Yesterday, the radio opera was Cinderella (not the Italian “Cenerentola” by Rossini, but the French “Cendrillon” by Massenet, which is much more like the story as we know it, while the Italian one is funnier and played more for laughs.) Massenet is the composer who wrote “Tha\u00efs”, and you have almost certainly heard the “Meditation” from that opera – it’s a solo violin over the orchestra, and so often played it’s almost elevator music now. “Cendrillon” has arias, but none that has been overplayed as a standalone, and is also very listenable, even full length and in French, and this was neither – it was one of the abridged versions the Met does especially for children, usually around New Year’s Day (which this performance was taped on in 2022.)<\/p>\n
Just for fun<\/a>. One for every two counts.<\/p>\n A glimpse of the MAGA universe<\/a>. But they haven’t thought of everything. No one seems to wonder why, if this were all a setup by Biden, what on earth took him so long? Even if he were in cognitive decline (which I hardly need to say he isn’t), surely (in their world) he would have Machiavellian advisers (which he doesn’t – and apologies, Niccolo) who would have finished the job a couple of years ago.<\/p>\n Several people have put together memes or articles to make the point “This is what ‘Not guilty’ looks like.”<\/a> Wonkette doesn’t even make that point, being so in awe of the gentleman’s classiness, but I make it, and it’s my favorite in that category.<\/p>\n