radvanovsky's vissi d'arte -- and anna's

over the last three weeks, i've heard tosca, live from the met, twice

sondra radvanovsky's vissi d'arte...is just...heart-rending -- brought tears....

here she is, singing it at the met, almost three years ago

here, at a concert -- apparently, just a couple of months ago -- looks like it's outdoors

there's another concert-rendition, on her home turf -- at http://youtu.be/cIkx_koQFAg

for good measure, here's my anna -- seems rushed, at the beginning -- especially in comparison to radvanovsky's renditions

barcelona boheme

a couple of weeks ago, i saw, in the movie theater, a boheme from barcelona -- great -- a much better production than the previous one i saw at the movies, from vienna, with maps of the city, all over the stage

the liceu's promo is on youtube, at http://youtu.be/VYh8pYqREcI -- i couldn't include it here

they have another trailer -- charming -- with the four leads, inviting people to attend...and introducing themselves and the opera -- in three languages...maybe four -- at http://youtu.be/J53NgS8CL_I

[i just looked on wikipedia, and it appears that ainhoa arteta, the musetta, is basque]

here's el periodico's video -- clips from the opera, the house, and an interview with the mimi, fiorenza cedolins, who was wonderful -- perfect, for the part

here she is, singing si, mi chiamano mimi

vargas seemed a little off, though -- didn't...'turn it on,' till the last act, when he was back in the apartment, with mimi

the colline, carlo colombara, looked so familiar

he might have been the colline in the vienna production, from the previous year, starring anna netrebko and piotr beczala

he was great -- as were the musetta (arteta) and the marcello (christopher maltman) -- his duet with rodolfo was great -- she did an unbelievable trill (if that's what it's called), at the end of quando m'en vo' -- she really 'turned it on' -- the charm -- the sex appeal -- not to mention, the voice -- i wish i had a video...audio...of it

here she is, singing it at the met, in 2008 -- the video goes all the way to the end of the act, into the curtain call, and beyond -- it starts, though, right with her, singing -- we don't get the music...leading up to it

here's another version, which starts with the music lead-up, but cuts off, abruptly, as she finishes her...main portion -- the picture is bad -- the sound is great -- and we've got subtitles

yup -- i just found him -- it was salzburg, though -- not vienna -- colombara is in the green top

the blog around the world with irina has pictures from the barcelona production, with angela gheorghiu and saimir pirgu in the leads -- instead of fiorenza cedolins and vargas, whom i saw

n.y.c.o. rigoletto: wow!

just finished watching this 1988 'rigoletto'...from new york city opera -- what a trio -- and quartet -- with beverly sills, introducing...and narrating the behind-the-scenes...scenes -- who could ask for anything more

the sparafucile, mark s. doss, we are told by the broadcast announcer, is from cleveland, and the amazing gilda, faith esham, was born in portsmouth, ohio

from boheme: quando me'n vo' & rodolfo-marcello duet

i attended opera western reserve's annual show, friday, and the quando me'n vo' scene...is quite a...dramatic scene -- lots...going on -- from all quarters

i'd like to find a longer video, with translations of all the lines

what a cast, though, here -- vargas and gheorghiu -- the musetta is ainhoa arteta

here's another version -- longer -- with pavarotti

also, the rodolfo-marcello duet is beautiful

old friend jason budd was colline

in june, we led jason, on and off the stage, in opera circle's rigoletto -- he was monterone -- nice job with the coat song, tonight

the mesopotamian marshes

beautiful picture of the mesopotamian marshes

he conducts the audience

last night (wednesday), i saw, on the silver screen, 'nabucco,' from la scala -- this has sent me on a...'va, pensiero'...trek

somebody on one of the youtube pages...recommended a muti-led rendition

here's the first one that turned up, with muti...conducting the audience

next, i saw...a little-longer version, with muti...introducing the singing, then...with the full applause, afterwards

finally, i saw a much-longer version...of the whole thing -- it's the encore...that gets muti speaking,...to the audience...and introducing the encore

the scala 'nabucco'...was fantastic, with leo nucci...in the lead -- what can you say about him -- all the principals...were resplendant, especially liudmyla monastyrska, as abigail -- what a powerful instrument she possesses

a year ago, she blew me away, from the first time she opened her mouth, as aida, from the met

i've yet to find a 'pensiero'...from the scala production

the incomparable louis prima...and keely smith

'WHERE ARE THE TURTLES?!!!'

