siciliana

Hey Lou, how was The Knife's opera? I've been obsessing over one aria in particular at the moment, which I thought I'd force you to listen to. It is the Siciliana, or O Lola c'hai di latti la cammisa from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana. It opens the opera, but is sung off-stage, which gives it a beautiful echo. The title means "O Lola, lovely as the spring's bright blooms". A siciliana is actually a musical style which has "lilting rhythms" which evoke a pastoral mood...which makes sense. The version below is by Italian Tenor Tito Schipa, recorded in 1913. To hear a more modern interpretation, click here!

as for me

Juice date, opera (good), wine, antibiotics, art party, trombones, zombie songs, home, antibiotic, bacon and avocado Molenberg sandwich, coffee, antibiotic, Kat, tea, smokes, several episodes of mad men, beer, Bobbie Barrett, pizza, beer, smokes, bonus mad men, antibiotic, carrot and citrus soup, chai, antibiotic, sleepover, spoon, antibiotic, toast, coffee, work, chocolate cake. 

bummed out

A bummed-out opera playlist:


1. Vesti la guibba (Pagliacci). Canio discovers his wife has been unfaithful, but has to go and do a clown act. Bummer.
2. Dove sono (Marriage of Figaro). Countess Almaviva wonders why her husband is unfaithful, jealous and angry all at once.* 
3. Kuda, kuda (Onegin). Lensky muses on his impending duel with his BFF. 
4. Un bel di (Madame Butterfly). Madame Butterfly  imagines what its going to be like when her man comes back. He comes back with another lady, so she stabs herself.
5.  Mamicko, Mam Tezoku Hlavu (Jenufa). Jenufa is a very, very sad opera. "Gritty realism" "infanticide" "facial disfigurement". Meep. 





NB: Most of these I've actually put up here before, because I like sad songs. Also: lots of operas are sad.
*Because he's a DUDE.

just another day at the office

Friday morning at the Opera: "Hannah, do you ever take off that hat? You have wet hair? Did you take it off in the shower? Some of your hair is poking out of it, you'll get hat hair - does that concern you? Is THAT why you're wearing the hat? Its quiet in here on Fridays, so you could take the hat off and expose your hat-hair to the office. Do you realise you're wearing a beret AND a t shirt that says "France" on it? You didn't? Perhaps we should call it "Francais Fridays" and I'll bring in my carpet boules set? Sound good? A Baguette? You listened to Lakmé? Why ever would you do that...? Listen to this one, its about a French monk and a prostitute, yes, its message is very "be pure but show me your breasts", we should put it on one year, update it for a modern day audience and set it on K Road." FIN.

Enrico Caruso

I love listening to very old musical recordings. Enrico Caruso's rendition of "Una furtiva lagrima" from L'elisir d'amour, recorded in 1904 at Carnegie Hall, sounds impossibly romantic.

figaro!

Today was the first day of rehearsals for our latest opera, The Marriage of Figaro.
I love the first day the most - when all the disparate strands of the production come together for the first time. And there is nothing (NOTHING) like hearing some of the most beautiful singing imaginable while you work...



So exciting! Those aren't our singers, obviously!

as my mum would say, there are a lot of feelings in that song

I know that it is horribly cliche and is on pretty much every "Opera Classics" compilation ever made), but Un bel di vedremo from Madama Butterfly moved me to tears today. It had me at the first (quivering, sublime) note.

ice cream saves the day, once more

Just had the marvellous realisation that my office contains all the neccessary components required to make an affogato. So I have done that, and am feeling extremely hooked up.

In celebration I present pictures of The Beatles drinking tea:





From bottom: pictures from here, here, here, here and here and here

pies and joanna

Was yesterday the perfect day? We made a delicious pie - the inaugaural pie - while listening to The Marriage of Figaro (its the next opera we're putting on and I'm trying to get to know it better). I figure that since I talk about pies so much, and since my flat seems really obsessed with them now, everytime we make one, I'll chuck the recipe up here, just for sake of a record.

PIE ONE: VEGE BOX PIE/HOW TO CONDUCT A PIE

The pie was basically full of seasonal things we had in our vege box. We cooked up some leek, garlic and onion in the skillet til they were translucent, then poured some wine on top, let it cook off a bit, threw in sliced parsnips and carrots and then a bit of vegetable stock to cover it all. Meanwhile, Adele mashed some potatoes (without butter or anything) and we added them. Then we threw in some mystery kale-like ruffly greens, some feta (my flat is a CHEESE flat) and poured it into the pie dish, which was already lined with flaky pastry. Then we grated parmesan on top (I repeat, CHEESE flat), and did a rough approximation of a lattice top with the left over pastry. In the oven for ten minutes and then BAM yougotsomekindapie!

And then we went to Joanna Newsom and she is lit from within and charming and so amazing and it was the best night ever. And her drummer, Neal, is adorable. He wore a full suit but no shoes. This is Neal:


We love you, Neal. Photo of Neal from here.

One of the beautiful things about my work is that on occasion we are gifted with organic, handmade icecream. At the moment we have strawberry, double chocolate, vanilla and golden syrup flavour. The latter is heaven, especially at 3.30pm on a Tuesday.

my baby just wrote me a letter

Originally, I found this to be waay too long for my plebian tastes but it grows on you. This is actually a shorter version than the one I have on my ipod. The more I listen to it the more I realise how much every note is needed to make the point, how you can hear the excitement and the hope and the longing develop.

My favourite rendition of this is by Nuccia Focile (what a name...) but sadly it is not on the internet. So instead I chose this one by Terese Zylis-Gara. Its not really worth watching but you should definitely listen to it. It was amazing seeing Anna Leese perform it live, too.

While we're at it, this is Lensky's aria from Onegin. This one really gets the Russophile in me going! It just sounds so damn RUSSIAN. and melancholy. He's about to duel his best friend, which is why. NOTE: This singer looks a bit like Trotsky. Ours, Roman Shulackoff, looked like Heathcliff! Big wigs are always the right choice.



PS. Wasn't our production beautiful? Sets by Genevieve Blanchett and Direction by Patrick Nolan, conducted by Alexander Polianichko. Images by Jane Ussher for NBR NZ Opera.