At least the last responders in the Capitol finally came through and passed the Zadroga bill, providing help to the 9/11 first responders, help that should have been there as automatically as our cops and firefighters respond to 911 calls. One senator, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, made rumblings about living up to his nickname, "Dr. No," and single-handedly blocking the bill. Coburn really is a doctor, an obstetrician who delivered 4,000 babies. His opera singer daughter, Sarah, often performs in New York. He has never encountered a military allocation too large for him to support.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Political Theater Compliments of the Dust Bowl
At least the last responders in the Capitol finally came through and passed the Zadroga bill, providing help to the 9/11 first responders, help that should have been there as automatically as our cops and firefighters respond to 911 calls. One senator, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, made rumblings about living up to his nickname, "Dr. No," and single-handedly blocking the bill. Coburn really is a doctor, an obstetrician who delivered 4,000 babies. His opera singer daughter, Sarah, often performs in New York. He has never encountered a military allocation too large for him to support.
La Mort de Sardanapale (1827) - Eugène Delacroix
Its dominant feature is a large bed on which a nude prostrates herself and beseeches the apathetic Sardanapalus for mercy. Sardanapalus had ordered his possessions destroyed and sex slaves murdered before immolating himself, once he learned that he was faced with military defeat.Death of Sardanapalus is based on the tale of Sardanapalus, the last king of Assyria, from the historical library of Diodorus Siculus, the ancient Greek historian, and is a work of the era of Romanticism. This painting uses rich, vivid and warm colors, and broad brushstrokes. It was inspired by Lord Byron's play Sardanapalus (1821). And in turn inspired a cantata by Hector Berlioz, La mort de Sardanpale (1830), and also Franz Liszt's opera, Sardanapale (1845-52, unfinished).
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Rosamund Pike: Incidental Offspring
"Pike, who also plays the cello, is the daughter of two opera singers. She began her career at the age of 16 in a stage production of Romeo and Juliet, and has alternated her theatre work with such movies as The Libertine with Johnny Depp, and Fracture with Ryan Gosling and Anthony Hopkins. She was co-starring in Fugitive Pieces, the 2007 screen version of Anne Michaels’ bestseller, when producer Robert Lantos gave her a copy of Barney’s Version."
Wilma Lipp Meets Jay-Z
"I have listened to most of Jay-Z's CD's. I grew up with no popular culture to speak of. Jay-Z early in our conversation mentioned some rap song which I did not know. I told him that he "may lose me at times." A few moments later, I mentioned to him that I grew up debating with myself which Queen of the Night was the best in all the recordings I had on LP (I think there is no arguing - Wilma Lipp in the Karl Bohm recording with the Vienna Philharmonic of the early 1950's). Hearing this Jay-Z responded that I may lose him at times."
Rosy Palms For a Diva
PALMES D'OR ROSE 2002 DIVA CHAMPAGNE
"The legend of Palmes d’Or originates from Nicolas Feuillatte himself and was created as an expression of his once love for a young opera singer in the 1950’s. The legend took nearly 30 years to manifest into the ultimate homage to an unrequited love: the region of Champagne and a special champagne created in the image of his ‘Diva’ – extravagant, fantastic, sublime and unforgettable. Sourced from only the finest Grand Cru vineyards within Champagne, the Palmes d’Or Vintage and Palmes d’Or Rose Vintage are unique expressions of terrior, time and place."
MET Sirius XM Radio Tonight: "Pelléas et Mélisande"
Listen to the Metropolitan Opera perform Debussy's Pélleas et Mélisande live tonight at 8:00 PM EST on Sirius XM radio. Intermission guests: Nicola Luisotti (see video) and Jonathan Waterfield.
Watch as the conductor and singers show their surprise talents!
Disciplinarian Katherine Jenkins Doing It With Domingo
How does the soprano keep her voice healthy enough to sing into a microphone? Coaching with the best you say? Juicy details are all after the jump.
Gays Like Opera Singer Graves, Don't They?
