Classical Music, Opera, and Ballet

[PearlySweetcake]

Chiqui, I do some media liaison work for the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra. A few weeks ago, the SPO and Thistle Theatre got together and put on Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake with Japanese-style bunraku frog puppets instead of swans. (One of the newspapers described it as "an amphibious assault" on SL. ) It was awesome; a enthusiastic and complete sell-out of Meany Hall.

[swanflake]

kafka said:

I just found this thread and I'm so glad you started it, Swanflake. Bizet's Carmen is my absolute favorite opera but Turandot comes close.

Since I love anything with with the violin, my favorite piece is probably from the Anne Rice Violin CD where a (then) 14 yr old Polish prodigy, Leila Josefowicz, plays a Sarasante fantasy rift on Carmen. It's a great CD and you can listen to that piece (No. 4) here. Unfortunately, they probably only have 30 seconds of it and the real glory comes towards the end when it just builds and builds, with her fingers flying like the devil. Never heard anything like it.

Yes, Kafka! I love just about every variation of Carmen that's ever been done, including the Sarasate Fantasy. And I love the Violin for Anne Rice CD. I got it from the library once. Bond does a cover of "Habanera" (I'm missing the ~ over the 'n') called Senorita (again, missing the ~), and I think it's great too.

The only variation of Carmen I didn't like was the one with Beyonce for MTV, but they only adapted one song from the original opera and the rest of it had nothing to do with any previous score of Carmen.

PearlySweetcake said:

A few weeks ago, the SPO and Thistle Theatre got together and put on Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake with Japanese-style bunraku frog puppets instead of swans.

That sounds aweome, but I'm glad Tchaikovsky went with Swans the first time around because then my username would be FrogFlake and that just doesn't have the same ring to it.

[dancedancexenu]

The only variation of Carmen I didn't like was the one with Beyonce for MTV, but they only adapted one song from the original opera and the rest of it had nothing to do with any previous score of Carmen.

That version made me want to set people on fire and I am a hardcore Beyonce apologist. But even that I can't forgive.

The last opera I saw was actually Filumena at the Banff Centre. I was born in the Crowsnest Pass and I have distant family links to the characters, so it was definitely interesting to see. I'm not really a fan of modern and/or English language operas, but I really liked it, and I would be willing to see more of the composer's work. I'd also kill a man to see the opera version of The Handmaid's Tale.

I really replied to this thread though because I've had The Anvil Chorus stuck in my head for about three weeks. And it's driving me crazy.

And also because I wanted to know if anyone else is really into opera and classical music because their parents bought them those tapes/CDs that put the composers' music to storylines. I will never relinquish my copy of "Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery" although I heartily believe that "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" sucks major balls.

[kafka]

swanflake said:

Yes, Kafka! I love just about every variation of Carmen that's ever been done, including the Sarasate Fantasy. And I love the Violin for Anne Rice CD. I got it from the library once. Bond does a cover of "Habanera" (I'm missing the ~ over the 'n') called Senorita (again, missing the ~), and I think it's great too.

OMG! Someone who has actually heard the Leila/Sarasate piece! Swanflake, you have no idea how much grief I get when I mention the fact that it's an an CD associated with Anne Rice. And not just any Anne Rice novel but the awful Violin one! No-one takes me seriously. Until they hear Leila play.... Then they want me to make a copy of it for them.

That girl is seriously one of the most talented people I've heard and it never ceases to amaze me how she can play the piece so fast but with so much passion. It's almost scalding. How old is she now? I know she started when she was tiny but she must be passed her teenage years now. Or has she simply been around for so long that one thinks of her as an adult?

I actually once went on a date with a chap who knew her and her father, quite well in fact. He said she was the sweetest girl. Intensely dedicated and disciplined (like that's any surprise) but a genuinely nice, unaffected person with a laser-sharp focus on her music.

As for Bond, I love them too. Again, because of the violins. However, I thought their last CD wasn't as good as their break out one. I haven't heard their cover of Habanera, but I'm so glad you mentioned it because it sounds like something right up my alley. Carmen +violins +Bond= what's not to love?

[swanflake]

A figure skater named Damon Allen skated to several of the pieces from the Anne Rice CD some years back (99/00 I think), and Fumie Suguri skated to the Sarasate Fantasy in the 04/05 season, so yeah, I've heard of it. :-)

[alcyone]

And also because I wanted to know if anyone else is really into opera and classical music because their parents bought them those tapes/CDs that put the composers' music to storylines. I will never relinquish my copy of "Vivaldi's Ring of Mystery" although I heartily believe that "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" sucks major balls.

