just a thought

FOR ALICE and ARNAUD who enchanted my evening on July the 27th




















I had almost forgotten the beauties of that little nook by the sea even in the heart of summer. The heat is quite tolarable this year, that is why!
So we set off for Saint-Louis du Lavandou f
























Papageno and Papagena!

This delicious aria was the encore which ended their bel canto opera recital in the choir of a small churh in the Lavandou near Toulon.(Saint-Louis du Lavandou). They managed to be lively and witty, both dazzling with youth, beautiful singing and vocal knowledge. Alice has youtube extracts of Don Pascale which show her great vocal gifts and her acting. She will be a wonderful Adele!
Arnaud did recordings of contemporary music

I am most grateful to them both for the demanding programme they gave us with a fine pianist
accompanying them. I am most grateful to Arnaud indeed.
Here are some picts, not fantastic because of my bad tendancies of moving a bit..
ng too!
Alice Gulipian, soprano
Arnaud Kientz, baryton-basse
Natalia Golocvchanskaïa, piano
Saint-louis du lavandou opera bel canto recital July 27th.
Mozart duets and arias, le nozze di Figaro Don giovanni The magic flute
Rossini Cenerentola Il Turco in Italia
Donizetti Lucrezia Borgia
Alice - soprano
Arnaud - baryton

Natalia Golovchanskaya - piano



W.A.Mozart (1756-1791)

Le Nozze di Figaro (1786)

- Acte I scènes 1 et 2 (Suzanna, Figaro)

- Dei vieni non tardar (Suzanna)
- Duo (Conte, Suzanna)
- Non più andrai (Figaro)

Don Giovanni (1787)

- Batti, batti o bel Masetto (Zerlina)

- Duo (Zerlina, Giovanni)

Die Zauberflöte (1791)

- Duo (Pamina, Papageno)
- Duo (Papagena, Papageno)
PAUSE


Gioachinno Rossini (1782-1868)

La Cenerentola (1817)

- Miei rampolli femmini
(Don Magnifico)

Il Turco in Italia (1814)

- Duo (Fiorilla, Don Geronio)

Il Barbiere de Siviglia (1816)

- Una voce poco fa (Rosina)




Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)

Lucrezia Borgia (1833)

- Vieni ! La mia vendetta (Don Alfonso)

L'Elisir d'amore (1832)

- Prendi per me sei libero (Adina)

- Duo (Adina, Dulcamara)

Postcard to Mum from Picardy.....

Her coloratura voice is still in my ears, this tune and so many others, like 'je passais aux Tuileries quand dans une allée fleurie...' or, 'c'est l'histoire amoureuse autant que fabuleuse d'un galant fier -à-bras...' and opera arias, and popular songs , in French at that time.
Her singing is part of my life, and I never know when she is going to wink at me with her dear songs. So when her voice fills my memory I am a very young child just after the war and I am delighted to share her passion for giving joy through singing!
Camille 885 from youtube is really the living memory of my youth.

This is a special trip in space and time which I did at the beginning of July, and there she was waiting for a big hug with this 'Roses de picardie,' Roses of Picardy.Sung a lot in 1916 and very popular in the fifties too, almost all opera-singers recorded it and the 'varietés' singers did as well. Jean Lumière here is a wonder.
Back to world war I, we call 'La Grande Guerre' .
A British soldier, wrote the poem: French translation : Mathé Altéry
De ses grands yeux de saphir clair
Aux reflets changeants de la mer,
Colinette regarde la route,
Va rêvant, tressaille, écoute.
Car au loin, dans le silence
Monte un chant enivrant toujours ;
Tremblante, elle est sans défense
Devant ce premier chant d'amour
[Refrain] :
Des roses s'ouvrent en Picardie
Essaimant leurs arômes si doux
Dès que revient l'Avril attiédi,
Il n'en est de pareille à vous !
Nos chemins pourront être un jour écartés
Et les roses perdront leurs couleurs,
L'une, au moins gardera pour moi sa beauté,
C'est la fleur que j'enferme en mon cœur !

