Opera World Tribute to Edita Gruberova

Here is the link Yesterday afternoon, the 14th of November was Edita Gruberova Remembrance Concert in a church in Bratislava. (Katalin Szabo who has always been in charge of the Fan list informed me of this special memorial concert in Bratislava. I lit a candle and listened to Norma 2006 Munich Staatsoper. Be in Peace Edita ! Joys and feelings your voice and personality offered through your singing and acting will last for ever ... will I have enough time to explore all the operas, melodies, songs you recorded ? The day I was in that long queue at Pleyel and then faced your intense look I should have hugged you ... and in Nice when I was in the small front room waiting for you with other fans, when you appeared I regret not telling you loudly 'Merci du fond du coeur '!

Tribute to Edita .

Today is World Opera Day Celebration. I could not write a word all those days.

On Oct the 19th I discovered the sad news through Charles Castronovo's instagram and I cried...as it reminded me those ends of recitals and concerts I attended when I travelled for Edita.(I could have hugged this sweet tenor I also acclaimed several times in Paris, Toulouse, Baden Baden). Edita Gruberova passed on the 18th. Her life was spent on stage all over the world. Why was she so unfortunate to leave us so soon after she officially retired from opera stages ? My belief is she was a real workaholic from chidhood when she tackled music and singing. She was immensely talented, funny, utterly moving generous and sincere; She could never leave the stage if last enthusiastic fans were still cheering ! She gave endless encores with so much fun, energy, even after long Mozart recitals like she did in Paris (Pleyel Jan 2014) when she sang the acrobatic "Marten aller Arten" twice (opening and ending..) I have never witnessed thunder of applause like I did in Munich, Paris, Nice, ever since...She was special, energetic, dedicated to music and her voice and passionate. She did not have my favourite Mezzo -soprano" cello" voce but as she was in her own style a terrific belcantist and sang the three Donizetti's regina, I loved her a lot and admired her live as often as I managed to get tickets at the Staastoper and Paris. In Nice I attended the two concert versions of "Norma" without any ticket problem and enjoyed the atmosphere of "fête" from her fans until the last minute ! Today, world Opera Day, I have the feeling she has not left us: she will always be with us on line,( she has lots of admirers and uploaders on youtube). Here are my contributions on this blog with my photos and short videos ( not good quality but showing her generous and sincere self on stage). The best photo comes from an old good friend of mine Arnaud Kientz. Song for a Dream and a laugh! Edita ! "On vous aime" ! Coline opera in Nice Summer gap

I wish I had attended melodies and lied recitals ... what is recorded is so fine, so heart warming...like this upload which is heartbreaking now and so thoughtful too (Thanks to Charles Castronovo for his photo from instagram-screenshot, Arnaud,MonogramistaML for the Gypsie melody Dvorak ). Of course in my treasure-box there is the Gruberova/Kasarova CD which is a wonder...

My life for ever on line :Rachmaninov Ne poi krasavitsa - Edita Gruberova, toujours un coup de coeur, Dmitri Hvorostovsky for ever ...

 

Difficult not to feel tears arousing along this rendition...  Yearning, either it is for Georgia,  is a deep feeling invading every one without warning... it can be persistant and clear or completely diffused in a landscape, the scent of a flower, some old photos suddenly coming out of an overflowing drawer full of broken bits and pieces of life... only music, tunes, songs, melodies and the voice can express this feeling  almost completely. And let's also listen to this one, overwhelming and deeply heartbreaking rendition , Dmitri Hvorostovsky was so young,  (1990 concert, a year after  the Cardiff competition) it seems so long ago and yet in this Autumn 21 (where  nostalgia is in the air),  so near.

Good news on line : Happy Tosca ending ! and the 50th anniversary of "Imagine" (from the Guardian).

Bass Soloman Howard - Angelotti made it ! He flew Alyn Perez  - Floria Tosca to

the sky! Puccini must be also celebrating "love "once more, this time with a Happy ending ! Soloman Howard's voice is absolutely outstanding ... will I have one day the chance to  see them both on stage in Paris or Toulouse ? who knows... Happy days will be back ? sooner or later ?

Both are divine young singers, bass and soprano, and I am rejoicing at such a romantic proposal at San Francisco opera house !

September  around 9th to 11th  is always  a gloomy period  but somehow last news and this photo from the Guardian took my mind awy... I  was also under the charm of this photo from the Guardian : John Lennon's Imagine is fifty years old....celebration in London...

copyright The Guardian (on line screenshot)

Dmitri Hvorostovsky - Bright Is the Night and a voice to remember, always.

   I feel sad often when I remember that November 2017, but his voice is part of my life on line as I often listen to him, either through my records and opera films (Eugene Onigin is an absolute must of all times with Dmitri as Eugene. I often listen to  the cd "Where are you my brothers ?" He will be alive eternally for me and all the ones who love him in the world of opera singing and more.