i had a chocolate turtle, a few days ago -- wasn't good, but reminded me...of this memorable scene...from the tv series the office

nine-year-old dutch girl...belts out 'mio babbino caro'

Post by Offical IRAANIA.com Page

windups, vinnie, gibbie & gaylord

on today's broadcast, vin scully was talking about pitchers' windups -- how, when you compare the pitchers today, with pitchers from, say, the 1950s, you see how the windup...has almost disappeared -- you look at the way greinke pitches, the way joe kelly pitches -- almost no windup -- while...in the days of...i think he said...don drysdale, don newcombe, they almost looked like they were gonna fly away, they wound up so much

then he talked about bob gibson's numbers...in that amazing 1968 season, when the mound was...almost pointed -- 1.12 e.r.a., 13 shutouts, 304 innings, 28 complete games

well, you might say, that was when the mound was higher two years later, though -- even after the mound was lowered again, and his team finished under .500,...he finished that year, 23 and 7

well, vinnie was broadcasting a game, and gibson was in the booth with him -- it was a league-championship game -- gaylord perry was pitching, and chris speier came to the mound -- scully asked gibson, what would a rookie shortstop have to say to a veteran like gaylord perry -- gibson answered, absolutely nothing

then vinnie asked gibson,...and what if, when you were pitching, a rookie shortstop came to you -- what would you say to him

gibson: i wouldn't allow it

here's the story i always remember...about bob gibson -- gibson said, i own the outside part of the plate -- that's mine -- i'd knock down my own grandmother,...if she's leaning over the plate too much

quanto dolor

for my friend duraid -- and those who have loved him

didonato's lessons for life

toscanini...leading rehearsal of traviata

for the last three days, i've been listening in the car to this cd i recently picked up at a library sale

it's shot up...to one of my all-time favorites

here's the first track -- 'coro di zingarelle'

it's such a delight...hearing the maestro...sing...hum...feel...cajole his way...through the piece, as he leads the orchestra -- the nbc symphony orchestra, in 1946 -- makes the masterpiece, so much more thrilling -- makes it soar...even more -- enhances my appreciation...many fold

here's 'di sprezzo degno' -- may not be...from the same cd -- doesn't match, exactly, the tracks on my cd

tom hallion, my favorite umpire

at the indians-tigers game, two mondays ago, i was settled in my seat, watching the game, and...a called strike three -- hey, that's tom hallion -- i'd recognize that strike-three call...anywhere

 

a pair of other...very short videos...tom hallion, calling strike threes -- great guy too

all of which reminds me of the guys in toronto...who imitated umpires...from the first row...near home plate -- love 'em

i loved this -- when they pulled out the balls, and threw them...out

they're getting into...another act

the brooklyn dodgers sym-phony

for today's baseball story -- from...his...tory -- vin scully told about the night...walter o'malley...invited all amateur musicians...to the game, for free -- if they brought their instruments with them -- this was in response to the musicians' union...protesting...the brooklyn dodgers sym-phony, a motley group of musicians...who wandered through the stands, making...music -- if you wanna call it that -- the union objected...to musicians..., including union musicians, i suppose, playing music...without being paid

here's a picture of the sym-phony

o'malley called the special event, on august 13, 1951, 'music depreciation night'

here's the story...from the web-site...the brooklyn dodgers: america's team. my home town

THE BROOKLYN DODGER SYM-PHONY: To call the Sym-Phony a group of dedicated amateur musicians would be to grant them a degree of musical competence many magnitudes above what actually existed. "They couldn't hit a note," said Don Newcombe. Maybe not, but these guys had a great deal of fun parading through the stands with their brass instruments and big bass drum, adding musical punctuation to every step (and misstep) on the field. "Three Blind Mice" was the theme song for the umpires, "The Worms Crawl In, The Worms Crawl Out" greeted struck-out players as they returned to the dugout, and no matter how savvy the player, a big "ba-boom" greeted every player as his rump hit the bench. A totally spontaneous outgrowth of the madcap energy that effused Ebbets Field, the Sym-Phony drew the ire of the powerful Musicians' Union, who accused owner Walter O'Malley of allowing non-union performers to entertain at Ebbets Field. To prove the point that anyone could play an instrument without being an "entertainer," O'Malley, in a rare moment of business whimsy, announced "Music Depreciation Night," and allowed any fan carrying an instrument to enter the park for free. Kazoos, whistles, ocarinas, jews'-harps, accordians, trumpets, drums, violins, upright basses, tubas and sousaphones, a woodwind section, and even two pianos set up a still-remembered caterwauling that night "to beat the band," or, more accurately, the Musicians' Union. The union dropped the matter. The band played on.