A jamais sur l'aile du temps,
Depuis lors ont fui les ans...
Mais il lit dans se yeux la tendresse,
Ses mains n'ont que des caresses ;
Colinette encor voit la route
Qui les a rapprochés un jour,
Quand monta vers son cœur en déroute
Cette ultime chanson d'amour Refrain

Words by Frederick Edward Weatherly

She is watching by the poplars,
Colinette with the sea-blue eyes,
She is watching and longing and waiting
Where the long white road-way lies.
And a song stirs in the silence,
As the wind in the boughs above.
She listens and starts and trembles,
'Tis the first little song of love:

'Roses are shining in Picardy,
In the hush of the silver dew,
Roses are flow'ring in Picardy,
But there's never a rose like you!
And the roses will die with the summertime,
And our roads may be far apart,
But there's one rose that dies not in Picardy!
'Tis the rose that I keep in my heart!'

And the years fly on for ever,
Till the shadows veil their skies,
But he loves to hold her little hands,
And look in her sea-blue eyes.
And she sees the road by the poplars,
Where they met in the by-gone years,
For the first little song of the roses
Is the last little song she hears:

'Roses are shining in Picardy,
In the hush of the silver dew,
Roses are flow'ring in Picardy,
But there's never a rose like you!
And the roses will die with the summertime,
And our roads may be far apart,
But there's one rose that dies not in Picardy!
'Tis the rose that I keep in my heart!'

This is Ben Heppner's rendition I really enjoy listening to: light and caring, old -fashioned as it is. But so daring.

And now that's what it was all about...war and love, and that song could well be on

Rolando's melody recital one day.

Eternal tunes...an encore

This is Lucia, not to be confused with 'Angela the Diva'!(That is a hint to a comment on Opera chic blog).
No singing though, but every one can feel the music of true love in this sweet photo from'studio Panoulis'(Athens recital I think).
Now there are no possible confusions on my intention. I deleted the musical illustration,and the comment, I do apologise (some readers found the last post confusing).
So long Rolando and Lucia, keep well!
A peaceful musical moment soothing sorrows and painful feelings, Schubert and young musicians.
object width="425" height="344">
Schubert- Sonata Arpeggione for cello and piano mov. I Joanna Kielar- cello Risto Lauriala- piano Cello Festival 2006 Helsinki, Sibelius Music Academy

Eternal tunes....

My favourite instrument and a cellist who is the one I like best.
(I tend to love all cellists though).

just a thought

<>


'I am the walrus' the Beatles
(...)
Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun.
If the sun don't come, you get a tan from
Standing in the English rain.(...)

Boris the Giant!

En direct de la Roque d'Anthéron Concert (65' - 2009) Lundi 17 août 2009 - 21h00, Parc du Château de Florans - C'est le premier concert jamais filmé et transmis en direct dans les 30 ans d'histoire du festival de la Roque d'Anthéron Boris Berezovsky piano Rachmaninov : Sonate pour piano n°1 en ré mineur opus 28 "Faust" (33') Liszt : Sonate en si mineur (30')

This is grand!

He really deserves such consecration from this marvellous La Roque Piano Festival. He has an amazing relationship with music and his instrument. I cannot simply write silly words of admiration about him. He is the best in this repertoire, the very brilliant and crafty 3rd concerto I had never heard before sounded so difficult He was brilliant. The orchestra sounded so intense too. The powerful and tormented music dominated the evening.'It must be hard for young Andrei Korobeinikov to follow Boris in the second part', was what I thought when this smaller and thinner young man arrived on the stage, but when he started playing I knew there was no problem, he was another great pianist, and at the end of the well-known 1st concerto he got lots of warm applause with the audience stamping their feet and insisting on an encore! All my gratitude for these two brilliant musicians, the orchestra and their conductor,the Russian touch which is amazing, and the French orchestra was a wonder!

Boris the Giant!

