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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Ronald Genato Presents Short Film "Nessun Dorma" For Contest

"Tired of chasing Ken, Paul meets him one last time before leaving on a journey to Europe in search for a better place to dream and love. The film explores the love and relationship struggles of Asian gay men caused by social constraints. It describes their aspirations for Europe, where there is a culture of acceptance and open-mindedness, as well as support from governments in the form of legal same-sex partnerships. Nessun Dorma is a famous aria from Puccini's opera Turandot that depicts an unknown prince's unrequited love to a beautiful but cold princess. In the film, the aria is used to mirror Paul's wailing for a love that cannot be fulfilled. This short film is submitted by Ronald Genato." Learn more about the Asia-Europe Foundation contest by clicking here. Watch the video after the jump. [Source]