another web-site, brooklyndodgermemories, also chronicles 'music depreciation day'

vin scully's reflections on his life & career

another nice interview, with vin scully, from last summer -- the transcript on hugh hewitt's web-site...is truncated

radio blogger has the transcript for the whole interview

what a show

what a show they put on in verona -- spectacular -- a...major...spectacle,...in the full sense of the word

two casta divas: radvanovsky & zanettin

i just found this rendition of 'casta diva'...by sondra radvanovsky -- i was preparing an e-mail to my opera 'list,' in which i wrote about my recent trip, and a production of 'norma' in which she starred -- in spain -- i was in barcelona, and my taxi driver told me that this production was happening, an hour outside the city -- it would take place (in peralada), two weeks after i left the city -- i love the conductor, here, leading the applause

i then saw this version -- spine tingling -- monica zanettin -- and this is a huge...outdoor arena

favorite arabic songs: ana leek, sawah...& israeli sawahs

my new friend cecile...told me her favorite arabic song was 'ana leek,'...and she sent me the following video

the first couple minutes of the video reminded me of that...tremendously endearing...and charming...german/turkish movie...from 2000, 'im juli' (in july), one of my all-time favorites

the singer's sound...struck me as like amr diab's -- and,...what do you know,...amr diab...has a song...of the same title

i found, on youtube, a couple of other videos...of samo zayn's 'ana leek,' which is...growing on me

one video has, for its background -- for the entirety of the song -- this...adorable picture

for my turn, i told cecile...my favorite arabic song was 'sawah,' by abdil-haleem hafudh (egyptians pronounce it 'hafiz') -- actually, it might be...my favorite song, period -- i adore abdil-haleem -- as the arabs say, haleem yiT'rub'ni (he...serenades me -- he...'sends' me,...'moves' me) -- he did that for my khala maha, with whom i spent many fun times in amman, recently -- and with her wonderful daughter, nagham, and nagham's three...fantastic children

well, khalti maha and i...have a few other things in common

my mother, when she was a girl or a teenager, made fun of her little sister,...for her...adoration...of haleem -- shame on you, beebee

here,...just the song,...without any visuals -- just the man -- his face

here's a shorter,...more...hip-hoppy...rendition -- and, for cecile,...there's a picture of a girl...surrounded by birds -- lots of birds -- seagulls...and...a sunset...over the sea

i just found...this great...video, the heading of which says...'complete' -- but...is it ever...complete

we get to see haleem...conducting

now,...for the israeli...wing...of the sawah musuem

we start with the ishtar/alabina rendition -- the only...israeli take...i knew -- ishtar/alabina...call it 'habibi' -- now this...is really hip-hoppy -- and...short -- about as short...as you can get 'sawah'

then there's...tamir gal -- it takes him...a couple of minutes...to get into...the sawah...rhythm -- the music sounds...quite turkish -- i'll have to find out...his ethnic background -- sounds a bit...kurdish too

well, i can tell you this much -- they're having...entirely too much fun...at his party

ishtar and tamir gal...team up

here's aufr loy's rendition -- i don't think that's him...in the lead picture here -- his picture...does appear, once the video begins

the star of the show, though,...is mr. arieh fartoush -- trusting...that that's the name of the singer, rather than the honoree...of the hafla

well,...this boy, by any other name,...smells as...confident...and commanding...and beautiful....