Where are you "my brother" in humanhood,  always in my heart and ears?

당신이랑 지독하게 얽히고 싶다.. | 고우림 - 야상곡(夜想曲) Woo-Rim Ko on a radio programme sings "Nocturne"

In the comments, I   proposed a French translation of the poem'Nocturne' for a change . English translations can be found on the web, easily and here following a wonderful official video of the Forestalla in a Hanock ...  like a dream...     Nocturne

Coup de Coeur on line : Ko Woo Rim Korean bass and more...opera, Forestella, beautiful solo renditions on a poem written by Yun Dong -Ju(1945);

Because I am still semi-confined, not being able to attend Aix Festival where I should have been in the audience for Combattimento and on the 24th for  The Golden Cockerel, I keep my musical life wandering in Korea- youtube for wonderful voices and young singers really outstanding as they are trained in competitive schools of music either in Universities or private institutes where the Korean Entertainment industry produces Kpop, crossover, groups of dancers singers performers either classic or modern ... the choice of groups is amazing and sometimes misleading ... still somehow it is possible to select a type of voice which rings a bell like this young musician I discovered only through his voice in a serie I watched twice'My Mister'. 

When I first listened to his voice through the song "One million Roses" I had the impression he was singing in Russian and that the song was a Russian romantic song of sorrow   which could well have been in  dearest Dmitri Hvorostovsky's recital tours. I wanted to see the singer, read the lyrics and  found videos of the young artist  who is such a charming performer.  The song has a story back to Latvian origins, it is as I could feel  in the voice  a romantic and sorrowful story illustrated in the serie through  the lives of the main characters.

Then with more determination to explore the range of his rich bass voice so surprising in this young  looking  man,  I came across two renditions of 'Counting the Stars 'where he sings alone on stage with a huge chorus and orchestral backbround for televised concerts:

The first in 2019 and then the following year 20  (which was in France a period of pandemic cultural restrictions, it was not yet the case in Korea as the audience is sharing normal distancing and no masks on), he sang the same melody twice with the same hand gesture,  which shows respect for what he sings and later  I understood why. ( I deleted the first youtube 2019 because of rights owner who stopped it almost instantly which is a pity as this blog is a non-profit ine only aiming at passion for Culture Music and understading as much as possible , copyright has to be maintained I understand but how could I get Cds from Forestella or Ko woo Rim here?I took the screenshots from that video though ).

I could feel the song was moving the audience at heart completely, as well as the singer   who each time was expressing deep feelings and heatfelt emotions. 

  Then I discovered the lyrics.

 (reading all the comments, I came across  a contribution with the mention of the poet and the verses in Korean and  English. So I could really try to go deeper in feeling the emotions through music, voice and words. )

 I felt I was not far from some songs sung by Dmitri Hvorostovsky who has the same  voice range  as Ko Woo Rim and the choice of "Cranes" has also a war significance just like 'Counting the stars' has meaning for a Korean audience as a memory of struggle through Japanese occupation. 

I  understood the singer's attitude of respect with his hand near his heart.. and his emotion during both renditions a year apart. Same with some captions of the audience shedding discret tears... Of course, when I discocered this young bass so accomplished as an opera trained performer I searched all the arias renditions on youtube. Now he joined a very recent group which was formed after a voice competition on television Forestella which is a combination of 'forest' and stella' where sopranist and bass come from opera training and the other two  from Kpop. They are amazing as they also move dance talk during their crossover recitals. My choice would be to listen to Ko Woo Rim on his own... but I believe they have to follow the group path for a while... Will he keep singing opera arias? will he have more duets with the sopranist Cho Minguy who is the lead of the group ? They are very 'popular' and success is along side their concerts in Korea and Japan, very often on tv shows, will they tour Europe? America for sure very  soon  .. they even sing a French tune I liked a lot in its days 'Je suis malade complètement malade..' (Serge Lama et Alice Dona) Wo Rim with full orchestra and his fellow singers make a wonder of this tune...

The lyrics  of 'Counting the stars' found on the comment from :

 
근엄
1 year ago (edited)
Yun Dong-ju was a Korean poet in Japanese forced occupation.

 계절이 지나가는 하늘에는 가을로 가득 차 있습니다. 

"The sky where the season passes is brimming with fall 

나는 아무 걱정도 없이 가을 속의 별들을 다 헤일 듯합니다. 

Without a worry, I think I will count all the stars of fall 

가슴 속에 하나 둘 새겨지는 별을 

The stars that engrave themselves in my heart — 

one, two 이제 다 못 헤는 것은 

The reason I can’t count them all now 

쉬이 아침이 오는 까닭이요, 아직 청춘이 다하지 않은 까닭입니다.

is that morning comes easily, is that my youth is not over. 

