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bananaofswifts · 3 years

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5 STARTS

While the rest of the world was busy baking banana bread and on endless Zoom quizzes, Swift was secretly working on the record, teaming up with The National‘s Aaron Dessner and Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon, alongside long-time collaborator Jack Antonoff and boyfriend Joe Alwyn (under the pseudonym William Bowery). She cast aside her usual meticulously planned album campaigns and instead unceremoniously dropped the album with less than 24 hours’ notice.

With its follow-up, ‘Evermore’, also announced mere hours before its release, Swift has said that she “travels further into the forest” of the “folklorian woods”. While Swift albums of the past have largely existed as self-contained ‘eras’, the music and process of ‘Folklore’ inspired further songwriting.

This is a “sister record” to ‘Folklore’, and there are immediate similarities between the two. Once again, it’s largely produced by Aaron Dessner (he has a production credit on all but one song), who this time around wrangles his bandmates in The National (they are officially featured on ‘Coney Island’ and pop up with instrumental and arrangement credits throughout). Swift’s other ‘Folklore’ collaborators all appear too. While ‘Evermore’ also sees Swift continuing to write stories from a third-person perspective, these two records certainly aren’t twins.

If ‘Folklore’ is an introspective, romantic older sister, ‘Evermore’ is the freewheeling younger sibling. ‘Folklore’ was Swift’s masterful songwriting spun through a very specific sonic palette; ‘Evermore’ feels looser, with more experimentation, charm and musical shades at play. The new album reaps the rewards the stylistic leap of faith that ‘Folklore’ represented, pushing the boundaries of that sonic palette further still.

She plays more with genre here, too. ‘No Body, No Crime’, which features the Haim sisters, is a full-blown country revenge song that ends in the murder of a philandering husband, breezily cramming the sort of story you’d find in a David Fincher film into a matter of minutes.

Elsewhere, ‘Closure’ is filled with weird time signatures, taking Dessner’s distinctive production in a more experimental direction (as heard on The National’s 2017 album ‘Sleep Well Beast’). Then there’s ‘Cowboy like Me’, a rootsy blues-laced number that features backing vocals from Mumford & Sons‘ Marcus Mumford and wouldn’t feel out of place on Lana Del Rey’s ‘Norman Fucking Rockwell!’.

On ‘Dorothea’, dancing piano lines accompany the story of a lovelorn boy whose high-school sweetheart left to try and make it in Hollywood; the song boasts vocal melodies that could have appeared on her self-titled 2006 debut. The twinkling ‘Champagne Problems’, with its lyrics about a rejected marriage proposal’, comes off as a sibling to Swift’s 2008 mega-hit ‘Love Story’.

The most striking difference between ‘Folklore’ and ‘Evermore’, though, is that, occasionally, the new album sees her reaching for fizzing pop heights again. Both ‘Gold Rush’ (co-written with Antonoff) and ‘Long Story Short’ add a layer of ‘1989’-style gloss to the proceedings, imbuing Swift’s ‘folklorian’ sound with a dash of the ‘80s-inspired synth-pop that coursed through that 2014 album. Both tracks feel like they could explode into a banging, stadium-ready chorus if placed into the hands of pop master-producer Max Martin chorus, but instead pull it back at the last minute and favour subtlety.

Swift’s pithy turn of phrase and vibrant yarn spinning are still front-and-centre on ‘Evermore’. ‘Gold Rush’ uses typically Swiftian lyric techniques, with the words free-flowing like a waterfall, emphasising the heartbreaking details: “And the coastal town / We wandered round / Had never seen a love as pure as it / And then it fades into the grey of my day-old tea”). Meanwhile, ‘Ivy’ depicts somebody’s shame at falling in love with another despite being married, employing rich metaphors: “I can’t / Stop you putting roots in my dreamland / My house of stone / Your ivy grows / And now I’m covered in you”).

There are some personal moments, too – see ‘Marjorie’, a song about Swift’s opera singing grandmother Marjorie Finlay, which elegantly depicts the knotty guilt that’s so often tied up with grief (“And I complained the whole way there / The car ride back and up the stairs / I should’ve asked you questions / I should’ve asked you how to be”), accompanied by backing vocals courtesy of Justin Vernon and a recording of Finlay’s operatic vocals.

The album finishes with the title track, a beacon of hope in the shit-show that is 2020. Opening with a simple piano accompaniment courtesy of William Bowery/Joe Alwyn, Swift honestly reveals that she’s “been down since July”, later adding: “I had a feeling so peculiar / That this pain would be for / Evermore.”

Midway through, though, as Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon joins the fray with his devastating signature howl, the fog starts to lift. Euphoric instrumentals erupt as Swift finally concludes: “I had a feeling so peculiar… This pain wouldn’t be for / Evermore”. It’s a sentiment of hope for the future to finish a pair of albums created in the mess that has been this year.

#taylor swift #evermore #review

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natromanxoff · 4 years

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Queen live at Palace Theatre in Manchester, UK - October 30, 1974

(x)

This is the beginning of Queen's first full-scale European tour.

Tonight are the first performances of new songs from Sheer Heart Attack: Now I'm Here, Flick Of The Wrist, In The Lap Of The Gods, Bring Back That Leroy Brown, and In The Lap Of The Gods...Revisited (Stone Cold Crazy had already been performed as far back as 1970). Now I'm Here would be a staple in their set, performed at virtually every show hereafter, making it the song they performed most frequently throughout the years - it was clearly a unanimous band favourite, as it is the only song they performed more than Bohemian Rhapsody.

This is the first show where Queen employed the use of delay on Freddie's voice - at the beginning of Now I'm Here. The band sound a bit nervous at the beginning of the show tonight, so Now I'm Here isn't quite the most brilliant version ever played. Still, the band are surely happy to be back on stage, especially Brian May who has made a full recovery from his health issues.

On the Sheer Heart Attack tour, Freddie would be seen singing the line "Now I'm here" on one side of the stage amidst the darkness and dry ice, and a few bars later, at "Now I'm there," he would "appear" on the other side of the stage (a member of the crew would be dressed in an identical Zandra Rhodes outfit to the one worn by Freddie), giving a very dramatic effect.

Although they no longer open the show with Father To Son, the first few bars of the song are still on playback.

Brian, introducing Flick Of The Wrist, the other side of the Killer Queen single (it was a double A-side): "You probably may know, we have a little single out at the moment, and this is the one you don't usually hear on the radio."

These also the earliest known live performances of White Queen and The March Of The Black Queen. White Queen would be a bit stripped down when played live (like the BBC session recorded on April 3), and only a small portion of The March Of The Black Queen would be performed on stage as part of the medley. Queen would perform a medley of songs on most tours from here onward, and tonight it would debut in their set.

The medley on this tour consists of In The Lap Of The Gods, Killer Queen, The March Of The Black Queen, and Bring Back That Leroy Brown (including Brian playing the banjo solo, as heard on the album). For this tour and the 1975 North American tour, Killer Queen is a very abbreviated version, as it is only one verse and a chorus, leading right into the guitar solo (which was never performed in full, as it was physically impossible to reproduce all of those layers of guitars live). They began performing the second verse of the song in Japan. In an interview for "Disc" with Rosemary Horide just prior to the tour, Brian May frankly said, "I'm not sure whether we'll be doing Killer Queen because it could be rather an unexciting number to stage, but we'll certainly do some of the others." Indeed, there was a certain delicacy of the song that they never were able to replicate live.

Brian now uses two analog delays when performing his solo spot in Son And Daughter, something that has become a trademark of his. Even though the guitar solo was heard in Brighton Rock on the Sheer Heart Attack album, the song wouldn't be heard on stage until late 1975.

On this tour, Freddie sings the verses of In The Lap Of The Gods...Revisited in falsetto in the higher octave, as on the studio version. A great example of this can be seen on the Live At The Rainbow video. For the next few years, the song would be performed with dry ice, and it also introduced pyrotechnics to their show, as on the very last note, it would very dramatically signal the end of the set proper. The song would remain in Queen's show into 1977, and would be revived for their final tour in 1986.

The encore on this tour is a medley of Big Spender, Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll, and Jailhouse Rock. See What A Fool I've Been would be used as a second encore a few times the following spring in Japan.

Queen now use their own recorded version of the British national anthem, God Save The Queen, as their exit music - although on this tour it plays about minute after they've left the stage. Brian May's arrangement (recorded just a few days earlier on October 27) would also close out their international breakthrough album, A Night At The Opera. The ritual of leaving the stage to this piece of music would last well over 40 years, into the Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert eras.

In addition to his Fender Strat, Brian now has an additional spare guitar - a Les Paul. But Brian ultimately wouldn't be satisfied with its sound. After this tour he would have a copy of the Red Special built for him by luthier John Birch. Brian used the Birch copy as his backup until he smashed it at a concert in 1982.

The third photo was taken by Howard Barlow.

Fan Stories

“To be honest, I can't remember much about the concert but the build up and after effects have stayed with me to this day. It was 1974 and Glam Rock was in its swan song. I was a nine year old boy who loved seeing bands like Slade and The Sweet on Top of the Pops and had decided to buy 'Tiger Feet' by Mud. On the way to purchase my first single with my 17 year old brother, he suggested that 'Tiger Feet' was for 'teenyboppers' and that I should get 'Seven Seas of Rhye' by a new band called Queen instead, who I had never heard of. After much deliberation, I put my trust in his judgement and bought the Queen single. At first it seemed a bit heavy, but later I began to love it and all things Queen. When my brother suggested going to see Queen in concert, I jumped at the chance. The concert was to promote their latest album, Sheer Heart Attack, and Manchester was the first date. Imagine that now, not one but two superb albums released in the same year (Queen II and S.H.A.) with tours to match! Ahh, those were the days. At the Palace Theatre, I wondered why nobody seemed very interested in the support band Hustler, but we found our seats, caught their set, then waited through the break for Queen to come on stage. My memory is of the theatre rapidly filling up in the following 30 minutes or so, and as it did, so did my feelings of excitement and anticipation. When the house lights suddenly went off, there was a huge roar from the audience and everybody stood up, meaning that this 9 year old couldn't really see much of the stage! I wasn't familiar with many of the songs but I do remember three aspects of the concert in particular. Firstly, the music was the loudest thing I had ever heard, and secondly, the sound was punctuated throughout the gig with huge explosions and flashes of light, accompanied by clouds of white smoke. The other thing that caught my eye was Freddie Mercury himself. He started the concert dressed all in white, finished it wearing all black attire, and never stood still for a single second of it, apart from when he was sat at the piano. He was constantly cavorting from stage left to stage right, then from the front of the stage towards the back and up onto Roger's drum riser and back down again. When I also considered his powerful voice and proficient piano playing, even as someone still at Junior School, I realised I was watching somebody very special indeed. When the concert finally ended and the house lights came on, everyone poured out onto the street, and I experienced mixed emotions on the way home. On the down side, I was upset at the ringing in my ears, but my brother assured me that it would pass. Much more enduring was the feeling that I had just experienced my first rock concert and what an astonishing experience it had been. After this gig, I believe that I had cramped my brother's style and he never took me to see another concert. I had to wait until I was 16 to go and see Queen again, which was on 6th December 1980 in Birmingham. That was the concert that truly blew my mind and converted me into a lifelong Queen fan. But the seed had been sown six years before and will stay with me forever.” - Lee Unal

#queen #queen band #roger taylor #freddie mercury #brian may #john deacon #queen concerts

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whenitsdarkweilluminate · 4 years

