Memorial Day...

the official start of summer activities; the first BBQ on the patio for the season; the beginning of travel season.

more important, the remembrance of all the women and men, living and dead, who served to protect us over the decades.

my father and my uncles served in WWII; my cousin served in Korea; many of my friends served in Vietnam and some of them are still there.

i've been surrounded by wars my entire life. i am, however, a pacifist - totally. i do not even believe that a government has the right to take a human life.

yet, i do understand that there are times when people and nations have to defend themselves. there are others in the world who do not believe in the concept of peace; there are groups who believe that to get what they want they must resort to violence and murder; and there are zealots who are convinced that their way is the only way to do things.

but, i strive, at least for myself, to push for the humanity of the world.

yesterday afternoon, i saw what i can only describe as the most haunting and believable argument against war - the opera Owen Wingrave by Benjamin Britten. commissioned by the BBC, it was first performed in 1970, at the height of the Vietnam Conflict. an irony that did not escape notice.

the story is about a young British aristocrat whose family was military backbone of Great Britain. after much thought, Owen comes to believe that war and violence has to stop, or at least the glorification of it. his family is distraught, not because of his stand but because of the disgrace it brings to them. his grandfather, Sir Phillip, disinherits him, his betrothed rejects him, his aunt repels him. Owen stays resolute.

he is branded a coward; he denies he lacks courage. his mentor and teacher of war tactics, Mr. Coyle, comes to realize he has more courage than most others and is torn.

of course, Owen dies at the end, but not how you would think. the original short story by Henry James and the opera are also a ghost story. the ghosts are woven in because they are Owen's ancestors.

it may seem ironic to talk about someone opposed to war as a way of honoring Memorial Day, but there are different kinds of heroes. one of Owen's lines in the opera is most prophetic and is actually by one of England's greatest war heroes: The Duke of Wellington

"Next to a battle lost, the greatest misery is a battle gained."

the opera also points out the irony that wars are fought to gain peace, a fact not lost on the character of Owen.

in the end, we must remember those who have served us. it is a dichotomy that is inescapable in the world.

Benjamin Britten also wrote a piece that was both a tribute to those who had fought and died in WWII and also something that remembered the horror of war and conflict. his War Requiem is one of the greatest musical compositions of the 20th century. i include below the last part of the Libera me what Britten called "Let us sleep now" in dedication to all those who served us.

I just wanna dance - Alison Jiear...

from Jerry Springer The Opera -



found this on one of the British blogs I read. brilliant re-edit...

can you name all the movies shown in the video?

i can...

[maybe i shouldn't admit that]

busy week(s)...

Posting is kind of limited for me the past and current week. I'm working a couple of days. [I love working only 4-5 days a month!] There are also a lot of social type engagements planned.

Last Friday I went to what probably is the second best opera performance/production I've ever seen - Handel's Giulio Cesare. Great, great, great! You can read the reviews here, here and here.

On Sunday I went to a discussion with David Daniels, the star of the opera and spoke briefly with him at the reception after. Fascinating. The #1 countertenor in the world, highly sought after by all the big opera houses, considered one of the biggest opera stars of the day, and totally out as a proud gay man.

Last night, friends took me to see "Jersey Boys". Great music. I didn't know much about the history of the group. If what they presented is true, it wasn't very pretty. The second act was heartbreaking.

Thursday I'm going to the opening night gala and screening of the movie "Shelter" at

The Chicago Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival is in its 26th year. I've read a lot about Shelter and can't wait to see it. It sounds great. Actor Brad Rowe from the movie is going to be there.

The week ends with dinner at friends' home on Saturday that is always a great meal.




i gotta tell ya. i highly recommend this retirement thing to everyone. i'm glad i didn't wait until i would be too old and feeble to enjoy it and took early retirement. anyone who worries about not knowing what they'll do if they retire has nothing to worry about. i'm always busy, even if i'm not doing anything! that sounds weird, but it's true!

one thing i know for sure - i'll need next week to recuperate. fat chance! next week there's another opera, more films at the festival, and on and on and on...

here's a video of the Tony Awards show with a medley from the Broadway cast of Jersey Boys. enjoy...

weekender...

in two parts -

the first part is to end the week with some beauty to offset all of the insecurity of stocks, money, politics, Iraq, gonzales, bush...

the clip below is from Mozart's opera Cosi fan tutte. i think it's from a production at San Francisco Opera. Singing is Simon Kneelyside, Susan Graham, and Susan Chilcott. the music is some of the most beautiful that Mozart wrote.



and now to start the weekend with a laugh and keep it going...