별 하나에 추억과 

In a star, there is memory 

별 하나에 사랑과 

In a star, there is love 

별 하나에 쓸쓸함과 

In a star, there is loneliness

 별 하나에 동경과 

In a star, there is longing 

별 하나에 시와 

In a star, there is poem 

별 하나에 어머니, 어머니

, In a star, there is mother... mother...

 겨울이 지나고 나의 별에도 봄이 오면 

When winter passes and spring also comes to my star,

 무덤 위에 파란 잔디가 피어나듯이 

just as green grass will grow round the grave, 

내 이름자 묻힌 언덕 위에도 자랑처럼 풀이 무성할 게외다. 

The hill where my name was once buried will be lush with thick grass, worth my pride. "
 

I am very grateful to 근엄 for this comment and translation.

The poet Yun Dong-Ju is an important figure in Korean litterature and Historical memory of Japanese colonialism. A blog about Korean poetry gives three poems in translation with a short biography and his photo and also illustrations of landscapes which add reality   and charm to the poems.

 His life was short and painful, he died in prison in 1945. That makes the line ''my youth is not over" even more   overwhelming and distressing.

The grassy hill he imagines makes me think of 'Le dormeur du val'  written by Arthur Rimbaud (he was fifteen) during the Prussian-French war (1870 ) the young  peaceful soldier is also immersed in luxuriant nature and yet his life is at a standstill. (I tried to find an audio version of this poem and was not successfull perhaps being to choosy myself).

Yun Dong-Ju 's poem  has delicacy and hope towards life through 'memory' first and then 'Love'.

Counting the stars ' ( I found another title 'The wind and the stars') is so simple and yet deeply moving :  repeating 'In a star there is...'  gets deeper into the person he was, thoughtful and loving, his life as a poet and brave opposant, then at the end,  his mother is  the last star: 'in a star there is mother...mother 'ends the succession of six stars : sung the way Woo Rim Ko does, makes the poem even more heartbreaking.

Second rendition in 2O20, with same intensity and overwhelming emotion in his voice which really brings tears . Now I am able to appreciate the poem more and more with music and lyrics.(Notice a fashionable coloring shades is Woo Rim's hair, very sweet !)

Henry (헨리), Jinho Hong (홍진호) & Nau Lee (이나우) - Por Una Cabeza + Havana |...Tango spirit and generous music from Seoul!Happy audience !

I Henry at the violin 

Jinho at the cello (he is my favourite musician, the lead of the group Hoppippola where he is called "teacher' by the vocalists being also fantastic musicians )Nau at the grand piano.

I really like this video of a recent live concert where we can feel the happinesss of the audience, the babies dancing and enjoying fun music which is excellent as the three of them are  top performers.This is back to normal life it seems. It feels like "real" to me and  is so good to watch !

My life on line: Good news! on July 31st 5pm , BSO Tristan und Isolde!

 It is such a good prospect ! almost like being there !

Tristan und Isolde: Tonight Bayerische staatsoper,(before the opening performance today..).

Tristan und Isolde
 Suppose these nearly two years without any trip or journey outside my home and its surroundings was just  a hazy, melancholic, dream... and then is coming real time where suddenly I have my flight  booked and ticket in hand  (I know! having a ticket at the BR oper is quite an event in itself still I managed several times with help the from a friend and or from the BR reselling ticket site ), and here I am in this marvellous shell  for music and voices where I saw nearly all  of Anja Hartero 's major roles! Then, I am going to discover her Isolde...

back to present... on line...

Here, luckily she talks about her Wagner's roles and the help they give her to  study  Isolde which seems more difficult than the others ( I saw most of them, her Elsa I saw twice, in Bayreuth and in Berlin ).

I am so pleased to actually see and hear her discussing Isolde, after this long period I did not hear any news from her. I do hope she will be a success as always ! I miss her on stage . That is impossible for me as it is but I will try to catch on the radio BRKlassics some arias or let's dream, the oprea being broadcast ?

Lucky Munich citizens, who,  tomorrow, can sit in front of the Staatsoper for a free open air performance... ! 

Her Tristan, for this first performance is her best stage- tenor and friend, Jonas Kaufmann... Nice to see him again along side Anja Hareteros! but during these months I listened to him either discussing the situation for artists or performing on the web several times.  As for Anja Harteros,  I never had the chance to catch a glimpse of her on the web. So, Cheers for both of them and the entire cast!

 

 

 

Gihoon Kim wins BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2021

Gihoon Kim wins BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2021

Wonderful singing ! rich baritone voice with style and talent ! Hope to see him live on our Southern opera stages.. soon when life will be more and more normal! 

Korea is a land of born singers and musicians ! "fighting" as the younger generation says in Korea!

My last Tosca May 16th 2019

 Memories of that Tosca seem to come from   another life where someone else was replacing me...