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Moscow 2009 – Semi-Final 1

Host: Russia Slogan: [none] Participants: 42 Voting method: 12-point system (50/50 system - combined; televoting only for the semi-finals) Format: 2 Semi-Finals / Grand Final = the top 10 of semi 1 & 2 + the Big 4 + host General Overview: The 2009 contest commences the 50/50 era of Eurovision... but not in the semi-finals, where pure televoting was still utilized. That switch won't happen until 2010. Meanwhile, the jury wildcard twist was in effect again to determine the 10th qualifier. Incidentally, this lead to Finland and Croatia advancing in their respective nights, despite finishing outside the top 10. The two relegated countries were (North) Macedonia and Serbia. The former was denied two years in a row. Slovakia returns after a 9-year absence (in SF2). Over the next few years, the country will uphold their abysmal track record by amassing four consecutive DNQ's before permanently withdrawing again. San Marino also dipped after their debut entry flopped. Georgia, meanwhile, were disqualified because their song mocked Putin, and they refused to change the lyrics or submit a different song. SF1 opens with an announcer narrating a mythological story about a two girls and a firebird. It's a reference to a Russian fairytale. This leads to a flashy entrance of the Tolmachevy Sisters, the winners of Junior Eurovision 2006, and later representatives for Russia in 2014. They descend to the stage via a glowing firebird-shaped structure. The interval act involves a military choir (hard pass to this), segueing into t.A.T.u performing “Not Gonna Get Us”, where the aforementioned choir provides backing vocals. At least t.A.T.u's vocals are acceptable this time, although it was probably prerecorded. A different pair of hosts were employed for the semi-finals – Natalia Vodianova and Andrey Malakhov. The latter is irritating and overzealous. Their dialogue is badly scripted too. The results are presented differently this year. The physical envelopes are ditched in favour of revealing the qualifiers on the digital screen. Although envelope icons are displayed instead. The hosts press a button to “open” each one. The stage design is impressive this year, but I'll mention that again in Grand Final post. × Montenegro: Andrea Demirović - Just Get Out of My Life Montenegro are a somewhat surprising DNQ, but the 10 qualifiers make sense. “Just Get...” is a disco-pop song that follows a brisk, slippery rhythm. The melody and production are agreeable, while the “out of my, out of my, out of my” refrain is easily catchy. It was written by Ralph Siegel and Bernd Meinunger, two people responsible for several German entries since the 1970s. The verses also use a rising melody. The staging incorporates playful interactions between Andrea and a male dancer, which could be viewed as uncomfortable. The male keeps grabbing Andrea's waist and tries to pull up her dress at one point, while she repeatedly rejects his advances. He also twerks lol. In the song, Andrea is trapped by his charm. She knows this relationship is toxic, so she casts him away. The repetition of “out of my” highlights her torment. But then the song ends on a twist – “or just stay”, which undermines the message. × Czech Republic: Gipsy.cz - Aven Romale WTF is this? The composition is the definition of the word “discordant”. The melody jumps all over the place, veering off course into jarring directions, and none of it flows cohesively. There's claps, group chants, and vocal grunts. The staging, meanwhile, features bright outfits and comic book imagery on screen, while the lead singer wears a superhero costume. He also brings a zany personality. There's a funny moment when he ducks from the violin bow. But this entry is utter nonsense. It's also one of the rare instances of “nul points” in a semi-final. × Belgium: Copycat - Copycat And here's a song that earned just ONE point in the semi-final! “Copycat” involves an Elvis impersonator singing from the POV of Elvis Presley himself, commenting on his doppelgangers. The singer dresses like the King of Rock N Roll and emulates his vocal style, while the instrumentation mimics 1950s rock n roll. Meanwhile, the lyrics are littered with well-known references. The concept is just not that interesting. The idea is too thin to stretch to three minutes. And it's rather cringe. × Belarus: Petr Elfimov - Eyes That Never Lie Belarus continues to embrace tense, melodramatic atmospheres. Their '07/'08/'09 entries all conveyed that vibe. And this one cranks the intensity to 11. The rock instrumentation drives the song and represents Petr's distress. In the song, he's escaped a dark place in life since meeting his lover. It's also a visually striking entry. The staging features a person obscured and trapped by translucent bed sheet, while the wind machine batters them like a hurricane. This is complemented by the crafty lighting tricks and camera work. At one point, a single shot runs from the back of the arena to the stage and circles around Petr. But the issue is that the melody doesn't stick that well, and perhaps the atmosphere is too over-the-top. ✓ Sweden: Malena Ernman - La voix Despite placing 4th in SF1, “La voix” is Sweden's third consecutive under-performance at the Grand Final. This rough patch will culminate in next year's DNQ, though. So the mother of Greta Thunberg beat out Måns Zelmerlöw, Alcazar, Agnes and Molly Sandén at Melfest 2009. The song fuses operatic vocals with a contemporary Euro-dance beat. The opera sections imply a sense of angelic, pristine beauty. Not just vocals, but in how the screen fills up with a blindingly bright white light when that chorus hits. The soothing backing vocalists complement that illusion. Malena is feeling heavenly euphoria. The dance-pop production, on the other hand, delivers a bouncy, clap-along rhythm. But the verses are too short. And the transition into the final chorus is... a choice, with Malena's guttural notes and the muscle tensions in her face. Ultimately the song doesn't quite accomplish the graceful charm it aims for. Slovenia 2007 did opera/pop fusion better. ✓ Armenia: Inga and Anush - Jan Jan Armenia succeeds “Qélé, Qélé” with another phenomenal bop! “Jan Jan” is an “Ethnic” entry where the traditional instrumentation is rich and prominent. It's a dance-able rhythm. Meanwhile sisters Inga and Anush deliver fierce energy. Their attitude really makes the song. And the mystical instrumentation matches that assertive approach. The outfits and the dark colour layout complete the allure. Furthermore, the chorus is infectious (ie. “everyBODY move your BODY”), the sisters trade lines cleanly, and the build-up leading into the key change is exciting. The duo later spew meaningless phonetic sounds in the bridge. It sounds exotic, though. The lyrics (the ones that are real words) imply sisterly support. Inga and Anush help each other move on from life's troubles by partaking in the “new dance” together, which symbolizes a new chapter. That's my interpretation, anyway. × Andorra: Susanne Georgi - La teva decisió (Get a Life) This is Andorra's last appearance in Eurovision to date. All 6 of their entries failed to qualify; an indication that micro-nations have an uphill battle. Some of them were surprisingly decent, though. “Get A Life” is a sugary and cutesy entry. It projects a carefree, assured, innocent vibe. The chorus employs a perky “pip-pip-pip” sound. And in the performance, Susanne and her backing band wear beaming smiles and joyfully sway about. The song is also professionally arranged in structure. The “ah-ah-ah-i” hook stands out. And the final chorus is a triumph. That said, the lyrics are too clingy. Susanne's lover wants distance, but she refuses to let go. Plus songs this sugary can lead to a toothache. × Switzerland: Lovebugs - The Highest Heights Switzerland fails to qualify despite putting in the effort – a repeat story to last year. The synth-rock instrumentation on “The Highest Heights” is so aurally satisfying. It establishes a mood of peaceful euphoric bliss so perfectly. And it's consistently held in place, only pausing for the “oh-whoa-oh” bit. Which is an elevating moment. The lyrics, meanwhile, are charmingly straightforward – the narrator asks if his lover will be there during the dark times. Unfortunately, the song doesn't quite reach “epic” heights due to the underwhelming vocal melody. The lead singer fails to soar. ✓ Turkey: Hadise - Düm Tek Tek “Düm Tek Tek” has to be one of the catchiest songs in ESC history. It's astounding how every single second contains a hook. There's also a good variety of them – the instrumental intermissions, the double stammers in the verses (“bay-BAY”), the responses of “of all times”/“feels so fine”, the slower pre-chorus, the floating chorus melody, and of course the forceful “DUM TEK TEK” stomps. It's so jam packed. The production also cleverly pauses to emphasize that “DUM TEK TEK”. It's a cheesy representation of a heartbeat, but Hadise's assertive approach sells it. The “Ethnic pop” instrumentation helps reduce the cheesiness too. I like the guitar(?) and the heavy percussion line. Furthermore, the song is bursting with energy, there's pyro!, and all the pieces fit together. It's such a fun entry. ✓ Israel: Noa and Mira Awad - There Must Be Another Way The Israeli entry pairs a Jewish singer with an Arab singer. The song calls for unity and acceptance amongst the political divide in the country. It includes both Hebrew and Arabic verses. And the duet exhibits intimate chemistry on stage. The song's tone is heavy and emotional, where Noa and Mira express love, compassion, empathy and reassurance to each other. The arrangement is minimalist to allow the message to take focus. But it's also underdeveloped. The vocal melody didn't immediately connect, and the title phrase is anti-climatic. But it's grown on me. It's pleasant, with the lead in to the title phrase being the best part. The square tin drums add a subtle texture too. × Bulgaria: Krassimir Avramov - Illusion LMAO what a train wreck. The backing vocalists are hilariously horrific. Their shrieks are ear-splitting, uncoordinated, and off-key. It renders the live performance into un-listenable territory, since they're impossible to ignore. It's weird because the backing isn't THIS prominent on the studio version. Krassimir's falsetto is comparatively bearable though. Likewise, the almighty force created by the production and the “give me give me you time”/“do I want your touch” hooks are good ideas. There's also dancers on stilts. But there's no cohesion or cooperation to any of this. Instead of being atmospheric, the result is more like a nightmare. ✓ Iceland: Yohanna - Is It True? The winner of SF1, and the runner-up overall, matching Iceland's peak placement from 1999. “Is It True?” seems to be an overshadowed entry from 2009. Which is a shame because it's a stunning and heartbreaking ballad. The emotion resonates due to Yohanna's honest performance – her vocal is beautiful too. Meanwhile, the gentle tone and the methodical pacing allows the melancholy and devastation to flow naturally. It's a moment where time stands still. The key change shifts the final chorus into a moving finale, and to a higher degree of pain. Also, the backing vocalists reinforce the melody. The watery blue colour palette and the cello are effective. And the lyrics are relatable. They explore Yohanna's mental processes as she confronts a lover who's keeping a secret. She's preparing for the break-up, and she wonders how love can lead to hurt, but she also second-guesses herself (“did I throw it away”). I can empathize. I could do without the extreme close-up at the start, though. × F.Y.R. Macedonia: Next Time - Nešto što kje ostane The juries deny (North) Macedonia from the Grand Final AGAIN. Incidentally, it's the 6th consecutive time they've placed 9th or 10th in a semi-final. Nothing of value was lost, though. “Nešto” is an entry that I feel indifferent towards. It emulates 1980s rock bands. There's gruff vocals, long hair, a guitar solo, and some catchy “yeah-eee-yeah”'s. It's an energetic and inoffensive song, but it's highly forgettable. ✓ Romania: Elena - The Balkan Girls Romania delivers a light and breezy celebration of Balkan girls. The song emanates a summery beach party vibe, thanks to the relaxed melody, the horns and hand drums. Elena is enjoying her life! The staging is inspired by Romanian mythology, where Elena enters via a stone throne, and the backing dancers wear sea-colour shredded dresses. Their fluid dance moves are sufficiently engaging. And the “for crowd delight” hook is strong. Overall, the arrangement flows smoothly and it's a solid performance. The only noteworthy flaw is that the song is basic. ✓ Finland: Waldo's People - Lose Control Finland are the jury wildcard pick of SF1. The song ultimately placed last at the Grand Final, but with 22 points, which is relatively high for that position. So “Lose Control” contains a ridiculously catchy pop chorus, with rap verses interspersed, and a dance-pop production that is very 2009. My teenage-self would've loved it at the time lol. Also, the staging is notably flashy with all the fire antics. The booms and pyro explosion in the bridge are especially stimulating. It's a cool moment. On the flipside, the live vocals are patchy, and the chorus becomes a little repetitive. But the production is energetic and easy to bop along to. A catchy chorus is hard to resist. And the performance avoids taking itself too seriously, nor does it become novelty. ✓ Portugal: Flor-de-Lis - Todas as ruas do amor The Portuguese entry is heartwarming and sweet; both in lyrics and composition. Vocalist Daniela Varela is so smitten here. In the song, she uses metaphors to illustrate the compatibility of her and her partner. Meanwhile, the folk instrumentation breathes a springtime vibe. A keenness of what the future holds, perhaps. It's also characteristically Portuguese, with the accordion and hand drums being highlights. Those drums enter and exit at appropriate times to prevent monotony, as the song shifts between dreaminess and excitement. The melody is lively and cheerful too. The colour patterns on the LED screen look like vomit, though. ✓ Malta: Chiara - What If We This is Chiara's third appearance in ESC, following her top 3 finishes in 1998 and 2005. “What If We” doesn't match those heights, however, as it places 22nd at the Grand Final. Her 2009 entry is, unsurprisingly, a ballad that follows the same structure as her other two. This type of redundancy is a pet peeve of mine. “What If We” is too much like an X Factor winner's single. It's boring and predictable. Still, Chiara is a talented singer. And the lyrics are existential in her search for the answers to life's questions, and skeptical over what we've been told. The drums also build anticipation. But the final chorus isn't climactic enough. ✓ Bosnia & Herzegovina: Regina - Bistra voda Bosnia's Balkan ballad reaches the top 10, but I find this one slightly overrated. The melody doesn't latch on easily and the chorus seems incomplete. I struggle to remember how it goes. To be fair, this genre doesn't follow Western pop music structures. On the positive side, “Bistra voda” is well-staged and the instrumental breaks do elevate the song. The visual involves a marching band showing a fervent, determined demeanour, set against a red backdrop. The outfits also appear historical. The accompanying lyrics are ambiguous, but they revolve around the theme of patriotism, which gives context to the staging. It's a meaningful entry anyway. My Ranking: 01. Iceland: Yohanna - Is It True? ✓ 02. Turkey: Hadise - Düm Tek Tek ✓ 03. Armenia: Inga and Anush - Jan Jan ✓ 04. Portugal: Flor-de-Lis - Todas as ruas do amor ✓ 05. Finland: Waldo's People - Lose Control ✓ 06. Romania: Elena - The Balkan Girls ✓ 07. Switzerland: Lovebugs - The Highest Heights 08. Montenegro: Andrea Demirović - Just Get Out of My Life 09. Sweden: Malena Ernman - La voix ✓ 10. Bosnia & Herzegovina: Regina - Bistra voda ✓ 11. Israel: Noa and Mira Awad - There Must Be Another Way ✓ 12. Andorra: Susanne Georgi - La teva decisió (Get a Life) 13. Belarus: Petr Elfimov - Eyes That Never Lie 14. Malta: Chiara - What If We ✓ 15. F.Y.R. Macedonia: Next Time - Nešto što kje ostane 16. Bulgaria: Krassimir Avramov - Illusion 17. Belgium: Copycat - Copycat 18. Czech Republic: Gipsy.cz - Aven Romale

#eurovision #eurovision song contest #eurovision 2009

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sullivansgilbert · 5 years

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Reaching out across Tumblr to all my G&S fans, @carpe-mamilia and I just got back from Harrogate from this year’s G&S Festival, and I have some thoughts about the shows which I think I just needed to get down.

