Category: Music

Coolest New Blog Toy EVER!

Posted on by Dana

Yay! I got it up and working finally. Welcome to my new Radio Blog! Right now, there are several classical music selections on the turntable.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composer; performed by Academy of St.-Martin-In-the-Fields under Neville Marriner, Amadeus soundtrack; Piano Concerto in D Minor, K. 466, 2nd Movement (Romanza)
  • Giacomo Puccini, composer; performed by Jussi Björling, “Nessun dorma” from Turandot
  • Giacomo Puccini, composer; performed by the Chorus Of the Theatro Nuovo Di Milano and the Hamburg Radio Symphony Orchestra under Napoleone Annovazzi; “Humming Chorus” from Madama Butterfly
  • Claude Debussy, composer; performed by Roger Rundle on Souvenirs; “Clair de Lune” from Suite bergamasque, for piano, L. 75
  • Fryderyk Chopin, composer; performed by Dmitriy Sokolov; Prelude No. 15 In D-Flat Major (Sostenuto)

A little commentary is forthcoming. Many of you are familiar with the movie Amadeus, which is one of my favorite movies of all time. The first piece comes from its soundtrack. The second piece is one of my favorite arias (my husband sings it often) sung by Jussi Björling, one of my husband’s favorite tenors (and the tenor Pavarotti admired and modeled himself after). This recording is older, so the sound quality isn’t perfect. The third piece is the “Humming Chorus” from Madama Butterfly, which I discussed in more detail in yesterday’s entry. The fourth piece is one of my all-time favorites: “Clair de Lune” by Debussy. I think I will always close my eyes and cry as I listen to it. You might have heard it in the movie Seven Years in Tibet (which was a great movie). The final piece is by another favorite composer, Fryderyk Chopin. It is one of his 24 preludes. It makes me think of big, fat drops of rain rolling down the window. If there’s thunder, it is only gentle rolling, and the lightning simply isn’t there at all.

Please give it a listen. I hope to change the playlist about once a week.

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Madama Butterfly

Posted on by Dana

The Atlanta Opera is currently rehearsing a production of Madama Butterfly. I have to defer to my husband, as he is clearly the expert in this area. In fact, I only know a little more about it than you, probably. And I only say that because I think most of the people who visit me here probably know nothing about opera, and I know something.

I haven’t exactly been able to see an opera. I’ve only heard all or almost all of two operas (though I’ve heard lots of tenor arias from others): La Bohème and Madama Butterfly. My husband likes the former, and he ought to know. But I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the latter. You see, the first time I fell asleep in my husband’s arms, he was telling me the story of Madama Butterfly, almost whispering at times, singing softly at others. Then, I went into labor with Maggie the first time my husband showed me his videotaped version of Butterfly. There is something about that story and about the music that really speaks to me, and I guess you don’t have to be an opera expert to feel that way.

If I ever get a tattoo — and that’s a big if, since I’m not sure I’ve got the courage — it would be a butterfly on my left shoulder in honor of Madama Butterfly.

This evening, my husband sat studying his music while he listened to a CD of the opera — this one, in fact. He held Dylan close and rocked him while the Humming Chorus played. It was perhaps one of the most beautiful, tender things I’ve ever witnessed. And Dylan loved the music.

I hope he’ll always love the music.

Butterfly Links

AOC’s Production
Synopsis
Libretto
Giacomo Puccini and Madama Butterfly

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I’m Not Nearly Nerdy Enough for This

Posted on by Dana

I downloaded what appears to be a really good program that enables me to rip music from my CDs and convert them to mp3s. This is cool for a couple of reasons: 1) when I get my domain up, I will have a radio blog, and I can share my CD collection (small though it is right now) with you; 2) I can share my husband’s singing with you as well. He has been asked by others, some of whom may be reading this, if he might be able to share that way, and soon, the answer will be yes. Here’s how uncool I am: I didn’t know such technology existed until today. Why? I didn’t really jump on the whole mp3 bandwagon when it exploded with Napster and more recently with Kazaa. So I haven’t really been following the progress of developments on that front. I’ve ripped four tunes, and they all sound great. If you want this software, you can get it from Audiograbber for free.

Maggie burned her hand today. I don’t know how she turned on the stove, or even if she did. It took us a while to even find out what happened. She was hysterical for about an hour. I treated it with cool water, lidocaine, and bandages. And I feel like shit that it even happened. Why don’t I have a baby gate to keep her out of the kitchen? I’ll be getting one now, you can be sure of that.

I’m almost done with At the Crossing-Places (see Currently Reading on the right). I can’t decide which book on my ever-growing to-read list to start next.

I’m going to get off the computer now. New software toys are dangerous, aren’t they?

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Concerts

Posted on by Dana

I was reading Radical Bunny’s entry about all the concerts she’s seen. I don’t know who most of the bands are, and it made me feel old. What concerts have I (do I remember having) seen?

Let’s see:

Eric Clapton was the first. Mom let me skip the last half of the school day with my boyfriend so I could drive two hours away to go to the concert and hang out in the big city. Funny. She was not usually that cool.

Jimmy Page/Robert Plant twice. Was in the nosebleed section the first time. Better the second time. Still couldn’t see well because I’m short. Both times I went with my (now) ex-husband. The second time, his friend Andy, a fellow teacher (History) tagged along. I vowed never to go anywhere with Andy again. He started this annoying seat-slapping thing. I was a bit tipsy at that show.

The Replacements. It was near their demise. Paul Westerberg got pissed, threw down his guitar, and stormed off stage. It was a pretty poor “replacement” (ha) for the Crosby, Stills, and Nash concert I had tickets to, but which my friend R. cancelled on me. In those days, I had no driver’s license, even though I was 19 (long story), and I couldn’t get a single soul to go with me. Not one! How can anyone say no to a free C,S,& N ticket when I offered to pay for gas too? I’m still bitter because I heard later they played “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.”

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Probably the best concert. He gives a really good show. But some twit nearby had to listen to a damned ball game on a radio while the concert was going. Why did he bother to come? I don’t care if it was the World Series.

Let’s see. I saw some local bands. I really can’t remember all their names. I saw Kevn Kinney and Peter Buck. Saw the Wallflowers and Counting Crows (awesome show). We were in the pit. Jakob Dylan got into an argument with some drunk redneck.

I am so boring. No wonder my hits are dwindling. Sigh.

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