song from la famille bélier

watched this great movie, on the plane-ride from amman to detroit, yesterday

here's the main song, je vole

old blue eyes singing mozart, w/grayson -- domingo, freni & graham

i just learned, in opera news magazine's new backgrounder feature (operapedia -- this month, on 'don giovanni'), that frank sinatra sang that lovely love duet (?) -- seduction scene -- that the don sings with zerlina (right after she got married) -- old blue eyes sang it with kathryn grayson, in the 1947 movie 'it happened in brooklyn' -- i had to see it

i wonder who that masetto is -- i just looked on imdb, to find out -- what a cast -- durante, gloria grahame, peter lawford -- maybe it's bobby long

i then went on, as one is wont to do on youtube -- a couple of charming ones -- magnificent -- placido with mirella freni, then with susan graham -- look at her -- she's barely out of her teens

villazon antics

i watched that great netrebko-villazon boheme movie again -- then watched a few behind-the-scenes videos, including this one, of villazon's antics

gotta love this guy -- he's so cute -- gotta get me one of those rubber noses too

jerry lewis sings, and those old roasts, with rickles & brooks

i came upon these roasts, after i watched 'the nutty professor' (great movie), and i looked on youtube, to record jerry lewis, singing 'that old black magic' -- i think he's a great singer,...and this is a great scene

then, all these...foster brooks...roasts

birdie num-num

as kids, we loved this movie,...especially the 'birdie num-num' line -- we'd use it, with each other

more scenes, from this movie -- had me, roaring...with laughter, yesterday

interview with sellers

'hard day's night'

a couple of fridays ago, i went to the capitol theater, to see jonas kaufmann and kristine opolais, in 'manon lescaut,' from covent garden -- wasn't showing -- was so looking forward to it -- promised to be one for the ages -- i've since missed all the other showings of it

good thing, 'hard days' night' was showing

fun stuff

here are two of my favorite songs

mary poppins

i had a great time, yesterday afternoon, taking my niece...and a cousin's son (both, eight), to see 'mary poppins' in the movie theater

two of my favorite songs

here's the movie-clip -- french version -- that's the verion my friend rima told me, today, she first heard -- i think, when she was a child -- presumably, in baghdad -- i'll ask her [just found out -- not, while in baghdad]

rima's taking her son, soon, to the play, in vienna -- probably, in deutsch

'feed the birds'

came across a maygar version -- maygar subtitles, that is -- amazing,...the worldwide appeal of this

favorite movie, cinema paradiso

just got this back -- painting that my then-wife, laura, made for me, some...15 years ago -- our favorite movie

netrebko-villazon boheme film

i just finished this film version of boheme -- beautiful -- fantastic -- how come nobody told me about it

the leads...are in full voice -- and splendid acting -- perfectly shot...set

they do add a sex scene...in act one -- not explicit -- i also miss the...pum-pum,...the last two notes of act three

the volume, here, is low

seems better, in the below version -- although the subtitles get in the way...of the movie -- the full...movie effect

tosca film, with domingo & milnes

looks like a must-see -- 1976 film version of 'tosca,' with raina kabaivanska, placido domingo and sherril milnes, filmed...in situ -- in rome

i can't wait to see her vissi d'arte -- she's got a gorgeous voice

movie about the signs of umpires

wilhelmenia fernandez

i watched the movie 'diva,' last night -- for the first time in decades -- it became an instant cult-classic, when it came out, in '81, '82

the movie brought wilhelmenia wiggins fernandez to the attention of the world, with her great rendition of 'ebben? ne andro lontana' -- at the start of the movie

here are two more great performances

a very slow take...on 'patria mia' -- in luxor

a 'vissi d'arte'...that just floors you

she was musetta, in a 'boheme' with kiri te kanawa and placido domingo

'to rome with love,' fabio armiliato, daniela dessi's vissi d'arte

i just saw the movie 'to rome with love'

so i looked up the great tenor in the movie, fabio armiliato

he's got nine operas-for-tv to his credit -- and, in almost all of them, fellow genovese daniela dessi is his co-star

gibsonburg

just watched this terrible baseball movie

bad script -- terrible dialogue -- poorly acted -- but...it is...a baseball movie -- which makes it great

has a 'cute phillie' -- looks familiar, too

list of credits...doesn't land her...close to me (nothing i've seen..., as far as i know), but, then,...she's from cleveland -- maybe...on stage...in town

just looked at her blog -- didn't see anything,...going back...about a year -- neither...in this local article