Also, bonus shoutout to @carlodivarga-s for being an all-round charming presence and delightful surprise in Harrogate this year!

OK. Here goes.

Princess Ida (Savoynet)

As Stephen Turnbull (he of Harrogate ramblings on Facebook) mentioned, this is a production that could have only worked at the festival. With the two kings portrayed as Gilbert and Sullivan themselves, and the rest of the company (with the exception of Ida herself) costumed as choruses from the rest of the G&S universe.

I know that Ida is written in 3 acts, but to have two 15 minute intervals is a strange experience. Especially as the curtain came down on the Act I at 8:15, it felt as though we were only about getting started and we were all back out our seats and into the bar. When I saw Ida done in Southampton earlier this year, they split Act II in half and placed a single interval more squarely in the middle, and I didn’t think that the pacing or structure suffered as much as it perhaps could have done then.

My greatest issue with Ida is that.. it’s not a very interesting story? And certainly not a very good ending. It feels as though Sullivan far outshines Gilbert. Some of the plot points, too, feel very, well, seen-before? Most noticeably, the male trio dressing up in silly costumes and singing witty songs about it? Done in Patience (and much better, I should add!). That said, Ida definitely has some standout solos, in particular Gama’s two patter songs (’I’m such a disagreeable man’ and ‘Nothing whatever to grumble at’), and Death to the Invaders! is such a TUNE at the top of Act III, though I actually preferred it in Southampton, just as there was more drama and sense of impending peril.

The ending of the whole thing is pretty crap though. Here’s Ida, a feminist ICON who shuns men and rules a chorus of strong academic ambitious women who look down on men, and yet she sort of just limps across the finish line like, oh yeah, I guess I’ll just love you and marry a man and I was wrong about all my studies and thoughts of independence. Ugh.

Y’know what I want to happen to Ida? I want her to shun all the men and grow old, independent, and married to a woman. Princess Ida: a queer legend.

Trial by Jury & The Zoo (LOpSoc)

I can’t say too much about the productions because it was my old university group and I’m sure I can’t write without any bias, so I’ll focus on the shows.

Trial by Jury was my first real show as Musical Director so it’ll always have a spot in my heart, especially having studied law at university. Musically, it’s so well accomplished, at barely 30 minutes, Sullivan manages to cram in so much content, including the brilliant ‘A Nice Dilemma’ sextet (or septet if you count the chorus as one, too), as well as some beautiful patter songs and some great parts for the chorus. You can really see how the rest of the Savoy Operas took inspiration, and to a certain extent, structure, from this first piece.

That said, there are a few familiar elements missing from the piece that become G&S standards later on in the canon, including the contralto exposition song, the romantic leads’ duet, and, well, a second act. Still though, one of my favourites.

The Zoo on the other hand? I’ve now seen it three times, and whilst I enjoy the music, some of it really is quite good, I have no idea what actually happens. I think there are at least 3 plots intertwined with one another, but with no libretto to explore or explain those plots, it’s essentially three totally different stories happening at the same time, just... coincidentally at a zoo. Libretto is pretty naff, but there are some charming songs, such as the ‘Four Tarts and a Couple of Pairs’ jaunt, and the duel of the male and female chorus once the Duke has eaten and faints (??) (’Prop him up upon a chair, lay him flat upon his back’).

Good news though, that LOpSoc were nominated for best director and best chorus for this production which I thought was well deserved.

Ruddigore (Charles Court Opera)

Oh my word. I confess I’ve never been Ruddigore’s biggest fan, but boy oh boy am I a fan of Charles Court Opera, so the chance to get to see this production was high up the list, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. With a cast of 9 (and totally omitting the male chorus), this production was lively, sharp-witted, and for the first time in any production of Ruddigore that I’ve seen, or indeed been involved with, I followed every detail of the plot perfectly.

Only two bridesmaids made up the female chorus, and they also lent their voices to a mixed chorus for the ‘Painted Emblems of a Race’ and subsequent male-chorus numbers (though ‘Welcome Gentry’ was cut) which worked beautifully. Also, a nice little change to Mounted emblems of a race, as the three ancestors were portrayed as severed, mounted heads on the wall of the set. Sir Roderic did have an additional stage presence as he was also portrayed by the accompanying headless corpse come to life.

One of the absolute highlights of this production, too, was lovely, wonderful Simon Butteriss, who is always an absolute joy. With John Reed-esque lightness, but with a voice on form as ever, it was a joy to see him on stage. As it was the whole cast, really. Having seen CCO’s HMS Pinafore at the King’s Head in London in a tiny 100-odd seat fringe theatre with just a pianist, to see them on stage at the Royal Hall in Harrogate with a complete orchestra was really special.

Yeomen of the Guard (National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company)

Oh boy. I was so excited for this performance. And I was so disappointed. The victim perhaps of a festival matinee crowd, as I said to dear friends over dinner after the show, there are a certain number of ‘minimum requirements’ I expect of the NGSOC:

The cast remember their lines. Having a certain member of the principal cast prompted from the wings was... well. Awkward to say the least. And garnered the intake of breath you can imagine from the audience.

I expect the principal cast to be able to stick to time with the orchestra. Several times, the cast fell wildly out of time with the orchestra, making for highly awkward listening.

I expect the principal cast to be able to hit all the notes they’re expected to. Naming no names, but, with a certain soprano aria in Yeomen, there’s a rather important note towards the end that you cannot get wrong. And yet.

I expect the show to be lit well. If actors are stood singing in darkness, either the actor needs to find their light, or the lighting director needs to do a better job.

That all said, the chorus were fantastic, to the point I actually longed for them to come back on to stage whenever they were gone, but I must say of Andrew Nicklin’s direction... I found it lacking. The staging was particularly dull and unimaginative, with barely any choreography, or even any movement come to that. My first time actually seeing Yeomen on stage and... ugh. Y’know? That said, there were reports from a friend having seen it earlier in the week at the festival and it being remarkable, so.. maybe just an off-performance.

The Mikado (National Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company)

Now, THIS is how you do G&S. The company were almost unrecognisable from the afternoon, and the show was packed to the rafters with joy, energy, and sheer brilliance. Genuine laugh out loud moments from a full auditorium who are, I’m sure, more than familiar with the source material! Andrew Nicklin who was conducting, made sure that the pace was kept up, and my word, just, my heart was pounding with, well, a combination of relief and amazement. I loved it.

In particular, Mae Heydorn as Katisha. Fuckkkkkk. This wasn’t your usual Katisha, this was a dazzling, glamorous Katisha, and although you’d think that might not work, it did. And what a voice. On the final note of Act I, Mae managed to outsing the full assembled company and orchestra with a note that travelled and reverberated into our very bones.

My only criticism would probably be that Richard Gauntlett, who also directed the show, delivered some of Ko Ko’s lines so fast, if you weren’t familiar with the show, you wouldn’t have a clue what he’d just said. That and Nanki-Poo, in a typical tenor manner, did tend to rush some of the songs, even when singing as part of a trio - perhaps a little indicative of not listening to his cast-mates. But alas.

____

OK, I think that’s all. A brilliant, lovely few days away. So much G&S. I loved it. So much so, I think I’m going to start a bit of an artistic project to create some more G&S content, so keep an eye if you’re interested!

-- Thomas

#Gilbert and Sullivan #G&S #The Mikado #Yeomen of the Guard #Ruddigore #Trial by Jury #The Zoo #Harrrogate

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2700fstreet · 5 years

Photo

OPERA / 2018-2019

FAUST

STUDENT GUIDE

Washington National Opera Open Rehearsal Music by Charles Gounod Libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré Based on Faust: Part I by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

School show: March 13

Teacher and Parent Guide: Faust

Who’s Who

Main Characters

Faust, a learned scholar (tenor—the highest male voice) Méphistophélès, a demon (bass—the lowest male voice) Marguerite, a young woman (soprano—the highest female voice) Valentin, her brother, a soldier (baritone—a middle-range male voice) Siébel, a young man (mezzo-soprano—a middle-range female* voice) Marthe, Marguerite’s neighbor (mezzo-soprano)

*It’s common for opera composers to assign young male roles to female singers.

So, What’s Going On?

The sixteenth-century Germanic countryside.

Poor Dr. Faust (pronounced FOUST). He’s been a scholar for decades but has now become an old man with nothing to show for it. He doesn’t really know anything. He doesn’t really feel anything. He has no idea what the meaning of life is. And he’s entirely alone.

Determined not to wait for death, he attempts suicide only to be distracted by a chorus singing God’s praises outside his door. Annoyed, Faust cries out that God can do nothing for him. Faust wants his youth back. He wants love and affection. God can’t give him any of those things.

So Faust calls upon the Devil instead (what a brilliant idea).

Immediately, the Devil appears in the form of Méphistophélès (meff-uh-STOFF-uh-lezz), a demon disguised as a wealthy gentleman. Faust explains he wants a chance to be young again (with maybe the added bonus of a few girlfriends), and Méphistophélès proposes a deal: all the youth and ladies Faust could ever want in exchange for his immortal soul.

Faust hesitates, but when Méphistophélès tempts him with a vision of a breathtaking woman who lives close by, he’s sold. The two sign a contract and Faust is transformed into a dashing young man, ready to hit the streets.

Take a listen…

Faust makes the spectacularly dubious decision to invoke the Devil. Listen for Faust’s breathless, agitated phrases. Think about how his outbursts compare to Méphistophélès’s smoother, more even-keeled melodies and deeper tone of voice. (Bonus: Check out the “word-painting” technique used when Méphistophélès stretches his voice to its lowest extremes as he sings about the hellish place “là-bas,” or “downstairs”).

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In the nearby village, a young soldier named Valentin (vahl-ohn-TAEHN) prepares to go to war. Worried that his sister, Marguerite (mahr-geh-REE-tuh), will be left un-chaperoned, Valentin asks his young friend Siébel (syeh-BELL) to watch over her.

Take a listen…

Valentin says a small prayer that his sister will be kept safe (“Avant de quitter ces lieux,” or “Before I leave this place”). Listen for how this aria (solo song) is broken up into three sections: 1) a heartfelt plea with a plaintive melody, 2) a military march as Valentin preps himself for battle, and 3) a repeat of the first section with a few minor tweaks.

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But soon, Méphistophélès arrives to stir up trouble.

Take a listen…

In his aria “Le veau d’or” (“The golden calf”), Méphistophélès conjures up the image of a devilish idol that inspires Satanic dances and possesses the power to bring down the human race. Listen for the cymbal crashes and fluttering wind instruments (think piccolos, flutes, oboes, and clarinets) that give Méphistophélès’s song the sense it’s whipping into a devilish frenzy.

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After singing a song to entertain the locals, Méphistophélès teases Valentin and his friends by reading palms and predicting not-so-nice futures. The demon then proposes a toast in honor of Marguerite. Shocked that Méphistophélès knows his sister’s name, and sensing this stranger is up to no good, Valentin draws his weapon—only to have it shatter in midair. Valentin calls on God for protection from evil as the crowd disperses.

Later, Faust urges Méphistophélès to introduce him to the maiden from the magical vision. Méphistophélès cautions that this particular lady may not be interested in Faust’s advances—she is, after all, none other than (surprise!) Marguerite, Valentin’s pious sister. Still, Faust demands to see her, and Méphistophélès orchestrates a “meet cute.” Faust turns on the charm, but Marguerite shies away.

Attempting to speed the love affair along, Méphistophélès leads Faust to Marguerite’s house and leaves her a basket of jewels, hoping they’ll help Marguerite look more favorably on her new suitor.

And—boom—the gamble pays off.

As Faust and Méphistophélès hide nearby, Marguerite—who’s been daydreaming about her brief encounter with a handsome stranger (Faust)—uncovers the jewels and treats herself to a luxurious “makeover.”

Take a listen…

Marguerite checks out her new look in her aria, “Ah! Je ris de ma voir si belle” (which roughly translates as: “I’m laughing at how pretty I look”). Notice how she sings several notes in rapid succession (a style known a coloratura), to give the effect that she’s literally laughing.

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Her neighbor, Marthe (MAHR-tuh) interrupts her, and Marguerite is slightly embarrassed, but not half as embarrassed as she is when Faust arrives, complimenting her beauty and proclaiming his undying love.

Méphistophélès distracts Marthe, leaving Faust and Marguerite alone. In no time at all, Marguerite reveals she’s just as smitten with Faust as he is with her, despite her concern that a whirlwind romance could bring her everlasting shame. (Marguerite may be innocent but she’s not stupid; she knows the other villagers won’t look kindly on an unwed woman who spends all her time with a young man). And yet, with a little coaxing from Méphistophélès, Marguerite agrees to be Faust’s girl forever.

Several months later.

With no recent word from Faust, Marguerite sits nervously at her spinning wheel. Siébel arrives to keep her company, but his attempts to comfort her are in vain: She’s carrying Faust’s child, and there’s no ring on her finger.

At this (very) inopportune moment, Valentin and his army come marching home from war. Having emerged victorious, Valentin is ready to celebrate with Marguerite, but soon discovers something’s gone very wrong in his absence (thanks for blabbing, Siébel).

