Jessye Norman sings Schubert’s (and Goethe’s) Erlkonig

This is the best performance of this I’ve seen/heard so far. I love the production of this and the way La Norman embodies the various characters. It reminds me of the all too rare instances when I’ve heard someone do this with storytelling.

A break from the ugliness of the news…

The divine Lorraine Hunt sing Handel’s “Ombra mai fu”. I had the good fortune to be in two productions with her. She wasn’t a singer; she was a force of nature. Every note sounded as if it were new and ever from performance to performance it was a new creation. I love her and think about her artistry often. She left us too soon.

Happy Birthay, America!

Igor Stravinsky’s arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner is to me the most original and most moving. I don’t know why we don’t hear it more often.

Okay, If you want me to say it I’ll say it

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/meet-the-press/52355266#52355266

In response to Ralph Reed: Yes, Bill Clinton signed DOMA to to pander to anti-gay bigots and then ran radio ads in the south in 1996 touting the fact that he had signed it. The same goes for everyone who voted for DOMA. Either bigots or bigot panders every one. And yes, Obama was afraid to come out for gay marriage until last year for fear of the political consequences from anti-gay bigots if he did support marriage equality. Yes, it’s bigotry to deny people rights based on their sexual orientation, sex, race, ethnicity or anything like that. If you advocate for discrimination you are a bigot. You are a bigot, Mr. Reed. And you too Mr. DeMint. If you don’t like being called a bigot, stop being one.

Shut up and listen!

Within days of listening to the most recent episode of the Godless Bitches podcast, this happened. The “bitches” (I use the term affectionately) were discussing some recent events in which men got all butthurt because women actually expected men to treat their issues and concerns seriously. I guess some men-children hear that as “shut up and listen”. As I was thinking about that I realized that the vast majority of men (I’d guesstimate somewhere around 99.9%) DO need to listen more to what women have to say. Think about it. How well represented are women’s opinions in the media? And no, I don’t count The View. How often are women, half the population, given half the chairs on a roundtable? How often, even then, do they get half the time? I’m not asking for quotas but this is 2013 and if women aren’t 50% of the contributors in media at this point then it was intentional the include more men than women. There are plenty of women in public life and in the media to choose from to fill those seats. Why isn’t it happening?

And then this happened. On the eve of the historic gay marriage decision from SCOTUS, women stood up and demanded to be heard in Austin. It may not have been “the shot heard ’round the world” but it was definitely heard. It’s long past time for women to demand to be heard. So what if some wimpy man-child doesn’t want to hear you. It’s TIME for men to listen to what women have to say. Well past time, actually. Brava, divas. (I used diva in the operatic sense as if they’d just sung the crap out of the Queen of the Night’s arias.) Brave, tutte!

Samantha Bee on Gays who Bully Christians

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-june-17-2013/left-behind

Samantha Bee is the best fake news reporter on television. Her parody of the vapid telejournalist is dead-on. This latest on Christians being bullied by gays is particularly good. Enjoy.

Happy Birthday, Robert Merrill

One of America’s greatest baritones was born on this day in 1917. (Hat tip to Sam Ramey for reminding us.) “Per me giunto” from Verdi’s Don Carlo. Younger people may better know Bob Merrill from singing the National Anthem at Yankees games for years after his retirement from the opera stage.

Film buff: The best of Erich Wolfgang Korngold

One of my favorite composers is also the man who pretty much invented the modern film score. Some of these are familiar and others not so much. I still watch Robin Hood at least twice a year. Sea Hawk is also a personal favorite for the same reason. Enjoy!

In memoriam

In honor of Memorial Day, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa sings Duparc’s setting of Gautier’s poem Au pays ou se fait la guerre.

Happy Birthday, Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner would be 200 years old today. A great musician and awful human being. Happy Birthday in the style of Tristan und Isolde.