the great vin scully

mlb.com's barry bloom sits down with vin scully -- look at the tributes...from fans -- such a love affair -- such a legend -- such a classy man -- such a beautiful voice...and gentle spirit

what a coincidence -- one of the three videos...accompanying the article, is the one i transcribed, one month ago -- of scully, recounting...d-day

triple-header in the sky: traviata documentary, eastwood's curve, luhrmann's romeo

on the trans-atlantic flight, wednesday night, i didn't sleep -- 'last night, i didn't get to sleep at all'

a song by the fifth dimension, i see, on youtube -- i forgot that -- a cleveland group, by the way -- although, on the wikipedia page about them, there's no reference...to cleveland -- i scrolled through the page, then did a search... -- nothing -- and...all of the founding members... -- not a one...born in cleveland -- nothing -- none,...in ohio -- well, we claim them,...in cleveland -- always been...a point of pride -- associate them...with...our fair city

well, i didn't sleep...because i watched three movies -- all, very good

my first choice...was a french documentary, 'traviata et nous' (the english title, 'becoming traviata') -- about the making of a recent production...in aix-en-provence (here, a link to the production i saw, three months ago, at the met) -- natalie dessay stars, as violetta valery -- the director...of the production, though, is the main player...in the production -- definitely...puts his stamp...on each...and every role -- a lot...goes into...each role, each...mannerism,...move -- amazing...how much work...is put into...each and every...little detail -- the movie...captures that...very well -- including...the final scene -- terrific -- lingers...on that -- also features...prominently...the conductor...and the musicians -- the instrumentalists -- and their interpretations...of the music -- their roles...in the drama -- at one point, as i remember it, the conductor tells the musicians, they're crying (referring to the song, the singing -- no doubt, the second...gilda-rigoletto duet -- the 'tutte le feste' duet)-- let's cry, he tells the musicians [update, august 9: reading this, as i...site this, in an e-mail to my...'opera list,' i see...i wrote down the wrong opera -- it's not the gilda-rigoletto duet, but...obviously...the violetta-germont duet, another...of verdi's...father-daughter specials]

it was in french -- don't know...if it's available...with english subtitles -- i guess so, according to the above poster

[september 10: i just read a review of this movie, in cleveland classical -- the movie was shown, four days ago, in the cleveland museum of art]

next, i watched a movie i wanted to see,...when it first came out -- 'trouble with the curve ball' -- also...very good -- well, might not be...for non-baseball people -- that, certainly, makes it...very appealing to me -- love...almost anything...to do with baseball -- the main themes, though, were...the father-daughter relationship and aging -- and includes...a romantic angle

the father-daughter...sections...were a bit overdone -- the daughter's...aspect -- aspects -- facets -- reactions -- what-have-you...struck me...as...a bit extreme -- imposed...psycho-babble -- all's well, though,....

finally, i had a choice between 'quartet'...and baz luhrmann's 'romeo + juliet,' which i've seen...a number of times -- great -- love it -- see it, whenever i have a chance (on television) -- 'quartet,' though, i just saw,...a few months ago -- and...three times, at that -- so,....

great movie -- excellent -- such...beautious lines -- they amaze -- and, on top of the story, the lines, the scenes, the drama, the thoughts,...ideas, the bard's...insights -- on top of all that,...a fantastic soundtrack -- some...super-...duper...songs

i got to the final scene -- romeo...entering the chapel...where juliet lies on...whatever-it's-called...at the front of the chapel -- and...the airline cut in, for the final announcements

i just clicked on the movie's soundtrack (on imdb), and...i noticed...that one of the tunes...is an opera song -- the 'liebestod,' from wagner's 'tristan and isolde' (which i heard in canton, two months ago) -- in the movie, imdb's page says, it's sung by leontyne price -- i don't remember that (in the movie), and i wonder...how much of it...they played -- i've gotta pay attention, next time -- maybe...i can find...that part of the movie...on youtube

oh -- another...note -- i first saw the film, soon after it came out -- my cousin...had just arrived from iraq, and...he joined me...to the theater -- i loved it -- was...entranced -- thought it...a great...adaptation...into a modern setting -- certainly,...faithful -- my cousin...i felt sorry for -- the shakespearean english

i found it -- well, at least...the song -- from the soundtrack -- i don't remember it...in the movie, though

bastianini-scotto rigoletto duet

another...gilda-rigoletto duet...by renata scotto and ettore bastianini -- this one, from the first act -- just...amazing -- spine-tingling

interview with the cleveland rigoletto & maestro

an interview with our marco stella, the lead of this weekend's 'rigoletto' (he belongs to us now) -- preceded by an interview with the conductor, andrea raffanini

yesterday, we rehearsed in playhouse square's ohio theater, where the opera circle production will take place, saturday evening -- it was a lot of fun -- like seeing the opera, two, three times, in one night -- such...incredibly beautiful music -- and...what gorgeous singing -- the choral pieces, along with...all the rest

in honor of marco stella, here's ettore bastianini, one of marco's favorite baritones -- if not his favorite -- along with renata scotto, in the concluding scene of act two -- the full scene -- with...so much....

