tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52752138454164586842024-02-20T09:06:51.972-06:00artandhockeyThoughts, feelings, and more on The Arts, Hockey, Los Toros and things that bug me.artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.comBlogger1254125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-53139807272323912442014-06-06T08:49:00.003-05:002014-06-06T08:49:46.633-05:00Need Hockey Fans feel slighted?Well, wouldn't you ?<br />
When today's WSJ devotes <b>7, count'em, seven </b>pages to Soccer, but<b> NOT even one</b> small paragraph to the epic battle for the Stanley Cup that is currently playing between EAST and WEST (USA) as the NY Rangers face off to LA Kings.<br />
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<span id="goog_97098801"></span><span id="goog_97098802"></span>Hockey, the fastest sport on feet - ahem, skates.<br />
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<i>Sure car-racing or horse-racing maybe faster, but IMO the swift and yet elegant way those skaters race after that little black puck is gripping! And colorful. And exciting!</i><br />
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And speaking of hockey, you may know that Houston is one of the few large cities without a hockey team, since the Houston Aeros were moved to DesMoines, Iowa and re-named Iowa Wild. I remember some games here, when the edge of the seat was were we all hung out if not on our feet clapping and yelling! And after the move, Better Half and I drove to San Antonio several times to get our hockey fix...even though the Rampage are not that good.<br />
BUT... One of BH 's faves Jed Ortmeyer<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTPTsPS3vi2H26HwRi_nJ1jyf9jZL7pfIkSU5kQ2c-bt8EJs9yq7Zp1-728lWP2tIb1x6hOzFEeCTn8AFEzcM_bHXYH1l9EnWi-ta4FBkON9cbQldQKKlOtDl93XqyKTPsvkAOruENSVk/s1600/DSCN0338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTPTsPS3vi2H26HwRi_nJ1jyf9jZL7pfIkSU5kQ2c-bt8EJs9yq7Zp1-728lWP2tIb1x6hOzFEeCTn8AFEzcM_bHXYH1l9EnWi-ta4FBkON9cbQldQKKlOtDl93XqyKTPsvkAOruENSVk/s1600/DSCN0338.JPG" height="186" width="320" /></a></div>
went to play for the Rampage - and so .. there we were!<br />
Meanwhile at home now, we watch the Stanley Cup Play off Games.. and how!!!<br />
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Me, I am rooting for the Kings.<br />
But before that, I did for the Habs, especially after their goalie was badly injured and the youngster<img height="112" id="irc_mi" src="http://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.1846166%21/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_620/image.jpg" style="margin-top: 22px;" width="200" /> D. Tokarski, came in 'cold' so to speak, and acquitted himself very well, IMO. And an Austrian skater was there as well.. Thomas<img height="148" id="irc_mi" src="http://storage.journaldequebec.com/v1/dynamic_resize/sws_path/jdx-prod-images/1310891276151_ORIGINAL.jpg?quality=80&size=650x" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="200" />Vanek, whom we remembered from 2013 European play offs.<br />
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But, the best team won that round and so, here I am now rooting for the Kings.<br />
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But am pleased, too, that a former Aeros, Benoit Pouliot, skates for the Rangers, and skates well and fast! And how about Martin St. Louis? We saw him in Tampa, so are happy he is doing this well with the Rangers.<br />
Anyway, more exciting play off Hockey to come<br />
I have a feeling that this will be an epic battle.<br />
Both teams are truly good.<br />
And fast.<br />
And have alert goalies.<br />
Their offense is good, their defense is as well.<br />
Lady Luck will have her work cut out!artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-77030020037216615232014-05-22T09:14:00.000-05:002014-05-22T09:14:16.736-05:00The House of Mirth<div style="text-align: left;">
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I must have read it a loooong time ago. I don't truly remember, but re-reading it yesterday in these times of 'selfies', was an eye-opener. It constantly amazes me how little society has changed over the last century. </div>
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The importance of being "<i>the right kind, rich, thin, young looking" </i>was as important in Wharton' tony times, as it is now in these times of immediate self aggrandizing.</div>
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" 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In Wharton's book the protagonist, a formerly rich, now pretent-to-be rich-to fit-in Lily Bart finds out the hard way, that beauty alone is not enough, regardless of the right 'family' connections. She learns that trying desperately to match "the Jones", when one has only limited monetary resources even with the 'asset of beauty' eventually does not work. Despite the fact that she realizes that the lifestyle she has followed relying on her beauty and connections has turned out to be very wrong, she is incapable to cut back successfully her life style. She is, in the end, aware of her debts and makes good on them. Despite offers to become a kept woman, or betray a perceived friend, her newly re-found morale will not let her. She takes the only way out she can imagine! She is, after all, addicted to being known as beautiful, young and no-longer marriage material.. Sadly.<br />
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Now I am sure, others may read something different into this novel. Some will heap hatred on the 'robber barons' of that time, disdain on the vast wealth some garnered by hook or crook, or sneer at the 'empty headed' society women with their French couture and their ostentatious life style. And laugh at the desperate need to fawn on perceived 'betters' as long as they have a title or even more money!</div>
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But is this time any different?</div>
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We have the silicon barons; we have men who made their money by sailing close to the law, or even outside the law (drugs); we have wealthy 'trophy wives' who travel to Paris or Milan for their clothes; shop at boutiques for overpriced things; and we have the 'nouveaux riches' Justin Bieber and his ilk, the likes of 'A Rod' and his ilk, the Oprahs of TV, and her ilk! We have cosmetic surgery to keep artificial youth. And we have the "health watchdogs" who seem intent to prohibit which ever is the "current fad" of "Food bad for you" and dictate how one ought to look. Regardless of what talent one has, vide the recent storm over reviewers' critiques of opera singer's looks instead of voice!. </div>
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<br />artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-59272703920540150452014-05-18T19:05:00.003-05:002014-05-18T19:05:25.104-05:00Nabucco... Giuseppe Verdi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From Covent Garden. River Oaks Theater, this morning to a crowd of - 50?<br />
Which is many more than at the 2 productions (Les Vespres Siciliennes, Prince Igor, and Parsifal) seen earlier. And who, I may confidently state, was completely awed. The power of Verdi's Music just cannot be gainsaid! As were my friend and I.<br />
VIVA VERDI!<br />
Awed by the indestructible <i>Placido Doming</i><img alt="" class="yk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWnQGPtVJc3Kmy6ZcFL5lO28ex40ZSMS2s-3okJ8b6NTFeCv0Sf_I1Xo71jzFbmxQU-WiyWr7f5xDVK_3zVMHx43LPME5GM0cxRsAvqZj9O1-HaSnMGZipxggJv4qEmSXlHX6JAzqUI_Wq/h120/8655641202_b1a06cd13c_s.jpg" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; transform: rotate(0deg); width: 120px;" /> singing with baritonal power the forte parts of NABUCCO<br />
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(albeit his piano was a bit underwhelming), acting with conviction and surprising agilit, physically (he can get up from his knees much better than I could ;-), and of course, vocally-still.<br />
Awed by the humongous range and power of <i>Liudmyla Monastyrka</i>-here in a video clip (Milan in the same production).<br />
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The Ukrainian Soprano fluted her pianissimi with a clarity, belted out her fortes with ringing steeliness; growled low and twittered high. An incredible Abigaille... most likely the best as Abigaille. HGO goers will remember her AIDA (post of 10/16/13)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monastyrska as Abigaille -photocredit Catherine ASHMORE for ROH</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Care and Pizzolato, Photo Catherine Ashmore for ROH</td></tr>
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Bass Bariton<i>Vitalij Kowaljow</i> was a most sonorous Zaccaria, <i>Andrea Care </i>a handsome Ismaele with a clear and strong tenor, <i>Marianna Pizzolato</i> a sweet voiced Fenena with a strong sound, IMO, more soprano than mezzo; and Bass <i>Robert Lloyd</i> as Gran Sacerdote who sang adequately but not as strong as I have heard him in the past;<i> David Butt Phillip</i>, Tenor, was Abdalla, but, IMO, did not impress sufficiently, while the small part of Anna was sung by young soprano<i> Dusica Bijelic</i>.<br />
The orchestra was guided superbly by<i> Maestro Luisotti,</i> who gave the score, so it seemed to me, a fresh and different reading<i>. Daniele Abbado</i> gave the old story of greed, jealousy, dominance and true belief in God, a novel way, setting it in an almost unidentifiable area, and period - although the uniformly blah looking costumes (who were the Hebrew who the Babylonians?) with not much difference there to ID who were who, hinted at the 30's (specially when the women disrobed prior to execution), yet the design - sparse and geometric in its way, was modernistic and never distracted from the plot and the music (by <i>Alison Chitty</i>), projections and lighting were well done. <br />
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Of course, everyone KNOWS<u><i><b> Va Pensiero, </b></i></u>the Hebrews longing for light and home, sung very well by the chorus of<i> ROH (</i>Royal Opera House), which Riccardo Muti asked the public, when he conducted<b> Nabucco</b> in Rome, to sing along in protest against Berlusconi (as in the video clip above)....and <b>Verdi </b>most certainly meant it to be the unofficial Italian anthem during Italy's occupation by French and Austrian troops.artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-38965947062082039812014-05-18T06:30:00.000-05:002014-05-18T21:37:34.455-05:00The travails of train travels - Mother Nature plays rough?<br />
I am here now, when I should have been on the way to Sacramento to catch the Coastal starlight for Los Angeles tomorrow morning (early) and The Getty Museum. Well, these will just have to wait for another time.<br />
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On Mother's Day we fly (relatively calm flight) North to land in Denver (Dome of courthouse?)<br />
<img alt="" class="yk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrWaqRKGhF18_6nxtAH2drSD08Cc3_mXukK51CDYl_rY_LHYPwNVUj7UrvqogqSugxD9ut5ugDdv6zqqRVBlYf7GepWJ8ufbf2PscQN_-h23tb8prT-R2sBsYMKmbZagO_8kFSZkRJ8qTP/h120/DSCN0002.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; transform: rotate(0deg); width: 160px;" /> in a light snow fall with, BRRRR, 32 degrees.<br />
Monday will see us boarding the California Zephyr (a daily Train from Chicago-Sacramento)<br />
by 8 AM. Well, we are in the brand spanking new Denver Union station, but not the Zephyr! Waiting for it becomes a challenge. Snow falls in wetly plump flakes, the wind is biting, the station has NO warm waiting area, and NO cafe to buy any warm or cold drinks, or food! But in the basement on the<br />
way to the <i>ladies and gents</i>, there still rests an OLD, OLD big wall safe<br />
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<img class="rg_i" data-src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQGuw225N242VyePxMmCxAEH3lH55v6-Qz6E6sRzd4e9rfOexUPMw" data-sz="f" name="cXbNA6YbgmuZBM:" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQGuw225N242VyePxMmCxAEH3lH55v6-Qz6E6sRzd4e9rfOexUPMw" style="height: 191px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: -7px; width: 143px;" /> framed like an old master by a carved lintel and sides :-) - maybe from the late 1800... Wild West times?<br />