 All around  me life is starting again with precautious gestures... vaccination is helping to widen the doors onto normal life:  That is life  with no curfew, less ill people in hospitals, and still with masks on in shops queues and concert halls now beginning to open again. Outdoors masks are not  compulsory. Because of my special  health conditions, vaccinattion at the moment is not possible for me. I have to visit a specialist in Marseille who is fully  booked for months  and  could decide what to do towards that vaccination issue. I am not anxious about it because after nearly two years I am used to living at home entirely and in my two small gardens with Music of course and internet connection.

That is why I live in my memory most of the time. I should try to sort it out but I have never been an organised person... Dreams,  arias,  memories come to me because I often listen to either France Musique or what I look for in all my recorded music from live productions I attended more than ten years ago. Before retirement I used to tape concerts from the Radio, France Musique mainly and I have drawers full of tapes ... with all sorts of operas and concerts and interesting long live interviews or comments on operas. I very rarely put them on my radio set. But when I bought a recording stick I really enjoyed what I recorded  I had a Sony one which allowed me to keep all the precious lyrical moments I enjoyed where I was. Of course I also managed to download them on my computer and I have a collection of beloved music and singers.Then I was given an Iphone and recording videos was so easy... when I had a rather sheltered seat at Bastille Opera House or Marseille or anywhere .. La Scala too when I went even  at Moscow Bolschoï and last precious souvenir Bayreuth for Lohengrin with Anja Harteros... 

That is why I rediscovered today  the video of the 16 last minutes of Tosca at Bastille with Anja Harteros and Vittorio Grigolo.

 I did not  upload those minutes on youtube because they are considered illegal and I understand but I would like to share the beauty of the two artists in this extreme tragic moment with the music singing acting and a rather striking setting. I wrote briefly some lines about that last Tosca because it was an event in our life: For once I was not alone my husband asked me to book a seat because Tosca is his favourite opera and he wanted to see Anja Harteros he listened to because of my deep passion for her art of singing and he caught sight of her at a small shop near  Berlin  Deutsch oper whee she was singing  (I was going to of course!) she was at the cash desk for some sweets  .. that was so good... we said 'hello' with admiration...I bowed very impressed... as always!

Vittorio Grigolo is a passionate singer on stage and he is a nice tenor too with a lot of "Italianita," very communicative acting  with his partners. 

 

I suddenly rediscovered how intense he was, so that his Floria became also like him, passionate and loving! She was disheveled and had some of her  bangs (very impressive curly hair) in front of her eyes and I noticed he was gently combing her hair  back with his hand as well as stroking her head gently. I did not remember these gestures and her affectionate even loving embraces when I was in the house that night, it is my video which told me that intimate palying that opening night.

They both shared impressive,  expressive,  passionate singing,  I remember that, but I did not remember the intensity of their shared acting at the end of Tosca. I will try to reflect these discoveries in the screesnhots from the video I made on May 16th 19,  a day before flying to Beijing and  crossing 3600 kms through China on their fast trains, our last journey before Covid 19 started all over the world, but at that time we did not know ... it was ahead of us..      

Sceenshots trying to show their intense moving acting and singing. Anja Harteros was amazing and Vittorio Grigolo was so moving,  perhaps a bit too much... still it was convincing... I keep in mind he was replacing Jonas Kaufmann who has so often starred with Anja Harteros and that night was the opening night so both must have been more moved and eager than ever in singing acting sharing their roles.

 
They had a lot of chemistry that night to be remembered ! The last vision of Tosca walking away with a veil floating across the stage then that aura where only her shadow gradually became smaller... until the curtain fell and the music gave its last hard pangs in our hearts.. with her cries.. Tosca's  ending is really something at the orchestra and that night it was fantastic, (conductor Dan Ettinger, director Pierre Audi). 

(Today I erased the link for the audio finale which did not work. And erased also the video I uploaded because I have doubts.)

(Many thanks for the upload on Youtube,  I was very confused to see this video and mine with watermark which means I downloaded it? I left France on the 17th and did not have access to youtube for more than a month somehow. Vittorio Grigolo sang only that night of the 16th and the upload refers to another date). What counts is the sound of their voices, their intensity, their subtle renditions  according to their feelings at that tragic pathetic end we all know the issue. With utterly skilled musicians and singers-actors they are both it is a rare moment which is now for me unique. (I had also the chance to see Vittorio Grigolo at La Scala along side Diana Damrau .. so it was for me another great discovery ! 

Now I feel better ! 

D who was sitting behind me at row 27th same folding seat at the Parterre mid alley with plenty of space for his legslol gave me the surprise of making the video with his smartphone... that is why as he has no youtube account, when he downloaded it there appeared the watermark... I feel relieved that he remembered doing so... He did it for me because I was so absorbed in the music and singing of my favourite dramatic soprano... I managed to see all her 'Tosca' in France...

Martha Argerich rehearses Ravel Piano Concerto (with English Subtitles)

In a previous post she was sharing amazing four hands piano  playing with her friend Daniel Barenboim.