i love this scene -- the music, the singing, the...feeling -- feelings -- especially the feelings -- the depth of emotion -- gilda's high notes -- soaring -- flying -- in the sky, above everything -- 'piangi -- piangi -- piangi, funciulla -- fanciulla, piangi' -- love it -- actually,...love...doesn't...say it -- doesn't...say enough -- how deeply...it touches me -- rigoletto's 'non's -- 'mia figlia...mia gilda'

as soon as the pictures arrive in my e-mail (from my phone), i'll put them here

clash of titans: mark mcgwire vs. randy johnson

what do they call it, in physics,...when...two...powerful forces...meet,...head-on

maybe,...nothing -- all i know is,...something's gotta give

i wonder...if he hit it straight, it would have gone farther -- maybe not -- maybe...the straight shot...takes away from the distance -- too...low

afterwards, randy johnson strikes out his 13th,...in five innings -- that's 13 out of 15

vin scully's latest: d-day and...

another gem -- well, i've got two -- from..."the man i love"

during last night's game, vin scully gave us a little history lesson -- actually, a big history lesson -- and a wonderful baseball story

as the top of the second began, scully...narrated

the braves hit a lot of home runs -- they're leading the national league with 81 [on the screen, a list of the top three home-run-hitting teams in the league -- below that, the dodgers, with 44 (ranking 13th)]

they also strike out a lot -- they have struck out, five-hundred and thirty-six times -- and that counts the two, tonight

they're one ahead of the rockies, and...18 ahead of the cubs -- dodgers are not really gonna get a call, if they were offering

so for freddy gonzalez [on screen], he has to exercise some patience -- they strike out a lot, they hit a lot of home runs -- and they're seven-and-a-half games in front

second inning -- brian mccann, who just picked up his one-thousandth career hit, recently

the catcher...takes a strike -- and the count, 0-and-1

all-star, six of the last seven years -- hitting 269

of course it was a matter of course to write his name in -- until buster posey arrived on the scene

so now it's posey and mccann 

brian -- solid ballplayer

hitting 314...against right-hand pitching 

takes, inside -- under the hands -- 1-and-1

are there youngsters near the television set, or the radio -- youngsters who might not know what this day is all about

the 1-1 slow curve is low -- ball two -- 2-and-1 

today is june the 6th -- but for those of us who lived through it, today is june the 6th, 1944 -- d-day

the 2-1 pitch, on the way -- swung on and missed -- 2-and-2

first of all, you have to understand about d-day [on the screen, the flag, beyond the center-field fence] -- the 'd' doesn't stand for anything -- the 'd' is derived from the word 'day,' and it really just means the day in which a military operation begins -- it's been used a lot, but, nowadays, it's only for the invasion

[crack of the bat...on ball] a drive into right -- quig comes over -- reaches up and backhands it, for the out

so mccann hits it hard, and lines out to yasiel puig -- that puts a big grin on the face of both ethier and puig -- [replay] mccann hit it hard, and yasiel just moved in, and picked it off

one away -- and the batter...is dan uggla

dan uggla is struggling -- hitting just 179

and he rolls one, up along third -- no balls and one strike

let's get back to d-day, a little bit -- the invasion of normandy -- operation overlord

but,...more importantly, really, you have to realize what happened, in the two months before...june sixth -- i mean, after all, the germans were well embedded, in the normandy coast [close-up of flag, on pole] -- embedded they were -- so they had to be softened up

the strike-one pitch is high -- 1-and-1

so, in april and may of 1944, the allied air forces lost... -- are you ready -- twelve-thousand men -- in the two months before the invasion

the pitch is swung on and missed -- and the count, 1-and-2

they also lost over two-thousand aircraft -- so they paid a tremendous price, just to get ready...for june sixth

one ball and two strikes -- greinke deals -- that's a little low -- two-and-two, the count

and then, finally, the night before -- june fifth -- a lot of parachutists -- paratroopers -- were dropped behind the enemy lines -- again, all a part...of setting up the invasion

