These just leave me cold....oh to clarify that.... lovely to see Curbs and big Rich 'dahn ah grand' again but why that fecking opera again? Just for myself.... 1) I have absolutely NO interest in opera 2) I have absolutely NO interest in a Capital Radio DJ even if he is an Addick 3) I have absolutely NO interest in an American/Korean singer WTF!!!!! I was trying to work out if these events were planned to entertain the kids but.... how many under 12's have any interest in opera? So who is it aimed at may I ask? In my opinion, whoever planned this needs their head examining! Sorry but I will stay in the pub later than usual, miss my chicken curry pie and feel pretty hacked off about a badly organised 'hiss up in a brewery' Unhappy of Greenwich
Have to say it does look a little like an operatic overdose Rose Jang and Martin Toal are very good but an acquired taste. Having our very own Victoria Stanyon singing Valley Floyd Road however is another matter, she has been in the stands from a very early age and is a proper supporter of the club so I am more than happy for her to come and sing. We also haven't lost a match when she has sung so for me she is a good omen. However, it has to be difficult for the directors to know what to provide as entertainment before the match apart from an opera singer. If we could have got Pixie Lott would that have satisfied everybody particularly after her indecision between us and the Whammers. Having the current incarnation of Tilbrook and Gifford would go down well with a lot of us but not all would be happy with that, plus it would take time to set up and take down. A solo vocalist who can sing to a pre recorded backing track is the answer but who would you get that would entertain 26,500 people for the money we have available as a club?
Tbh I was never going too see any of this anyway, we'll be up there early for my mates birthday and, whilst we'll be in the ground some time before KO, we will be having our pre KO pint and get too our seats just in time for the team sheets to be read out
Last week, my daughter and I went to a special midday showing of Puccini's La Boheme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Not only was it a John Copley production, but we were treated to the added bonus of having Joseph Calleja portraying Rodolfo with real depth and poise. A special mention must go to Carmen Giannattasio: her debut playing Mimi was truly captivating. Opera is a wonder to behold.
It didn't cost me anything, just £14 for my daughter. The seats we had normally go for around £85 each. It was a performance put on for children who attend academies for performing arts. I made an application to the Taylor Family Foundation - and it came up trumps! We were also treated to a backstage tour and a guide to how the scene-changes and lighting occur. It was superb.
Sounds great, Ponders. I have a highly ambivalent attitude to opera. Inspired by Wilhelmina Wiggins Fernandez' (no, I didn't make that up) performance in the film Diva, I straight away booked myself into a couple of operas and have scarcely been more bored in my life - they were endless. About 20 years later, I won two tickets to see La Boheme and was absolutely captivated. I tried to get into opera again and watched one part of The Ring Cycle - it was ghastly. I only worked out what was going on when I was talking to a Mahler freak at work who knew I liked rock music - "Do you like it all?" he said. When I replied that there were bands I loved and those I couldn't listen to at all he asked me why I thought that Opera would be any different, at which point the penny dropped. He couldn't understand why I liked Mozart, for instance - he called the Symphony No.40 'Symphony for two flutes and a triangle'. I was playing Maria Callas' Greatest Hits in the car this week - breathtaking - quite extraordinary what the human voice can do. Here's what started it off for me - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTLF9TIx6lE - and no, AllHell, it's not "La Wally with the Brolly".
You were right to be inspired by such a spellbinding performance, Tewks. Haunting and delightful in equal measure. Can anyone really be a freak for Mahler? The percussion for his sixth is borderline noise pollution. I'm afraid your friend's verdict of No.40 is far from credible. His view is somewhat pretentious and represents that of the generic Mahler freak. After all, Beethoven (The Master) dedicated a large chunk of his fifth to No.40's final movement. There can be no greater honour than that, eh?
Have you seen the movie, Ponders? Brilliant. I never 'got' Mahler either, although the slow movement of the 4th Symphony (?) is absolutely beautiful. My Mum and Dad brought me up on Mozart and I saw a stunning performance of the Mass in C minor in Tewkes Abbey a couple of years ago. Clever lad, but maybe p*ssing Salieri off wasn't a completely bright move...
Alexander Pushkin was spot on when he claimed Salieri suffered from the sin of envy. Mozart was undoubtedly a difficult man, but Salieri would despise anyone with a greater talent than he. Mass in C Minor at Tewkes Abbey sounds divine. Actually, I shall be visiting your parish in June as I am researching Abbot Robert Forthington. I may peruse the abbey shop for some choice musical delectations You are right about Diva: it is a masterpiece. Even Roger Ebert loved it!
