jmc's classics
It is almost Halloween. I am not in to Halloween because of the occult overtones. I don't like vampires and witches. However, I remember an old episode of the Lucy Show where she has a nightmare that she is at Dracula's castle and Mr. Mooney is Count Dracula. Check it out on YouTube. This was hilarious! I would have liked to have seen a similar episode on Two Broke Girls! I was never in to I Love Lucy however I do like the Lucy Show and Here's Lucy. William Frawley who played as Fred in I love Lucy was in Miracle on 34th Street.
As stated earlier, I am not in to Halloween because it has too many occult overtones. I do like scarewcrows and pumpkins.
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As I have previously mentioned, Wagner was controversial. His music was favored by the Nazis and his music was played in the concentration camps. Wagner had Anti Semitic Views. Many Jewish people do not like his music. Many have played or conducted it. I like his instrumental piece Sigfreid Idle which he wrote in 1870 for his wife to commemorate the birth of his son.
In 1983 there were rumors of finding Hitler's diaries. There was a funny skit on Saturday Night Live ( the episode which Stevie Wonder hosted) where they were playing the Ride of the Valkaries. The Nazis and Anti-Semitism are not funny. However this was sort of. I am not Jewish. Wagner did hire Jewish people to play in his orchestra or sing his operas. I do like some of his music. The controverises should not get in the way of it. I attended the SLSO performance last night. It featured two works: Beethoven's Triple Concerto (Opus#56) and Orchestral selections from Wagner's Ring cycle.
The soloists were Elizabeth Joy roe on the Piano plus the SLSO's own Melissa Brooks on Cello and Celeste Golden Boyer on Violin Guest conductor was Jun Markl. I have never heard of Jun Markl. He is form Germany He also arranged this version of the Ring. he is the son of a German father and Japanese mother. he has conducted with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and been associated with the national Orchestra of Lyon in France and the Basque National Orchestra. The Triple Concerto for Piano, Violin and Cello dates from 1803 and was premiered in 1808. It was dedicated by Beethoven to his Student Archduke Rudolph who became Archbishop of Olomuc which is in the Czech Republic. "Archduke" Was a title for members of the Austrian Royal family. The cello introduces each theme in this work which is unique for a piece like this. It did not go over well when it premiered and has not been as popular as Beethoven's other works. The first theme is optimistic and resembles a German walking song. It is in three movements like most concertos.. Allegro, Largo and Rondo. Beethoven wrote five piano concertos, one violin concerto and two romances for violin. This is not among his most popular works but it deserves to be listened to. I enjoyed the performance last night. there are many excellent recording of this work available. The Second work is an orchestral setting to Wagner's Ring cycle. The Ring was a cycle off our operas. The Ride of the Valkyries is the most famous of Wagner's works. It has been used in movies such as A clockwork Orange and Screwballs and numerous commercials. I have not seen Apocalypse Now but I have seen Screwballs. These operas are based on German mythology. Wagner wrote mostly operas. there was controversy over Wagner because of his Anti-Sematic views and his music was favored by Hitler and the Nazis. I liked this performance of The ring. Wagner wrote fourteen operas. For some people Opera without words may be strange. but it is a good way to listen to Wagner. I was at the October 5th Coffee Concert. The program included two works: Beethoven's Sixth Symphony "Pastoral" and Berlioz's work "Herald In Italy". The later is a symphony or symphonic poem with a viola continuo. Bramwell Tovey was the guest conductor and Beth Gutman Chu was the soloist. Gutman Chu is the principal violist with the Saint Louis symphony Orchestra.
Tovey is a British conductor and composer. he has been most recently the music director with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Previously he was with the Luxembourg Philharmonic. The Sixth Symphony(Opus#68) by Beethoven is not as known as his Fifth and Ninth. It contains five movements instead of the standard four movements. The word 'pastoral' means in the country or having to do with nature. The symphony was meant to invoke being in the countryside. Beethoven had an affinity for nature. The five movements are: Allegro; Awakening of cheerful feelings on arriving in the country, Andante molto mosso; Scene by the brook, Allegro; Merry gathering of country folk, Allegro; Thunderstorm, Allegretto; Shepherd's song and happy feeling after the storm. It lasts around 40 minutes. The word 'pastor' is latin for shepherd. The version of Beethoven's sixth that I have is Von Karajan with the Berlin Philharmonic on the Deutsch Grammophon label. I do not have a copy or Harold in Italy. Berlioz (1803-1869) was a Frenchman . He wrote Harold in Italy (Opus#16) in 1834. It is based on a poem by Lord Byron. it was commissioned by Italian violinist Nicolo Paganini. it is a symphonic work where the viola would play the protagonist. I am not familiar with lord Byron's works. Tells the story of a young man who travels the Mediterranean basin to escape his melancholy life. It is four movements: Harold in the Mountains, March of the Pilgrims, Serenade of an Abruzzi Mountaineer and Orgy of the Brigands. it lasts around 43 movements. Opera Glasses are smaller binoculars that are used in operas or theatres to see the stage. They are sometimes called "theatre glasses". I have seen several movies (I forget which ones) where there is a scene at an opera or theatre where they are used.
Many optical companies or camera companies started out making opera glasses in the late 1700's or early 1800's. |
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