I’m home. I liked it. With reservations, but I liked it. Quite a lot, in fact. The end really got to me, actually. Yes, I nearly lost it. There were other absolutely beautiful moments as well. I thought it could use a nip & tuck here and there. And because we only see Ruth’s husband’s [...]
Archive of entries posted on September 2008
Not So Great
Consisting of about 70 local professional and semiprofessional players, SSV is modest in both its size and capacity. First-night jitters, or perhaps the ensemble’s relatively slow warming-up to guest conductor Leslie Dunner, resulted in several unsure and unclear moments in its performance throughout the evening. I’d love to know where the reviewer, Kwami Coleman received [...]
Very Cool … Like Jazz
Thanks to Dial “M” for Musicology for sharing it.
Eugene Onegin? Really?
You tell me. Go look at the pictures and tell me what you think. I’d post some here, but … well … I’m too lazy.
MQOD
A symphony is a democracy. People play different parts together. Every part must have its independence. But it must express itself without killing the independence of the other parts. Otherwise the democracy is killed. ‘Questo e il concetto della musica.’” (That’s the idea of music.) -Riccardo Muti I read it here, and if you go [...]
Uh-Oh!
Jessica has tagged me. This is bad news, because it’s quite difficult to come up with ‘six things about me, personally, that my readers might not know’, and then, ‘tag’ six other twitter/blogger friends and make them ‘it’. I mean … you all know me … I’m a blabbermouth about myself. I think I’ve told [...]
Opening Night Reviews
Reviews are in, and they are fairly positive. No mention of yours truly, but I only had one true “solo-solo” so I’m not at all surprised. I still think I played well, but you know me and those doubts! I’ll always have ‘em. It’s in the blood. Rich Scheinin David Bratman I do think the [...]
Reasonable? What’s “Reasonable”?
I need an Oboe for my son. He has played Sax for 5+ years. Now he wants to play Oboe. I do not want to rent. Do you have one at a very reasonable price ? I read this online. I’m just not sure what a person can say to such a question. I mean [...]
BQOD
All in all, I give Simon Boccanegra 4 out of 5 stars and going to the opera 3.5 out of 5 stars; let’s be honest: movies cut to the chase, operas cut around the chase–not the ideal strategy to get guys in the seats, however phenomenal the singing.
BQOD
I liked everything about The Fly except that there was no music. (Yes, this is referring to the opera.)
Why Classical Music Is Dying
Okay, okay, I really don’t believe it is … honest! But c’mon … I’m so weary of hearing what we have to change. I recently read one blog where the blogger has determined it’s all about how we dress and our hairstyles. Yes, indeed, younger people will attend if only we look better. Sigh. I [...]
Bonesetter’s Daughter
(As I find new reviews I’ll repost this so those who are interested can read them. I guarantee nothing about the quality of the review; I only guarantee it is about The Bonesetter’s Daughter.) Reviews and blogs are coming in now. I don’t see the opera until the end of the month, and I’ve wondered [...]
Glass Disney
I just read that Philip Glass is composing an opera on Walt Disney. Really. It’s based on the recent novel Der König von Amerika, a novel I’d not heard of before. You? When I read that he was doing this opera I thought, “But this is about Disney and that must be about “the happiest [...]
MQOD
I’m at the bottom left of opera. I brought the low-life element to opera. It reeked from the streets. -Woody Allen
Huh?
Our 1997 Editor’s Prize winner, Anne Miano, was also an author who had not been previously published. “The Oboist” features a narrator who is, to begin with, a violist. As her skills progressively improve, attention is increasingly focused on her. As a result, she develops a tremor that makes violin playing impossible. She stutters and [...]