As Valentin goes off to confront his “disgraced” sister, Faust and Méphistophélès turn up at Marguerite’s door hoping to smooth things over, as Faust has been feeling remorseful about leaving his former love.

But everything goes to hell (see what we did there?) when Valentin bursts on the scene, demanding someone take responsibility for his sister’s situation. A fight breaks out and Faust ends up stabbing Valentin. Faust and Méphistophélès disappear just as some villagers gather to see about the commotion. Marguerite rushes to her brother’s side, but Valentin pushes her away, claiming his impending death is all her fault and cursing her as he collapses on the ground.

With nowhere to turn, Marguerite goes to church to pray. Once there, however, an unforgiving voice (which sounds mysteriously like Méphistophélès) declares that her sins have damned her forever.

Sometime later, Marguerite has landed in prison. Her brother’s death and Faust’s abandonment have driven her mad, horrifically causing her to murder her newborn child.

Convinced he’s loved Marguerite all along and that the trials and tribulations of the past few months were all the Devil’s doing (really, dude?), Faust persuades Méphistophélès to help him break Marguerite free.

But will Faust’s newfound sense of commitment be enough to save Marguerite before it’s too late? Can his love rescue her from execution? Will they both be able to escape Méphistophélès’s eternal damnation?

Good to Know

By the time Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (GEUH-tuh, 1749-1832) began writing the epic saga that would inspire Charles Gounod’s (goo-NOH, 1818-1893) opera, the legend of Faust—the ultimate “deal with the Devil” story—was already a few centuries old. Indeed, German texts from the sixteenth century reveal “Doctor Faust” may have actually been a real doctor or magician who reportedly died a very strange, very gruesome death. The doctor’s bizarre bio eventually made its way into Germanic folklore (way before the days of the Brothers Grimm), where it was transformed into a cautionary tale about the dangers of asking too much out of life.

Faust would later be immortalized by Shakespearean contemporary Christopher Marlowe in his play Doctor Faustus, and would enjoy even greater fame nearly two hundred years later thanks to Goethe’s massive two-part drama (a work that took him nearly 60 years to finish). Goethe’s version came with a twist, however: He was the first to introduce the character of Margaret (also known as “Gretchen” and referred to as “Marguerite” in French), the young woman Faust seduces and then discards.

It was Marguerite’s side of the story that proved so moving it went on to influence a long list of nineteenth-century Romantic artists, including powerhouse composer Hector Berlioz (who wrote his own Faustian opera, La damnation de Faust), song master Franz Schubert, and Gounod, who became a fan of the Goethe story during a trip to Rome—a place filled with images of angels and demons.

Faust’s tale continued to spark imaginations well into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries (think of movies like Damn Yankees and Bedazzled or more recent TV series like Lucifer or Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), and the term “Faustian bargain” has become a universal phrase meaning “to sell one’s soul.” The original Doctor Faust may have met a tragic end, but his legacy isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Learning to Listen

Going to the opera means you’ll have to start listening in a new way if you want to take in everything the music and the voices have to offer. And guess what? This is less difficult than it sounds.

Try thinking of opera singing as its own type of language or speech. When we’re speaking, our emotions can change the way our voices sound from moment to moment—and one word can have a thousand different meanings depending on how we say it (loudly, softly, quickly, slowly, with a high- or low-pitched voice, etc.). The same is true for the characters in an opera. Each voice you’ll hear will have its own special flavor depending on who the character is and what he or she is saying.

Marguerite, for example, is an innocent and sensitive young woman. Her voice, therefore, will be on the higher side (to provide a clue that she’s youthful and inexperienced) and will occasionally soar above the orchestra with intense emotion (such as when she raises her voice in prayer or when she pleads with Faust not to break her heart).

Faust, on the other hand, spends much of the opera as a young man with a tremendous appetite for fun. His bright tenor voice (a vocal type associated with heroes) symbolizes his youthful, reckless, and passionate personality. His melodies often pour out in short, explosive musical phrases that are meant to remind us of his lust for life.

When in doubt about how a character is feeling or what they’re thinking, always pay close attention to exactly how they sound. (The instruments in the orchestra will give you hints as well.)

Check This Out…

Gounod frequently uses musical foreshadowing to signal his listeners as to where the story of Faust is headed. Can you identify any specific moments in which the music provides some dramatic spoilers? (Hint: Listen carefully to the overture, Mephistophélès’s entrance, and Marguerite and Faust’s tortured love duet.) On the other hand, are there any scenes in which the music fakes you out by evoking the wrong mood? (Hint: Listen for the upbeat victory march that plays when Valentin returns home.)

Watch for the ways in which the costume, lighting, and makeup designs help give you hints about each character’s status and their relationship to those around them. Do the costumes and lighting provide you with any clues regarding the characters’ personalities? Can you tell who’s “good” and who’s “evil” based on what they wear or what colors they’re associated with? Do you notice any shifts in how the characters look as their stories progress or their motivations change?

Marguerite’s spinning wheel aria (“Il ne revient pas,” or “He hasn’t returned”) was inspired by an actual poetic “song” in Goethe’s text, and there are many other musical settings of the exact same scene. Why do you think this moment gets such special attention in so many different versions of Faust? What do you think the spinning wheel might symbolize? (For extra points: How would you know Marguerite’s aria features a spinning wheel even if you closed your eyes? What instrumental sounds are used to create a spinning effect?)

Think About This…

In opera, supernatural and/or extremely powerful figures such as gods, demons, kings, or ghosts are usually sung by basses. Why do you think composers gravitate toward lower male voices when writing these characters? Do you feel the bass sound suits Mephistophélès? How so?

The chorus plays an essential role in Faust. Why do you think Gounod opted to feature such a large group of men and women in so many scenes? What function do they serve? Can you recall any other theatrical or literary works in which a chorus is used in a similar way?

In Goethe’s homeland of Germany, Gounod’s Faust is sometimes called Marguerite instead. Why do you feel that might be? Who do you think is the true hero of the opera? Who’s the true villain? (Consider this: Mephistophélès may be a demon, but are his crimes any worse than Faust’s? Or Valentin’s? Or anyone else’s?)

Take Action: Social Serenade

Though Gounod’s opera could be looked at as one big ethical fable, many of its themes and lessons come packaged in folk songs or serenades—miniature fables told by the characters as they sing of hypothetical stories that mirror their own. These include Marguerite’s ballad of the King of Thule (who dies for love), Mephistophélès’s satirical tune about a woman named Catherine (who must resist her boyfriend’s advances until marriage), and the soldier’s brief song about a cat and a rat (or a predator and his prey).

Gounod’s not alone in using this trick. You probably know this already, but many artists—poets, painters, songwriters, you name it— choose to bury significant social messages in made-up tales about distant historical figures or even non-human characters (think Aesop) who speak in simple phrases or easy rhymes.

Think you’re up for trying out the same tactic in the real world?

Pick a news story or social cause that concerns you (anything from politics, to polar bears, to the potholes on your local highway) and take a shot at weaving a fake story around this theme. Try and present your tale in small sections or stanzas (like a serenade) and, if you feel like it, see if you can use a rhyming scheme as well. Most importantly, be sure to add a clever moral at the end if you can. (If you want to go the extra mile, write a tune to accompany your poetic “song.”)

If you’re comfortable, share the finished product with family and friends, or submit it to a local newspaper or regional poetry competition. See if your readers can uncover your hidden message and/or guess which real-life story inspired your sneaky serenade.

EXPLORE MORE

Go even deeper with the Faust Extras.

All photos by Lynn Lane for Houston Grand Opera.

Writer: Eleni Hagen

Content Editor: Lisa Resnick

Logistics Coordination: Katherine Huseman

Producer and Program Manager: Tiffany A. Bryant

David M. Rubenstein Chairman

Deborah F. Rutter President

Mario R. Rossero Senior Vice President Education

Timothy O’Leary General Director

Francesca Zambello Artistic Director

Major support for WNO is provided by Jacqueline Badger Mars.

David M. Rubenstein is the Presenting Underwriter of WNO.

WNO acknowledges the longstanding generosity of Life Chairman Mrs. Eugene B. Casey.

WNO's Presenting Sponsor

This performance is made possible by the Kimsey Endowment; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education.

Major support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by David M. Rubenstein through the Rubenstein Arts Access Program.

#opera #faustat2700F

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nearmidnightannex · 6 years

Text

Eurovision 2018! commentary as it happened

Reposting from something done elsewhere. It is very very long, what with the competition lasting, you know, FOUR HOURS, so there is a keep-reading tag below.

No idea who the performers were, but I really liked that second number leading into the beginning and the parade of nations.

Interesting that Ross and Shangela felt the need to explicitly state that they will not be talking over the performers. I'm guessing that they had comments about that in previous years. (Also, totally forgot that Celine Dion got her start with Eurovision. And also somewhat confused, what with her being, you know, Canadian. Then, there are random Americans here this year, and I think Norway’s performer last year was actually from Australia, so.)

I do not remember the Ukranian boy band hosts from last year doing the instructions in English and French. I'm guessing in part because as they stated they were very new to English, so handling both would have been a bit much.

And here we go!

Melovin, Ukraine, "Under the ladder". Had a few problems wandering off key at the start, but then the number went insane and he was fine. Seriously, that ending was kind of nuts for a song that really wasn't all that intense. Didn't like it that much, meself, but we shall see.

Amaia y Alfred, Spain, "Tu Cancion". Surrounded by a sea of phone screens on one side, and a stage of things that aren't phone screens but might as well be on the other. It's actually the sort of very sweet ballad that wouldn't tolerate Eurovision-standard overproduction, so the lack of LED screen probably doesn't hurt them at all. No sense of whether or not it will do well, but the audience (and Ross and Shangela) seem to love them. (Cat Valente on Twitter: "Oof, Spain's only special stage effect was heterosexuality.")

Lea Sirk, Slovenia, "Hvala, ne!". A song and performance with attiTUDE, at the least. And about ninety million more flashing laser lights and spotlights than any song needs; I'm not epileptic, but I literally could not watch the chorus because it hurt. I can't imagine how difficult it was to be in the room.

Ieva Zasimauskaitė, Lithuania, "When we're old". A very very small and sweet ballad. If we didn't have the example of last year's winner, I wouldn't think a song this small would have any chance of making it through. Given that there's no projection screen on stage with her, I'm guessing that the images of couples we see next to her can't be seen in the auditorium, so they're aimed squarely at the juries and viewers, all of whom are watching on television elsewhere. And that staged ending, however hokey, was really sweet.

Cesar Sampson, Austria, "Nobody but you". I like the sound of the song, although I think it may have a shade too much repetition. His pants are ... weird. (People, if I, the fashion-impaired, am wondering why his spandex pants have a crotch at his knees, something is decided ODD.)

Elina Nechayeva, Estonia, "La Forza". Oh, Opera. Or at least operatic. And she gets around the LED screen restriction by wearing her own. Man, that skirt is MAGNIFICENT. It also provides all the motion, which is good, because she can't possibly be able to move without screwing up the screen. (Um ... were those sperm cells zipping around on her dress for a hot minute there?) I do wonder how much the auditorium can see, though; the main seating/standing level is all below stage level, and the balconies are all very far away.

Alexander Rybak, Norway, "That's how you write a song". A previous winner performing again. And again, effects that the audience can't see because they're composited into the camera. And it was fun, I guess, and I suppose that's how you write a song, but ... eh. Whatever.

There is a LOT more direct outreach to the auditorium audience this year than there has been in the past. The Slovenian grrrl group asking them to sing along, the Austrian guy saying "How are you, Lisbon" in a song that really didn't tolerate it, Norway throwing his jacket into the audience ... I wonder how much this is a reflection of them compensating for the LED effects they don't have.

Claudia Pascoal, Portugal, defending champeeen, "O Jardim". Apparently, Portugal has decided that "small and quirky" is their niche, and they're going to OWN that. That said, the song built a little, in a way that last year's song never did, if only a very little.

And now a bit of business, both literal and figurative, in which the entire world sprints for the bathroom. Plumbing system managers around the world are thinking, "What the ... must be a break in Eurovision."

SuRie, Great Britain, "Storm". A very energetic performance, in which some rando grabbed the mic from her to get political. It was handled expeditiously, to put it mildly. She was able to get the audience back with her pretty quickly. Intrusions aside, the song was ... OK, I guess.

Sanja Ilić & Balkanika, Serbia, "Nova Deca". Cant understand a word, of course, but I like the sound and staging. Also the studmuffinly lead singer who set sail on a shorter version of the SS Kaftanic.

Michael Schulte, Germany, "You let me walk alone". It's a very nice, low-ish key song. Again, very simple staging accompanying effects ... although, judging from the reflections on the stage floor, unless the floor itself was part of the effects, the audience actually could see those. I wonder if management changed its mind about the LED screen ... or if he somehow brought his own with him. (EDIT: judging from later acts, the latter.)

Eugent Bushpepa, Albania, "Mall". Very dynamic. I mostly liked the sound of it, although I could have done with less of the falsetto blasts. Back of his jacket was ... odd. And ... that's it. That's all I got.

Madame Monsieur, France, "Mercy". So ... being able to kinda sorta just a little understand parts of the song are throwing me. Not least because it took me a couple rounds to catch up with the concept of "My name is Mercy", and not "My name is Thank you." Not helped by the fact that they were actually playing on that confusion deliberately. That aside, the song was ... very very French.