In two hours time or so he will be playing the way he does, what I call 'swallowing' the key-board and make it do what he likes. He is amazing, strength and velvet, rage and sorrow.
Last winter at the very cosy and tiny Avignon opera house, I could not see his hands but his face was so near I could read all his feelings, though he is a very discreet piano player, not showing off , just knowing the perfect weight
to inflict on the board to play what is on his mind.
Tonight it is Tchaikovsky concerto, 2nd and 3rd.Then the 1st, played by a younger Russian pianist .
The wind is gentle, the music of piano playing will not be lost in the open air of La Roque.
It is the Piano festival opening night. Boris Berezovsky is a very precious musician and seems an amazing person. Perhaps a Greek god born again? a living sculpture!
I am going to Château de Florans, just round the corner to see this artist once more. And feel the spell.
Piotr Ilyitch Tchaïkovski
Direction Dimitri Liss Piano Boris Berezovsky Piano Andrei Korobeinikov

vendredi 24 juillet 09 - La Roque d'Anthéron (13)

La Roque d'Anthéron
Parc du Château de Florans
[e-mail]
[lieu]

Piotr Ilyitch Tchaïkovski
. Concerto pour piano n°3 en mi bémol majeur
. Concerto pour piano n° 2 en sol majeur op. 44
. Concerto pour piano n° 1 en si bémol mineur op. 23


Festival de la Roque d'Anthéron

just a thought

The funniest of the lot...How much that gentle fun is missed...so it is really good to have these caring youtube users who share their passion.

Ode to bananas,
fruit for a lazy bite,
fulfilling and never too sweet,
not for really hungry ones,
and yet easy to have around,
Rolando the banana addict,
not only for fun
but also to ease tension
and sometimes eat
when appetite is not really there.
Food for fun and food for thought
when heart and passion are too busy
when just a simple bite
makes him feel better
and clear his voice
and makes the musicians laugh
Gently.

just a thought...

Zen attitude revisited?

"There is no applause without a pair of hands, there is no song without two vocal cords, there is no performance without an audience.

I can't wait to sing for you again.

Have a great summer,
yours, Rolando "
When I came across these last words full of wisdom, I could not help thinking about this famous Zen tale, which no doubt inspired Rolando in a more obvious way, still applause must be justified by empathy, love. The clap of one hand could be the end of it all. So these cheerful images came naturally to his mind. And as a true fan I can't wait to see you again... at the TCE for Schumann 's Dichterliebe, bringing back memories of another come back at the Liceù in Jan 08 . Unbelievable!
What is the sound of one hand clapping? .............

songs for waiting....

Departure,
leaving dear ones for a while,
longing for some news,
counting days and hours of separation,
wondering how they are,
trying to remember the last impressions on the train platform,
the special glitter in the eyes, trying to picture the last waving,
the last smile,
keeping the memories of it all!
waiting for an eventual return.
Here is another tune I have often heard on our radio when I was a kid, and the singers were alive. Thanks to Camille 885 he has got a marvellous youtube channel which is my Radio days!. Deliciously witty and charming with a raving piano accompaniment.
Lyrics: jean Nohain
Puisque vous partez en voyage
Vous m'avez promis ma chérie
De m'écrire quatorze pages
Tous les matins ou davantage
Pour que je voie votre visage
Baissez la vitre je vous prie
C'est affreux je perds tout courage
Soudain je déteste Paris
Le contrôleur crie : "En voiture"
Le cochon il sait pourtant bien
Que je dois rester, mais je jure
Que s'il le crie encore une fois, moi je viens
J'ai mon amour pour seul bagage
Et tout le reste je m'en fous
Puisque vous partez en voyage
Ma chérie... je pars avec vous.

Time to go, time to wait....and Hope for the best ! So long then!

just a thought

For Joyce, who is a mezzo who counts for me . I made the trip to Bastille last year to hear and see her Roméo with Juliette-Anna Netrebko, the Bellini Capulet I adore really!
This season, I made another trip to Garnier to hear and see her Idamante. I will probably try to have dates with her , not in Aix though as it is always too expensive ....
Reading my 'regular' musical forum where I normally get informed as well as educated because some of them are fantastic, I read the news.
So here is a thought for Joyce who had a bad fall on stage at ROH.
A song and a chat I could listen to over and over again....A girl from Kansas ! And sweet dreams for
Yankee-diva, patience for her recovering and peace without too much suffering during that period.
Lots of chocolate and good books !

songs for waiting....