[addendum, 1.15.14: i forgot to note, old friend kent mercker...made an appearance -- in the broadcast booth, for the last couple of games, and also as a technical adviser -- must've been why they had a couple of great leftie pitchers]

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

quartet-mania

i just saw the movie 'quartet' again -- even better, second time around -- really moving (like opera -- like...good opera) -- brought tears to my eyes, many times -- although, i've been a bit teary-eyed, of late

so, i'm on another...quartet-high -- and...i'm going to share....

so, get ready...to be deluged...by quartets -- quartets...to the...quadruple power

i can't help it -- there are...so many...incredible renditions

something else...about this -- i know of no other scene...in the history of literature (and not only...musical theater), as beautifully set,...set up,...developed, as exquisitely choreographed...as this -- dramatically speaking -- and, when well acted, well sung, it's...incomparable -- the height of...everything

well, if any one...knows of another scene -- whether by the bard, the blind bard, aristophanes, anybody...that matches this -- comes close -- i'd love to hear about it (see it, read it, imbibe it) -- a few years ago, i was...kicked in the gut...truly wrenched, inside,...by a scene or two (or more) in oedipus -- but,...hard to imagine...a scene...being set -- played out -- with character-development,...characters' motivations, depth of feeling...to match this one

so, here goes -- feast your eyes, your ears...your soul

first -- and you could, just as well, stop right here -- the legendary pairing of pavarotti and dame sutherland -- one for the ages, this performance -- and, of course, one mustn't forget isola jones and leo nucci -- how could one

here, luciano...takes it from the top, in this great film version -- with edita gruberova as gilda, ingvar wixell as rigoletto, victoria vergara as maddelena, and ferruccio furlanetto as sparafucile

here's an exquisitely rendered -- not to mention, elegant -- quartet,...from 'classic' american television -- with cesare valetti, blanche theborn, roberta peters & cesare siepi -- those were the days

another, with dame sutherland -- and nicolai gedda, mildred miller & tito gobbi -- all of whom act beautifully and sing exquisitely -- and versa vice

another great...pavarotti quartet -- with renata scotto, bianca bortoluzzi & kostas paskalis

jussi bjorling, anna roto, roberta peters & robert merrill

one, starring the great mexican tenor ramon vargas, with elina granaca, anna netrebko & ludovic tezier

another, anchored the splendid argentinian...marcelo alvarez -- with judith howarth, denyce graves & bryn terfel

i just came across another tour de force by alvarez -- here, with cecilia bartoli, mariella devia & leo nucci

maria callas -- with giuseppe di stefano, adriana lazzarini & tito gobbi

a recent one, with juan diego florez, christa mayer, diana damrau & zeljko lucic -- with an interesting...dramatic twist

i just came across this collection of superstars -- pavarotti, june anderson, florence quivar & sherrill milnes

finally, a couple...from the record books -- literally -- from the records -- and, even, before...records

caruso, from 1907, with bessie abott, louise homer & antonio scotti

caruso, from 1917, with flora perini, amelita galli-curci, giuseppe de luca -- read about the picture

finally, john mccormack & lucrezia bori, from 1914

in the comments (posted on youtube, under this video), there's a lovely story...about mccormack and caruso...in an elevator -- mccormack greets caruso: 'and how is the world's greatest tenor today?,' to which caruso replies, 'and since when, john, did you become a baritone/'

i could go on and on (and i already have -- and i will,...anon -- i just came across a domingo duke (and others), and i'll look for a better quartet con 'la bellissima' -- but i have to stop, for now) -- you may (go on and on) -- and...share

all of this...led me to wonder, if there's a collection of the quartets -- if it's possible, to make a record -- cd -- of just the quartets -- i did a quick search on amazon -- didn't find anything -- i wonder, of course, if copyrights...would prevent... -- something...to think about