Mikolas Josef, Czech Republic, "Lie to me". It's a fun song -- why is he wearing a backpack? -- but good lord, there's a lot of just standing more or less in place this Eurovision. (Well, OK, until the end of the song, for him. Bopping about with dancers and the occasional backflip off stairs is not “just standing in place”, no.) Also, it would have been helpful to have established the context that the other dancers were standing in light boxes bseside him; it looked on screen like they were somewhere else entirely at first. It's one hell of a dynamic performance, I'll give it that.

Rasmussen, Denmark, "Higher ground". Selected to perform the song because he looks like a viking. Which cannot be denied, really. Also, putting him in all black makes him look simultaneously undead and slightly terrifying. (Cat Valente on Twitter: "The lead singer for #Denmark looks like undead bearded Jared Leto when he hasn't had lunch yet.") The choice to stage with a bunch of long-haired burly trenchcoat-clad guys sorta kinda marching around is ... interesting. The song is sort of monotone; the performance is making a LOT more of it than it is, which is saying something. (And again, the appeal to the audience: "Come on, walk with us!" Which explains the marching.) Not quite sure what the snow effects have to do with anything. (The stagehands and crew for Eurovision must be both very good and feel very put-upon by the end.)

Jessica Malboy, Eurofied Australia, "We got love". It's dynamic, and it's ... fine. Although this is as close to typically Eurvision staging as we've had in a while. She did go badly off on her big glory note near the end, but she had a fair amount of song left to recover with.

And another break for business, and for business. The bit with the Serbian ... whatever he was, was very cute. The bit with Cesar Sampson was also very cute; hope he didn't hurt anything. And the bit with the Portuguese pod was also very cute. Cuteness abounded.

A very brief "in memoriam" bit to the first Eurovision winner, who passed away earlier this year.

Saara Aalto, Finland, "Monsters". Weirdly, I mostly like this song a lot. I think parts of it needed ... something, but I have no idea what. It just felt a bit off in places. (Not helped by the fact that nerves pulled her off key a bit here and there.) But that aside, it was energetic and interestingly staged. No sense of how well it might do.

Equinox, Bulgaria, "Bones". A motley of a group, with random Americans, according to Ross. Staged -- and presented -- as a really stark music video, sort of. Everyone in black. (My, this is a grim Eurovision this year.) That said, the blond woman singer does look as though she apported in from some completely different futuristic video. The song was ... fine, I guess. Can't quite see it going anywhere, though.

DoReDoS, Moldova, "My Lucky Day". Clever staging -- VERY clever staging, fifties doorway farce translated to music. Not that fifties doorway farce would have involved quite so much groping. It was really a lot of fun. It's so relentlessly out of anything even vaguely popular that I have no sense of how well it will do, but if there's any justice, that should be at least a top five finish.

"It's a very good chicken, sir."

Benjamin Ingrosso, Sweden, "Dance you off". And apparently some performers did indeed find their own projection stage solutions. Song is ... fine. (Saying that a lot this year, but that's all I got. It's not awful, it's not outstanding, it's FINE. If he were on the US version of The Voice, he would probably win.)

AWS, Hungary, "Viszlát Nyár". Um ... well. It's ... dynamic. Yes. It is ... that. Also apparently a fire hazard. And the lead screamer was barefoot. And the electric guitarist/bassist (couldn't tell which) decided to use Eurovision's audience as a mosh pit. (I bet the lead screamer can't talk after concerts, if he tries do to whole sets like that.)

Netta, Israel, "Toy". I really do love this song. Even the first few seconds have graduated from "intensely annoying" to "kind of growing on me". (They also sound MUCH better without autotune.) Not quite sure that the HEY light board thing really translated. Other than that, the staging is kind of lunatic, in initially small-scale Eurovision tradition. Oh, hey, sparkle shooters! And then the lighting went utterly insane! And then fire! And smoke! Ah, Eurovision!

Waylon, Netherlands, "Outlaw in 'em". A country song. Huh. I wouldn't expect that to do well at Eurovision -- an American-style country song being, you know, not even vaguely Euro-anything -- but as CW songs go, that was fun. Although you can tell that this was European, because he would have been Strongly Discouraged From That Staging here. The black guys having angry violent fits around the white singer was ... yeah. THAT. (Probably deliberately, given that the lead singer had lived in the US for a while, but still.)

Ryan O'Shaughnessy, Ireland, "Together". Low-key, lovely mid-tempo ballad. And I think he’s also been to Eurovision before, so he was able to keep his falsetto strong and on-key until near the very end. A nice all-male romance portrayed by the dancers on the stage and bridge. (Weirdly, given that the song itself is very clearly about the breakup and not the romance. Reportedly, the semifinal performance was censored in China, and the Eurovision broadcasting team promptly yanked China’s license to broadcast the grand final and blocked them.)

Eleni Foureira, Cyprus, "Fuego". It's fun, but still not seeing how this song is one of the favorites. To repeat myself: It was FINE. Lots of fire effects at the end, which, given the titlte, were rather required.

Ermal Meta e Fabrizio Moro, Italy, "Non Mi Avete Fatto Niente". Lyrics in many languages pretty clearly composited directly to camera -- they must have been in a complete panic when they discovered that they wouldn't have a big LED stage to work with. The song had sort of a nice build that they played with. Beyond that ... it was (say it with me!) FINE.

Honestly, I'm kind of clueless about what to expect. The staging was very low key. Very few of the numbers stood out. At a guess, my picks, vaguely in order, would be:

Israel Finland Moldova Austria Serbia Estonia Ukraine Ireland Cyprus Czech Republic Lithuania Slovenia Spain Portugal Netherlands Norway Sweden Italy Eurofied Australia (Yes, that's right, outside the top ten for the first time) Albania Denmark Bulgaria Hungary France United Kingdom (may do better with sympathy vote for rando invading the stage) Germany

I think the top three that I listed will actually be the top three, but beyond that ... I have no clue. And, to be scruplously accurate, I don't expect Israel to win, although I think they should. I think the geopolitical moment that we're in, which kept Russia out of the final for the first time ever, will also keep Israel from winning.

And now, the interval acts! The first couple singers are really nice. Can't understand a word, but the songs are still lovely.

The skit about the journey to Portugal's win was ... interesting.

And Salvador Sobral himself returns to the stage (sans last year's manbunnage) to sing another "I won't do Eurovision style" song at Eurovision. Which, to be fair, is a very nice sounding lament ... which his movements on stage do not at all match -- I wonder if he usually performs with a guitar or something and just has no idea what to do with himself. Or maybe I'm missing a lot because I don't speak Portuguese. Either way, he just looks odd up there. ... oh. And now the song acquires tempo as he plays the piano like a drum. (In all seriousness, this is the most Eurovision-style performance I've seen from him; adding in a certain dynamism along with a certain amount of "What is he DOING?") And then he performed his Eurovision-winning song with a person who I guess is his idol. And the audience sort of sang along. (I wish I liked that song more, and I did like it better than last year’s Eurovision performance. Because that was a Moment.)

Interesting that Ross and Shangela, when they picked their top five, had almost NOTHING in common. They both had Israel and Germany in their top five, but nothing else.

And now: the jury vote! And judging from the early vote, the juries are going to be all over the place; Israel, for example, has been in second on one ballot, third on another, out of the top ten on the third and fourth jury ballots, first on the fifth; Cyrprus has a first and a few random other points; France has one first place (...the hell?), and not a single top ten vote anywhere else, and so on. But apparently the pre-competition love for Cyprus was justified; they're doing very well. But countries are bouncing all over the rankings in ways that they haven't the past two years. (Barring a massive televote result, it does seem clear that Eurofied Australia will indeed finish outside the top ten this year.) Unfortunately, Moldova is getting hammered in the jury vote, so they won't finish in the top five. SO UNFAIR!

Halfway through the jury vote, a pause for whatever reason, in which they cover the Eurovision young musicians orchestra very briefly. Israel very narrowly leads Austria and Cyprus. A pattern is emerging, slowly, that if Austria, Germany, Cyprus, Israel or Sweden isn't shown in a particular national jury's top ten, they will usually be the first place vote. Usually. But not always. (Hungary gave their 12 points to Denmark. And again: the hell?)

The green room for Eurovision is MASSIVE. For some reason, I thought all the pods were somewhere front of house. Also, Cesar should forego mentioning his Twitter password methods on international television.

Russia's jury got booed in the auditorium during the jury vote. (I do not have the slightest idea what Shangela was talking about when she said there was a hush in the auditorium.) This may go some to explaining their first-ever shut out from the Grand Final.

Unlike the past two years, at the end of the jury vote, it was utterly unclear which country would win. Last year, Portugal would have needed an unprecedented collapse in the televote to lose (it won the televote, so it didn’t matter); this year, it could easily go to either Austria or Sweden having a roughly equal shot, and Israel, Germany, and even Cyprus (which dropped back to fifth) having a not-unreasonable chance.

And now, the public televote results! Sweden, shockingly, finishes well down the public vote, so now their chances depend on Austria and Israel getting hammered. (Which does not happen.) And the public televote is ... weird. Seriously, how did Hungary do so well? And Austria does not win the televote, or even do particularly well! Serbia does well in the televote! But does not do well enough to matter! Ditto Norway! Moldova did very well in the televote, indicating that some people out there had decent taste!

Weirdly enough, as soon as they announced the fifth highest score, it became apparent that either Israel or Cyprus was going to win, because Austria getting hammered in the televote meant that they couldn't maintain first place. Italy, somehow, miraculously, managed a top three televote result, but finishing third meant that they couldn't win, because they got hammered in the jury vote.

Second place in the televote goes to ... Cyprus!

ISRAEL WINS! ISRAEL WINS! WOO-HOO!

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I only got one of top three (and two of the top six) right (and Germany kind of epically wrong), and it was (sort of) the winner! Woot! And other nonsense noises! (Cat Valente on Twitter: "YES YES YES WEIRD #EUROVISION RETURNS TRIUMPHANT TAKE THAT BLACK SUITS AND EARNEST BALLADS ALIEN CHICKEN MUSIC FOREVER!")

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Next year's Eurovision will be in either Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, belike. That should be ... interesting. (I'm guessing probably Tel Aviv ... although one of the announcers did just say Jerusalem. Well. That may be ... fraught.)

While I am glad that Netta won -- I really did think it was the best song and performance -- part of me was secretly wanting Austria to win so that next year we could have Conchita and Cesar co-hosting. But I am really happy about this result.

One of the things I both love and hate about this type of competition. "Hey, Netta, you have just won the biggest competition of your life! Now, get it all together and perform for us! RIGHT NOW! No, you can't take the trophy with you ... Oh, all right, take the trophy. LOOSE THE CONFETTI!"

#eurovision #eurovison song contest #eurovision 2018

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whatsupsac · 6 years

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What’s Up With Your Weekend, 5/4-6/18:

Friday:

Sacramento Gem Faire: Gem Faire is in Sacramento once again. Soul Currents will be bringing so many new gems and minerals. Scottish Rite Center. Friday from 12-6PM, Saturday & Sunday from 10AM-5PM. $7 General Admission, Children under 11 years old are free.

Concerts in the Park: As the longest running outdoor happy hour, Concerts in the Park, is celebrating 27 years of music madness this year. Grab a cold beer, a bite to eat from one of our food trucks, and enjoy the tunes of local and national touring bands. Tonight, on the Buzzledom Stage: Cemetery Sun, Wylma, La Noche Oskura, and In the DJ Booth: HOFisbetter. Also, since May is Bike month CIP is encouraging you to ride your bike to the event where they have free valet bike parking, and free bike lights while supplies last. Cesar Chavez Park. 5-9PM. Free.

Oak Park First Fridays: Come visit all of the Oak Park Businesses while cruising through the corridor for May Bike Month! First Friday is an exciting community-oriented event that celebrates all that Oak Park has to offer and transforms the Broadway Corridor into an evening full of shopping, dining, arts installations, a pop up park, and festive community celebrations. It is a perfect place for dates, families, and friends. The Broadway Corridor from 37th Street to Alhambra. 5-9PM.

WAL Resident Artist Gallery: First Friday open studio event. Residents of the Warehouse Artist Lofts open their studios and share their work. Warehouse Artist Lofts, 2nd floor Community Room. 6-9PM. Free.

First Friday Art Show: Functional Continuity: Sacramento artist Andy Cunningham unveils 28 years of work in the exhibition titled: Functional Continuity. The Urban Hive, 1601 Alhambra Street, Suite #100. 6-9PM.

A Song For Coretta: Celebration Arts presents a play featuring five women, strangers to each other, wait in line to pay their respects to Coretta Scott King. Each has been deeply touched by Mrs. King's extraordinary life. Their stories brim with passion, personality, life-affirming energy and determination. 2727 B Street. Friday & Saturday at 8PM, Sunday at 2PM. $20 general, $15 seniors and SARTA, $13 students.

Saturday:

Free Comic Book Day 2018: It’s Free Comic Book Day! A single day when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away selected comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their stores, with no purchase required and no strings attached! Fans new and old are welcome to Oblivion for free comics, store-wide sales, and fun events! Oblivion Comic & Coffee. 8AM-9PM.