Here it is such an amazing rehearsal... and the comments are so matter of fact. The short concert extracts  are magnificient. And Ravel is an old friend of mine .. so to speak...

"Hidden harmonies" from Yin Yang blog quoted today on my blog because I often listen to " Moon reflected on the second Spring" Abing

 

Home > culture, history, music, video > 二泉映月 (Moon Reflected on Second Spring), a modern Chinese classic

二泉映月 (Moon Reflected on Second Spring), a modern Chinese classic

April 23rd, 2010 YinYang Leave a comment Go to comments

If there is a music that can make one’s soul weep, 二泉映月 (Moon Reflected on Second Spring) is it.  It was composed and played by 华彦钧 (Huà Yànjūn), more commonly known as 阿炳 (“Blind” Abing), who lived during one of the most tumultuous periods of modern Chinese history.  Only with the most miserable human condition could someone make this music.  Famous Japanese conductor, Seiji Ozawa was quoted in Chinese, “此曲只应跪听” which means this piece should be heard while kneeling down.

Ozawa perhaps can relate well to the miserable life Abing had to endure, for Ozawa was himself born in China during Japan’s invasion. Abing lived from August 17, 1893 to December 4, 1950. The two Opium Wars in the 1800’s had left the Chinese government severely weakened. Chinese society continued to decline as the European, American, and Japanese colonial powers try to divvy up China in the 1900s. At age 34, he contracted syphilis and eventually became blind. After that, he roamed the streets of Wuxi and played his music on the 二胡 (erhu) and the 琵琶 (pipa) instruments. Around that time, Japanese troops advanced further into China, including Wuxi where he lived.

A year after birth, his mother died partly from depression, brought on from resentment by her family for having married Abing’s father who was a Taoist priest. In China, monks, nuns, and priests do not customarily marry. Abing was raised by an extended family until the age of 8. His father took him back and started teaching him music some time after that. At the age of 21, his father would die, leaving Abing to fend for himself.

With the tragedies in his immediate family and his own misfortune and a broader ravaged society from foreign invaders, Abing could only yearn and gasp for a different world. (See also, “毛阿敏 (Mao AMin), 渴望 (”Yearning”), yearning for a better future“)

Luckily, professors Yang Yinliu and Cao Anhe, both natives of Wuxi, from the Central Conservatory of Music managed to record six of Abing’s songs in the summer of 1950. Abing at that time was already sick and had not played any instrument for few years. The recording was made following three days of rehearsal. The two professors had only enough tape to record three erhu and three pipa pieces during their first meeting, and Abing’s death in early December 1950 would end the opportunity to record more of his performances.

After the professors made Abing’s recordings available, his songs became instant classics, especially 二泉映月.

(Click play to play 二泉映月 within your browser, or, click on Abing’s image above to download it as originally played by him and recorded by the professors on magnetic tape. This photo of Abing was from an identification card issued by the Japanese army.)

Source: Baidu 百科, CCTV

Below is a more recent rendition of 二泉映月 hosted on tudou.com:

[Note: This post is absolutely not about dwelling on misery and playing victim-hood. Perhaps its said best by raffiaflower in one of our earlier post comments:]

Rather than compare China with Spain, Mexico, Vietnam, etc, it might be more apt to compare China 1842/1945 with World War II between the great powers of Europe. They were “civilisational crises”; both necessitated re-invention. In the case of the West, it had to ditch imperialism and nationalism that had put Germany into conflict with France and mainly Great Britain. The old powers adopted liberal democracy and forged closer fraternal bonds.

China’s century of humilation similarly laid bare the inadequacies of the 5000-year civilisation it had been so proud of. Against tremendous odds, it has re-invented itself and continues to do so. The Western world commemorates World War II every year, pledging “never again”. Why shouldn’t China remember its greatest hours of peril as the starting point of its modern nationhood?

It’s not about victimhood. It’s a reminder of the need for vigilance.

Categories: culture, history, music, video Tags: Abing, Huà Yànjūn, Moon Reflected on Second Spring, 二泉映月, 华彦钧, 阿炳

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Le Trio Joubran Masar: Sorrow, deep sorrow tonight, Hope for Peace?

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"Le ciel est par-dessus le toit...." revisiting poem and music... soothing these days!

Yes, " The Sky is above the roof, so blue, so calm"  said Verlaine and Renaldo Hahn put it to music, it sounds so simple so true to ordinary life though Paul Verlaine was writing this delicate poem while in prison for violence  and abuse  in 1875. 

In 1935 young Tino Rossi with a clear elegant tenor voice sang it and recorded it. He was a fine singer and musician. Another treasure for today.

Hahn - Si mes vers avaient des ailes & À Chloris (Gauvin, Hamelin) My mother's treasure.

