Yesterday, it didn’t snow (it hasn’t since Monday) and the snow we did have is virtually gone. The radio opera was Arabella by Richard Strauss, which the last summer season also included, so it’s way to soon to say anything else about it. Mostly, I just cleaned out my inbox and committed knitting. I have three projects going, which is rare for me – usually I just work on one till it’s finished.
This doesn’t sound like good news rom the headline. You need to read the story. Then it’s good news.
Veterans. And kids. If you get newsletters from “Read the Smile” and saw this, you might have guessed I would share it.
I am not in the least worried about the birth rate – well, maybe that it’s too high – but this is just sweet.
Medical professionals are well aware of this. When I was checking in to rehab in ’23 and was asked whether I had “Advantage,” I said something like “I wouldn’t have Advantage if they paid me to take it,” And the response was “Oh, you’re smart.”
ICE and CBP are just the tip of the iceberg in Minnesota. MAGA has always been full of vigilantes. Does anyone besides me wonder why, if they actually believe and trust the Saffron Sauron’s Keystone Cops, they think they have to handle it themselves?
I wholeheartedly agree with the business owner who says the “law and order” is not what is happening. But I disagree that it isn’t politics, because all politics is moral (or immoral.)
Yesterday, another day, another death at the hands of (presumably) ICE (CBP is also out and equally lawless.) At least it appears to have turned many Dems away from voting for the appropriation bill which funds ICE. The radio opera was “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess.” The Met always refers to it that way, though if there’s another one, I’m not aware of it. I expect everyone has heard something from it – the most likely thing would be “Summertime.” Others often excerpted include “A Woman Is a Sometime Thing,” “My Man’s Gone Now,” “I got plenty of Nothin'” “Bess, You Is My Woman Now,” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So.” The Gershwins were adamant that it should never be performed unless the cast was 100% black – although I assume that would not include the ICE agents Detective and Policemen, who only have very short spoken parts – just long enough to make the racism clear. (They didn’t specify a black conductor, but today we had that too.) This performance was even more bittersweet that usual – Ryan Speedo Green, a bass-baritone who is still young and on the way up, was in it, and so was Denyce Graves, a diva who has been singing opera for decades and is retiring – this is her last performance -was also in it. During her career, she inspired so many young black singers to consider opera that it is possible – even probable – that without her we would never have heard Speedo either. If that sounds irrelevant, consider how many entertainers in movies and popular music have drawn attention not just for their professional activity, but for their activity in the community – George Clooney, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, and so many more. And that, for good or ill, becomes part of their persona. It’s the same with opera singers. Renee Fleming working with veterans with PTSD and physical injuries through music therapy. Joyce di Donato doing the same in prisons. I’d love all these singers just for their work in opera – but their other activities make it personal for me. They honored her at the end of intermission – with a speech, a facsimile of a plaque which is going up in the Opera House to honor her forever, and a piece of the iconic crystal chandelier (because, like her, it lights up the House.) I can’t say, I wasn’t crying – but I can say she was too. Off to see Virgil now – will check in upon return
I mentioned music therapy in connection with the opera. Bot any and everything that has to do with art and creativity can make a huge difference for veterans – or anyone, really. But I can see why Rocky Mountain PBS featured this from the Denver Art Museum.
I had no idea that this was even possible. Virgil has a form of red/green color blindness – he can see true red (crayon red) and reds that are on the blue side. But the more brown there is in something that is rea, the more green it looks to him, and all browns look green. And greens look brown. Not that it would have helped to know about it – it’s clearly pretty pricey. And it’s too late now – even if I could get one, it would be illegal to send it to him.
Yesterday, the radio opera was “Carmen” by George Bizet. There’s not much I don’t know about Carmen (although I did learn something today from the tenor in an intermission interview, he pointed out that Carmen never tells Jose she loves him. And he is 100% correct. She implies it once or twice, and says it to others, but never says it to him.) I played first chair second violin in a student production when I was studying music (I didn’t play it well, despite the work I put in, both practicing and listening) but I did play it, and the production was a success in spite of me. I’ve heard and seen so many productions I can’t remember them all. I’ve seen the movie “Carmen Jones” (in which Marilyn Horne sang for Dorothy Dandridge.) If I can’t get to sleep on account od an earworm, there’s probably about a 30% chance it’s from Carmen. A couple of seasons ago the Met put it on with a French mezzo and the announcers were excited to hear it, I presume because Bizet was French. But no one in Carmen is French. Carmen, her two gal pals, and the leaders of the smugglers, and part of the time the chorus, are Romani. Everyone else is Spanish (Jose and Micaela (and if so, Jose) may have been Basque, or may not.) The only thing in the opera which sounds remotely French is the “Flower Song,” and Carmen doesn’t sing that – Jose does. Yesterday’s Carmen was Aigul Akhmetshina, who is Bashkir – not Romani, but the Bashkir people were nomadic at one time. In the absence of any mezzos who are Romani, I’m more excited by this. Also yesterday, I received an email informing me that the trauma combat surgeon who saved the life of Tammy Duckworth in Iraq is now running for Congress in New Jersey. He joins a record number of medical and scientific professionals who are doing the same.
“Colorado Chooses Vaccines is a broad, statewide coalition of healthcare providers, public health leaders, and community organizations working together to protect vaccine access and trust.” from the coalition’s website. I’m proud of Colorado for doing this. And of Coloradans like Carol Boigon don’t let physical disabilities stand in the way of their public service.