River City Marketplace: Shop local, support art, handmade goods and small businesses of Sacramento. River City Marketplace will be hosting over 100 vendors on Cinco De Mayo at Fremont Park. Enjoy live music and local bites while you shop, and see what Sacramento's talent has to offer. Fremont Park. 11AM-5PM.

First Festival: First Festival is a music and arts festival celebrating its 4th year in Sacramento. Enjoy a weekend filled with live music that spans the genres. Enjoy craft beer from local breweries, custom cocktails, locally brewed coffee, delicious food of all kinds, and desserts that satisfy any sweet tooth! Find 4 stages outside packed with music and 1 indoor stage inside The Circus featuring comedy, DJ Dance Parties, Burlesque, Spoken Word, a Hip Hop Cypher each day and more. Major Headliners include Blackalicious, A Lot Like Birds, Butterscotch, Dog Party, Jonah Matranga, and Charlie Muscle. Tanzanite Park. Saturday & Sunday from 12-10PM. $25-55.

La Lucha de Hoy: A group of Latino/Latin American local artists will come together at the Latino Center of Arts and Culture in the first La Lucha de Hoy event, celebrating the fight of our people through different media. Local vendors, music and car clubs will gather in an evening event of relaxing and enjoying your community. Come eat, drink and live to fight another day. Latino Center of Art and Culture. 5-11PM. Free, Donation encouraged.

Sacramento Black Book Faire: The Sacramento Black Book Fair is in it's 5th Year, and this year they are bringing their 1st Film Festival, hosted by The Brickhouse Gallery & Art Complex. Throughout the month of May they will offer several films, with engaging topics that are addressing the "Black" community today. Tonight’s screening will feature “I Am Not Your Negro” - a film that envisions the book James Baldwin never finished, a radical narration about race in America, using the writer’s original words, as read by actor Samuel L. Jackson. The Brickhouse Gallery & Art Complex. 6-9PM. Free.

Tosca: The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera presents Puccini's masterpiece of intrigue and betrayal, of passion and deception! See cast and chorus in full costume and make up with dramatic lighting. The orchestra, on stage during the production, will be situated on a specially designed set to enhance the visual beauty of the performance and place Puccini's orchestra at the heart of the action. Performed with projected English surtitles. Community Center Theater. 8PM. $38-75.

Sunday:

Urban Roots Garden Building: Urban Roots Garden Builds helps people grow food and eat healthy. They install no-cost gardens to increase access to healthy food, increase physical activity, and encourage healthy eating. Participants will have an opportunity to learn how to install a garden, install drip irrigation, transplant seedlings, and make a positive impact in our community. Oak Park Community Center. 9AM-2PM. Free.

Fiesta En La Calle - Cinco de Mayo Festival: Don't miss the Largest Cinco De Mayo Festival in Sacramento! Featuring performances by: Maya, Sugar High, Don Gato & De’anza, Ballet Folklorico, Danzantes Aztecas, Samba Dancers and Salsa Dancers. Lots of music, food, drinks, snacks, and fun for everyone. Southside Park. 11AM-6PM. Free.

Pump Up The Volume at Crest Theatre: One of the best teen movies from 90′s features the Christian Slater as Mark who runs a pirate radio station and causes an uproar when he speaks his mind and enthralls fellow teens. Crest Theatre. 7PM. $9.50 General Admission, $7.50 Student/Seniors.

#sacramento whatsupsac plus1sac downtownsac midtownsac cincodemayo firstfest2018 sacramentomusic sacramentoartists firstfriday

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eurofan78 · 6 years

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A non-English language winning song in 10 years

Oftentimes the Eurovision Song Contest feels dominated by songs performed in the Shakespearean language, English. This year, however, there was something of a renaissance for songs in other languages. Following Джамала’s ESC win in 2016 with her bilingual song “1944”, seven songs ended up in last year’s grand final with lyrics other than English. How did these songs do? Let’s take a look! A NOTE: I am including bilingual songs that include some English in this list, as well as those sung entirely in a non-English language. Spain’s entry “Do It For Your Lover” originally had all-English lyrics, but, before the national final, Manel Navarro changed the verses to Spanish. However, this meant that most ESC listeners couldn’t understand the heartfelt lyrics of the verses and just heard the basic, repetitive chorus that urged the audience to “clap your hands and do it for your lover”. It wasn’t successful for Spain. The bilingual version of “Do It For Your Lover” placed last in the grand final with only five points, all from Televoters in neighbouring Portugal. Belarus has been competing in the song festival since 2004, but 2017 marked the first time they’d entered a song in Belarusian. “Story of My Life” smashed through any potential language barriers and had audiences bopping along at the International Exhibition Centre in Kyiv. Naviband managed to do what Belarus’ previous two English-language entries could not; the song qualified for the grand final, where it placed 17th with a decent 83 points. Croatia was the only Balkan country to make it to the grand final at last year’s competition, but “My Friend” did not have any lyrics in Croatian. Instead, the flamboyant performer Jacques Houdek used a combination of English and Italian in order to represent a pop singer and an opera singer in a duet performing a song about friendship. And it worked – the two Jacques brought Croatia its best result since 2006, 13th place in the grand final with 128 points. When Alma and “Requiem” were first confirmed as France’s entry for Kyiv, the song was entirely sung in French. After a revamp, the ESC version was revealed with an English chorus. Eurofans were initially apprehensive about the new lyrics, but at the grand final Alma delivered the bilingual song with elegance and mystique. It placed 12th with 135 points, which gave France its third-best result in the past decade. Since the launch of national selection A Dal in 2012, Hungary has never been afraid of selecting songs with melodious Hungarian lyrics. Joci Pápai took to the ESC stage and delivered the powerful “Origo”, a song of societal prejudices, God and music which combined traditional Romani style with modern rap. Televoters were especially taken with the performance. “Origo” gave Hungary its third-best ever result, eighth place with 200 points. While “Occidentali’s Karma” had a few words and phrases from other languages, it was by and large an Italian song. The lyrics might have had more meaning to the Festival della Canzone Italiana di Sanremo audience, but Francesco Gabbani’s energetic performance (helped out by his ape friend) made the performance popular with Eurofans. While “Occidentali’s Karma did not win, as many had expected it to, this Italian entry still placed well. It finished sixth, with 334 points. Portugal first competed in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1964, and since then they have always entered the competition with a song sung in Portuguese. Sometimes there has been another language in the mix, but Portugal has never caved in and gone with an entry sung 100% in English. And for all those decades they’ve been the odd country out, often sending forgettable songs in a language few others in Europe can understand. Where is Brazil when you need it, Portugal? Everything went right for Portugal in 2017 – the lyrics, the music, the singer. “Amar pelos dois” was yet another song proudly sung in Portuguese. On this occasion, the song had a strong and sentimental melody. Along with Salvador’s quirky jazz vocal style, the lyrics cut right through the language barrier and touched the hearts of listeners all over Europe and beyond. After 53 years, Portugal had its first win, with a massive 758 points.

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dweemeister · 6 years

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Sissi: Fateful Years of an Empress (1957, Austria)

In three years, Romy Schneider had become the face of Austrian cinema. Appearing as Empress Elisabeth (”Sissi”) of Austria as part of Ernst Marischka’s Sissi trilogy, she is, as always, luminous and gracious in the role that became hers. German-language media would, decades afterwards, sometimes refer to Schneider as “Sissi”. This final film – Sissi: Fateful Years of an Empress – is the least escapist in an otherwise popular, romanticized series that gave Austrians a source of cultural pride while trying to rebuild from the wreckage of World War II. It is also a solid summation of what Ernst Marischka wished to accomplish with these films: an opulent royal drama with enough good-natured humor to attract the widest possible audience. All three films are holiday season television traditions in German-speaking nations and elsewhere, even if the second and third never quite recapture the charm of the first. For Sissi: Fateful Years of an Empress, Marischka assembles his regular cast and crew one last time.

In Sissi: The Young Empress, we witnessed (anachronistically) as Sissi (Schneider) and Emperor Franz Joseph (Karlheinz Böhm) became King and Queen of Hungary, forming the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Court life is insufferable as usual, Franz Joseph’s mother Archduchess Sophie (Vilma Degischer) continues to dictate Sissi’s schedule, and Hungarian Count Andrássy (Walther Reyer) has confessed his love to Sissi. Scandalous! Much of the film concentrates on lingering tensions between Austrians and Hungarians (Sissi is more popular than Franz Joseph in Hungary, given that she has learned Hungarian), Sissi’s extended bout of tuberculosis and recovery in Madeira and Corfu, and ongoing Italian nationalist sentiment in Milan and Venice (at the time, both were possessions of Austria-Hungary).

The trilogy’s regular supporting cast of characters returns: Franz Joseph’s father Archduke Franz Karl (Erich Nikowitz); Sissi’s mother Duchess Ludovika (Magda Schneider, Romy’s mother); Sissi’s father Duke Max (Gustav Knuth); Sissi’s eldest sister Princess Helene (referred to as ”Néné”, Uta Franz); and the recently-promoted comic relief in Major Böckl (Josef Meinrad).

As always, there are historical inaccuracies abound. Sissi’s fight with tuberculosis, though often discussed among Austrians when recounting their history, is probably just an unfounded rumor. Her stay in Hungary’s Gödöllő Palace occurred after that rumored affliction, not before. Lastly, Sissi’s first daughter, Sophie, who appears in the concluding moments, passed away very young after Sissi had temporarily moved to Hungary.

The latter two Sissi films feel like episodes in an extended plot, rather than their own, independent pieces. This should be obvious, but an individual’s appreciation of the sequels is dependent in the familiarity of what has happened before. Almost all of the character development is seen through Sissi, while everyone else remains as they were when we were first introduced to them.

How unfortunate, many Sissi fans will remark, that Romy Schneider came to dislike the role of Sissi so much that she refused to reprise he role when made aware of plans for a fourth film. Indeed, she is the greatest aspect of all three films and she, more than anyone else attached to these projects, should be able to say when there is nothing more she can provide to the character (Romy’s mother, Magda, lobbied her daughter to agree to the fourth film). Perhaps the role of Sissi might not have been the most dramatically demanding role that any actress might ever encounter, but with this valedictory performance that ranges between personal confidence to royal exasperation to physical fragility, it is the most layered portrayal of Empress Elisabeth yet, even if it is not the most appealing. Schneider, after Sissi, sought to develop her talents under some of Europe’s most noted auteurs all while occasionally starring in Hollywood films. Schneider would make one final appearance as Empress Elisabeth in Luchino Visconti’s Ludwig (1972, Italy/France/West Germany), but that interpretation of Sissi – misanthropic, scheming – is unlike anything seen in Marischka’s trilogy.

For co-star Böhm (who is simply sufficient here), a promising career stalled with the critical and commercial failure of Michael Powell’s Peeping Tom (1960), in which Böhm stars as the film’s cinematographer/photographer/serial killer. The sexual themes of Peeping Tom poisoned Böhm’s appeal to film producers, although he would continue working until 1980. From 1981 onward, he and his wife concentrated almost entirely on humanitarian work in Ethiopia.

As he did for the previous films, Marischka also co-produced and wrote the screenplay himself. Moreso than Sissi and Sissi: The Young Empress, this film tackles European politics from its opening minutes. Marischka’s take on how Hungarians, Milanese, Venetians, and others viewed Austria-Hungary is portrayed through some of the rosiest tinted glasses one could possibly find – the harshest words for the Austrian royals are mild, soon won over by Sissi’s deference, beauty, and charm. The intensity of the Empire’s ethnic relations and political power plays are minimized, assuming Franz Joseph’s and Elisabeth’s inherent righteousness. She must, according to the ever-demanding Archduchess Sophie, be at his side in these political affairs, but do and say little. But Sissi is not the passive type, and she assists in the well-mannered, considerate ways that she can.

This is best exemplified in the scene where Sissi and Franz Joseph attend a production of La Traviata at La Scala, an esteemed Milanese opera house. As the royal couple are about to take their seats to the tune of “Kaiserhymne” (music by Joseph Hayden and lyrics by Lorenz Leopold Haschka; you may recognize the melody as the German national anthem). Midway through the Austrian anthem, the orchestra abruptly switches to “The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves” from Verdi’s opera Nabucco; the Italian nationalists in the audience stand up, backs towards the Emperor and Empress, singing in unison. Instead of leaving the opera (as others might have done) during this act of defiance, Sissi wants to hear the nationalists out and applauds when the piece is finished. Stunned by her magnanimous applause, the Milanese – actually the servants of the nobles who were refused to show up – are heartened by the respect she has shown to their demonstration. From a musical standpoint, this Verdi chorus was used as a protest song in nineteenth-century Italy for those wishing to see a unified Italian state; its popular use in Italian society was probably not what Verdi was intending, but that is the reputation the composition garnered (a reputation advanced by this film).

As they have been throughout, those working on the film’s technical departments are doing tremendous work. Costume designers Leo Bei and Gerdago have spectacular uniforms, gowns, dresses, and suits in every single moment of this film. Composer Anton Profes returns with Sissi’s violin-heavy leitmotif repeated across the trilogy. Production designer Fritz Jüptner-Jonstorff carries over much of his incredible work recreating dance halls and imperial palace hallways and rooms when Sissi is in Austria. Nowhere does it confirm or deny that the production shot at La Scala, so I cannot credit Jüptner-Jonstorff with what might be a fantastic reproduction of the terraced seating of the music hall. Cinematographer Bruno Mondi, hamstrung by all the interiors in the second film, is once more confined to imperial quarters. But the final sequence in Venice, utilizing the enormity of Piazza San Marco, is appropriately epic in scope and beautifully framed to conclude three years of a landmark in Austrian cinema.