Across the street on the corner, <b>the</b> life saver for chilled waiting-for-the-train travelers, an old and warmly welcoming wood paneled bookstore, and coffee shop. We spend 5 hrs there reading and sipping, and having a sandwich, as do many others! I finish a book off the low price used book cart and put it back, I buy several others. I have also a book I finished on the plane and give it to the cashier, she loves the author and is happy! I am happy, too.Then she brings over a big chocolate cookie as thanks. I am tempted but ... the cookie goes to the window clerk at the station for her courtesy in making some changes to our itinerary WHEN we think the train would ONLY be a couple hours late. We'd get off in Reno, rent car, drive to Tahoe, back to Reno, then hop the train to Sacramento on the 18th, to stay the night, then get the Coastal Starlight to LA. Or so we think. <br />
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Finally, Nr. 5 Zephyr rolls in at about 1 PM! We hear departing riders (Chicago to Denver), that they spent hours<i> evacuating the train and </i>sheltering from tornadoes in Nebraska, even having dinner there, how that was done I have no clue, I mean the dining car and staff evacuated too, or did they? But done it was, so we were told by our train mates, who hailed from New Zealand, Australia and the UK... us being the sole US passengers in that coach.<br />
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We clamber aboard and up to the second level rooms.<br />
And settle in.....alas for more waiting and waiting.<br />
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After having to scrounge around for a second engine (needed to pull that train up and over the Continental divide and parts further West), an Amtrak one not in working condition at all, a Union Pacific one is finally found, which, sadly, needs some (minor?) repairs on brakes (yikes-imagine brakes NOT working on those steep gradients!!!)<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMiU_SL5XZZeGJZ-8u3Dw1IfKxIbzZCFGrBhduo7S3k7CDdwfskNbQ2gZ4Xal1zIZjTypQ2Gooq0j1XUwBg0EogjiUS39FRmg5Pr_ODYbbpMNP2bZVRYzLnI6Sqgfia4ZBOHWwUxgYgRU/s1600/DSCN0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcMiU_SL5XZZeGJZ-8u3Dw1IfKxIbzZCFGrBhduo7S3k7CDdwfskNbQ2gZ4Xal1zIZjTypQ2Gooq0j1XUwBg0EogjiUS39FRmg5Pr_ODYbbpMNP2bZVRYzLnI6Sqgfia4ZBOHWwUxgYgRU/s1600/DSCN0012.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a>Meanwhile a freight train has first crack over the track. Do YOU know why? Freight train companies OWN the tracks, and Passenger trains are only guests, riding the rails AFTER FREIGHTS!<br />
Almost 5 PM now and we are OFF, slowly moving past Coors Field and points West. Steadily climbing higher and higher onto snowy fields while Denver sinks back in the twilight..<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="yk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuJXr43a_Qe38BFxqOThDTZw9fmgnr6LzoaO2vWUlSXAL5MX_uKPtZiMW7BRgAnk1sS4VNhdpC72FSR5E-qlS7_KOb9bTEixPbWjFnXc-6q10wRQDiqZnToliHE8ZKNUkSx89P_FIM9aO/h120/DSCN0025.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; top: 0px; transform: rotate(0deg); width: 354px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking East down toward Denver</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="yk-O-x" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQXU7LBE2r7cvvpcIxwYAYk6kVcGkfovbXwfWGBvRDoj7ebZZ8Ufy0dfjREzfmvY8QGsfaVUXj-Ntsn6mX3zLYGnxE5y6_QheBwEat_grLEYelZN7TEirrr6MlSGWN6td_go59oiQMGx5/h120/DSCN0031.JPG" style="left: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; top: 0px; transform: rotate(0deg);" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Behind us a tunnel</td></tr>
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We reach and stop at Winter Park-Fraser, ride through tunnel after tunnel, steam past snow ladden trees and slopes; in the distance a dam. The 10 minutes long Moffat Tunnel is breached, we have dined (rather good food) while watching elk and deer foraging in the snow and - stop again - at Granby. For several hours, yet! More delay. Why? Waiting for the relief crew, who are "on the way" to take over. Meanwhile the eastbound Zephyr steams past down towards Denver, 2 freight trains rattle past us on the way West and out of sight.<br />
And we wait.<br />
Ah, the relief crew IS here.And off we chug. Up the narrow slope past some rushing streams and into the dark -with snow flurries.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rushing streamlet-snowy trees</td></tr>
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We bed down and the chugging lolls us to sleep, but wait - we stop! AGAIN.<br />
There is commotion at the back of our coach (the last one). I climb out onto the passage way - hello - there are two crew members hanging out the back door playing flashlights behind on the narrow track ...while talking with the engineer(s) who are up front/back??? What's going on on? The train starts backwards, slowly, slowly, down a curvy track guided via walky-talky ? to the engineers by the flashlight-wielding crew members. I recall reading about such in 'old wild west' books and seeing it in movies...except of course in those days the crew would have walked in the snowy tracks wielding lanterns while several crew would be station along the length of train yelling instructions to the engineer at front, now back, of train ;-)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas card view in May ?</td></tr>
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A curve now and again, all downhill; snow flurries, I barely see the abyss on the right, but clearly see the brown wetly shining rock wall to the left. And slowly we return to the East. Where we stop. Over night, at least!<br />
Why??? Because ahead a rock/mud slide blocks the track. Which in my thinking must have happened AFTER those two freight trains went west, why? Well, they sure did NOT come back past us. While we<b> waited</b> for the relief crew!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="yk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQK5xZsbctiPPNtojJIPOEOeyVU8ocC0Al2AnDImBwNYmNyXiWnHjHkg-uc773Law94iqRYtQ9o1YJuHG0Au9u-mzqzIODC-9vG05ufpW2advhogOiZduvpfFbO0rJuKtVqTd_osQPHAb_/h120/DSCN0154.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; top: 0px; transform: rotate(0deg); width: 160px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise somewhere in the Rockies</td></tr>
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We try to sleep, but the compartment gets chillier, by 4 AM I am freezing and wear almost every stitch of clothing I have in the carry-on. And then, the lights go out and the toilet flush is not working. By 6 AM, a huddle of passengers collects near the (I want to say samowar-lol, but we are in USA) so it's a big coffee urn, which the sleeper car attendant (a lovely-smiling lady) has finally plugged in as we have electricity again! We wait, some of us sneak a cuppa... it is weak, but HOT!<br />
Another announcement. The rockslide is too large and may take 3-4 days to clear.<br />
<b>We are heading back to Denver</b>. We have a decent breakfast and marvel at the beauty of the snowy mountains now lying glistening in the morning sun under a blue sky!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pkOZpYwKRyyhpHMGw2tWMEZa73LulUrKWFXTEchYXbC-pD1ElY2bz1v0O4gzZAmGlngf0UlVtTwjkyADvk2l8MKQsfgAcELsDTNaS7-L2WX7yK33Hx6v1etRuIgKt0n3gGXpIgwf5-8x/s1600/DSCN0167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pkOZpYwKRyyhpHMGw2tWMEZa73LulUrKWFXTEchYXbC-pD1ElY2bz1v0O4gzZAmGlngf0UlVtTwjkyADvk2l8MKQsfgAcELsDTNaS7-L2WX7yK33Hx6v1etRuIgKt0n3gGXpIgwf5-8x/s1600/DSCN0167.JPG" height="110" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back to Denver</td></tr>
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We arrive at Union Station, there this day's Zephyr waits.It was more or less ON TIME, but now will be taking off several hours late because all Sacramento bound Passengers (those that wished to go on) transfer to it, and the train (and all to come in the next 3-4 days) will be re-routed via Wyoming! The short destination riders (say Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction etc) will be bused!<br />
We and a few others, elect to get off and go back home (in our case, because the Lake Tahoe/Reno portion of our trip would have been totally lost). We spend a night relax, and sleeping soundly at a hotel near the airport having taken the bus from Union Station and the courtesy van to the hotel, and hop on a full plane back to Houston on Wednesday.<br />
As a first I get my palms swiped, usually I get a pat down alone. No, I did not <i>handle </i>explosives etc. May have wanted to explode due to frustration, but must concede, customer service personnel at Amtrak office was most courteous and we are getting a refund with apologies, and a voucher for future travel (? as if; maybe we will-but NO over nighters!).<br />
A strange thing... we arrive back home and find an e-mail notice from SW Air about a delayed departure of our flight, DUH? Which took off from Denver ON TIME, arrived early in Austin, continued quickly to Hobby? artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-69361711169507817622014-04-24T08:58:00.000-05:002014-04-24T08:58:40.201-05:00Bizet's Carmen at HGOSo, you say, you know CARMEN!<br />
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As I know CARMEN? I have seen and heard the Carmens of, among others, Agnes Baltsa (yes..that long ago-see clip ), sexy Julia Migenes (in the famous filmed version at Ronda with a young (and sexy, too) Domingo), leopard clad Denyce Graves, more classical Beatrice Uriah Monzon, and others. The sole exception is Beyonces
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=For2VLjjoHo"> attempt </a>
as Carmen<span id="goog_1533575818"></span><span id="goog_1533575819"></span> most recently.
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As I much younger opera lover I<b> </b>really<b> </b>liked Carmen. And as I (I confess) like las Corridas a las cinco de las tardes, especially. There is something in los toros, that I also find in Operas and Hockey! The excitement, the music, the individual feats of action, the unrealistic drama.......sorry, I digress!
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Aging, gracefully I hope, Carmen became just another popular opera whilst appreciating the rarer gems. And so I went to HGO's Dress rehearsal of CARMEN with pleasant anticipation because several in the cast were 'old' acquaintances, singers from past operas, and studio.
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And guess, what...I was captivated again by<b> this </b>Carmen.
<u>Ana Maria Martinez</u> simply IS Carmen. With flair, with grace, defiance, come-hither, and repulse. She dances really well, looks ravishing, acts impressively all the while singing sultrily or scathingly. Using her astonishing voice superbly. One can readily believe all men are at her feet in adulation.
Martinez is HOT!
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Her Don Jose is<u> Brandon Jovanovich </u>and HE matches her in HOTness ;-) with a clear tenor, flexible and expressive; he, too acts very well.
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<u>Ryan McKinny</u> is an energetic acrobatic Escamillo, his voice IMO is a bit too husky for the part. But he acquits himself with <i>pundonor como una famosa espada</i> ought.
<u>Natalya Romaniv's</u> Micaela is played and sung quite prettily as it ought to be; she is, after all, goodness personified.
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Of the other members in order of appearance:
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Morales is <u>Samuel Schultz</u>, a newcomer, he does it well, in this somewhat easily overlooked, cameo, role.
<br />
<u>Robert Gleadow</u> returns as Zuniga and sounds suitably officerlike.
<br />
<u>Uliana Alexyuk</u> sings Frasquita sweetly with a clear sound, <br />
<u>Carolyn Sproule</u> is Mercedes, who matches Uliana in sound.
<br />
As Dancaire, <u>Reginald Smith, Jr</u>., powerfully overshadows his comrade in arms, Remendado, sung by<u> John McVeigh</u>. I recall well <u>McVeigh's</u> somewhat distinct tenor from his time here, and in productions heard on the radio. Here he sounds lost beside the big voiced <u>Smith.</u>
<br />
What makes this production so exciting and DIFFERENT were the dancers. <br />
On the, primarily, spare set (by David Rockwell) and unusually lit brighter than I have seen (by<u> Donald Holder</u>), <br />
the solo dancer, as el toro, was<u> Rasta Thomas. </u>AND HE WAS EXCELLENT!
<br />
The costumes (by<u> Julie Weiss</u>) for the dancers outshone the others with the exception of <u>Martinez's</u> which seemed painted on in a most pleasing (or should that be teasing way?)
<br />
The children's chorus (directed by <u>Karen Reeves</u>) sing and act prettily, and the HGO Chorus, as we have come to expect, s<u>i</u>ng well as usual under<u> </u>the direction of Chorus Master<u> Richard Bado. </u>
<br />
<u>Rob Ashford </u>as Director and Choreographer essays several innovative ideas which makes this production better than many I have seen in the past.