Keyboard for two tonight ! Four amazing so 'young' hands!

                                                                         

 Martha and Daniel are almost twins ... Daniel Barenboim is roughly two years younger than Martha Argerich, but playing tonight shoulder to shoulder on the same keyboard  on  the rather dark scene  of 'le Grand théâtre de Provence 'without a live audience but for thousands of on line followers, looked so intimate and casual: almost like two very gifted talented always young musicians having a date with the three composers of their evening, Mozart, Debussy and Bizet, with their  magical hands and a unique piano keyboard to share and create a unique sound with their combined hearts and souls.

If I have one moment to remember, it is the second one with Claude Debussy  and his "Epigraphes antiques ' six 'poems' without words but  music,  except for the titles   all  beginning with 'Pour' for ... a purpose,  each of them opening on  a  vast imaginary world. 

 It was fascinating to see both players creating these delicate  musical poems : it reminded me of a comment I readt : Marcel Proust who said once that if language had not been invented music would have been our way of expression. I really felt each piece was  a poem with its own atmosphere created by these wonderful musicians. They were looking so passionate  in their special world together ! their weary  hands seemed so  alert and so young as if age did not count ... had no weight on their agility...it looked so easy...and yet for the two of them how many hours and hours of practice to create this unique sound  with four hands on the piano with the  same intensity and volume, not that easy on a piano?

What my memory selected was the 6th poem ' Pour remercier la pluie du matin' It was so delicate and so Asian to my ears ... my only wish was to find it on youtube to keep it  even more in mind ... and I found it...it was loaded some years ago by the couple of artists who played it and there is the picture  of the CD cover with a very interesting selection of composers they recorded together. 

(Today while trying to listen to the 6 pieces from Debussy with scores, I found the scores of my favourite 'Pour remercier la pluie au matin' beautifully performed, and it is worth thanking the uploader who is also the performer Ruben Yessayan)

The Bizet part was not so surprising and captivating for me. As for the Mozart sonata  K521 which was opening the concert,  it was not a discovery and  a real pleasure to follow tonight with two tremendous musicians who respect, know and appreciate each other so much and for such a long life time . (In an interview on Radio Classique before the concert Daniel Barenboim explained he has known Martha since 1949 when they were both children  in Argentina, and practicing the piano almost with the same teacher) He said Martha was his oldest friend and his 'love' in the music world ... not in life!  he made a point in explaining that so simply. I was moved by this confession ! In fact I could feel  when watching them tonight that they had a huge musical intimacy while playing together.

      Last chords ending Le bal de Bizet  and the concert   plus a smile from Martha !    

 

 

                    

Aix Easter Festival : On line concert tonight ! Martha Argerich and Daniel Barenboim "Pianos"!

On line AIx Easter Festival 3rd concert : "Pasticcio" William Christie and "Les Arts Florissants': "All you need is love"" !!!!!

  This "Pasticcio" is a patchwork of  Love,  happiness and sufferings through melodies and arias from Baroque composers in different countries  to famous Broadway musicals, including the Beatles for a wonderful 'All we need is love' as a last 'encore' and before that a creation of Thomas Dunford, luth player and composer:  'Ocean'. The two singers made the show! With the talent and beauty of their youth, they sang, danced even breakdanced for the cute Jakub Josèf Orlinski (counter tenor)! Léa Desandre (mezzo soprano) and Jakub Josèf Orlinski were smashing! so were all the musicians and their wonderful instruments. Portraits of the two artists from sceenshots of the performance.

Léa Desandre

Jakub Josèf Orlinski

 

It was a festive evening!  It was good to see these baroque musicians, fabulous players and their instruments! I was  fascinated by the 'wind' done in a strange metallic cone that I had never noticed before... for Partenope and a furious aria with lots of trills on an infuriating tune with  blowing wind. It was also danced by both,together for Cheek to cheek ; At the beginning there was  extravagant and stylish break dancing from Jakub Josef Orlinski who is a cute break dancer when he does not sing! And the sweet Lea Desandre sang and danced alone for ' My fair lady 'tune... her white high heels must have been a nuisannce though... she took them off once... Both were very charming.

'A Choris ' (Renaldo Hahn)is a favourite of mine, Lea Desandre has a special touch  and a light soft  voice  here which suits this melody. Some Rameau excerpts were also familiar, the Cole Porter ones were well known of course but surprising in these 'covers'! I enjoyed all of them really and was so pleased to sing along 'All you need is love ' with all of them smiling happily and cheering their fantastic instruments on the Beatles music were surprisingly 'jolly' ! They were all singing along and smiling !