Gabriel Fauré set one of his poems as Après un rêve, op. 7. The poem is based on an anonymous Tuscan text which speaks of how we too often long to return to the world of our sweet dreams.
It was Romain Bussine who wrote the poem in French.

Dans un sommeil que charmait ton image
Je rêvais le bonheur, ardent mirage
Tes yeux étaint plus doux, ta voix pure et sonore,
Tu rayonnais comme un ciel éclairé par l'aurore;

Tu m'appelais et je quittais la terre
Pour m'enfuir avec toi vers la lumière,
Les cieux pour nous entr'ouvraient leurs nues
Splendeurs inconnues, lueurs divines entre vues

Hélas! Hélas, triste réveil des songes
Je t'appelle, ô nuit, rends moi tes mensonges,
Reviens, reviens radieuse,
Reviens, ô nuit mystérieuse!

Bel canto and my favourite mezzo !

Fiorenza Cedolins lost in the maze..
And in the red light, all in white,
departing from life in beauty and honour.
A fantastic rendition of the role!




A memorable afternoon at the opera . La Fenice, May the 3rd, last performance which was amazing, so musical and well sung by the entire cast, for me above all by a dedicated mezzo who knows how to handle that role, who has the colours of authority and doubt, passion and hatred,in this awful feminine role, and who sings like a cello. I sat there in absolute paradise and luckily my stick worked, for a change! Sonia Ganassi is a wonderful singer and musician. Once I got over the strange setting which changed colours with lightings and heights with action, in fact it sort of made it simpler for the tragic grip and the beauties of the music.
When it got all green and flat as a maze I had a little laugh, in case the audience did not get it was the forest act.. and the red lighting was quite childish too but still not too annoying!
The way it parted to include poor Mary's prison was clever. Modern ( I found it very similar in its death meaning and shapes to the Colonnade Memorial in Berlin) and efficient, not taking the attention away from music and singing, in its bareness. I have ended on Sonia's Curtain calls because I am fond of her voice and acting , and I hope she will be a happy mother soon!
What I enjoyed a lot is the orchestra, the flutits, the delicate way the conductor went along with the singers, something really magic about it, in this precious house which is built for music and singing! I know now what the Fenice sounds like, I will not forget these moments of sheer beauties. And the flutist, when he was not playing, was singing the role, I saw his lips moving as he followed the conductor constantly...

Maria Stuarda
tragedia lirica in tre atti
libretto di Giuseppe Bardari
dalla tragedia Maria Stuart di Friedrich Schiller
musica di Gaetano Donizetti
prima rappresentazione assoluta: Milano, Teatro alla Scala, 30 dicembre 1835

personaggi e interpreti
Elisabetta Sonia Ganassi (24, 28, 30/4, 3/5)
Maria Pia Piscitelli (26, 29/4, 2/5)
Maria Stuarda Fiorenza Cedolins (24, 28, 30/4, 3/5)
Maria Costanza Nocentini (26, 29/4, 2/5)
Roberto, conte di Leicester José Bros (24, 28, 30/4, 3/5)
Dario Schmunck (26, 29/4, 2/5)
Giorgio Talbot Mirco Palazzi (24, 28, 30/4, 3/5)
Federico Sacchi (26, 29/4, 2/5)
Lord Guglielmo Cecil Marco Caria (24, 28, 30/4, 3/5)
Simone Piazzola (26, 29/4, 2/5)
Anna Kennedy Pervin Chakar

maestro concertatore e direttore
Fabrizio Maria Carminati

regia, scene, costumi e luci
Denis Krief

Orchestra e Coro del Teatro La Fenice
maestro del Coro Claudio Marino Moretti