<br />
HGO orchester is energetically, at times too (lol) energetically requiring the drinking of lots of water, conducted by, a very youthful, <u>Rory Macdonald.</u>
<br />
Looks like the whole cast and creative team is YOUNG. <br />
And that, chers readers, gives me hope for the survival of opera into the future. Young singers, young creative teams.. and - hopefully - young audiences. All is not lost on planet Opera, methinks.<span id="goog_1701310759"></span><span id="goog_1701310760"></span>
artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-91325919637818530042014-04-21T08:27:00.001-05:002014-04-21T08:27:45.215-05:00On Running, and other ruminations.<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>I am running. Left leg up right leg up - running. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Mindlessly running. Left leg right leg</i>. <i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Aimlessly running. Left leg right leg</i> - <i>endlessly running.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>And then I wake </i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Do I have legs, still? </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Slowly I sit up and look.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>They are here. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>And do ache as IF I had been really running - </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>endlessly running. aimlessly running, mindlessly running.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>In the sallow light that creeps through the slats, they are pale, achingly blue.</i></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>********************************************************** </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Two Cats. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are two cats I visited recently.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lalloo of the velvet fur - an elegant older gentleman. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsaBYwE84W1iVEWWULRBcc78uqd69fl4yCxCJOsdziCEhnsDdmBaWR7ObMEtCbOlQjgTNW-5ll5AxLz7S5ynZH2jW5YxTZqcQJ9MOJjsDfrCrkjoXwvpuynlN5P_uT_72B3XM_Ho1gKf7h/s1600/DSCN0939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsaBYwE84W1iVEWWULRBcc78uqd69fl4yCxCJOsdziCEhnsDdmBaWR7ObMEtCbOlQjgTNW-5ll5AxLz7S5ynZH2jW5YxTZqcQJ9MOJjsDfrCrkjoXwvpuynlN5P_uT_72B3XM_Ho1gKf7h/s1600/DSCN0939.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Calmly looking a the world </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-6xhYdBYb1tdkk83EnxlqA4z1JfeMyFIcyJ7TTbug4rtiPUWviLcMDGk0Of6pABypkqjGCG9Cu4WUDBxx4chUL50WwOhGypY1n_NHqFz-KUBWoKUrxcAQhVMy4FLo22tojtlOMsKfgCj/s1600/DSCN0932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-6xhYdBYb1tdkk83EnxlqA4z1JfeMyFIcyJ7TTbug4rtiPUWviLcMDGk0Of6pABypkqjGCG9Cu4WUDBxx4chUL50WwOhGypY1n_NHqFz-KUBWoKUrxcAQhVMy4FLo22tojtlOMsKfgCj/s1600/DSCN0932.JPG" height="159" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Hazer with the silky stripes and hints of russet - younger sleeker.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Loves to chew..on toes, shoes, and watch out - maybe fingers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hazer (not Hazen as in a certain Hockeyplayer) is still young and energetic. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Plays with a glittery blue 'thing' . </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Or with a long string batting at it, and CHEWING it!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lalloo looks on languidly: "Ah that youngster"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I leave becalmed - good bye till next time. </span><br />
***********************************************************************<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>Am I In the mood... for something danceable? </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>Hmmm...yes...listening to </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/smoNfOSoHq4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<i><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Swing, Jive and such and tapping toes. Fun!</span> **************************************************************************</i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Loosing a friend, even only because her decision is made to go off Facebook, is hard to do.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>I was always looking forward to her dispensing wisps of wisdom. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Posting pictures dishes (some yummier that others even if I wouldn't eat them).</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>And sharing thoughts and wishful dreamings.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>It is good to share one's dreams and hopeful wishes.</i></span><br />
<i>****************************************************************************</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i> </i><br />
<br />artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-81587411309962006442014-04-10T20:17:00.002-05:002014-04-10T20:17:17.185-05:00Decisions: U verse vs xfinity? Satellite or cable? You know something, I really could care less. <br />
Watching TV is not foremost on my agenda. So I left it up to Better Half and he is going for Uverse and WiFi enabled TV! More to study how to operate that. <br />
Methinks I am being dragged willy-nilly into the electronic world. Do I really want to? I'd be perfectly happy watching how I do it now, those 10 hrs a week (a bit more if a LONG opera is being broadcast ;-), otherwise I do watch DVDs, read and listen to CDs. <br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MagFT24FA3E?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
And not Bluetooth either! These old ears are perfectly satisfied with those sounds, and looks ;-).<br />
Books are, have been, and always will be THE thing for me.<br />
Friends (?) urge me to get a kindle. So much easier when traveling. <br />
But what do I do when I read so fast...oh, of course spend more on books in the clouds!<br />
When cruising there are libraries <img alt="" class="wk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRIsYdLgD53P0dv5kKnZ-gnWSGjkbK1Uf-N5wYoe5GKRqX_ikb1j1Sz7sLqYqpTk0yg2xptxM0adMJnxPuOTO6unww4bJmcFxtgzqsLYjQ4BYlbMJpllJy6AKoqpXGKiANVG2eFVB7ykiB/h120/218.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; transform: rotate(0deg); width: 90px;" />with books in multiple languages and I had fun reading German, French (slow), Spanish (somewhat faster) and , of course, English ones.<br />
<br />
<br />
As I prefer short flights one middling large tome will get me through 3-4 hrs of being a sardine-in-air! After arrival (at least in USA) I make a beeline to the nearest thrift shop to select a number depending on the length of stay. Usually there are good sales and so I never lack books. After reading I 'donate' them back to the thrift store or trade them for others. So why pay 14 -25 $ for kindle enabled book which I can read in 3-4 hrs, <br />
<br />
<br />
As an example about a year ago I bought the paperback version of a certain (tome) book for $ 0.66, then checked to see what Kindle would charge for it - it was at least $ 15.00, then. None of the advertised $ 0.99 (at that time) books were of the slightest interest to me. <br />
But all those that did catch my eyes seemed to be around $ 15.00-20.00 (then). So, for that trip of 10 days - say I read one book a day at $ 0.99 or better yet $ 0.66 - I'd spent $ 9.99 or $ 6.99...which would get me on Kindle not even ONE desired book!<br />
<br />
<br />
Sure I could load the kindle up with whatever numbers are possible, but then again..<br />
what to do after. <br />
Will Kindle take them back? <br />
Trade them in for another? <br />
Kind "Kindle readers" please do enlighten me!<br />
<br />artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-33560999668432206492014-04-09T09:18:00.001-05:002014-04-09T09:18:58.507-05:00Das Rheingold a la La Fura dels Baus-Final Dress RehearsalI came with an open mind and had no earthly (!) clue what to expect of another 'modern' 'regie' production. The use of huge projections has become routine, methinks, and in this case IT truly made the piece, no doubt about that: the ring of fire, the black hole=entry to Nibelheim in bowels of the earth, the machinery of mass production of golden eggs being fertilized to produce ever more slaves. Which appeared as hung carcasses tended to by black clad 'evil spirits' under the whip of Alberich. <br />
These 'enslaved' carcasses were performed by an aptly named 'corps de ballet' (lol), who also served as gold treasure and Valhallas' cage walls in the stunning finale.<br />
<br />
<br />
Now to the story - in brief: Three Rhinemaidens frolic in water tanks attempting synchronized swimming moves, while mocking and teasing a bemused Alberich. Who retaliated by stealing the gold which will give him unheard powers whilst taking away any chance for real love! <br />
Wotan has hired two giants Fafner and Fasolt to build Valhalla as home for the gods in payment of Freia, his sister-in-law who tends the trees and fruits which keep the gods immortal.<br />
<br />
<br />
When he renegs on this 'contract' the giants take Freia hostage until Wotan provides them with the gold of the Nibelungs. Of which the crafty Loge has informed him and urged him to get.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/F5YY754u-Rw?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
The clip is from the La Fura dels Baus production, just not with Stefan Margita as Loge.<br />
<br />
<br />
Meanwhile the gods hang in their 'cherry pickers' gasping for air from oxygen masks until Wotan can return with the spoils from Nibelheim in the bowels of the earth. <br />
<br />
<br />
Accompanied by crafty Loge whizzing around on electric wheels - red back lit - Loge is after all the God of Fire, Wotan descends into an abyss where machines whirr, slaves are hung like slaughterhouse carcasses, to meet up with Mime who was forced by Alberich to forge a helmet which is empowering the wearer to become invisible and/or shape change, and also a RING from the Rheingold. The whole idea of this slaughterhouse (those hooks reminding of the ones Anti Nazis were hung in June 1944 after the blundered assassination attempt by Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators ?) and concentration camp (using slaves to work work work); the egg production and destruction (are they meant to herald the (misguided) attempt to clone the perfect.. what? Humans? Slaves)? That concept is to deep for me, but what was one to infer from all those images?<br />
<br />
<br />
Loge, gets Alberich to show those powers and when he is changed into a small toad - to great laughter from the audience BTW, he is, naturally, captured, forced to hand over all the gold (in the form of the corps de ballet wriggling forms lit up with golden colors) and, finally as Wotan chops off his finger, THE RING.<br />
<br />
<br />
Erda rises from the earth to warn Wotan and persuades him to turn over the ring on top of all that gold. The Giants return Freia and the curse starts by Fafner killing Fasolt. Rejuvenated Donner causes thunderstorms, Froh a rainbow bridge, and the gods move into Valhalla to be encircled by the (still ) hanging but moving ballets de corps bodies in lieu of a protective wall.<br />
<br />
<br />
Musically, the cast and orchestra, under the gifted baton of Patrick Summers, sang and played well. Kudos to all for a uninterrupted 2 and half hours of Wagnerian sounds. I was very pleased by Tenor Iain Paterson's Wotan, Kristinn Sigmundson's Fasolt and Meredith Arwady's Erda. <br />
Stefan Margita's Loge surpassed my expectancy with a clear ringing tenor with evil and sarcastic shadings, when appropriate. Alberich, sund by Christopher Purves started slow but ended with a powerful interpretation of fury!<br />
Tenor Chad Shelton's Froh seemed a bit pressed vocally but the reason for that became clear at curtain, he was on crutches due to a foot injury. Of course, towering above the stage in his 'cherry picker' it was not noticeable ;-)!<br />
Ryan McKinny's warm deep voice, while beautiful modulated and enunciated, lacked a bit of the expected Wagnerian heft. Maybe he was conserving his voice for the 'real' performances, as may have done Jamie Barton, the Fricka.<br />
Melody Moore's Freia sounded scratchy at times, allergies? Or maybe it was the weird cone headpiece she and Erda wore. Hers in white, Erda's black!<br />
The 3 Rheinmaiden did a very good job singing after immersions whilst holding breath. But they had obvious fun splashing REAL water!!! Oh, yes, it was real water. Catherine Martin's mezzo voiced Wellgunde, Andrea Carroll's Woglinde and Renee Tatum's Flosshilde matched up very nicely.<br />
Rodell Rosel's Mime was at times inaudible, his whispers to Wotan caused by allergies? saving voice? or ? Otherwise he did a creditable job. <br />
Andrea Silvistrelli's growly voiced Fafner, was not as growly as he has sounded in the past in other roles at HGO. Could it be that his Italian larynx (lol) had trouble wrapping itself around German syllables? Well, whatever. <br />
Both giants in their 'leggo inspired monster towers with Hampelmann like legs and arms ending in pincer claws' certainly seemed threatening enough. And yet the whole hit me (at least) with an "oh gee, another techie effort to please the 'young audiences weaned on such from the film industry"? but it may have worked judging from the enthusiastic applause and hollerings of a - mostly- YOUNGER audience with the true blue "older" opera fans sprinkled here and there.<br />
Overall I liked it and would recommend it. <br />
<br />artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-79506044091786176612014-04-03T20:50:00.000-05:002014-04-03T20:50:34.675-05:00Lake Erie Monsters (LEM) vs Rampage 5-3<br />
<img alt="" class="uk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQqoK0f5ikhbcRsVFNFl0mFW81rxke5AWiBtT29LT8Y9Cxh4iiVrTXAAwD2Njp8haxS8LepHgEbY5fS4kBCd4j9O4b2hliu5wFfioDZsoj593qUYeD2Zd297QJRIfbALbgRbFYqc8PERz/h120/209.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; transform: rotate(0deg); width: 97px;" /> Houser seemed to prefer staying on his knees more often that 2 days before vs Bulldogs. Sadly this last game of the season (for us) was another loss for the Rampage (BTW Monday night Florida Panthers, the parent NHL team for the Rampage, also lost). And that was not all, on arrival we were bombarded with posters "T-Bone is missing<img alt="" class="uk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4Y9nengARNUcGh7afJRMTl8oEynbh5OXEOiieCVlfiJvnOoGF4c-mLZumhDmurljyPBVlSrwSChDh3cAhlmPDvJCgq0sSBZwgpYBCiB8LBAPgUO8bXqAXVfljaDc476RGApeD1D1YCSz/h120/004.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 94px;" />, never fear friends, he was unearthed in time for T-shirt shooting,<img alt="" class="uk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw7ki5z099eGs5McKhWptMglgzNvmSPr9O92LKA2U_awtFjLPrt8AntfJnNNsZU8sFrZWD9Scq953Jh_d7mPXyPayuCFw_eomXg-f27OAL7r4DJj2pNbwHO5yCBKYdbbBjPx05NGDIPJ_F/h120/156.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 129px;" /> which he did infinitely better than the team ;-)<span id="goog_611905454"></span><span id="goog_611905455"></span>; and last period animating...sadly, the team did not rally.<br />
<div style="border-image: none;">
.<img alt="" class="uk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-KVyzrQM3YpQzeTunQC30-l31ivNMa7_cQhudVPd7aE4Oe8MVicFS0Taw_qZGIXmI-WrkA9OjaMsuG-14hXkdvAqvZDR6uL4nEU3tEN0tZsTvCcooKezgYvXrItkkqbA6Fa5mkXqW6Ch/h120/076.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 237px;" /> LEM's goalie Sami Aittokallio, kept 28 shots away from his net, out of 31.<br />
<br />
<br />
It looked to me, and Better Half, like a comedy of errors, this game. Lots of <em>falling star(?)skaters;</em> <em> dropped sticks without cause;</em> a - whoopee :-)- fight between newbie Turgeon and LEM's Desbiens (a familiar name, eh?); players mistaking<em> ice for grass and playing soccer</em> with the puck; one Rampage skater playing <em>'giddyap'</em> on a LEM's back, yes, he was <em>riding high</em> ;-)! Pucks lost or shot to where no 'teammate' hovered. <br />
Bedlam in the 2. period. Where was Ortmeyer, you ask? He was a scratch!<br />
<br />
<br />
Penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct (helmet were ripped off) combined with fighting. And LEM made good on 3 PP of 5 by Sgrabossa, Eliot and Stollery, with Schumacher and Hishon getting the other 2. Rampage managed one PP goal by Gilroy, the other two were by Crabb and Gomes. Despite the standing tough here, Aittokallio stopped that puck, as he did 28 of 31<img alt="" class="uk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOi-DHDLEKBn59kUYzErIUP30txosA-OKqkC8pjgb6g805zdMUcXZzAKcubynRUide4-eFYtpOg5ocE2OfRDjJYSkaRQDm8KYI5_x4szr13PI9jkjNJfrg_Vlyd0XkMDSPN59A4Ym_F73/h120/071.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 118px;" />. Houser faced 34 and saved 29, here is one that he did stop, with the rebound cleared away by McFadden...<img alt="" class="uk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-QJaGUHXN0FgdOndxs-z7Mn0rWe2XzeUE8LZAJNqVj5HpTM5Fye4Wd6euj3KslxIUCuDvMozkfz1h8gTbgpUQJndor2Lvi45upgbXDWyjxuOFfbmb5syx0nQ9d3ZZUpIl5WaJarnjGLc/h120/205.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 160px;" /> and so it went. Pleasing was the drive along carpets of bluebonnets and other 'wild' flowers<img alt="" class="uk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJWafn8D92FO9uNxiGWeNXVdijhr1jCe3SBt8V00gUPTzYcBz7MHVPFJhbG4JRZEpSbkQpJGzyE8h75wTSjSzvoQ9hGYp2GYiXXQle8Ewj0mVNDqbQCC6gKh5uJOkky87gdfYP53Hfqst/h120/DSCN1266.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 251px;" />, as well as some blooms<img alt="" class="uk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIfkFwfVhJdet0AnbfmW23JkJt31b6e7I2XCDGILbdAundbRc0pIZq8o3AZ22baKst6JXRGOW4MeCf0kyYCtB4VNfODMUVfsa3zws33xOGVI71AVed5ha6TvMRq3bagFcyhl1eC7clwpRS/h120/DSCN1205.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 160px;" /> on the nature trail which winds around the Wild Oak Ranch property. So good bye Rampage, ATT Center and WOR<img alt="" class="uk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFMkoFB-jH1nWSoQ9wFc_EGQV3lPKrFl0sMDcCmveybHfts4pRSdg_ry1J5hyOJXNnV7s5Ep4h1V27lH66fK1G1y6ZmUtbZO6fWC9W58haFGxCY8dlE4e90bqJ94tb1TUOeGic9CXOyJG/h120/DSCN1221.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; width: 230px;" />.. for another year!<span id="goog_109088518"></span><span id="goog_109088519"></span><br />
<br /></div>
artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-40506485200335373082014-04-03T17:18:00.005-05:002014-04-03T17:18:40.744-05:00Hamilton 4 Rampage 3 with pics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="uk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_vzM49eu41pKKcEwLSk_dnXU_lDu_kvkB3bawFjJvvdQVqDu5EmzcPMlZij1FNoojHdLyAC0HArT-QwAkC0_mMUWBYoBC3-HBa5HxlZgK4x5M-MB1WMXb5qnfrgLawFxmVfnqHjmCdC0/h120/051.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; top: 0px; width: 160px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, well, well, Houser racing Leblanc to the front his net. Will he make it?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="uk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiym7L0QbGavi9vsJffD49EmPCiLjsSfdnL-A5XjB1-FVvQHNzpyAfJm9lPO1w9RukzfR5MBB-ZJ3qcgSjHDhusVTDtatMsgA6ZkBkRFDgq5ihxHoV5RSqqWQ4c3bRqTfA4TJaEf8QGS7xn/h120/103.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; top: 0px; transform: rotate(0deg); width: 160px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ortmeyer and Mayer tete a tete-wonder what they chat about?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="uk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD7zkbH25bopQKdbR4I1VVdXVjVzD072mKfamclkqACnnyW3ZwG5XI6F5wQAItreC8NfLk_NU9qV9h61L4u3CMrdjNlpqbJegpV2ghgdIAOmrh8bteHNpAsfN-PPnwJDh3ovgRjmMGqMuB/h120/067.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; top: 0px; transform: rotate(0deg); width: 90px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Major traffic jam in front of Mayer</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="uk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2mraDXEuRlfBET8rh7vZsSd6RFb80ixBUt19IM-G_J7hQV02E1Uwqyw7Sj6kJ5IIBA7tNl8HCvcfwjnAojFTsVQQjfNOghlozpW6fxpSdIwgLO-uwPYYxe7JLxW4YTDFx6OGQRhTbDhf/h120/070.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; top: 0px; width: 201px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ONE way to protect your goalie by bending to the ice? (#4)Drewisky invents new defense ;-)</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_68304818"></span><br />artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-53192556675511752322014-03-31T10:01:00.003-05:002014-03-31T10:01:25.088-05:00Just a little hockey between Bulldogs and RampageWell, it was an entertaining game. Although the Rampage lost 3 to 4.<br />
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I guess the Bulldogs were just not too eager (lol) because Ellis got a penalty for delay of game 2 minute into the 1. period. <br />
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Rampage scored close to end of the 1. a goal by Crabb (photo to follow). Hamilton goal by Leblanc made them even in the 2.period. Then, during a penalty for Pateryn Gilroy scored a power play goal for the Rampage and sent the crowds of over 6100 roaring its approval.<br />
Despite more penalties during all periods, the Bulldogs were unable to score.<br />
The 2. period ended with 1:1 even.<br />
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Lee did score a shorthanded goal fro Rampage three minutes before the Paterkyn goal.<br />
But the Rampage were not able to even the score.<br />
Each team served ONLY 3 penalties, but only the Rampage made one power play, AND a shorthanded goal.<br />
I spied Greg Zanon sporting an A.<br />
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I felt that both goalies Robert Mayer for Hamilton, and Michael Houser for the Rampage were quite evenly matched. Mayer 29 saves of 32, and Houser 22 of 26. <br />
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However, twice Houser was out of place letting Hamilton score the 2 goals early in the third. Not sure, if the fact that Houser (Rampage) ended up <i>'butterflied in his own net'</i> which some eager beaver skaters pushed over him (lol), but he seemed less able to stop the 2
goals by Hamilton by Blunden, Tarnasky. That fact also seemed to cause a bit of desperation playing by the Rampage but to no avail.<br />
Houser did try manfully to stop that one which Pateryn scored in the 4th, within seconds of the end of game, giving the Bulldogs the win.<br />
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And more hockey on Tuesday, Lake Erie vs Rampage. artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-44158513866576114222014-03-25T10:28:00.000-05:002014-04-24T09:08:56.618-05:00THE PUPPY THAT CAME BACK AS A KITTENA story of reincarnation.<br />
One morning the Nice lady of the house is adopted by a small grey haired feral fur ball<img alt="" class="wk-O-x" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPEBlGlHQyP9qxsnNjNcoUZ38Sp8eerTrP4g_S0Zfu10FMtuWI73-8lB5Nn5oRfQbILmocQWcMNHOGi7tHyIl8jZA8E-zcbznNG6p1T5dpf7smNjVvpDWsoJSLdzDUWn_uv6Tm39qPNeO/h120/DSCN0930.JPG" style="height: 120px; left: 0px; top: 0px; transform: rotate(0deg); width: 160px;" /> that purrs when it (for the moment) comes near the Nice Lady (we'll call her<b><i> </i>NiLa</b>). <br />
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<span id="goog_671323506"></span><span id="goog_671323507"></span><i>NiLa </i>rubs its belly and then, being that nice a Lady, she takes the little one into the house to give it milk.. All the while, the little one is very good at insinuating itself into the heart of NiLa by purring a mile a minute, snuggling up and - in general - behaving quite lovingly! And so, NiLa also falls in love with the sly one and names it <b><i>Sloane.</i></b><br />
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Being a good human NiLa takes Sloane to the Vet to be checked out, because feral critters could be sick with fleas, other pests, mange, or malnourished, although Sloane does look sleek and fluffy.<br />
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At the Vet Sloane is found to be a HE and, miraculously free from pests. But when the Vet recommends the usual shots Sloane hisses and growls. NiLa talks to Sloane explaining how important it is to have these shots. "They keep you healthy", she says, "and also protects others around you". Sloane cocks his little head attentively (can he really understand NiLa?). Then he jumps on the examining table and sits quietly raising his paw for one injection, then turning around for the others. No hissing. NiLa and the Vet praise Sloane and rub his belly, and between his ears.<br />
The Vet discusses food and more with NiLa while Sloane jumps off and gambols over to a display of harnesses which he gravely inspects then paws down a tiny one<img alt="blue-extra-extra-small-diamante-velvet-harness-1242-p[ekm]1000x1000 ..." height="200" id="ihover-img" src="https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608017393242145416&pid=15.1" title="blue-extra-extra-small-diamante-velvet-harness-1242-p[ekm]1000x1000 ..." width="200" />and carries it over to the humans. "Gosh", NiLa says, "looks like he wants to go for a walk". "Yes, some cats can be trained to wear harness" answers the Vet, "And Sloane looks like he is ready". So NiLa buys the tiny harness in blue, because Sloane is a boy, after all.<br />
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NiLa and Sloane walk out. At the desk NiLa asks for the bill. The staff hands the slip to her. Sloane, all of a sudden, hops on the counter sniffing the bill, then growls big. He does not like the bill? Yes, that is it. He paws and shreds it. NiLa is embarrassed. Staff issues another one, for a bit less, but Sloane still does not like it. Meanwhile other patients in the waiting room growl, hiss, bark and whine with Sloane. Finally a bill is given which Sloane approves, paid by NiLa and the pair walk out.<br />
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Sloane behaves more and more like a puppy in harness, sniffing things, pawing at others. BUT when a big dog comes near NiLa, he goes haywire, growling and hissing with such force, even NiLa is alarmed. AND the big dog backs off! Sloane protects his NiLa, doesn't he?<br />
And so NiLa and Sloane lived happily, at least for the nine lives of a cat, ever after.<br />
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You know, dear ones, I really think that Sloane must have been a good bookkeeper, who came back as good dog, and finally was rewarded by being reborn as a cat. Because they do say that 'dogs have owners, cats have servants'.<img alt="" src="http://www.funnykittensite.com/pictures/Kitten_And_Puppy.jpg" height="200" id="yui_3_5_1_5_1395760365990_695" width="134" /> Don't you?<br />
<br />artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-46398570622074912952014-03-24T10:37:00.000-05:002014-03-24T10:37:13.753-05:00I am bugged by...<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">This morning I read </span><a href="http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/03/21/airline-passengers-are-feeling-the-squeeze.aspx"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">that</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;"> and regret that in times when people grew taller and - yes - heavier (even if the weight grows because of the height), they have to be tortured when they need, or want, to fly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">As a person of mumble years in age, I remember when...waxing nostalgically, ;-) although I did not make use of this when I flew over the Atlantic multiple times in the 60's and 70's. But I do remember dressing up, dining off real china with real flatware and sipping excellent cognac from real snifters! Even in Loftleidir, THE low cost line then! So what, we stopped in Keflavik to refuel, so what it went only to Luxembourg, and from there I had to take a - THEN direct - train to Vienna (which in 1. class was super.. had a compartment all to myself, pulled the two benches together and - voila - I had a queensize bed)! Plus Luxembourg<img alt="luxembourg beautiful architecture" height="130" id="ihover-img" src="https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608011307270932072&pid=15.1" title="luxembourg beautiful architecture" width="200" /> was lovely little place to visit for a few hours after or before flying!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Ah, the GOOD old days... at least when flying ;-).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">And then there is: myths and truths about healthcare here pre-ACA and elsewhere:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Here's what the United Nations International Health Organization says. <br />
The Lancet study of a couple years ago is even more extensive.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Percentage of men and women who survived a cancer five years after diagnosis:<br />
U.S. 65%<br />
England 46%?<br />
Canada 42%</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Percentage of patients diagnosed with diabetes who received ?treatment within six months:?<br />
U.S. 93%?<br />
England 15%<br />
Canada 43%?</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Percentage of seniors needing hip replacement who received it within six months:<br />
U.S. 90%<br />
England 15%<br />
Canada 43%</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Percentage referred to a medical specialist who see one within one month:<br />
U.S. 77%<br />
England 40%<br />
Canada 43%</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Number of MRI scanners (a prime diagnostic tool) per million people:<br />
U.S. 71<br />
England 14<br />
Canada 18</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Percentage of seniors (65+), with low income, who say they are in "excellent health":<br />
U.S. 12%<br />
England 2%<br />
Canada 6%</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">And now for the last statistic:</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">National Health Insurance<br />
U.S. NO<br />
England YES<br />
Canada YES?</span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">Now these numbers seem to speak volumes, or do you believe UNIHO and Lancet lied?</span><br />
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And another thing that gets my goat (lol) - the belief of "young ones" that they are the only ones to go green (lol) and this making the rounds on emails says it succinctly, at least IMO, but then per the young ones: "What does that "old fart" know!" So I kept this which had been making the rounds some time ago via email:<br />
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older <br />woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags <br />weren't good for the environment. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing <br />back in my earlier days." </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did <br />not care enough to save our environment for future generations." </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day. </span></em><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to <br />the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and <br />sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and <br />over. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the green thing <br />back in our day. <br />Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags that we reused <br />for numerous things, most memorable besides household garbage bags, <br />was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. <br />This was to ensure that public property, (the books provided for our <br />use by the school) was not defaced by our scribbling. Then we were <br />able to personalize our books. </em></span></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></em></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>OR as I did with Oma's hand crocheted string bag-similar to this one, </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>and used newspaper to fashion cornucopias for carrying fruit, eggs and more!</em></span></div>
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<a href="https://sp1.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608011844141058753&pid=15.1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="crocheted string market bag" border="0" height="133" id="ihover-img" src="https://sp1.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608011844141058753&pid=15.1" title="crocheted string market bag" width="200" /></a></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">But too bad we didn't do the green thing back then. </span></em></div>
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<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></em></div>
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<a href="https://sp3.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608039400652080419&pid=15.1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" id="yui_3_5_1_1_1395674282485_590" src="https://sp3.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608039400652080419&pid=15.1" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="200" /></a><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every <br />store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't <br />climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two <br />blocks. </span></em><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">And over there we used a carpet beater not a vacuum to clean rugs. </span></em><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.</span></em></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. A</em></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>nd where I grew up, we washed clothes by hand and and boiled the whites in a kettle over a fire,</em><img alt="Wäsche wurde mit der Hand in einer Wanne (Wandl) gewaschen." height="200" id="ihover-img" src="https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.607988071497531968&pid=15.1" title="Wäsche wurde mit der Hand in einer Wanne (Wandl) gewaschen." width="152" /><em> then wrung them out- also by hand- and carried them up 5 flights to the drying attic.. in winter the clothes were frozen flat! And needed little ironing!</em></span></div>