William Christie

 

The last excerpt from Monteverdi's Incoronazione di Poppea, ' pur ti miro' was exquisite, both singers and musicians gave a superlative rendition of this aria. I liked the way Lea and Jakub moved and sang in harmony so simple in their touching way but mesmerising. Sharing that diverse creative musical evening with them all was like being on another planet, festive and comforting, miles away from the mess we seem to be sinking deeply in. Still the future is sure to be better sooner or later! Being part of this musical extravagant and moving 'love story' with ups and downs was such a treat! It was heart warming to see them smiling while performing, enjoying themselves so much. Smiling is catching!

 

 

 

 

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On line Aix Easter festival : second concert: Cello and Piano with Sol Gabetta and Bertrand Chamayou from Grand Théâtre de Provence

 Cello is by far my favourite instrument, although I had to study music and piano playing for fiffteen years with a monthly rented piano all these years of studying, (it was first rented by my biological father for his voice rehearsals at home at the top of an old house in Rue Longue des Capucins in Marseille, 'chambre de bonne'  on the top floor. with no lift: it stopped a floor below..... I used to sleep opposite the piano in a very narrow room. Some very warm days at night I could hear the piano cords swoon, and on winter windy days they would snap loud.  I always thought the piano was alive next to me almost breathing like an old companion. I was small enough to camp under the keyboard, it was a nice shelter when I got scolded)…But I had no coordination and never succeeded to get beyond average playing. So I am a poor piano player not like my son who is so creative and followed Aix school of music for years .The only reward is that I  can read music and ' sing 'in my mind while reading music!I can decipher... ). 

I found on the net that Chopin wrote a unique sonata, the last he wrote (he died so young!) for cello and this is the one I enjoyed so much on the second night of the festival. The two musicians shared timing, intuitive  harmony and very nice expressions of feelings on each instrument, giving the piano the follow on role.The cello is expressing more than the piano  does this time, which is unusual for Chopin.

 Sol Gabetta  had a masterclass here at  the Easter Festival five years ago. I enjoyed the way she was guiding younger players. But I could not get a ticket for her concert. This time I am so happy to have the opportunity to attend all the concerts on line which is a dream as I would never be able to follow all the concerts, it is  simply unaffordable for me ... so I am very grateful to the organisers and to the artists who came to France, to Aix they already know because some of them are faithful to

Renaud Capuçon who created this international event now. It must be sad to play in front of an empty Grand théâtre de Provence, still they can perform and give to an immense on line audience the joy of their  musical gifts, they can share music with us and sharing is caring, loving ! Each night (two concerts followed so far ) I am so moved at the end when they bow that I feel like crying... this period here in France is such a mess... we are officialy entering our third  not complete 'lockdown' "A la Française' ... which means that some of us who do not care much will still move around as they like .. Still for three weeks education is stopped in kindergarten, schools grammar-schools, universities, presence one day a week somehow... it's not allowed to go further than 10kms around living address... unless special motivations to move more... all this is always very confusing and not strict enough. So... How  marvellous it is  to attend music on line or listen to my record collection or go to my very old piano as worn out as me... (Forty three years ago having a place of   "our own's" where a piano was possible, I bought a 'piano d'étude' like my childhood companion, and of course this piano was not new and  not very expensive,  it had a mellow rich sound  and a good touch when playing chords. I liked. It is a  "Ruch, a very old one, hard to keep in tune these days...)

All the concert are on live broadcast at 8.30 PM on Radio Classique. They are also on streaming on that site: inlivestream

 

The Britten pieces were new and somehow funny to my ears like 'who's going to have the last word' brief and vigourous dialogue between the two musicians, I enjoyed it too like a challenge !(but was not moved )
And the Schumann which opened the evening:
Phantasiestücke, op. 73 was delicate and poetic.I loved it a lot, but my favourite is still the Chopin cello sonata.

Some screeshots from the concert on line:

 

 

 

 

CHOPIN Sonate violoncelle-piano op 65

• Allegro moderato
• Scherzo : Allegro con brio
• Largo• Finale : allegro   

Festival de Pâques in Aix en provence: on line first concert tonight , here's the alert for music lovers from all over the world!

 I am always so happy to join le Grand théâtre de Provence or the Conservatoire and also the oldest opera house in the old town center for the Easter Festival !

Because of the Covid lockdown in some areas here and curfew every where they hace chosen to go 'free' on line and for all of us as a revival Easter gift, offering musical presents for a larger audience!

 https://festivalpaques.inlive-stream.com/festivalpaques/home/index.html

 

So here's the link in the advert. It starts tonight at 20h30! very soon...

Gounod's Faust on line on Friday 25th from Opera Bastille ( empty...or with masked scattered listeners about the huge house..."lucky happy few"?)

Still I feel so happy  myself to be able to watch it either on Bastille site or on TV5 . I think I will choose TV5 it is more comfortable than my laptop.

Same life and absolute peace without news what so ever... all I get is on line: reading listening writing... my life seems t be more and more "on line"... 

Because France should be celebrating "openly" the 150th anniversary of La Commune de Paris I started following a very moving film from sketches on Arte last night and felt music was missing when Louise Michel came to life in my memory and in the story line.