2-2 pitch -- strike-three call

so, uggla...strikes out -- third strikeout for greinke -- two outs, second inning -- no score -- and the batter will be...ramiro pena, who's done very well, at third base

ramiro pena,...hitting 333, in the last two weeks -- at short -- he's also played second and third

hitting 375, with three home runs,...against right-hand pitching -- and, overall, batting 321 

greinke, into the windup, and delivers -- and the first pitch, in, for a strike 

there were five beaches...in normandy -- five -- the united states had two beaches to cover -- utah...and omaha -- the allies -- the british, canadians,... -- had gold, juno and sword

here's one, hit over the head of gonzalez, down the right-field line -- so, pena, on his horse, heading for second -- and he is in there, with a slicing double

so the switch-hitter hits a flare into right -- down the line -- and, with a two-out double, the batter will be b.j. upton

puig, making a strong throw, but had no chance

so pena continues...his solid hitting -- and here is...the other brother -- b.j. -- hitting only 153 -- i mean, here's a fellow who hit 300 for the rays -- but that was six years ago -- he had 28 home runs, last year, and he hit 246

right-hand batter -- and takes, low -- ball one -- 1-and-0

now b.j.'s given name is melvin emmanuel -- but do you know what 'b.j.' stands for -- 'bossman junior' -- the boss man [laughs], that's his father, manny's, longtime nickname -- bossman junior -- the 1-0 pitch, on the way -- off the plate -- ball two

b.j. -- a couple years older than justin

the father, manny, was a football and a baseball star at norfolk state 

two balls and no strikes, the count

greinke, out of the stretch -- looks at second -- back -- and misses low

so, fallen behind, 3-0, to upton 

tim hudson, on deck [on screen, hudson, swinging, in the on-deck circle]

hudson, so far this year, has six hits -- one home run -- and three runs batted in

tim federowicz goin' out to talk to greinke 

so it was d-day -- and early that morning, the u.s. troops arrived -- on utah and omaha -- turned out, that...omaha was a bloodbath -- compared to utah -- and the invasion was underway

3-0 pitch, in for a strike -- and the count, 3-and-1 

on that day, d-day, they have verified twenty-five-hundred...american fatalities -- a total of...four-thousand, four-hundred and fourteen dead...on the beaches -- about a thousand canadians and british, on gold -- and the same number at sword

3-1 pitch, on the way -- and that's taken for a strike -- 3-and-2 

the total german casualties on d-day, somewhere, as high as, maybe, nine thousand 

so, when you see the flag, when you see the calendar, when you hear the day...june the sixth -- especially for the youngsters...listening and watching -- don't ever forget it 

3-2 pitch...is high -- ball four

so b.j. draws the walk -- the braves have runners at first and second, with two out -- and tim hudson, comin' up

hudson, hitting a very solid 273

strikes out,...less than a third of the time 

any pitcher, who strikes out, less than half,...certainly is considered a problem 

so, two on, two outs -- second inning -- no score 

greinke, ready, and delivers -- for a strike -- and the count, 0-and-1 

when it is all said and done -- and june the sixth was the beginning...of the battle of normandy -- over four-hundred and twenty-five thousand...allied and german troops were killed -- four-hundred and twenty-five thousand

strike-one pitch...is down and away -- one ball and one strike

so it's not as if i know all these things -- i looked them up -- only because i want...the kids, especially, to never forget this day -- i think it's an obligation 