The Sissi trilogy never appeared in their original theatrical cuts in the United States. Some years after, Paramount purchased the rights to distribute Sissi to American cinemas, but decided to splice the three films together into an abridged version. That version is Forever My Love (1962), and it is not recommended for any viewers interested in watching the Sissi films.

For an Austria just beginning to reassert its autonomy after years of destruction and desolation, the Sissi series offered respite from economic and political woes and a celebration of being Austrian. Some detailed parts of the storytelling and cultural references will escape the detection, the understanding of many. What remains for all to see is an amiable trilogy where a princess become and Empress, where a young girl accepts the duties of her public position and become a unifying force for a nation of different, conflicting peoples. Where Sissi is beginning to understand the desires and fears of the non-Austrians in the empire and the practices of the imperial family, she never loses her indispensable empathy for others. For all those who may see these films and even for those who see these works as sugary fictions, may we learn and live by that example.

My rating: 7/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here.

Also in the Sissi trilogy: Sissi (1955) and Sissi: The Young Empress (1956)

#Sissi #Sissi: Fateful Years of an Empress #Ernst Marischka #Romy Schneider #Karlheinz Bohm #Magda Schneider #Gustav Knuth #Josef Meinrad #Erich Nikowitz #Uta Franz #Walther Reyer #Peter Neusser #Bruno Mondi #Fritz Juptner Jonstorff #Gerdago #Leo Bei #Anton Profes #TCM #My Movie Odyssey

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mostlysignssomeportents · 7 years

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HTML standardization group calls on W3C to protect security researchers from DRM #1yrago

The World Wide Web Consortium has embarked upon an ill-advised project to standardize Digital Rights Management (DRM) for video at the behest of companies like Netflix; in so doing, they are, for the first time, making a standard whose implementations will be covered under anti-circumvention laws like Section 1201 of the DMCA, which makes it a potential felony to reveal defects in products without the manufacturer's permission.

This is especially worrisome because the W3C's aspiration for the new version of HTML is that it will replace apps as the user-interface for the Internet of Things, making all sorts of potentially compromising (and even lethal) bugs difficult to report without serious legal liability.

The EFF has proposed that W3C members should be required to promise not to use the DMCA and laws like it this way; this has had support from other multistakeholder groups, like the Open Source Initiative, which has said that the W3C work will not qualify as an "open standard" if it doesn't do something to prevent DMCA abuse.

Now, another important body, WHATWG, has joined the chorus calling on the W3C to prevent their technical work from become a legal weapon. WHATWG is a breakaway web standards body, backed by all the major browser vendors, and much of the W3C's standardization process consists of snapshotting WHATWG's documents and putting W3C's stamp of approval on them.

In an op-ed on the WHATWG blog, Ian "Hixie" Hickson (who formerly oversaw HTML5 for the W3C, and now edits the HTML spec for WHATWG, while working for Google) calls on the W3C to adopt the rules protecting security research, saying "We can ill afford a chilling effect on Web browser security research. Browsers are continually attacked. Everyone who uses the Web uses a browser, and everyone would therefore be vulnerable if security research on browsers were to stop."

Hixie's letter is co-signed by fellow WHATWGers Simon Pieters from Opera, and Anne van Kesteren from Mozilla.

The charter for the W3C's DRM working group runs out in eight days and will have to be renewed. Some 20 W3C members have pledged to block any further renewal unless the W3C executive requires the group to solve this problem before finishing its work. The last time this happened, the executive dismissed these objections, but the numbers have swelled and now include prominent disabled rights groups like the UK Royal National Institute for Blind People and Media Access Australia, as well as a browser vendor, Brave.

A who's who of security researchers, including the W3C's own invited experts, have signed an open letter asking the W3C to ensure that control over disclosure of vulnerabilities in web browsers isn't given to the companies whom these disclosures might potentially embarrass.

https://boingboing.net/2016/09/22/html-standardization-group-cal.html

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pardontheglueman · 5 years

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Silent Forum / Everything Solved At Once

Two years ago, Silent Forum released Sanctuary+, a cassette-only compilation issued through Oddbox, that collected together a handful of the band’s essential singles and EP’s recorded between 2015-2017. For die-hard followers of the indie-noir outfit, this was a small, though significant, sign of progress. At the same time, however, it felt like the end of an era too; despite his startling stage presence, frontman Richard Wiggins remained the best-kept secret in Welsh pop; the band hadn’t managed to secure themselves a conventional record deal and they were largely absent from the nation’s radio stations too. All this at a time when fellow Cardiff combo Boy Azooga was playing to an audience of millions on Later….with Jools Holland.

The group’s frustration with the Welsh music establishment was evident on “How I Faked the Moon Landing”, a groovy, six-minute epic that railed against the band’s continued underdog status. Indeed, the song's key line “we’re destined to be a local band not on local radio” would have been laugh out loud funny were it not so upsettingly true. There was a delicious irony, then, in events as they unfolded in the Summer of 2018 – a song furiously lamenting the band’s lack of radio exposure was suddenly ever-present across the airwaves. Soon enough, DJs, bloggers and music critics were including the track in their ‘best of 2018’ playlists. The frenetic follow-up single “Robot” reinforced the impression that this was a band on the up and an album deal with Libertino was announced before the summer was out.

While it’s entirely predictable that Everything Solved at Once, Silent Forum’s confidently constructed debut album should kick off with the uber-pop of killer single “Robot”, the pair of tracks that follow thrillingly confound expectations. “Spin” is a hypnotic descent into a mind-numbing maelstrom of fractured guitar licks and soaring, yearning vocals, while “Safety in Numbers”, an atypical ballad built around interweaving melody lines, overlapping vocals and an intriguing meditation on friendship (the tune drifts to a close with a roll call of band members and a status update as to their well-being), is a stunning track that speaks to the band’s versatility and ambition. Side 1 (the revival of vinyl means that we can write about albums in these terms once again), concludes with “A Great Success”, a number that surges along on a classic indie-noir riff, before climaxing in a stadium-sized chorus, and the curiously-titled “Credit to Mark Sinker” (a well-respected music journalist, if you were wondering?), where Wiggins seems to be channeling the wordsmithery of punk/post-punk legend Robert Lloyd. Despite an intriguing lyric, it’s probably the weakest track on show here.

The title tune kicks off a strong second side; a punchy number with a towering chorus, it’s reminiscent of early-period Editors and has ‘future single’ written all over it. “A Pop Act” is a prequel/sequel to “How I Faked the Moon Landing” and offers further surreal commentary on the band’s struggle to punch a hole in the pop stratosphere - ‘Went back to the Swedish furniture company / returned our flat pack songs / I don’t like my music bland… I like it intense and sad’. The album builds to an edgy finish with three outstanding tracks - “Outmoded”, a last-minute inclusion, is a brooding, beast of a track, built around a mournful base motif and a shrill guitar; “A Kind of Blue”, a song which has been a staple of the band’s repertoire for some time, usually sparks into life in a live setting thanks to Wiggins’ strange exhortations during the song’s wilfully discordant instrumental break. There are no visual aids to cue our emotional responses here, of course, but the song is a triumph nonetheless, thanks to the pitch-perfect production skills of Charlie Francis. Importantly, Francis ensures that the album benefits from a coherent feel throughout, despite the unexpected presence of a trumpet and a burst of canned applause at one point, which is testimony, also, to the chemistry that exists between comrades-in-arms Oli Richards (bass) Dario Ordi (guitar) and Elliot Samphier (drums). The album closes, as it was absolutely compelled to, with the delirious, dance-punk of “How I Faked the Moon Landing. The momentous track winding to a close with Wiggin’s desperately declaiming his bands uniqueness - “Why would we want to be like them?” - he pleads over and over again until the music exhausts itself.

Everything Solved at Once is a black-comedy concept album about life on the fringes of the Welsh music biz, which is something of a first for my record collection and, quite possibly, yours? While pop music has a history of self-referential songs, from “Hey, We’re the Monkeys” to the 80’s frippery of “Ant Music”, Silent Forum push this self-obsession to its limit, with over half of their debut LP (as well as a couple of recent B-sides) devoted to the internal machinations of the band. This may seem to be a chronic case of navel-gazing, and part of me does indeed yearn for a return to the intense, angsty songwriting that gave birth to early band classics like the ominous “Limbo” or the pulverising “Whose Going to Side With Me”, but Wiggins approaches his Sisyphean task with a self-deprecating humour and a whip-smart feel for a one-liner that ensures the Silent Forum saga is a soap opera well-worth tuning into.

Everything Solved at Once catapults Silent Forum straight into the top tier of indie-noir bands. In common with other leading groups of the genre - The Murder Capital, Fontaines DC, Shame and Hotel Lux, Silent Forum make music that reflects and echoes the disquietude of the times. While Indie-noir hasn’t delivered an outright classic album post Joy Division, Everything Solved At Once, a claustrophobic, yet cinematic record, may, in time, rank alongside near misses such as Whipping Boy’s Heartworm (1995) Interpol’s Turn On The Bright Lights (2002), Editors The Back Room (2005) or The National’s High Violet (2010).

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km-theatre · 7 years

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Cast & Creatives The Ladykillers

NEW WOLSEY THEATRE IPSWICH SUFFOLK UK 15 SEP 2017

Friday 15 September 2017

Ann Penfold — Mrs Wilberforce

Theatre credits include: The Taming of the Shrew (RSC),Brighton Till I Die(Brighton),, Revenger's Tragedy, Deep Blue Sea,(West Yorkshire Playhouse)Saturday Sunday Monday (National Theatre/West End) The Wars of the Roses(English Shakespeare Company, world tour and Old Vic) Design for Living (Peter Hall Company,) The Winslow Boy,(Guildford and tour) The Contractor (Oxford Stage company tour) Forty Years On (Scarborough)The Glass Menagerie,(Greenwich), In Celebration,(Chichester.) Duet for One (Edinburgh, Lyceum)

At the Wolsey Theatre: The Winter's Tale; Hamlet; Romeo and Juliet; Mrs Warren's Profession; Perfect Days.

And at Salisbury Playhouse: For Services Rendered ( and at the Old Vic), and The Lady in the Van.

Television credits include: Tripped (Mammoth Screen), Doctors, Casualty, Sea of Souls, Dangerfield, No Place Like Home, Mrs Pym’s Day Out, Cranford, Villette, There is Also Tomorrow (BBC), The Bill, The Vice, Coronation Street, The Brontes of Haworth, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries (ITV) A Wing and a Prayer, Family Affairs (Ch5)

Film credits include: Keeping Rosy, Winter Sunlight, Family Life.

Steven Elliot — Professor Marcus

Theatre Credits Include: Frankenstein, The Winter’s Tale. (Royal National Theatre) Titus Andronicus, Julius Caesar, Revenger’s Tragedy, Henry V, Twelfth Night, Pentecost, The Bite of the Night, The Jew of Malta, Measure For Measure (Royal Shakespeare Company) The Devil Inside Him (National Theatre Wales) Dancing at Lughnasa (Abbey, Dublin) King Lear (Almeida, London) True West (Glasgow Citz) Arcadia (Bristol Old Vic) Frank, in Educating Rita (Oldham Coliseum) Dumb Show, Inherit the Wind (New Vic Theatre) The Weir (Sherman, Cardiff) Amadeus, Hamlet, And Then There Were None, Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’ (Salisbury Playhouse) Macbeth, Two Princes, A Chorus of Disapproval, Arcadia, Troilus and Cressida, Measure for Measure, The Suicide, Noises Off, Jumpy, Cyrano de Bergerac (Theatr Clwyd) Steven recently played the role of George Ring in an adaptation of ‘Adventures in the Skin Trade,’ by Dylan Thomas, at the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne Arts Centre, Australia. He also recently played Oscar Wilde in a tour of ‘The Trials of Oscar Wilde.’

Directing Credits Include: Assistant Director to Terry Hands on ‘Pygmalion’ by George Bernard Shaw (Theatr Clwyd) A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Rose Theatre, Kingston) Well Thumbed (Notional Theatre) The Dreamer (Maltings, Farnham)

Television Credits Include: Da Vinci’s Demons, Holby City, Judge John Deed, Ghostboat, Crash, Tunnel of Love, Porthpenwaig, Inspector Morse, Harpur and Isles, Art that Shook the World, 90 Days in Hollywood, Return to Treasure Island, That Uncertain Feeling, Rhinoceros, Van der Valk, 999 Killer on the line, Mike Bassett - Manager, Gwaith Cartref.