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">But that young lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every <br />room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief <br />(remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">And over there a B/W TV set was a luxury..very few had one in the fifties. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">We read books, and papers (which we also put to good use for many things-lining drawers, in the WC(yes, really-hint never use glossy papers!), cleaning windows, etc), </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">not kindles, we saw LIVE performances. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">We met and had discussions, not stared at cell phones!</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have <br />electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile <br />item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion <br />it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up <br />an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower <br />that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to <br />go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.<br />But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">We drank from fountains or faucets when we were thirsty instead of using a cup <br />or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled <br />writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the <br />razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just <br />because the blade got dull. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">But we didn't have the green thing back then. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></em><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="133" id="yui_3_5_1_1_1395674760022_692" src="https://sp2.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608053071527479806&pid=15.1" style="height: 155px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; width: 233px;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Streetcar Vienna 1960's</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their <br />bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour <br />taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire <br />bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a <br />computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 <br />miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint. </em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>And some of us over there made our own "Hausmusik" </em><img alt="maxresdefault.jpg" height="112" id="ihover-img" src="https://sp3.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608022087627116531&pid=15.1" title="maxresdefault.jpg" width="200" /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;">But isn't it sad that the current generation laments how wasteful we <br />old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then? </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></em><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">Feel free to mention this to another selfish old person who needs a <br />lesson in conservation from smart (really?) young people </span></em><br />
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<br />artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-5873743706478345122014-03-23T21:19:00.002-05:002014-03-23T21:19:50.208-05:00Murder at the operaYes, it is the new book by Pamela Cramer: Murder at the Frankfurt Opera.<br />
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Written in a crisply simple way (a bit Hemingway-esque methinks) it's a quick, interesting read. Written with a sense of humor which will make you chuckle.</div>
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Sprinkled among the pages are photos of the author in her various operatic roles, alongside some pen and ink drawings by Angela Cramer, the younger daughter.</div>
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A pointed lead-in says a lot about what opera can, and will do, by no other than the GM of the Frankfurt Opera.</div>
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The reader learn all about what's going on behind the curtain. <br />
How singers sing, or not. <br />
How voices develop, and are classified.<br />
How one gets a job in Germany.<br />
How unions order what and when things happen.<br />
How one eats, sleeps and shops over the big pond.<br />
How costumes and made, conductor conduct and sets work.<br />
It is a veritable "How to book" about opera. <br />
With details, that may surprise event the most fervent opera fan.<br />
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How mishaps happen. <br />
And how a seeming mishap turns to murder.<br />
More I shall not disclose-go ahead and read it!<br />
<br />artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-74955059674796045822014-03-17T08:59:00.000-05:002014-03-17T08:59:03.373-05:00Drifting..Lately, it seems that we have become <em>drifters.</em> <br />
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Both my <strong>B</strong>etter <strong>H</strong>alf and I are catching ourselves drifting off to nod 5-10 minutes after lunch, maybe late in the afternoon, and most certainly after dinner. And again about 10 PM.</div>
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So you think the problem is solved by retiring to bed earlier, sleeping a full 6-8 hours or whatever our so learned doctor researchers recommend?</div>
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Bah humbug. </div>
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Take: <strong>BH </strong>he retires at say 10:30 PM, wakes after 2 AM, but then sleeps till 8 or 9 AM. And maybe drifts off after breakfast, too.</div>
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And yours truly, I hang on till 12:30 or so - having learned the bitter lesson that going earlier just means tossing and turning for hours. </div>
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So, even though at around midnight or a bit after, I start to drift off whilst reading which tells me to march in to retire, as soon as my head hits the pillows (fluffy soft feathered ones) eyes pop open, brain starts churning and, guess what - I still toss and turn. Then I sleep for an hour and a half or maybe 2. Then it's up and marching around to preclude or get rid of cramping legs, drinking some water, back to bed, toss and turn, fall back to sleep; only to repeat this a second and even a third time, before finally getting up to take the one pill 1 hour before taking the others! And , yes, after taking pill #1 I drift off for the requisite one hour, in my rocking chair.</div>
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And that, chers readers, leaves me befogged and bewildered. </div>
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It seems going against all that good ? advice by our learned friends, the scientific researchers!</div>
.artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-43333281731923640342014-03-16T19:15:00.006-05:002014-03-16T19:15:59.770-05:00A Coffin in Egypt<div style="border-image: none;">
That was a fabulous tour de force by veteran Mezzosoprano Frederika von Stade, For 0ne hour and a half she alone kept the audience spellbound. <br />
Yes, there were 4 others at various times on stage with her, two were actors in speaking roles, two had silent roles. David Matranga and Carolyn Johnson are actors. Cecilia Duarte and Adam Noble were the two silent players.</div>
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Plus there was a chorus of 4 gospel singers, who provided vocal accompaniment in quite superb manner. Cheryl D Clansy, a ringing bell-like soprano; Laura Elizabeth Patterson , alto; James M Winslow, tenor and Jawan CM Jenkins, bass.</div>
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Ricky Ian Gordon's music played by just a select few (8)of the HGO orchestra under the guidance of Timothy Myers was at times strident, at time very lyrical but each fitted the words and action on stage. Von Stade's voice soared powerfully in youthful spirits, other times she sounded like an old 90 year old woman, which she played, actually. But <br />
whatever the cause, the thoughts, the remembrances she sings/talks about she truly mesmerized by her presence and voice.<br />
Leonard Foglia directed and wrote libretto, based on the play by Horton Foote. Myrtle Bledsoe (Von Stade) at 90 recalls events in her turbulent life, and a real drama it was. At the end she comes to grip with it and feels free of hatred, and love. <br />
Set and costumes by Riccardo Hernandez were simple: a porch in Egypt, Texas, a red caftan and shawl for Myrtle.<br />
The mood lighting reflecting spring, summer, fall and so much more designed by Brian Nason.<br />
<strong>It being a World Premiere, there are no clips. YET</strong><br />
<strong><br /></strong><br />
But Ricky Ian Gordon also composed The Grapes of Wrath <br />
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(seen in a production by Moore's school of Music U of H some time ago). <br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sadly, chers readers you will have only ONE more chance to see this on </span></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">MARCH 21!</span></em></strong></div>
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artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-23976901766531956502014-03-15T17:28:00.000-05:002014-03-15T17:28:00.803-05:00Werther..from The Met via The cinema.<br />
Yes indeed.<br />
Clip from the French production Kaufman/Koch<br />
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I went with great expectation!<br />
Clip: Massenet's Ouverture to Werther<br />
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After all Opera heart throb tenor <i>Jonas Kaufman</i> was <i>Werther </i>with a fabulous French pronunciation, and the 'Sturm and Drang' emotions of a German. What more could one ask? <br />
Well, <i>Kaufman</i> delivered as promised. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaufman and Koch. Photo:Ken Howard</td></tr>
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And so did French Mezzo <i>Sophie Koch</i>, his <i>Charlotte. </i><br />
As one would expect from a French speaker she sang the French words beautifully.<br />
Both really can act as well, which is very important in this opera, especially this production.<br />
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All along I felt this is the<b> Movie</b> of the Opera Werther! <br />
Was it because the director <i>Richard Eyre</i> is better known as movie director? <br />
Was it because of <i>Rob Howell's</i> cluttered sets? <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Ken Howard</td></tr>
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Or because there was so much projection.. birds (crows maybe) during the opening which showed Charlotte's mothers' death and funeral? And leaves fluttering and falling later? <br />
Or those horrendous close ups down the throat of Kaufman?<br />
Amusingly, the end (due to satellite transmission failure?) appeared as a silent movie.<br />
And, chers readers, as much as LOVE opera, sitting there in the movie theater watching close ups of mouths looking like guppies on dry land gasping for air - with surtitles - had me quietly in stitches. <br />
I know, I know, what an irreverent thought (or two!). But yes, it <b>was</b> funny! And irritating, since one missed the death throes which went on and on..<br />
As one knows (?) <i>Werther</i> shot himself near the heart, so death was protracted, and allowing him and<i> Charlotte</i> to sing some lovely duets of where and how he is to be buried, or so I surmise... no sound, remember.<br />
Now having dished on the "show" per se, I wish to rave a bit about the principal singers.<br />
<i>Kaufman's</i> thespian talent coupled with a very good looks and A voice, was WERTHER to the core.<br />
YES!<br />
One cannot understand why Charlotte does not fall in love with him on first sight!!! But then if she had, the rest of the opera would have been superfluous.<i> Goethe</i> just wanted to make hay with Romantic Love (writ large) which when denied leads to suicide. Kinda like the gimme, me, me generation nowadays. Or am I too cynical?<br />
<i>Koch</i> was right there with him, when it came to acting, looks, and voice. She is billed as a Mezzo, IMO, a light and high Mezzo. But sang superbly.<br />
<i>Lisette Oropesa</i> as her sister, next in age, was suitably chipper and used her clear soprano to good avail. And I really liked her - almost better! So there!<br />
<i>David Bizic</i> as<i> Albert</i> was adequate and stiffly honorable, and yet jealousy did make him have <i>Charlotte </i>send the pistols to<i> Werther, </i>who had been talking (a lot) about death because of unfulfilled love. Did he really wish<i> Werther</i> to kill himself?<br />
And<i> Charlotte</i>'s father, the <i>Bailiff </i>(I forgot who it was) did not impress too much. A bit of a comic turn was provided by two of the <i>Bailiff'</i>s drinking buddies (names of role and singers escapes me, too) with their paean to Bacchus!<br />
I liked the costuming which showed off both <i>Koch's</i> and <i>Oropesa'</i>s slim builds very nicely, thank you.<i> Alain Altinoglu,</i> French conductor of Turkish descent, methinks, did very well indeed, it seems to me, that<i> Massenet</i> was a bit ahead of his time in the use of the saxophone!<br />
<i>Massenet'</i>s music was certainly far reaching in scope, he really dug the "Sturm and Drang" period of German romanticism ... and yet, I, for one, had no tears in my eyes...and I always sniffle at <i>Mme Butterfly</i> and <i>La Boheme</i>, go figure.artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-43273938398760437722014-03-01T21:00:00.001-06:002014-03-01T21:00:09.043-06:00Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin <i>In an eerie deja vu kind of way.....</i><br />
<i>This afternoon I saw Prince Igor (Live from The Met) on the day the Russian Army invaded Crimea, on command of a modern day"Prince" ;-) Vladimir Putin. And the end will certainly be, as in the opera, devastation and death!</i><br />
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In the opera, whose plot is a bit difficult to follow, especially for non-Russian speakers (despite the excellent subtitles). In olden day's Prince Igor Syvatoslavich, bassbariton hunky Ildar Abdrazakov leaves wife Yaroslavna, soprano extraordinaire Oksana Dyka, and folks, behind in Putivl to attack the marauding Polovtsians and their Khan Konchak in the company of his son Prince Vladimir Igorevich, sung by Sergey Semishkur (video clip below). He entrusts the people and his wife to care of his brother-in-law Prince Vladimir Yaroslavich Galitzky.<b> and</b> acts like Mikhail Petrenko (with Semishkur in video clip) <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Petrenko as Galitzky abusing Dyka as his sisterYaroslavna</td></tr>
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Who, with his Svengali-like (in this production) musicians Skula (Vladimir Ognovenko) and Yeroshka (Andrey Popov), abducts maidens, drinks to excess, and behaves abhorrently towards all, as well as his sister, the Princess. Proclaiming himself the proper successor to Igor is next on his agenda, but the arrival of the conquering Polovetsian hordes puts an end to that,<i> and him</i>!<br />
But, by golly, we love a villain, especially if he sings and acts like Petrenko does...<br />
<br />
he reminded my a bit of a former Aeros goalie-Anton Khudobin<br />
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Yes, he did, a bit, at first. This is Mikhail Petrenko. So what do you think, cher reader?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Khan (Kocan) offers a pact to Igor</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dyka and Abdrazako-in a dreamsequence?</td></tr>
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Igor is defeated and captured with his son by the Khan, sung by Stefan Kocan, who treats him well, offering him to share the rule over all of Russia. Igor refuses and escapes with the help of baptized Polovtsian Ovlur sung by Mikhail Vekua, (I had to google this because it is not overt in the opera) to return to a Putivl, devastated by the hordes of Khan Gzak, whilst his son Vladimir stays behind with his lover. the Khan Konchak's daughter Konchakovna, mezzo Anita Rachvelishvili..
