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21 Nov 09
Placido Domingo spendet für Halleiner Orgel - oesterreich.ORF.at
That's the organ in the church where Franz Gruber first performed Stille Nacht (Silent night)...because the organ was broken!
20 Nov 09
Making mum proud | Zoë's World
"... Katherine Jenkins, who must have been the busiest artist this month, launching not only an album but, on last count, 15 hair looks!"
An album, and, coo, 15 hair looks! And that's in between learning the part of Carmen, and rehearsing for her many appearances in operas. Woo!
16 Nov 09
Plácido Domingo: "Si mi nieto fuera 'heavy' le enseñaría mi música más que a nadie" - 20minutos.es
Interview
BBC NEWS | UK | 'Small beer' Blyton banned by BBC
Confession time: the only reason I read Enid Blyton was that they were forbidden fruit, deprecated chez nous for lack of literary value.
I further confess that I found them pretty crap even when I was reading them.
I much preferred Kathleen Fidler, but who's ever heard of her nowadays? And Antonia Forest's school stories were much much better than Malory Towers!
But I shall watch the TV drama; also the Margot Fonteyn and Gracie Fields ones. I'm surprised to find Our Gracie amongst the scandalous Enid and Margot!
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Opera’s push into the mainstream
They really do employ idiots in the BBC Entertainment website. Very strange segue from discussing the ROH/ENO marketing strategy to discussing Katherine Jenkins and:
Take That's Gary Barlow is music's latest maestro to embrace the classical cross-over, making soprano Camilla Kerslake his first signing to his own record label Future Records. Her debut album is a mix of genres and includes a classically inspired version of Take That's Rule The World.
'Classically inspired'? What, it's got violins in it. How utterly old-fashioned, retread, heard it all before - there really is nothing new about performing pop songs with an orchestra accompaniment. Zzzzzz
Divas Myleene Klass and Katherine Jenkins join forces to bring opera X Factor to TV | Mail Online
Ha ha ha ha!
Loving the idea of Katherine Jenkins and Paul Potts as judges of operatic talent. Why not throw Russell Watson into the mix, too, and then we're really singing. So to speak.
Don't these telly people know that there's already been a televised contest for opera singers, that long pre-dates Britain's got an X-Idol? Cardiff Singer.
What's the betting that they'll get these pop singers to sing one of a small select number of arias - Nessun Dorma, O mio babbino caro - with a microphone, with a tiny orchestra (or probably a backing track). there will be no requirement to do ensemble work, to project the voice over a Wagnerian orchestra (without microphone) into a house, and certainly no test of acting and other stage work - juggling, cartwheels, walking up walls horizontally, falling to the ground and rolling around, lying on one's back with head in orchestra pit, lying on one's front with head in soprano's lap, that sort of thing.
It will be sanitised, anaemic and eviscerated and once again Katherine Jenkins will cite it as 'proof' of her unique ability to bring 'classical music' to 'ordinary people'
14 Nov 09
Classical Music Downloads - Classic MP3 Music Downloads
I haven't explored this iste yet, but it looks genuine and interesting
13 Nov 09
We love Brixton Hill: Update on Brixton Hill/ Acre Lane Road works
At 6am on Sunday 15 November Brixton Hill will become a two-way road. The one-way system around St Matthew's Church in Brixton will be closed as part of works by Transport for London (TfL) to improve Brixton town centre.
Opera Holland Park
A largely appealing season, especially, for me the 3 F*s. Pelleas I shall avoid with a bargepole, Carmen and Don G I can do without, Don G especially with the dates being in such close proximity to Simon B at ROH.
* Fidelio, Forza, Francesca
Boccanegra in Berlin, (Staatsoper)
(Not sure if the link will work, but it's a 13 Nov post on Opera-L by David Haslett)
So to Domingo - yes, some initial shock at the sound of the voice on the first entry but I adjusted. In this small house there was strong projection in all ranges. He coloured the voice to suggest age - to be honest, it was such a compelling performance in every way that I stopped analysing and accepted it on his terms. It is no use pretending that it is a 'Verdi baritone" sound - it is not and cannot be; but it convinced me more, for all that, than recent efforts by Hampson and Hvorostovsky. He was on amazing form. It insults him to say - oh, amazing for a 68 year old. This was a thrilling performance and wholly convincing. The sound was burnished bronze, heroic. The role appears to suit him extraordinarily well and I must say it was no stranger to me than hearing a mezzo as the Marschallin or Leonora in Fidelio - ultimately it is about convincing one that it is right and Domingo certainly did that. I will treasure this performance.
09 Nov 09
Intermezzo: Placido mixes it in Berlin
Pictures of Plácido at the MTV awards on Thursday night
Doctor Samuel JOHNSON’S Dictionary of the new Musick: A
One hopes that B-Z will follow in due course!
Wenn Künstler in Gesten erstarren
According to this, Plácido was in the audience last for 'Fall of the House of Usher' in Potsdam
(contrary to what you might think, this opera is not about the UK MPs' expenses scandal...!)
mostly opera...: CD: Jonas Kaufmann excels with Die Schöne Müllerin
I suppose I ought to get this, but I'm not doing very well overcoming my hesitancy about Lieder. I suppose if anything can do it it's a great German singer singing Lieder by a composer beginning with Schu!
Somali adulterer stoned to death
Barbarians
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