 Luigi Lono's 'Al gran sole carico d'amore' came to my mind while watching with some sadness for the time being and yet some hope for our future.  I went to Berlin for these'Actions in Music', and luckily in 2012 Iwas much aware and kept writing about that rendition here in two episodes. Soon I promised myself to revive these texts and do my own celebration based also on this very good film from  Arte.tv (no Eng sub)

Tomorrow night I will be with Gounod's Faust which was so praised by audiences in France for many years and then seemed to become less in fashion until the last years where it was on all around the world.

France Musique as always did a marvellous job for listeners to get ready for this new production but because of the pandemic still spreading yesterday it was cancelled for the audience. I feel sorry for the cast the musicians the whole House with the fantastic technicians and stylists and hairdressers who have been working for real lively production... so sadness is prevailing too .... but still with respect for the young conductor Lorenzo Viotti and the entire cast and musicians I think I will be watching with tears at the opening because I was so young when I was at the Gods at Marseille opera house for my first Faust... it was a "family" matter at that time... one was on stage and the family was sitting at the Gods in good seats  first row most of the time because the Italian community who was the majority of the front rows audience used to keep two seats for my Mum... (they were fishmongers  from Rue Fortia, very lively people. Those were wooden seats ... very easy to bang when 'bad ' singing was detected,  it was very lively up there in those days)  athough with a view of the entire house from above and orchestra and ceiling which was decorated at that time... I must have been five years old for me it was like 'heaven' even if down there they were agonising in thunder of instruments most of the time.... with Marguerite the end is always magnificient and rewarding ... in cielo... !(by the way Marguerite is my fourth and last given name... my Grandma's one on my father side... she was from Turino.)

So tomorrow night I have an important date with young singers ( I know one of them from Marseille concours lyrique, Florian Sempey he has also his photo on this blog, I met him in the hall becaise I felt he woud become a "star"... and he is one now ! thete were also young Korean singers that year... singing in Korea is part of life... ! Sumi Jo is an emblematic super star and  there also so many fantastic Korean singers!) and my memory with Gounod and Faust and 'Valentin' which I heard rehearsing at home so often ...

My life on line: Because I am so fond of their voices together...Karine Deshayes & Delphine Haidan, piano, Johan Farjot.

Live concert here Friday 19th 8pm.

https://www.facebook.com/vichyopera/

These artists together, are like a magical wand if you feel low...  the CD 'Deux Mezzos sinon rien' is available on line like some other ones with Johan Farjot. This Cd is a step forward after a long frienship, now it is a "family link" :'sisters'. 

I saw them together some years ago and my answer to their catching title is 'Deux mezzos c'est mieux'...or "two mezzos c'est trop beau"! 

from my blog sep' 2014:

"The concert In saint-Tropez  on 20 Sept. Theâtre de la Renaissance.

 Karine Deshayes does a real  summer tour. I tried to attend all her concerts near by.
At Festival de L'empéri  for  two nights of  melodies,  and on the 20th at  Saint-Tropez for a special Mezzo performance '2 mezzos sinon rien'. My conclusion after the show is :

'2 mezzos c'est trop beau' !


 Karine Deshayes and Delphine  Haïdan who are also friends have complementary  voices, Karine being more 'soprano' with clear tops and glowing medium , while Delphine is more mezzo with lower tones and a kind of bass  sound effect. Their voices intermingled with beauty and I was under the charm of the duets especially during the second part of the concert with all the best baroque arias(....)"

Here's the programme from Opera de Vichy for tomorrow evening!

PROGRAMME

 

ADOLPHA LE BEAU, Op. 6 No.2 , "Abendlied"   

 

BRAHMS, Op. 20  No.3 ,"Die Meere"    

 

BRAHMS,  Op. 61  No.1, "Die Schwestern "        

 

BRAHMS, Op. 61  No.3, "Phänomen "   

 

STRAUSS, Op. 10, "Zueignung"

 

DEBUSSY, Préludes, "La fille aux cheveux de lin"            

 

GOUNOD, "Athalie" de Jean Racine, "D'un coeur qui t'aime"    

 

DELIBES, "Les filles de Cadix"

 

DELIBES, "Les 3 Oiseaux"            

 

ST SAENS, "El Desdichado"        

 

ROSSINI, "La Pesca"      

 

ROSSINI, Semiramide, duo Semiramide / Arsace, "Giorno d'orror"        

 

ROSSINI, Semiramide, Air Semiramide, "Bel raggio"    

 

TCHAIKOVSKY, Op. 40 No.2, Piano solo, "Chanson triste"      

 

TCHAIKOVSKY, Op. 6 No.6, "Niet tolka tot kto znal "      

 

TCHAIKOVSKY, Eugène Onéguine, duo Tatiana / Olga, "Slyhali l' vy"