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The famous Polovetsian Dances - you expected Russian and Asian costumes perhaps? - are danced by semi-naked boys and white clad maidens amidst fields of<b> red, red</b> poppies.
This section has a dreamlike feel to it, a misty, hazy feel. But the music just asks for it (Strangers in paradise-remember?)
We are confused, is it real? Or a figment of Igor's battle crazed mind?
Well, whatever it is meant to be, one thing is sure.. most do love the sleek bodies of the limber dancers, and the Maiden solo was performed by Houston Opera Studio Alumna Kiri Deonarine.... brava!
Dmitri Tscherniakov's direction pointed the way to a more in depth treatment of battle with the use of projections in black and white - like in silent films.
Gianandrea Noseda led orchestra, huge chorus and supers beautifully! And he is NOT Russian. But then, some of Borodin's music is just so lyrically romantic.
Now, I was quite enthralled with the quality of the singers, all Russian speakers, even if born in Georgia (Rachvelishvili), Ukraine (Dyka) and Slovakia (Kocan), or Bashkortostan (Abdrazakov), Kirov (Semishkur), and St. Petersburg (Petrenko).
If you love deep manly voices this opera is for you. There are only 2 tenors, all others are basses, bass baritones. I, for one, love that sound!!
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And the icing on the cake:<br />
Bass Eric Owens (another HOStudio alum) was the sonorous sounding Master of Ceremony with perfect diction! He reeled off all those names with complete ease!<br />
Brava! Bravo!...I just like seeing/hearing our HGO studio alums.artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-64862633674507658392014-02-28T16:24:00.000-06:002014-02-28T16:24:09.940-06:00Tempo fugit.....and flies and flies.<br />
Sochi is past, medals have been collected. <br />
No medals collected, well there is always something/one to blame. Snow too slushy. Wax too sticky. Suits too (?) aerodynamic? and so on and so forth! <br />
Memories enhanced by selfies and other camera work.<br />
<br />
<br />
Meanwhile there are riots in various parts of the world. <br />
Meanwhile the killing goes on... <br />
not on the stock exchange, well, perhaps some is happening there as well....<br />
but ...<br />
<br />
<br />
Laws are proposed and vetoed, at least in Arizona.<br />
And the list of "what the hell IS going on in this miserable world" is going on and on!<br />
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<br />
But hark, the RODEO barbecue cook off is on and the air's full of aroma! <br />
And the tickets are selling. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<br />
And the prize (hoped for anyway) steers and calves and hens and roosters and goats and sheep and, and, and.....<span id="goog_757740891"></span><span id="goog_757740892"></span>are being groomed and pampered and fed and, well, you all know!<br />
<br />artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-78766259990599587372014-02-08T09:15:00.001-06:002014-02-08T09:15:40.038-06:00Sochis' Electronic performanceThe 2 voices in my head had a heated discussion last night whilst watching Sochi's Opening ceremony. There was Warm Fuzzy (WF) versus Sneering Cynic (SC).<br />
WF: Aw, how sweet to see athletes represent that (what was it now) Country, where his/her mother/father was born, even though he/she is now American. <br />
SC: Yeah, sure, wouldn't you, too, fly under that foreign flag if you are a soso athlete who' never had a chance to get into the USA team?<br />
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<br />
WF: And isn't it so nice that that guy took 4 weeks off to train just to be able to come here?<br />
SC: Must have a real generous employer to let him off during these economic hard times. Right!<br />
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<br />
WF: But those beautiful presentations of Russia throughout history. So impressive. <br />
SC: They sure did gloss over the nasty parts (Killing off the Romanovs, The Gulag, Stalin's purges, etc). But hey, it was all 'done with mirrors' Which, btw, reminded me very much of MOBY DICK's electronically enhanced opera performance in Dallas! Maybe that's where they got the idea of those projections so enthralling you!<br />
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WF: But those dancers and the music.<br />
SC: I grant you the music. How could they not use that. After all the world knows Tschaikovsky, swan lake. But did they have to make it look like electrically charged sea anemones?<br />
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<br />
WF: I admire the dancers they must have practiced for months.<br />
SC: You know, I have the sneaky suspicion these were real red army soldiers who are so used to drill, and tight formations, as when they used to strut on Red Square to proclaim the power of Russia, just now put into theatrical costumes.<br />
<br />
<br />
WF: But you did like Anna Netrebko? <br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=d56MMagyMXs">https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=d56MMagyMXs</a><br />
And the male chorus backing her up- yes?<br />
SC: You have me there, she was great... except for a second or two I thought that it was a robot made to look her, the way her face seemed immobile, but then she belted out the anthem and moved, slightly. Yes, the male chorus was a nice touch, to emphasize her statuesque beauty, perhaps. <br />
WF: I was soo excited because I think I recognized one of the singers in that chorus, a former HGO Studio member.<br />
SC: Oh sure, but only if that smaller chorus was culled from the larger army chorus where BD is supposed to sing.<br />
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<br />
WF: So nice that the camera showed all those politicians clapping for their country's teams.<br />
SC: Hmm, I did not see the any from the USA, and some other countries, but maybe those clapped during the infernal commercials and so were missed by the camera, do you think? And Putin's smirky countenance with limpy handclapping when not applauding Russia's preferred countries, what did you think of that WF?<br />
WF: Aw, come on SC, maybe he was getting tired of clapping hard. He has had so much on his mind before these weeks.<br />
SC: I guess so. Masterminding the transformation of a sleepy palm tree lined village on the beach to an "internationally" attractive destination in winter, could not have been easy even if spending so many millions over budget on it to end up with slip/slapshot results.<br />
(Clip: the marching in of the athletes +)<br />
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WF: I was soo excited because I think I recognized one of the singers in that chorus, a former HGO Studio member.<br />
SC: Oh sure, but only if that smaller chorus was culled from the larger army chorus where BD is supposed to sing.<br />
<br />
<br />
WF: So nice that the camera showed all those politicians clapping for their country's teams.<br />
SC: Hmm, I did not see the any from the USA, and some other countries, but maybe those clapped during the infernal commercials and so were missed by the camera, do you think? And Putin's smirky countenance with limpy handclapping when not applauding Russia's preferred countries, what did you think of that WF?<br />
WF: Aw, come on SC, maybe he was getting tired of clapping hard. He has had so much on his mind before these weeks.<br />
SC: I guess so. Masterminding the transformation of a sleepy palm tree lined village on the beach to an "internationally" attractive destination in winter, could not have been easy even if spending so many millions over budget on it to end up with slip/slapshot results.<br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Well, there you have it. It was a stunning productions, technically and electronically well done overall. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">But moving, it was not, at least not form the stand(lol)point of sitting at home and seeing it with the eyes/lenses of cameras. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It seemed cool in the real sense sort of impersonal.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Perhaps being there IN person would have given a warmer feeling. May the games be successful for all! Go Austria, Go USA, Go... whoever you are!</span></em>artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-72213581809297742622014-02-02T08:56:00.000-06:002014-02-02T08:57:49.362-06:00Maledizione.. strikes againAfter numbers of RIGOLETTOs seen and heard, Verdi's musical power never fails to draw me in, wring me out and leave<b> me</b> wanting MORE. And so it was last night at HGO.<br />
I am sure you all know the story by now. <br />
<br />
Amoral Duke dishonors females. Revengeful jester plots to have him killed, which is foiled by another female who saves the Duke first, then by jester's daughter, still enamored despite all, who dies in his stead! That's it in a nutshell.<br />
However, perhaps due to my encroaching age, and past life experiences (lol) I found a "new"? insight. Did Verdi mean this a morale? <br />
<i>The Bad shall not go unpunished</i>? Sadly, it turns into "<i>The Good shall be punished</i>".<br />
Or, women in love act irrationally?<br />
Or, do curses really work? <br />
If so, I sure would really love to curse some drivers. Yes, those that cut in whilst texting, yapping, or even putting on make-up ON THE highways and byways! ;-) But I digress.<br />
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Back to the HGO production, which, if I recall, has been around a few times before, and seems a bit tired, to me, despite the big red splashy opening scene with Rigoletto. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexyuk, McKinny-Photocredit HGO</td></tr>
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BTW,<br />
HGO alum<i> Ryan McKinny</i> made his debut as the jester, and did it well with sonorous sound and gestures. He just looks a bit too young even make up did not age him sufficiently to cover his charmingly youthful face. <br />
On the other hand, his daughter Gilda, sung with crystal clarity and meltingly haunting voice by Studio Member <i>Uliana Alexyuk</i> (Einspringer for the scheduled Gilda who left - for personal reasons) was stunning and so teenager. That singer is one to watch, and conquer other opera houses soon!<br />
******************<br />
I heard others as Gilda, the ones most securely anchored in my memory are: more recently,<br />
Maureen O' Flynn (HGO) and, prior to that, Edita Gruberova...but Alexyuk comes very close!<br />
*******************<br />
Now on to others in the cast.<br />
Despite a pre-curtain announcement, that <i>Stephen Costello</i> felt ill, he sang the Duke seemingly without signs, perhaps not quite full out, but getting stronger as the night wore on.<br />
<i>Robert Pomakov's</i> Monterone was a bit less imposing than previously heard Monterones;<br />
<i>Dimitri Belosselskiy</i> (Debut at HGO) did not quite come up to expectations as Sparafucile...that cold, yet "honorable?" viciousness in the voice seemed lacking;<br />
<i>Carolyne Sproule</i> as Maddalena (HGO Studio) decked in shawls like a Carmen (early ads for the coming 'Carmen'? tee hee) was adequately sultry with Rastafarian curls..<br />
Other comprimario roles were also taken by current studio members.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marullo=<i>Reginald Smith</i></td></tr>
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In this production, the naked woman (prudently (lol) holding a dress<b> just</b> in front) flashing across the stage in the first act (a well remembered 'rearview' ;-) from the previous show 2009) was omitted.<br />
Thus, a sense of supposed deep depravity of this court was - well - NOT sensed.<br />
<br />
<i>Patrick Sommers</i> coaxed grand Verdian sounds from the orchestra with his usual verve.<br />
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The Production was well done, but.....</div>
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Not sure what exactly was missing, something seemed to be - at least to me!</div>
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Still it's an entertaining musical event, which does allow one to go away whistling, humming</div>
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or - if so talented - singing catchy tunes, which after all<b> is rather </b>good!</div>
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artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-91711410030798739582014-01-19T17:17:00.000-06:002014-01-19T17:17:05.063-06:00A splendid weekend, with Hockey, in San AntonioThe weather could not have been better [made up for the be-fogged and be-rained one earlier ;-)], but sadly the Rampage lost to the Rochester Americans 3-2. BTW I really like those read-white-blue jerseys, but I do like the Rampage warm up jersey more-muy caliente<br />
