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From a vault in Paris: The sound of opera in 1907
International Herald Tribune ^
| February 16, 2009
| Alan Riding
Posted on 02/16/2009 10:38:46 PM PST by Cincinna
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To: Borges
I'm sure all true opera lovers are thrilled, excited and generally wetting their pants in anticipation of "An Inconvenient Truth", the opera, currently being mounted in Italy. Directed by hack director William Friedkin and financed by Participant Productions, the left-wing company that paid for the movie.
The arts will never be the same.
41
posted on
02/17/2009 8:57:59 AM PST
by
Deb
(Beat him, strip him and bring him to my tent!)
To: Deb
>I’m sure all true opera lovers are thrilled, excited and generally wetting their pants in anticipation of “An Inconvenient Truth”, <
Does everyone burst into flames in the last scene while singing the requisite high C’s??
42
posted on
02/17/2009 9:03:49 AM PST
by
keepitreal
(Obama brings change: an international crisis (terrorism) within 6 months)
To: keepitreal
43
posted on
02/17/2009 9:04:30 AM PST
by
Deb
(Beat him, strip him and bring him to my tent!)
To: Lexinom
That is really good, interesting composition. I had never heard it before!
44
posted on
02/17/2009 10:15:33 AM PST
by
TenthAmendmentChampion
(Be prepared for tough times. FReepmail me to learn about our survival thread!)
To: Lexinom
It reminds me of Rachmaninoff. It’s a little discordant for me but still enough of a melody to follow. Thanks for the link!
45
posted on
02/17/2009 10:18:05 AM PST
by
TenthAmendmentChampion
(Be prepared for tough times. FReepmail me to learn about our survival thread!)
To: Sarah
Now that’s music. Ahhh....
46
posted on
02/17/2009 10:20:52 AM PST
by
TenthAmendmentChampion
(Be prepared for tough times. FReepmail me to learn about our survival thread!)
To: saganite
The late great Steve Goodman!
47
posted on
02/17/2009 10:22:21 AM PST
by
TenthAmendmentChampion
(Be prepared for tough times. FReepmail me to learn about our survival thread!)
To: Darkwolf377
Doc Severinson was supposed to conduct the Phoenix Symphony one time but he got sick and had to cancel. Instead, they got Bill Conti to conduct. He was VERY interesting and a great conductor. Although, we did have to hear “The Theme from Rocky” several times. He had some very funny stories.
48
posted on
02/17/2009 10:26:20 AM PST
by
TenthAmendmentChampion
(Be prepared for tough times. FReepmail me to learn about our survival thread!)
To: TenthAmendmentChampion
I find Conti underrated as a composer. He’s capable of great stuff—his theme for the miniseries NORTH AND SOUTH and his (derivative but fun) score for THE RIGHT STUFF are terrific. He scored an IMAX movie about the Grand Canyon that was the best score I’ve heard for an IMAX movie, just magnificent along with the visuals of the camera swooping through the canyon.
49
posted on
02/17/2009 10:30:29 AM PST
by
Darkwolf377
(Pro-Life Capitalist American Atheist and Free-Speech Junkie)
To: Borges
Wagner is one of my top favorites ! I have tons of preludes and overtures on SACD — which is pure listening joy. I also have the complete ‘Ring’ cycle (Met/Levine) which I may have listened to only once or twice.
Mussorgsky — eh. Most Russians, other than Tchaikovsky, were known for only one or two pieces that made them famous. As for 20th century composers, I think most were short on talent, long on ‘experimentation’. New Age does music did not equal high quality.
50
posted on
02/17/2009 10:39:22 AM PST
by
libh8er
To: libh8er
Well Mussorgsky died fairly young. ‘Boris Godunov’ is titanic enough for him to be regarded as a great composer. There are plenty of great 20th century composers. Ives, Stravinsky and Bartok wrote some great music.
51
posted on
02/17/2009 11:22:16 AM PST
by
Borges
To: TenthAmendmentChampion
He’s so perfect. I used to play Cello... I performed this piece... I must have listened to this 50 times!
52
posted on
02/17/2009 1:38:14 PM PST
by
Sarah
To: keepitreal
“I think what will surprise a lot of modern opera listeners will be the size of the voices. We have grown so accustomed to every role being sung by powerhouse voices - I think we will hear a much different type of voice at the turn of the last century.”
I speak as a collector of antique records over the past 40 years. The opera singers were little different 100 years ago than they are today. There were plenty of powerhouse singers then, besides Caruso. They needed power to project their voices from a stage without amplification. All recordings prior to 1925 were acoustic, depending on the singer’s voice alone to vibrate the recording needle - for that reason many of the early singers hired were those whose voices best favored the primitive recording technology of the time.
53
posted on
02/17/2009 2:36:50 PM PST
by
TexasRepublic
(I am inconsolate over the death of our country.)
To: Cincinna
The 100 years were up more than a year ago and, after lengthy examination, cleaning and digitizing of the records, EMI, the heir to the Gramophone Company, is reissuing them in three CD's. The collection will be released in France later this month as "Les Urnes de l'Opéra" and in the United States in early April They got me. I want all three CD's...
54
posted on
02/17/2009 2:39:54 PM PST
by
GOPJ
(A person who will lie for you, will lie against you.)
To: TexasRepublic
I would argue that it is the ability to cut rather than the size of the voice that differentiates modern operatic singers from those of the early 20th century. Modern singers belt it out more, while the old school singers followed the Garcia method, allowing voices of smaller “size” to carry in a large theater.
Of course, arguing opera can be far more heated than arguing politics ;-)
I, too, have been collecting vintage recordings for quite a long time.
Have a great day!
55
posted on
02/17/2009 2:52:35 PM PST
by
keepitreal
(Obama brings change: an international crisis (terrorism) within 6 months)
To: Cincinna; All
Officials preparing to fill a canister with records of famous opera singers and instrumental pieces on Dec. 24, 1907. (Urnes de l'Opéra - 1907)
The original time capsule being prepared in 1907.
56
posted on
02/17/2009 5:26:48 PM PST
by
Cincinna
(TIME TO REBUILD * JINDAL* PALIN * CANTOR 2012)
To: Darkwolf377
Thanks for the heads up on “THE REST IS NOISE: LISTENING TO THE 20TH CENTURY by Alex Ross.”
57
posted on
02/17/2009 5:35:39 PM PST
by
Cincinna
(TIME TO REBUILD * JINDAL* PALIN * CANTOR 2012)
To: Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)
Ah! Mahler! One of the great musical geniuses of all time.
Not for wooses, mind you.
58
posted on
02/17/2009 5:37:13 PM PST
by
Cincinna
(TIME TO REBUILD * JINDAL* PALIN * CANTOR 2012)
To: Deb
OMG! This will rival “Nixon in China” as an operatic landmark.
I’m waiting (with baited breath) for “Bushed... the Opera”.
These folks are nuts.
59
posted on
02/17/2009 5:41:55 PM PST
by
Cincinna
(TIME TO REBUILD * JINDAL* PALIN * CANTOR 2012)
To: sitetest
I read this story last night. Fascinating! Thanks for the ping! : )
60
posted on
02/17/2009 6:22:43 PM PST
by
TAdams8591
(When Obama FAILS, America SUCCEEDS.)
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