OMG, you had those, dancedancexenu? "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" was the bane of my childhood Tuesday afternoons-- my piano teacher had unwisely mandated supplementary large-group lessons for her younger pupils, and she used to pop that in for "cultural enrichment"/quiet time whenever we got to be too much for her. Man, that was one cheesy story... but "Fur Elise" is a little cheesy, too, I guess, so it fit.

ETA: How do we do umlauts? Hee, Fur Elise!

[dancedancexenu]

Ugh, the fact that they made "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" into a movie always pissed me off! That was the worst one! (With the possible exception of "Mr. Bach Comes to Call")

I am also one of the only people I know who knows the entire score of The Nutcracker without ever having seen The Nutcracker or Fantasia (that you very much "Tchaikovsky Discovers America").

[Daisy Pusher]

So this weekend the Mister and I saw the new Bernard Uzan (director) and Robert Israel (designer) production of Verdi's Macbeth. I had never seen this one, and frankly, it's not one of Verdi's works that I am really familiar with, although I knew enough to warn the Mister we were not in for a cheery time. Elena Zelenskaya sang Lady Macbeth, and she was terrific. Luis Otey was singing Macbeth, and apparently became indisposed during Act II, because Gordon Hawkins came in and sang Act III. Which I must admit, although I hope Otey will be fine, I was pleased because I like Gordon Hawkins.

Anyway, the sleepwalking scene was sooooo interesting (if a bit messy). Zelenskaya was singing, and then slams her hands on the wall, leaving these bloody handprints. Then she rubbed it on her nightgown (Out damned spot). When she starts singing (lyrics to the effect of) 'Who knew the old man would have so much blood in him?", the walls started bleeding. Seriously, bright red rivers of blood streaming down the castle walls. It was COOL!!! The Mister was like, "Who's going to clean that up?" My little OCD man.

[venusdiva429]

I have great memories of both the Nutcracker and Cinderella because I performed in them as a child with NJ and Fort Worth Ballets. Such wonderful times those were! It's so cool remembering the costumes, the rehearsals, running around NYC during our breaks and buying HUGE oranges and chocolate cake... The best, BEST movement, I think, is when she enters the ball and dances with the Prince that first time. I have this VHS recording from the early 80s by the Royal Ballet of a great production that just gives me chills.

The first CD I ever bought was the full production of Prokofiev's Cinderella, followed soon by the complete Nutcracker. I listen to them now, and I can't help but dance just a little bit...

I also have great memories of the operas Iris and Andrea Chenier from performances I was in. Same with Carmina Burana, the Schubert Mass in G, and Britten's Ceremony of Carols.

Baroque music is so beautiful, too. Anything with a harpsichord makes me think of lovely, pannier-supported 18th cent. gowns and lovely salons. Sigh.

Baryshnikov...I saw him dance as a child, and wanted to marry him (hee!). I thought he was so brave for defecting, and just wanted to dance, dance, dance away with him. I still love the production of the Nutcracker that he did with Gelsey Kirkland. He did some pieces with Elliot Feld and Ballet Tech in NYC a couple of years back (I worked backstage doing costumes), and was just the sweetest guy ever. Short, though.

Many of the greatest experiences of my life were marked by classical music and ballet. What a great topic!

[snarkypotato]

How do you pronounce Saint-Saëns? I like quite a few of his pieces, but I'm hesitant to mention it in real life because I know I will horribly mangle his name.

Count me in on the Tchaikovsky love. I really want to see one of his ballets. Well, I really want to see a ballet, period. I’ve been to quite a few operas with my uncle (my favorite of which was Carmen) and I’ve been hinting that I would like to get tickets next time. He’s the only one in of my family besides me who likes that stuff so he’s my best bet. *fingers-crossed*

I’m so sad. Last Christmas I went to blockbuster (shut it) to rent the 1986 version of the Nutcracker but they told me they had gotten rid their copy because it was on VHS. It’s not out on DVD, so now I can’t find it anywhere. I don’t know enough about ballet to compare it to other productions, but it’s the version I grew up with and it makes me sad that I didn’t get to see it. Pooh.