1-and-1, the count to hudson -- pena and upton...out on the lines

the next pitch -- in the dirt -- and a swing and a miss, by hudson -- 1-and-2, the count to tim 

the atlanta braves -- they've won five straight -- 15 outta 19 -- and the other note -- and freddy gonzalez knows about it, by heart [gonzalez, on the screen] -- if the braves...score first,...they are...25-and-3 -- 25-an'-3 [with a chuckle in his voice] 

hudson waiting -- greinke trying to get out of the trouble

the 1-2 pitch -- off-speed -- nubbed, in front of the plate -- federowicz throws to gonzalez, and that's it 

no runs, a hit, a walk, and two left -- and, at the end of an inning and a half,...no score

the baseball story (not a direct quote):

today is don sutton bobblehead day

[sutton threw out the ceremonial first pitch (before the game), to old battery-mate steve yeager]

doug harvey was a marvelous umpire -- he always told this story about don sutton -- i can't vouch for its...what's the word -- veracity -- but...he always told this story...about don

don was a great pitcher -- all-time leader for the dodgers in innings pitched, wins, shutouts -- he's in the hall of fame -- but he was always...suspected of doctoring the baseball

nothing was ever proven, but...there was always this suspicion -- that maybe he was using sandpaper

well, don was pitching, one day, and, that game, doug harvey was behind the plate

doug calls time out, and he goes out to the mound

"let me see your glove, don"

sutton hands him the glove

doug searches the glove, and he finds a piece of paper there

on the paper it says: you're warm, but it's not here

the swedish-italian connection; rigoletto comes to cleveland

yesterday (or was it the day before), i heard this incredible rendition of 'o soave fanciulla'...by jussi bjorling and renata tebaldi

all right -- i don't like the word 'incredible'...so much -- it was, certainly,...gorgeous -- amazing -- spine-tingling -- profound -- well,...you fill in...your own....

well, that combination...of a swede and an italian...connected, nicely, with my recent meeting of marco stella, the product of another...swedish-italian...duo -- marco's father is italian; his mother is swedish -- macro lives in gothenborg (pronounced 'yot'ti'bori' -- i think i got that right) -- and he's a very good guy

marco's in cleveland, to play rigoletto, on june 15, in a production by our local...opera circle -- in a return of opera to downtown cleveland -- playhouse square

i met marco, wednesday, after he performed with dorota sobieska, with her husband, jacek (yat'sek) on piano -- in a preview concert

i only caught part...of gilda's death scene...of the concert -- i'd come from the much-more-important concert of my nephew's fifth-grade...orchestra/band/chorus -- he plays the flute (like me, when i was a couple of years older than him)

speaking of...me -- my...musical...involvements -- i tried out for rigoletto's chorus -- joined in...two rehearsals -- couldn't cut it -- can't read the stitches on the fastball, couldn't hit the curve -- why, i couldn't even tell the difference between a fastball and a breaking pitch -- didn't know the count -- my batting stance...was a mess -- swinging...at all kinds of pitches -- fishing.... -- it was fun...fishing, though -- i'll keep on fishing

i might still get...to walk on stage

someone who will definitely be on the stage...is christina carr, as maddalena -- i met christina, a couple of months ago, at the wagner symposium, in walsh college

i just told marco about the great bjorling-tebaldi duet, and asked him if there's anything special -- in opera -- in history -- culturally -- between italy and sweden

'no,' he said, 'i think i'm writing that chapter'

i told him i was going to write this, and he...very helpfully...suggested a link...to a sample of his singing -- why didn't i think of that -- where does he get off,...telling me...how to do my job,...what to do

here goes

by the way, marco...loves his uncle bob

well,...here's another swedish-italian...coupling -- bjorling and pavarotti -- also from 'la boheme'

where do they get off...doing that duet

cardinals baseball: a legacy of greatness

at the mechanic's shop the other day, i picked up a new sports illustrated, with the cover story on the st. louis cardinals organization, including old friend jake westbrook (at the end of the row...of their rotation)

the picture on the right...is on the contents page -- a cover from 1968...of that year's cardinals

the surprising thing for me, is the hair on roger maris (the first guy) -- i thought he lost it all, chasing the babe

i only got to read...the first...paragraph or two, but...here's the punch line

“Their 11 championships have been well distributed. No son or daughter of St Louis born since 1902 has reached the age of 25 without having lived through at least one victory parade.”