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!!!Of course, it was not a BAD game, but a loss is a loss for Rampage fans of which there were over 6,000, although there seemed to be more.<br />
Noisy ones, at that!<br />
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The first period started, as did the one the last game we saw, with an early goal by Rochester by -of all people - Johan Larsson- Second Star of the game<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crabb shadows Gillies</td></tr>
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with Colton Gillies ( both ex Aeros) and Irwin in just a hair over 2 minutes into the period. On a power play, yet, thanks to Megan.<br />
Rob Madore <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rob Madore standing as tall as 5'10 (176 pds) can be Third Star of the game</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMugCCBTiEhfv7LMb5TM-Xttfn_pmUBBdyJjhK2Mk7fxtzuw7F1Z25RWEQRS1VqKKaAlmg743H01F1lQ_AA8Y3jvLaAGOMTmFDgyK1n346GMpb1T-6DQ51mQrw6pDJRlZqGAQMTUZ2Z0x/s1600/Nathan+Lieuwen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFMugCCBTiEhfv7LMb5TM-Xttfn_pmUBBdyJjhK2Mk7fxtzuw7F1Z25RWEQRS1VqKKaAlmg743H01F1lQ_AA8Y3jvLaAGOMTmFDgyK1n346GMpb1T-6DQ51mQrw6pDJRlZqGAQMTUZ2Z0x/s1600/Nathan+Lieuwen.JPG" height="200" width="136" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan Lieuwen</td></tr>
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was in goal for Rampage, Michael Houser was recalled to be backup, due to Markstrom's injury (?) earlier.<br />
<br />
Nathan Lieuwen for Rochester at 6'5 (186 pds) played Goliath to Madore's David (lol). Since Rampage played (to quote seat mates) like <i>'girls hockey' </i>(they did root for Rochester - I may add!) the scene in front of Madore frequently was like this:<br />
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Madore did acquit himself rather well stopping 34 of 37 SOGs throughout the 3 periods.<br />
Rampage managed one goal on the 2. A power play goal by Janik, Gilroy and Martindale<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQI_CeL4XlebNMtJ2fyQJc5AF1st1IsL6NrJYBziw8T035wmsxUMDerffN1JUv39IVZGhO7AUH-wrOVA7My-sC4AepsTEQK3OxNzM8u5Yy_pbvVTF38srEIx_cUbhxNmqJuiEdcqaBXCM/s1600/Janik+Goal++in+2nd..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQI_CeL4XlebNMtJ2fyQJc5AF1st1IsL6NrJYBziw8T035wmsxUMDerffN1JUv39IVZGhO7AUH-wrOVA7My-sC4AepsTEQK3OxNzM8u5Yy_pbvVTF38srEIx_cUbhxNmqJuiEdcqaBXCM/s1600/Janik+Goal++in+2nd..JPG" height="176" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Janik Goal in 2.period</td></tr>
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and 1 in the 3. by Howden with Shaw.<br />
Both teams had 2 penalties each, and a power play goal each. Penalty kill was adequate.<br />
Called up by Rampage, Wade Megan played quite aggressively, perhaps too aggressively. Megan sitting for hooking allowed the first PP goal for Rochester.<br />
Especially in 1. and 2. there was some sloppy passing and stupid mistakes by Rampage players. Although they picked up some speed and managed to shoot 3 more SOGs (8) then in the 1. (5).<br />
Only in the third did they seem to have found their rhythm with 15 sogs. And every time I looked<i> Kilroy (</i>oops) GILROY # 97<br />
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<i>"was here"</i> defending (he also did a get an assist).<br />
<br />
But it just wasn't enough to carry the evening.<br />
Rochester out shot and out scored them - albeit just by one, a, PP goal by Tardif (First star of the game), Adam and - again - Larsson.<br />
Lieuwen had a few close calls,<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq12p3HBIkD4lFAEQPR41Lb8t-Xkwgp5XCCM2MIhk2bLxtFaPoSo-WaENifqSp79laTC3CvBDWAQVQkGaOpHRUsk2o8LoFd-tEEzcsNp653hbWhL9EmCAy1GeM9sBh2eV2iuCtvM7z0C6I/s1600/Almost+but+no+goal+in+3..JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq12p3HBIkD4lFAEQPR41Lb8t-Xkwgp5XCCM2MIhk2bLxtFaPoSo-WaENifqSp79laTC3CvBDWAQVQkGaOpHRUsk2o8LoFd-tEEzcsNp653hbWhL9EmCAy1GeM9sBh2eV2iuCtvM7z0C6I/s1600/Almost+but+no+goal+in+3..JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close call-but no goal</td></tr>
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but managed to stop all but the 2 of 28.<br />
<br />
Two more ex-Aeros were present, Drew Bagnall<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisF8YP3bHLZuVEhJddnnxuBta5XqX3r17S4P0TNrHs6gy3W2DQzjaSvwxCCBXDtWR811tTxuwZNysKiNUPb7N2ymUN5DJLu7KJF1l_QzL_l9nWBruv7MOB2asj9M7SutKMIfYq0EB-cK1-/s1600/Bagnall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisF8YP3bHLZuVEhJddnnxuBta5XqX3r17S4P0TNrHs6gy3W2DQzjaSvwxCCBXDtWR811tTxuwZNysKiNUPb7N2ymUN5DJLu7KJF1l_QzL_l9nWBruv7MOB2asj9M7SutKMIfYq0EB-cK1-/s1600/Bagnall.JPG" height="149" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bagnall-Nr.4 the C</td></tr>
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sporting the C was on the ice seemingly all the time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hackett still Nr. 30</td></tr>
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And Hackett as BUG skated during warm ups and later to help the team celebrate its win!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7ZyVsvCKDOh2mkj0IUPLrmCNYU_oZOOm8R_lyEylTMFWMSRm1cFN9updEMwBrMKq7X4ObxkUDQiCy0VpzUUM8bQhA-EPPd8NgoKrD0HxKIUBRE4UjMEZT9aal6uw7tBYDGHl36Pq79zZ/s1600/Hackett+joins+celebration.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7ZyVsvCKDOh2mkj0IUPLrmCNYU_oZOOm8R_lyEylTMFWMSRm1cFN9updEMwBrMKq7X4ObxkUDQiCy0VpzUUM8bQhA-EPPd8NgoKrD0HxKIUBRE4UjMEZT9aal6uw7tBYDGHl36Pq79zZ/s1600/Hackett+joins+celebration.JPG" height="175" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hackett congratulates Team and Larsson!</td></tr>
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<br />artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-16786917358030110972014-01-17T09:15:00.001-06:002014-01-17T09:15:15.384-06:00The Passenger-a searing musical portrait of (in)humanity<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">This co-production of Bregenz, Warsaw, ENO, Madrid is currently being performed at HGO. It is a new(ish) work, composed by Mieczyslaw Weinberg, libretto by Alexander Medvedev which David Pountney translated rather well into English. It is performed with surtitles.<em> </em>But IMO they are rarely needed, since the enunciation of most singers is outstanding and 96% understandable. I was privileged to attend the final dress rehearsal, which went smoothly. Opening night is Saturday 1/18. I'll be out of town then so am publishing it this morning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">A brief description of its plot: Fifteen years after the end of the war, a German diplomatic couple (Walter and Liese) are on a liner for Brazil where he is to take up an embassy position. On the ship there, too, is a mysterious veiled woman. Liese seems to recognize her as one of the inmates in Auschwitz where Liese (aged 22) served as a camp guard.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Several acts are devoted to camp life. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Female prisoners from all over Europe are found there, each one reacting in her own way to the horrors around her. One apparently has gone mad, another teams up with a very young girl in lieu of her own daughter. Their nationalities are: Czech, Polish, Russian (a partisan), French and Tessalonikan. One is identified as Jewish, some others seem to be catholic, especially Bronka.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">The heroine, Marta (that mysterious passenger), by chance, encounters her finance Tadeusz, who, we learn is involved in the camp underground and in touch with Katya, the Russian partisan.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">The plot gets a bit thicker. Liese wants Marta to become her confidante vis-a-vis the other prisoners, and offers Marta and Tadeusz a chance to meet. Both are resolved not to give Liese any hold on them. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">While these flashbacks to camp life take place, on an upper level we see Walter and Liese attempting to participate in ship's social life. Liese has told Walter now all about her camp life. And Walter, after an initial revulsion, has accepted it and excusing it now supports her.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">But then the "Passenger" asks the band (on a 3.level) to play a waltz. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">And Liese breaks down completely. It is the waltz the camp commandant has demanded Tadeusz play for him on the violin, which Tadeusz does not do, and so is sent to his death. As - it seemed - is Marta. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; color: black; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">The opera ends with the 'modern' Marta's demand 'never forgive nor forget'!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Now the cast requires some very strong performances by 9 female voices. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">And HGO found them, voices with convincing acting prowess.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Michelle Breedt -above - (HGO debut) sings Liese with a flexible Mezzo and seemingly personal conviction in the world she inhabits on stage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Melody Moore is Marta with strong and confident delivery. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Victoria Livengood - quite excellent as the madwoman. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Yvette, the French youngster, is sung with a clear high soprano by Uliana Alexyuk (HGOStudio). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Vlasta is sung by another HGOStudio member, Carolyn Sproule.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Krystyna is performed by Natalya Romaniw (Studio member). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Bronka, the older woman adopting the youngster Yvette is sung with moving expression by Kathryn Day. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;">Agnieszka Rehlis (debut) sings a few lines as the Jewish girl (is she the one from Tessalonika?).<br />
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Kelly Kaduce - above - (debut) whom I have seen and heard in <em>Anna Karenina</em>, Tan Dun's <em>Tea</em> and as Margaret Garner, sings Katya with complete confidence and beautiful phrasing.. her solo, unaccompanied for the most part by orchestra, of the Babushka song is truly stunning! <br />
Cheryl Parish (also seen in Show Boat at HGO) is the senior overseer who has just a few lines as well. <br />
All other characters, in camp, and on ship, as well as in the, all MALE onlookers in modern dress (why they are there is still, IMO, a mystery, they do not really do much for the plot - perhaps they are to be us, the audience, but why only males?), are taken by chorus members with no solo lines, some are even silent.<br />
As you can see, the females are dominant in this work.<br />
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Joseph Kaiser - above as Ravenal in HGO's Show Boat - Walter, is convincing and uses his suave voice well. <br />
Morgan Smith - debut (of Starbuck fame -Moby Dick seen by me in Dallas) sings Tadeusz with feeling<img alt="" id="yui_3_5_1_1_1389886260653_1222" src="https://sp1.yimg.com/ib/th?id=H.4576761377654317&pid=15.1" style="height: 155px; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 109px;" />. His orchestra double actually plays the violin.<br />
James Maddalena has 2 cameo roles with a few lines, mostly just spoken. <br />
Robert Pomakov as the first guard, and<br />
Peixin Chen and Kevin Ray (both Studiomembers) as 2. and 3. guard acquit themselves quite honorably.<br />
I am not sure who plays the Commandant, whose brief appearance in scene 5/act 2 is the cause for Tadeusz' death.<br />
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I have searched for some videos.. and found this of another composition by Weinberg<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: x-small;">
<br />Now to my personal impressions. Not being a musician, I cannot write about the difficulties which lie in the score. I have been told that some seems almost impossible. And yet the orchestra and the singers do it real justice.<br />
It is above all a g<strong>reat theatrical drama with h</strong><strong>ugely excellent singing</strong>. <br />
Maestro Summers knows the score and guides the team well. <br />
Music: mostly accessible, sometimes overwhelming, sometimes very lyrical. IMO, it paints musical pictures of the horrors, but of beauty as well.<br />
Staging and set are impressive, sadly I fear, people in balcony and high Grand Tier seats will not see the third level (orchestra) and maybe even part of the second level. The set is built very tall! Lighting is appropriate to action and scenery. A bit of stumbling around the camp ground makes the prisoners' exhaustion even more plausible.<br />
<br />
Was I moved? Yes, to some extent I was, mostly due to the<em> </em><strong><em>truly superb acting singers</em>.</strong> <br />
<br />