Once upon a time there were two deaf guys standing on a street
corner talking to each other with sign language.

Guy #1 (SIGN) "What would you like to do?"
Guy #2 (SIGN) "I don't know, what about you?"
Guy #1 (SIGN) "Let's get my car, find some girls, drive to a dark space and have some fun."
Guy #2 (SIGN) "Good idea."

So they get his car, find some girls, drive to a dark spot and are having a ball when the guy in the back seat taps the guy in the front seat on the shoulder...

Front Seat Guy (SIGN) "What?"
Back Seat Guy (SIGN) "Have you got any protection?"
Front Seat Guy (SIGN) "No. Don't you?"
Back Seat Guy (SIGN) "No. We had better go to a drug store and get some."

They precede to drive to a drug store and the man in the back seat gets out and goes inside. In two minutes he is back outside and taps on the car window.

Inside Guy (SIGN) "What?"
Outside Guy (SIGN) "I've got a problem."
Inside Guy (SIGN) "What?"
Outside Guy (SIGN) "I can't make the druggist understand what I want."
Inside Guy (SIGN) "I know What to do."
Outside Guy (SIGN) "What?"
Inside Guy (SIGN) "Go back inside. Put five dollars on the counter. Put your pecker on the counter. He'll know what you want."
Outside Guy (SIGN) "Good idea."

The man goes back into the drug store and two minutes later he's back at the car window.

Inside Guy (SIGN) "Well?"
Outside Guy (SIGN) "It didn't work."
Inside Guy (SIGN) "What do you mean?"
Outside Mute (SIGN) "I did what you told me to do. I went inside. I put 5 dollars on the counter. I put my pecker on the counter. He put his on the counter. It was bigger than mine. He took my 5 dollars."

enjoy your weekend...

Jerry Hadley...

died this past Wednesday after shooting himself in the head on July 12th. Suicide is always a sad thing when someone takes the ultimate hopeless escape. It's especially unfortunate when it's someone who creates beauty and enjoyment.

I had the privilege of seeing Mr. Hadley many times on stage live. He was always a pleasure and gave great performance. He performed all over the world including La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera. He was a staple at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and a native of Illinois.

The video below is of Leonard Bernstein's operetta Candide. It was the last performance that Bernstein conducted before his death. It is especially poignant because the maestro hand-picked the entire cast, especially Mr. Hadley and soprano June Anderson who is singing with him. Mr. Hadley was 55 years-old.



p.s. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you will understand that I am particularly fond of the last line of the work:

"Any questions?"

Bubbles is very ill...

Bubbles was Beverly Sills' childhood nickname and it has continued as an endearment to opera fans around the world.

Ms. Sills is probably second to Maria Callas for bringing the rebirth opera to the masses in the 20th century. She not only is a superb singer but works behind the scenes in fund raising, conducting, producing, etc., etc., etc.

The New York Times this morning has reported that she is gravely ill with cancer and has been fighting it for quite a long time.

Below is a great example of her explosive talent.



all the best, Ms. Sills. I have had the pleasure of hearing you in person and adoring every minute of it...

off again...

Though I normally would never post anything with Pavarotti*, this video really is apropos. I'm headed to New York for a long weekend to see opera (Turandot, il Trittico, Guilio Cesare) at the Metropolitain Opera, to do some shopping (Barney's and the new Tom Ford store are calling) and to visit friends. Though this video was made at Carnegie Hall, it's close enough to the Met.

I will post if I get a chance.



*Why would I not post Pavarotti? It's a preference thing on my part. I really don't think that he is that great of a singer, in technique especially. He had a great sound that is masked with power and charisma. Yes, he continued what Maria Callas put into place with bringing opera back as a major art form in the world and for that I am thankful, but...