i'm moving

new bbc documentary 'the genius of verdi'

la-la...la-la...la-la...la-la...la-la...la-la...la-la

i love this scene -- heart-rending -- love the use of the laugh...as music,...a verdi...specialty

julia novikova

where's she been,...all my life

baseball debutants and their families

at the ballgame, yesterday -- actually, it was two ballgames -- a double-header,...the old-fashioned kind -- i sat next to the families...of two players, just called up by the yankees, for their major-league debuts

corban joseph's mother, father, grandmother, wife and mother-in-law...drove up from franklin, tennessee (a suburb of nashville) -- and the 24-year-old 'showed 'em something,' in the second game -- he started the six-run rally in the seventh, with a booming double -- his first major-league hit -- then ended the inning, by sending a ball...to the warning track in center

when we arrived at the seats, i thought the mother might be indians manager terry francona's wife, and that the young woman next to her, the wife or girlfriend of one of the players -- that made me think, the manager's wife (and those of the coaches) serve as...mother hens...to the players' wives and girlfriends -- guiding them, advising them, looking out for them -- then i thought, the younger woman...looked too young...to be a player's wife, and that she might be...francona's daughter

well, when joseph came to bat (the second time), mom took a picture of him -- then, of the giant scoreboard, with the large picture of joseph -- bob's your uncle -- my friend rodger said he'd noticed they were with the yankees

rodger also recalled the battle of franklin, in which the confederate forces were decimated -- actually, much more than decimated -- part of the mopping-up operation -- and the subsequent battle of nashville

in looking for a picture of joseph, i found out he was sent back to the minors -- the article also says, he was called up (for the first time, i presume), two weeks ago, spent two days with the yankees, but didn't play

he played first-base in the first game -- a position he'd only played, in three games (according to dad) -- and he made a nice pick-up, of a throw to first -- in the second game, he was at second, his regular position

[january 25, 2014: watching a replay of the game, announcer matt underwood said that joseph's brother...was drafted, the same year -- by the orioles]

for the second game, the family of brett marshall arrived -- the 23-year-old right-handed pitcher was a starter in the minors, but was in the bullpen, for the day's games -- well, at least, for the second game -- his mother, her two sisters and his girlfriend...went to the bullpen, before the game -- mom came back, and said...she recognized him -- somebody had apparently told her...he wasn't there, or that...whoever she spotted...wasn't him -- she said, i know my son, i gave birth to the boy -- she went around, showing the picture she'd taken of him, in the bullpen

according to that same article, marshall was called up, after the first game of the doubleheader

most of his family (mother, aunt, little cousins, and...father...or aunt's husband) flew up from houston -- another aunt, and her husband, drove from scranton, where they'd driven (from suburban new york), to see him play, the day before -- he didn't play, but...was told he'd been called up -- so they drove him to the airport (at two, i think it was), then, when they realized...it was six hours to cleveland, they kept driving -- they got to cleveland, before he did -- he had to fly to charlotte, first -- i asked if they'd offered him a ride to cleveland, and if the team refused -- they said he wanted to experience...the whole...call-up experience, including the first-class flights -- of course

i thought it was neat...that the little boys...had been pulled from school, for this special occasion

joseph and marshall were playing for the scranton/wilkes-barre railriders, the yankees' triple-a affiliate

marshall's girlfriend was there, during the first game of the double-header, sitting by herself  -- i thought she looked arab -- palestinian or jordanian -- i finally got to ask her, during the second game, and she said that her father was lebanese

at one point, during the second game, she discovered that marshall's name had been added to the yankees' roster, and she waved the phone...to the others -- he's still there

all, a big thrill for the families -- and...for me -- i don't think i've ever talked with, been with,...the family of a ballplayer -- let alone one...making his major-league debut -- i would have loved talking with them, more -- joseph's family...moved into the lower section, under the sun (it was very cold, throughout) -- rodger said that they wanted to get away from...this intrusive...stranger -- i found them all, very friendly -- i did go down, towards the end of the second game, and congratulated them

selma fraiberg's 'magic years'

what a wonderful book -- quite a few gems...within

one of the interesting...early observations...was that children -- we're talking...young children, under the age of six -- approach...things...they fear -- come back, to tackle...their anxieties -- the things...that they haven't mastered

here are a couple

surrounded by aidas

aida in the mornin',

aida in the evenin',

aida at suppertime....

i just learned that they're doing 'aida' in detroit, this month

in the summer, they're doing it in cincinnati

in the fall, in pittsburgh

and, back in the bullseye, we've got the elton john/tim rice version, at the end of the month