But having studied this period in history, and read as much as is available in English and German, I was somewhat disappointed. Or maybe, like so many of us, I have become desensitized to violence and horrors by what is thrown at us daily on television and the web. <em>Perhaps</em>. <br />
<br />
Did I think the piece biased? Not really. The composer, IMO, tried his best to tell the story as seen from the standpoint of a younger Liese, whose experiences must be taken in context of the times. <br />
Befehl ist Befehl - order is order! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: x-small;">And yet, nothing is ever just pure black and white.<br />
But still, it should be seen as grave warning to humanity. If it works in these days of increasing insensitivity to suffering, of spontaneous killings may they be government sanctioned, or acts by crazed (?) individuals, I simply do not know. And who really can?<br />
Maybe...at least I hope it will open some eyes and hearts!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span>And here some comments, overheard on the way out:<br />
"High drama but not really an opera".<br />
"Would have liked it better as a ballet." <br />
"How P.C. is that, before HGO is doing Wagner."<br />
"I am surprised that it did not affect me as much."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><span style="color: #20124d; font-size: x-small;">Well, best you see it yourself. </span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-size: x-small;">I can guarantee the<strong><em> singing and acting</em></strong> is fantastic.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-size: x-small;"><em></em></span>artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-42442263389268685622014-01-15T11:55:00.001-06:002014-01-15T11:55:18.577-06:00Saying Goodby is hard to do<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ikwOf2Q4BF7_qhsebvetr2_IFYfoRK94j1NTTwRvClm5AgnSUkIMUom2K9wGRVUWxSOlRV-ZZlzJkTLCplRAeNcFbyfbId6_wsFrINBZdtykAKiuep24A94p6ULD0H3-goN22zOMnl8U/s200/DSCN1535.JPG" width="150" /></div>
This weekend two people I loved, admired and am happy to have known, left for a better place=heaven. (that is if one believes in heaven - and unless someone belies it, I do believe).<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">The first was one whom I loved like a sister even though she was ONLY a cousin, and a much older one, indeed. When I was small, I called her auntie, because she was almost 20 years older than I, the oldest daughter of my father's older brother. Later as I matured (;-) we went to calling us by first name. She was THE one, who kept up a faithful correspondence (snail mail!) to keep me informed about the lives of my extended family in Wien! I shall miss her dreadfully. I am afraid, this red threat to my kin over there will snap, as I do not see any of her kids or grandkids or great grandkids taking up the slack to continue, snail mail (what's that?) and even email may not serve. SADLY.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1b8CdclvYjXX7h8nvKIYuF9MIgFhVrLkgnPU4EvYckhGoBvS04nTmQCitluAbRGw-UQyOiCpZzdz8qT4kmTY8EivFrAJgrrEqFah06I2A2j06eM_4eU7UCXgSjon8tU4zqCuQK6WKKM0/s1600/DSCN1828+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: blue;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1b8CdclvYjXX7h8nvKIYuF9MIgFhVrLkgnPU4EvYckhGoBvS04nTmQCitluAbRGw-UQyOiCpZzdz8qT4kmTY8EivFrAJgrrEqFah06I2A2j06eM_4eU7UCXgSjon8tU4zqCuQK6WKKM0/s200/DSCN1828+-+Copy.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: blue;">I am so happy I was privileged to have seen her once more last spring on our 2 months stay in Europe. R.I.P. Lotte, dearest cousin!</span><br />
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The second - about whose passing I have just been told - was a person whom I admired much. He was a fighter for freedom during WWII, in Austria. <br />
He wrote books, published others. <br />
He nurtured thoughts that seemed impossible to attain in this world of 'selfies'. And more! Yes, he was opionated at times, but only because he cared so much! <br />
Fritz, it was a joy to have met you and experienced your passion for what IS right and what ought to done to change and better it! <br />
<a href="https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=H.4708333360251596&pid=15.1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Wien - Der österreichische Publizist und Verleger Fritz Molden ist am Samstag (11.01.) im Alter von 89 Jahren nach kurzer Krankheit gestorben. Das teilte" border="0" height="132" id="ihover-img" src="https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=H.4708333360251596&pid=15.1" title="Wien - Der österreichische Publizist und Verleger Fritz Molden ist am Samstag (11.01.) im Alter von 89 Jahren nach kurzer Krankheit gestorben. Das teilte" width="200" /></a>This is how I shall remember Fritz - especially anytime I re-read his books (in German) and I will. <br />
This is how I want to remember Fritz, not like the photo in the Wikipedia article, even IF it is the latest.<br />
<br />
For more details read this: <a href="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Molden">http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Molden</a><br />
<br />
<em><span style="color: #741b47;">And in an other vein...the demise of blogs!</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #741b47;">Seems several bloggers whose posts I have enjoyed reading over the years, have vanished from the blog scene. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #741b47;">And I do wonder why? Have they, too, died? Or have they just lost interest. </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #741b47;">Perhaps they have gone on to the next fad? Which I am not au courant with! </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #741b47;">Nor do I want to?</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #741b47;">Or have the gone to Twitter? If they are, well, OK for them. I will not tweet or read tweets. Tweets are simply not sufficient for my thirst for news! </span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #741b47;">They are not on Facebook.</span></em><br />
<em><span style="color: #741b47;">Well one, that I know, is! Others are not found .. and I have tried</span></em>. <br />
<em><span style="color: purple;">So farewell to you, too!</span></em><br />
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artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275213845416458684.post-16907341250209519862014-01-13T09:04:00.003-06:002014-01-13T09:04:39.419-06:00Countdown to action-the new vacation plans!Where, have we gone wrong? <br />
After reading several articles<a href="http://online.wsj.com/itp/20140113/us/journalreporthttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304866904579268114236944476.html?mod=ITP_journalreport_1"> in today's WSJ</a> I am asking myself, what ever happened to relaxing and resting when on 'vacations'?<br />
<br />
Why did the first article never suggest just going somewhere <br />
pleasant, take a good book (in whatever form one prefers) and just veg out?<br />
Why is it that everyone seems to be bent on working harder at vacations than, perhaps, at one's job? <br />
Is it the craze for being on the move? <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF39xr23rnAsy_MW34q4-dT7S4cIaNxa9HARpwQQmeWzA_kgDcSDK_EOtMUWK0MkFz7Blf_GrVwdyjXiz99UIuUn6FMwt0-bJKP9uRNftgru0fUtdLXBZTmCqPVS7kIOjvALuyNL2xru9q/s1600/thCAQ9ON5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF39xr23rnAsy_MW34q4-dT7S4cIaNxa9HARpwQQmeWzA_kgDcSDK_EOtMUWK0MkFz7Blf_GrVwdyjXiz99UIuUn6FMwt0-bJKP9uRNftgru0fUtdLXBZTmCqPVS7kIOjvALuyNL2xru9q/s200/thCAQ9ON5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google search - photo</td></tr>
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The need for constant faster speed?<br />
Getting a rush? Moving, moving, moving! <br />
Because staying still and using one's little grey cells just doesn't do it in the quest for 'living on the edge'?<br />
<br />
Do we really have to proof that we are still alive by hiking strenuously up into the stratospheric heights of <br />
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Or spending 8 hours days digging into the past at excavations, then falling onto cots exhausted?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roman ruins in Malaga-photo by artandhockey</td></tr>
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These are just 2 examples the WSJ article suggests as THE ULTIMATE in vacations for couples and families.</div>
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Yes, of course, it is interesting. Of course, it would teach kids hands on history, or would it? IMO as a child I rather played in the rivers or lakes when on vacation, maybe hiked the woods to search out, and eat, wild berries. </div>
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And mushrooms, which we also dried in the crisp mountain air to take home for use in sauces during the year, rather tasty reminders of a lovely, relaxing and refreshing vacations. During which, we also took time to read a book or more lazing in the high mountain meadows while the sun shone and the bees "zummed" (maybe like this?)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6Bh26sLHs9L2D8mYmX-XzRDx2z1do3gd1TkjlsxcI_e5IIoqROXFONDLwSCcap0UH31hgbSic75mEa9pSSlvm8DMgJ3oae3pvN8NePMTV2uuJ7oJjLpmh7ugQFEOTiZ1VaV6h3_SpqrI/s1600/DSCN5379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6Bh26sLHs9L2D8mYmX-XzRDx2z1do3gd1TkjlsxcI_e5IIoqROXFONDLwSCcap0UH31hgbSic75mEa9pSSlvm8DMgJ3oae3pvN8NePMTV2uuJ7oJjLpmh7ugQFEOTiZ1VaV6h3_SpqrI/s200/DSCN5379.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> at Mesa Verde by artandhockey</td></tr>
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around the myriads of wild flowers.<br />
And usually we were able to get a jar of 'wild flower' honey from the farmers around us to take home, too. And milk still warm from the cow which, if left out for a while, turned into real buttery buttermilk, naturally! Of course, nothing was pasteurized, then.<br />
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So, I think, between hiking to get fresh milk, gathering berries and mushrooms, we did get enough exercise paired with periods of pure rest.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXkZxzIvvhk9LZla1qaFNg54rs0xHiQRXLONvaibYg9aQEUE8dNXY8HuVQplvTNHf-aSKIyVrTGlNTzOGlB4aU_INXcwTZ2X085x9or68MmwlAyF14eTrk4g2taGShkGAI98wp1h2BpfW0/s1600/thCAB9WQJA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXkZxzIvvhk9LZla1qaFNg54rs0xHiQRXLONvaibYg9aQEUE8dNXY8HuVQplvTNHf-aSKIyVrTGlNTzOGlB4aU_INXcwTZ2X085x9or68MmwlAyF14eTrk4g2taGShkGAI98wp1h2BpfW0/s200/thCAB9WQJA.jpg" width="113" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">google photo</td></tr>
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Or when paddling downriver in our faltboats, first from the pier of the riversteamer we took up to Engelhartszell, then down to, and later from, the camping grounds back home! And even there .. there was plenty of activity: digging latrines, climbing up to the dismal ruin on the ridge high above the Danube which was, once upon a time, occupied by a Raubritter-Austrian robber baron old style ;-). You can see the steep climb quite well on this picture of the Schloegener Schlinge-below. Mostly we bathed (yes, indeed) in the Danuberiver, walked to the farmers' to watch (help?) with the churning of butter (reward: a medium, very yellow, butter ball to take back to Vienna with us). Or 'supervised' the haying, milking. Going on hunts with the farmer - out on an early morning, climbing up and sitting perfectly still in the blind. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Schloegener Schlinge-google photo</td></tr>
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And always enjoying lots of reading, for fun, not school, I must add!</div>
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<span style="color: purple;">***********************************************************************</span></div>
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The second article that caught my eye, was about a man who opened a REAL bookstore after he retired from a hectic business life! </div>
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He really did, what a lot of us bookworms would love to do!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioc_4iSXWxqsE4e1vzm5omaWBEwRkdu_3Y5klRUgIH1m2CPX6-5l12pcs-LpjNjs12xgZdaoS9fe4HN4lrUeiLubFrxnbA1D_CeVfZEEf5QThtUNJ-H9KtcPKIzzsOhl_DBVzxa01xEeDV/s1600/218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioc_4iSXWxqsE4e1vzm5omaWBEwRkdu_3Y5klRUgIH1m2CPX6-5l12pcs-LpjNjs12xgZdaoS9fe4HN4lrUeiLubFrxnbA1D_CeVfZEEf5QThtUNJ-H9KtcPKIzzsOhl_DBVzxa01xEeDV/s200/218.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">QM2 library by artandhockey</td></tr>
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So, I salute him for living his dream! YOU DID IT!</div>
artandhockeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15248993416575199852noreply@blogger.com0