To Sell Axe Dry Spray Antiperspirant

Nothing Fishy Here: Ad man promotes the new product from Axe.

The latest product from Axe, White Label Dry Spray Antiperspirant, features the music of Franz Schubert's famous lied "Die Forelle" in the commercial promoting the product. "Introducing the first ever dry spray antiperspirant line from Axe® -- an entirely new way from Axe® to stay dry. Applied to the underarms, this revolutionary new product was specially designed to go on instantly dry with no visible residue, keeping you fresh and protected from sweat for 48 hours. Featuring a cool rush of grapefruit, lavender, cedarwood and praline notes, the Axe White Label Night dry spray will keep you immaculately fresh so you feel your finest." [Source] Watch the commercial for Axe, and hear Renée Fleming sing "Die Forelle," after the jump.

What's In A Name: Rosamund Pike Photographed By Mario Testino

A Rose by Any Other Name: Rosamund Pike in Vanity Fair

"The name Rosamund (also spelled Rosamond and Rosamunde) is a girls' name and can also be a family name (surname). Originally it combined the Germanic elements hros, meaning horse, and mund, meaning 'protection.' Later, it was influenced by the Latin phrases rosa munda, meaning 'pure rose,' and rosa mundi, meaning 'rose of the world.' 'Rosamonda' is the Italian, 'Rosamunde' is the German and 'Rosemonde' the French form of the name. People named Rosamund or variations thereof include: Rosamund (Gepid) or Rosamunde (fl. sixth century), second wife of Alboin, King of the Germanic Lombards; Rosamund Clifford (before 1150 – c. 1176), medieval beauty and longtime mistress of King Henry II; Rosamund Greenwood (1907–1997), British actress; Rosamund John (1913–1998), English actress; Rosamund Kwan (born 1962), Chinese actress; Rosamund Pike (born 1979), British actress; Rosamunde Pilcher (born 1924), British novelist; Rosamund Stanhope (1919–2005), British poet and teacher; Rosamund Marriott Watson (1860–1911), English poet and critic who wrote under the pseudonym of Graham R. Tomson. Franz Schubert also wrote incidental music

scored for orchestra under the Rosamunde heading. "There are two overtures associated with Rosamunde: The overture used for the stage production was the overture Schubert had originally composed for Alfonso und Estrella, but Schubert thought it less suitable for that opera and in the 1891 publication of the Gesammtausgabe, the ten numbers of the Rosamunde music were preceded by the overture to Die Zauberharfe (The Magic Harp), without any proof it was ever Schubert's intention to associate that overture with the rest of the Rosamunde music" The first vocal version, "Der Vollmond Strahlt auf Bergeshöh'n" was published in 1824 as Op. 26, with piano accompaniment. The one vocal version for mixed chorus and orchestra, dated 1863, is written "Andante con moto." Other forms of the incidental music include an entr'acte, ballet, and choruses. Additional uses of the music include an excerpt of the piece incorporated into the Christmas carol "Mille cherubini in coro," a song made popular by Luciano Pavarotti in a 1980 TV Christmas program. The piece is also played in Marvel's film The Avengers in the German opera house scene. [Source, Source] Watch a Vanity Fair video of Rosamund Pike being photographed by Mario Testino, and listen to Elly Ameling singing the vocal version of Schubert's music, after the jump.

Reclining Rosamund: A scene that could easily be taken straight out of a Schubertiade.

Dorothea Röschmann Delivers Package Of German Lieder For Sony

"Gefeiert auf den wichtigsten Opernbühnen der Welt - als Susanna, Ännchen, Eva, Fiordiligi, Micäela und in vielen anderen Rollen - ist die deutsche Sopranistin Dorothea Röschmann auch eine der großen Liedinterpretinnen unserer Zeit. Für ihre neue CD wählte sie wunderschöne Lieder von Schubert, Schumann, Strauss und Wolf, die von berühmten Frauengestalten aus Literatur und Geschichte inspiriert wurden. Von Malcolm Martineau gefühlvoll am Klavier begleitet zeichnet sie subtile StimmungsPortraits, welche die fein schattierten Nuancen der Figuren widerspiegeln, die in den Liedern dargestellt werden. Das Ergebnis sind sorgfältig konzipierte, einfühlsam gesungene Miniaturen mit Höhepunkten wie Schuberts 'Gretchen am Spinnrad' und 'Nur wer die Sehnsucht kennt,' Strauss 'Die Nacht' oder 'Morgen' und den Mignon Liedern von Hugo Wolf." [Source] Get more information about the album including track listing, and listen to the samples from the recording, after the jump.

Happy Birthday: Franz Schubert

Franz Peter Schubert was born in Himmelpfortgrund (suburb of Vienna), Austria, on January 31, 1797. His opera compositions include Adrast, Alfonso und Estrella, Die Bürgschaft, Fierrabras, Das Dreimäderlhaus, Die Freunde von Salamaka, Der Graf von Gleichen, Der Minnesänger, Rüdiger, Sacontala, Sophie, Des Teufels Lustschloß, Die Verschworenen (aka Der häusliche Krieg), Die Zauberharfe and Die Zwillingsbrüder. Composing over six hundred lieder in his 31 years on earth, this is where Schubert really left his mark on music. Steering away from the strophic style of song writing, the Austrian composer began to compose works that took on a more narrative tone in the form of mini-melodramas. Two examples are his "Gretchen am Spinnrade" and "Der Erlkönig." His song cycles Die schöne Müllerin, Winterreise and Schwanengesang also took on an almost operatic drama. In the grand Viennese tradition, enjoy the Schubertiade after the jump!