"Some of the city’s most prominent residents are buried at the Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro, a cemetery listed on the National Register of Historic Places, where guides can help point out the mausoleums of the rich and famous, including opera singer Antonio Paoli, a tenor who achieved worldwide fame while touring Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia between 1900 and 1914." - Passport, America's #1 Gay Travel Magazine
Blythe Danner Operatic Family Tree
[Your daughter], Gwyneth [Paltrow], is getting a lot of attention recently for her musical talent in Country Song. Where do you think that interest in singing came from? My family was very musical. My brother is an opera singer, my parents both sang. My earliest memories of Gwyneth first singing is in bed when we would make up songs. The most I could do was harmonize like a third above and at two years old, she’d be doing sixths. I said, 'Where in the world did that come from?'
Frederica von Stade Talks Miracles
Zheng Cao, born during China's Cultural Revolution, came to America 23 years ago with virtually nothing. "Zheng is one of God's best creatures," said Frederica von Stade, a fellow opera singer. "When he puts a lot of good things all in one person, it results in someone like Zheng." With two suitcases at $45 in hand, Cao arrived Dec. 17, 1988. After formal training she became a household name on America' grandest stages, as one the great mezzo-sopranos to come from abroad. But in 2008, on stage and off, something was wrong. Zheng had a pain that wouldn't go away. Soon medical tests delivered grim news. "I said, how bad is it?" Zheng, 44, recalled in an interview with Good Morning America. "And she said 'it's stage four.'"
(Photo: ABC News)
The Year of Edita Gruberova
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(Photo: Wilhelm Schraml/Kurier) |
The soprano's secret to a long career? "Erstens muss man eine gute Technik haben. Zweitens muss man - das ist das Wichtigste - Nein sagen können. Hätte ich all die Partien, die berühmte Dirigenten von mir haben wollten, gemacht, dann könnte ich jetzt nicht mehr singen."
Joyce DiDonato Explores Gender Identity
Based on concert performances in September 2010 at the Théâtre des Champs Elysées with Orchestre de l'Opéra National de Lyon under conductor Kazushi Ono, the premise of the disc is to explore different characters - male and female - from operas with the same plot. The program tries to exploit the limitless range of emotion and vocal colors available to a mezzo-soprano.
For a sampling of the disc's theory, look to the yin and yang of Bellini's Romeo ("Ascolta! Se Romeo t'uccise un figlio...- La tremenda ultrice spada" - I Capuletti e i Montecchi) contrasted with Berlioz's Juliette ("Premiers transports que nul n'oublie" - Roméo et Juliette) and Rossini's Cenerentola ("Nacqui all'affanno" - La Cenerentola) opposite Massenet's Cendrillon ("Allez, laissez-moi seul...Coeur sans amour, printemps sans roses" - Cendrillon).
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Rolex Keeps Time with the Arts
Top: Plácido Domingo, Jonas Kaufmann, Renée Fleming Bottom: Bryn Terfel, Cecilia Bartoli, Rolando Villazón
"Since its inception at the beginning of the 20th century, Rolex has always encouraged individual excellence and the pursuit of perfection. In keeping with this long tradition, today it makes a particular contribution to the arts world through its various sponsoring activities."
(Photos: Rolex)
"Der Freischütz" Film Opens Tomorrow
Der junge Jäger Max (Michael König) liebt Agathe (Juliane Banse), die Tochter des Erbförsters Kuno (Benno Schollum). Allerdings muss er bei einem „Probeschuss“ erst seine Eignung als Erbe und Schwiegersohn unter Beweis stellen. So will es ein alter Brauch. Doch das Jägerglück hat Max verlassen, er trifft mit keinem Schuss mehr. In seiner Not lässt er sich von seinem zwielichtigen Kameraden Kaspar (Michael Volle) überzeugen, dass nur noch schwarze Magie und dunkle Mächte ihm 
helfen können. Er verabredet sich mit ihm um zur Mitternachtsstunde in der unheimlichen Wolfsschlucht treffsichere Freikugeln zu gießen. Doch werden die Freikugeln ihn retten oder wird er Agathe verlieren?"Der junge Jäger Max (Michael König) liebt Agathe (Juliane Banse), die Tochter des Erbförsters Kuno (Benno Schollum). Allerdings muss er bei einem „Probeschuss“ erst seine Eignung als Erbe und Schwiegersohn unter Beweis stellen. So will es ein alter Brauch.
Christian Thielemann's Christmas Wish
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| (Photo: M. Creutziger) |
The Maestro talks about Christmas shopping, the New Year's Eve concerts, taking over for the Dresden Staatskapelle in 2012 and music events he attends on his nights off.
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