Yesterday, the radio opera was I Puritani by Vincenzo Bellini, AKA “The Swan of Catania” (where he was born.) You might say this opera was his “swan song,” as he died the same year it premiered, at the age of 33. I missed most of the first act – I set my alarm but forgot to activate it – but at least I didn’t miss the big mad scene, and even caught the first use of the melody from it. Elvira is very fragile – but if I were being pushed to marry a MAGA who was stalking me I might go a little crazy myself. Not that the Cavaliers were perfect – the British Civil War was between the Bad Guys and the Not Quite As Bad Guys. At least the Cavaliers were not killjoys. The Puritans, when they won, actually outlawed Christmas. But the I Puritani mad scene is IMO the most beautiful mad scene in all of opera – and there is a lot of competition. also, it was Queen Victoria’s favorite opera – for what that’s worth. On the positive side, at least the blog’s scheduling feature appears to be working again – at least it worked for yesterday. off to see Virgil now. Will check in upon return.
Yes, I’m still a sucker for news about veterans. Especially good news.
And I’m also a sucker for good news about young people shouldering responsibility for community.
This is not new and may not be current. If not – well, it was good while it lasted.
This is a “short”, and I don’t seem to be able to embed it without using the block editor, so you’ll have to use the link” https://youtube.com/shorts/DfwZqx05FaQ
Yesterday, the radio opera was “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Mason Bates. It’s (pretty obviously) based on the book, and there’s also a movie, a play, and a miniseries. So there’s virtually no end of resources to know what it’s about. I’ll just say that it’s aggressively anti-fascist. It was recorded last September when it opened the Met season. It’s not Nates’s first opera – that was based on the life of Steve Jobs and was included in the summer series several years ago. Not to disparage the first one, but this one is even more listenable – and also more tragic – which is to be expected from an oera which touches on the Holocaust. Also, just to clarify, the cartoon today is for Epiphany, which is January 6, which is not a Sunday. Today is the closest.
I’ve previously shared news about Mackenzie Scott’s philanthropy. But at the end of a very tough year, The Root found it appropriate to publish a reminder of how she keeps stepping up, and I agree. And the quotation from her at the end of the article – needs to be a meme.
This from the AP (referred by Daily Dose of Democracy) is absolutely flabbergasting. I have never heard before of an ectopic pregnancy coming to term. My mother almost died from one 8 years before I was born – hers was (like most) in a Fallopian tube, which burst, and she almost bled to death. This would have been around 1937, and blood transfusion was barely out of the dark ages, but her OBG found a way to transfuse the blood she was losing back into her and saved her life (and that too amazes me. Technically, I probably shouldn’t be here.) This snippet of my family history is a big part of the reasons I have so little patience with abortion opponents.
Referred by Daily Dose of Democracy, archived from The Guardian, this story reminds me that you cannot judge anyone by any factor as superficial as the country they are from. Individual people are individual people, and make individual choices, and good people from anywhere need to be valued.
Yesterday, the radio opera was not a single opera, but a compilation of arias, duets, choruses, and overtures from various operas by George Frederick Handel which have been performed at the Met, to honor the 300th anniversary of his opera “Rodelinda.” Compilation episodes like this are always bittersweet – one gets to hear some of the greatest singers of all time – many of whom are retired or even dead – which can lead to grieving their loss all over again. Handel was not Bach, but he was a contemporary of Bach, so there are similarities of style. If you are wondering why a German-born composer transplanted to England wrote so many Italian operas (and oratorios), it’s because at that time in history Italian operas were all the rage in Europe and especially in England – until “The Beggar’s Opera” premiered and made them virtually obsolete overnight. This of course cramped Handel’s style – but eventually he got his revenge with “Messiah.” He didn’t write it to get revenge, and was surprised it became such a success, but it certainly did. Yesterday’s program stuck with opera written as opera, not oratorios, not even oratorios which have subsequently been successfully fully staged. Of course the music was beautiful. I’m not sure Handel could have written anything ugly if he had tried with both hands for a week. Clever, yes, but not ugly. The classic example of his tone painting is from “Messiah” – the chorus “All we like sheep (have gone astray)” – the syllable “stray” seriously goes astray, all over the staff, for several measures. Also, the meme today is a quote shared by Robert Reich last week. Since he appears to have started signing off unrelated columns with “You look great,” I wanted y’all to know why, in case I use one with that signoff. Well, off to see Virgil now. Will check in upon return.
Referred by The Smile, this story may not fully qualify s good news yet, since it’s still in the “promising” stage as opposed to “confirmed.” But if confirmed, it will be huge good news.
Well, The Root was, at least for me, correct about this story. Maybe at least in part because I’ve been there (except for the broken ribs.) If you’re expecting a Heimlich story – it’s much bigger than that.
From CBS news referred by The Smile. Nice of Bari Weiss to allow it to be published /s. Seriously, I’m not autistic nor am aware of ever having known someone who was (though I did have a co-worker with Tourette’s for a while – didn’t bother me) but I do have enough empathy to be deeply impressed by this story.
Yesterday, The radio opera was Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” in the abridged version and English translation they put on around Christmas-New Year’s Day every year because the kids are out of school. It’s always fun, and generally as much for the cast as it is for the audience – maybe even more. Although it’s contagious.
From The Borowitz Report. Not terribly funny – more of an “Oregon Leads the Way” story – a story which would have made TomCat even prouder of his city. Am I selectively remembering, or are these Portland heroes mostly sheros? (I couldn’t help but think of “Naked Athena.”
Yes, another veteran story, and a Colorado Springs story at that. (Colorado Springs has a lot of veterans, including even some Navy/Marine vets, although the Air Force Academy proximity along with Fort Carson account for the bulk of us.) And so many are struggling.
This happened on December 16. It should last until the Cantaloupe Caligula finds out about it. I hope it lasts longer. The comments from party leaders are revealing.