If you notice in the video he is constantly looking at the stand while he is singing with Liza Minelli. It's not to read the music. He can't read music. He doesn't remember words. So his performances are either memorized, punted or cribbed.

I saw him do his first Otello at the Chicago Symphony with Kiri Te Kanawa. It was a concert version. He should not have been singing it. The opera is one of the most difficult in repertoiry.

In front of him was a giant black box. Afterwards, speaking with friends in the orchestra, they informed us that in the box was Pavarotti's little man. His own personal prompter who was not only helping him with the lyric but also the music because it's not easily memorized. He also spit eucalyptus all over Te Kanawa when they were doing the duets. Our friends told us that when they got to New York to do Otello at Carnegie, she finally blasted him in front of everybody.

I was one of the people who cheered when the audience at La Scala booed him when his voice cracked during a Don Carlo, another opera he should never have sung. He was well past his prime and the La Scala fiasco finally made him realize that he should retire and only do concert.

Yes, most everyone loves him. everyone except...

mad...

the most incredible opera performance i ever saw was a production of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor sung by Sumi Jo. It was also a total fluke.

i was in paris on one of my annual jaunts and had purchased ticket for the Opera Bastille. Each time i go to opera in paris it seems that something doesn't work right. once, i went when the country was having a rolling series of grêves, ie "strikes." each night a different type worker went on strike. One night it was the lighting people. another night it was the stage hands. it's always fun.

this night, of Lucia di Lammermoor, the entire main cast had the flu and couldn't perform. after all of the disappointment sighs from the announcement ended, the replacement cast was announced. Sumi Jo was going to sing the Lucia. There was instant excitement.

excitement was too mild of a term. this spectacle (the french word for "performance") was the most extraordinary happening i've ever been to hear. to this day, i still don't remember who was in the original cast.

Sumi Jo's portrayal in what is known as the mad scene brought about a 20 minute standing ovation in the middle of the opera. i had never been witness to this. american audiences are polite and will only applaude for a conservative amount of time. the europeans let a performer know when they have done something memorable. not only do they do it through extended applause but also, the ultimate, with the entire audience clapping in unison.

this night and this performance was by far the most incredible musical experience i've ever had.

so, i give to you Sumi Jo in the mad scene from Lucia di Lammermoor. Sadly, this is not the perfomance i saw. that was a once in a lifetime happening. it is splendid none the less.




gives a whole new meaning to mad, doesn't it?

beauty in the ear of the beholder...

Much going around in the world of opera about Roberto Alagna walking off the stage at La Scala after being booed by the audience in a performance of Verdi's Aida. La Scala audiences are notorious for being hyper-critical. They even booed Pavarotti when he cracked and may have been the deciding factor in his finally retiring.

I found a video of the final notes he sang in that performance.



In comparison, here is Alagna singing the aria E lucevan le stella from Puccini's Tosca.



big difference...

what do you think?

just asking...

an important question...

lately we all in the world have been bombarded by many important questions: Who should be our leaders? Is the conflagration in Iraq just? Is the US spinning down into a theocracy? Does nuclear power threaten more than just peace? Is marriage under attack?

But, isn't there a more underlying question? Something along the lines of "What really is important and might be the basis of all these other questions?

What gives meaning to everything else?

Some say religion or god. Some say philosophy. Some say humanity. Some say hope. Some say discovery.

The question I pose is quite simple and was put into play best by Richard Strauss in his opera "Capriccio."

What is more important? The words or the music? The poet or the composer?

I've literally seen hundreds of operas both live and on DVD/tape. Below is what I consider my favorite scene from all of opera featuring my favorite soprano, Renee Fleming. It is the final scene.

The countess confronted by the poet and the composer to make a decision as to what is more important - words or music - poem or composition - writer or musician - wonders why she has to make that distinction. This clip is eery in that the countess is both on stage singing the debate and in the audience watching it. The composer and the poet are also both in the audience. It's a tableau of life watching itself. The original reality?




I used to tell Ronald, "Life's a bitch and then you die." He would laugh hysterically. He died in 1990. I still miss him terribly some times. His death became a defining moment for me. I have not searched for the answers as much as the questions since that moment.

The answers are really unimportant. The questions determine what kind of life I have.

What do you think?

just asking...