Film Credits Include: Steven has just finished filming ‘The Watcher in the Woods’ with Anjelica Huston, in which he plays the title role. Other Film work includes; Hamlet, Cold Earth, Rise of the Appliances, Trauma, Trail of Crimson, De Sade, Green Monkey and Time Bandits. Also recordings of Frankenstein (NT Live) King Lear and True West (Digital Theatre)

Graham Seed — Major Courtney

Graham trained at RADA and is best known for playing Nigel Pargetter in the radio series The Archers for 27 years, until the character’s untimely demise in January 2011. Theatre credits include: Dead Sheep and An Audience with Jimmy Savile (Park Theatre), Dead Sheep (National Tour),  Bedroom Farce and Separate Tables (Salisbury Playhouse), Flare Path (National Tour) Jim Hacker in Yes Prime Minister (National Tour), Basket Case with Nigel Havers (National Tour)Major Metcalf in The Mousetrap (60th Anniversary tour), Toad of Toad Hall (West End); Me and My Girl (Adelphi Theatre); Relatively Speaking and Confusions (national tour); Design for Living (English Touring Theatre); Twelfth Night (BAC); Translations (Watford and tour); A Chaste Maid of Cheapside (Almeida and tour); Someone to Watch Over Me (Frankfurt); An Eligible Man (New End, Hampstead); The Skin Game (Orange Tree); Nelson (Nuffield, Southampton); Present Laughter (Theatr Cymru); French Without Tears (Mill at Sonning); Journey’s End (National Tour) Accolade at the Finborough. He has also played many repertory seasons including: Birmingham, Greenwich,  Library Theatre, Manchester, and Perth.

Television credits include: The Durrells, I, Claudius, Edward VII, Brideshead Revisited, Mike Leigh’s Who’s Who, Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV, Jeeves and Wooster, The Cleopatras, Crossroads, Coronation Street, Brookside, Prime Suspect, Nature Boy, Dinnerladies, Station Jim, Band of Brothers, The Chatterley Affair, Doctors, Midsomer Murders and He Kills Coppers. Film credits include: Peterloo, Gandhi, Good and Bad at Games, Honest, Little Dorrit, These Foolish Things and Wild Target with Bill Nighy and Emily Blunt. Radio credits include: Nigel Pargetter in The Archers. He is an occasional presenter on ‘Pick of the Week’ and was a regular voice on ‘What The Papers’ Say’ both for Radio 4.  He was the recipient of the Broadcaster of the Year Award 2010 from the Broadcasting Press Guild and the Voice of Listener and Viewer Special Award 2010.

Marcus Houden — Constable Macdonald

Theatre credits include: The Tempest (Hope Theatre, London) - BroadwayWorldUK Best Leading Actor nomination, Overture Live (Hippodrome, London), Peter Pan (UK Tour), Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood(Gala Theatre, Durham), Treasure Island (Cambridge Touring Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (International Tour), Romeo and Juliet, Sense and Sensibility (Chapterhouse Theatre Company), Bouncers(UK Tour), The Three Musketeers (Jamie Marcus Productions), The Merry Wives of Henry VIII (Edinburgh Festival), Art, Macbeth(Seagull Theatre), Tartuffe, The Beaux’ Stratagem (Lichfield Garrick) and Dick Whittington (Theatre Colwyn).

Damian Williams — One-Round

Damian became well known to television audiences in the early nineties for his appearances as Ginger Gahagan in the BBC series Billy Webb and the second series Alfonzo Bonzo. His other television appearances include Lumpy in Spatz; Gavin in Exam Conditions and Ian in The Bill. Damian was the presenter of Damian’s Are You Smarter Than Your 10 Year Old for Sky One and was also in the new series of Birds of a Feather.

Damian is always in demand for Musical Theatre and in 2013 and 2014 Damian played Edna Turnblad in Hairspray both at the Leicester Curve as well as a tour of Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Damian’s first love is comedy (his heroes are Laurel & Hardy) and he has played various comedy roles from Luther Billis in South Pacific to Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. Damian played Tommy Cooper in the new play Being Tommy Cooper, and toured in the one man play My Dog’s Got No Nose. Most recently he’s also played Tommy Cooper in the short film The Last Laugh, written and directed by Paul Hendy for which Damian won best Actor (Southampton film festival)

Damian has toured the country for over 25 years and has a wealth of experience in Theatre, a well respected farceur Damian has appeared in; Run for your wife, Cash on Delivery, Funny Money, Tom Dick & Harry, It Runs in the Family, Not now darling, There Goes The Bride, Out of Order, Caught in the Net, Dry Rot, See How they Run and Don’t Dress For Dinner.

As resident Dame of 10 years at the Sheffield Lyceum Damian is set to play Mother Goose this year.

Damian was born in Tilbury in Essex and now resides in Southend on sea with his wife Barbie. They are proud parents of twins, Joshua and Esme, undoubtedly Damian’s finest productions to date!

Anthony Dunn — Louis Harvey

Anthony has worked extensively as an actor in the UK, Europe, Canada and the United States over the last 30 years. Theatre includes Calamity Jane (UK and Ireland Tour), Paved in Gold (Canada), Birds (US Tour), Face (UK Tour), Buddy (Victoria Palace), Bouncers (Hull Truck), L'Ascencore (European Tour) and Don Quixote(Warehouse Theatre). His television appearances include The Murdoch Mysteries (US and Canada), Roomers and The Last Word for the BBC and Stuck on You, The Upper Hand and Frank Stubbs for ITV. Anthony has also worked in academia, teaching and doing Ph.D research in Washington and New Orleans. When not working as an actor, Anthony can be found taking groups of people on entertaining historical tours of London by road, river or foot.

Sam Lupton — Harry Robinson

Training: Manchester School Of Theatre (Man met, Acting)

Theatre includes: ‘Wilfred Crompton’ in Spring and Port Wine (Oldham Coliseum 2017); 'Seymour' in Little Shop Of Horrors (UK Tour 2016), 'Boq' in Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre, West End); 'Princeton’ & ‘Rod' in Avenue Q (UK Tour 2012); 'Man' in Starting Here, Starting Now'; Greg' in Single Sex and 'Gena Hamlet' in Galka Motalka (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester); 'Harry' in Love On The Dole and 'Young Collector/Sailor' in A Streetcar Named Desire (Bolton Octagon); 'Colin Ireland & Robin Oake' in Out Out Out (Pitgems Theatre); "Jim/Ensemble" in The Hired Man (Bolton Octagon) which won the 2010 TMA Award for Best Performance in a Musical, awarded to the entire ensemble. He Also originated the role of 'Ben' in Firing Life.

Television includes: The Late Late Show (RTE) and Ireland:AM (TV3).

Radio Includes: 'Nino Sarratore' in The Story Of A New Name & My Brilliant Friend (BBC Radio 4), Various Characters in National Velvet (BBC Radio 4)

Workshops: 'Boy & Zacky' in Big Fish; 'John-Michael' in Doris Stokes

Other Work Includes: The Music of Kooman & Diamond (IlliaDebuts, London Debut), "The Concrete Jungle": UK Album Launch (IlliaDebuts), 'West End Switched Off' (Parallel Productions)

Sam has also worked as a puppet coach for the 2014 professional UK tour of Avenue Q. In 2016 he made is directorial debut with How To Curse at London's Etcetera Theatre.

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iamapoopmuffin · 7 years

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Michael’s Week At Work So Far

[To be updated if anything else horrible happens this week]

So, it’s a show week this week. Opening night Wednesday, performing the next few days (though I'm not in on the Friday since because medical issues) and since we’re now approaching heatwave territory, the heat has been getting to us. So some nice, nasty things that have happened.

Monday

During a run, someone leaned on a fire escape door and it opened. Fire alarm went off as a result. We had to stop rehearsals for over an hour.

One man went to hospital with severe chest pains and vomiting. An ambulance had to be called.

Best friend collapsed. Was fully conscious and refused medical attention because he deals really badly with heat, and collapses a lot in summer, and has done for a long long time, and because it happens a lot he insisted he was fine. Friend Archie sat by him while he recovered and sprayed him with water.

I collapsed (well, my legs gave out) once from medical condition caused fatigue, and fell asleep twice due to the same thing. Luckily never while I was needed (and nobody noticed my legs give out, if they had it would’ve been embarrassing)

There were a lot of water fights and people randomly dousing themselves with water. We got shouted at.

We were told not to practice the dance on the upper rig because it was where the lights made things even more hot than anywhere else in the room. We were told this after waiting in the increased heat level for a good 20 minutes while they got things ready below. We were all pissed off.

All fans were broken. Director asked for fans from I don’t know who, some higher up of some kind. Request was refused.

One of the leads smashed into me as I was bent over (I was meant to be straight standing by this point, but I had to go up third of eight because it was in canon, and person 1 had not yet gone up and never did). I got a bruised arse and he ended up sprawled on the ground. A true professional, he never stopped singing.

My costume tore across the knee when I sat down.

Tuesday

During a run, a woman playing a principle role passed out and had a heatstroke-induced seizure. As she fell, she fell against a fire escape door, setting off the alarm. I was in the green room with Best Friend at the time, but we both went down when we heard the alarm. An ambulance had to be called. Tech peeps said everything was fine and it was just a brief blackout about 5 seconds before panic-running to call for the ambulance.

Best friend left his asthma inhaler in the wings. Best friend had an asthma attack. We were not allowed into the theatre/backstage to retrieve the inhaler (even though he was obviously struggling) because that was where principle role lady had had her seizure, and she was still there, though she was sitting up and saying she felt better. Best friend ended up going to hospital and seizure girl stayed at work. Both are fine now.

Fire alarm went off again when someone closed the fire escape door.

Somebody fell off the rigging, which was scripted, but he was supposed to be caught. He almost wasn’t because one of the people supposed to catch him went to hospital the day before with severe chest pains and vomiting. Somebody ran in at the last minute. Not sure guy on rigging even noticed.

A girl started feeling too nauseous to continue, partially because she hadn’t eaten all day. She claimed it was because she didn’t have a chance to eat.

We got fans from whoever refused them before because of principle’s collapse.

Nobody could concentrate fully on the rehearsal after all this shit. Except principle girl who was hella rad throughout.

Wednesday

All people who were hospitalised previously returned to work today.

A piece of small moving set lost a wheel while people were on it. No injuries were sustained. This was at the beginning of a run. Rest of run was done without it, improvising travelling wherever it was used before.

Fire exit doors were opened. Alarm did not go off.

We got a fucktonne of fans.

Someone left while still mic’d up. We can only assume she took mic 3 on an epic adventure filled with dragons and giants who are also tree people.

My costume tore again. I think it’s too small.

I purposely dehydrated myself so I wouldn’t be desperate for the toilet during song 5. I say dehydrated, I usually don’t drink much (it takes me hours to finish one drink unless I’m really thirsty) and it had no adverse affects...

A principle singer and a lead actor both decided they didn’t want to take part after all. Principle singer was because she was feeling extremely ill. Neither said anything to anyone other than fellow actors and both went on anyway.

1 minute before the curtain was due to go up, mic 6 broke. It was repaired in a quick botch job and the arrangement was made that when the main person who needed it for his main song needed it, if it broke agai, someone else would have to sacrifice their mic to him.

Immediately after botch job, every odd-numbered mic broke. Some never came back.

Not drinking did not work and I needed to go during song 7. Luckily I was not in song 7.

Mics kept failing mid-song.

During one dance, literally only one person remembered an entire chorus worth of choreography. Everyone else in that section held a position they weren’t meant to hold. Girl that remembered everything looked like an idiot.

A piece of backdrop fell. A sliver of backstage was visible to the audience. We honestly failed to notice for a while.

A principle singer started vomiting profusely outside the fire exit.

Towards the end of the interval, someone asked me to pass some props from the prop table. Or rather, they asked if someone would, and everyone looked at me because I was closest to the table, though someone else was stood in the way so I couldn’t move to the part of the table the wanted props were on and had to awkwardly lean (good thing I’m tall af). Because of this and my dyspraxia, I misjudged my grip and position of my hands and did not pick everything up in one go. Girl who asked for props was okay with that. Girl stood in the way flipped her shit. Started shouting at me for not picking everything up in one go despite knowing damn well I’m dyspraxic, and knowing I have severe and untreated anxiety and PTSD. She was just looking for someone to take her shitty mood out on. I had a panic attack (but not a hyperventilation one which is a new experience for me) and could still dance but could not sing or change my facial expression and probably looked super terrified and like I was about to cry. It hit its worst after we were backstage after the curtain call. TL;DR, I spent the entire second half of the show having a panic attack.

Turned out mics were failing because of mobile phone interference within the theatre.

People, supposed professionals, were shouting backstage.

There was supposed to be a runner for people going to the green room to free up space backstage for those who needed to be onstage soon. The runner was to go up and tell those waiting in the GM what numbers were coming up. Runner sat in one place for the entirety of the play and did not do their job.

Thursday

Staging repaired, Lead that didn’t want to go on yesterday got over his anxiety attack, weather was a lot cooler...All was well. Until the fire nation attacked.

Best friend’s voice had gone hoarse. He got so stressed by this that he threw a water bottle at the rig that formed some of the set.

Overbooking happened. Admin error.

Mic 5 failed.

People kept walking through the one piece of curtain we were specifically told not to walk through.

Something fell off the onstage rig. Twice.

Best friend’s voice started to go during song 7 (his first solo of the play). Dewey plays main villain. He has several solos in several songs in this rock opera musical. He was so obviously hoarse and struggling in the later songs. I felt so bad for him.

Two people had to duck out due to feeling very ill.

Two people burst into tears after a song. Dewey and I were in the green room at the time and so have no idea what happened. We at first thought a lead actress had been injured because the moment she came off someone was with her, sitting her down and giving her water, but she was fine. All we heard was ‘something went wrong’, but it was a small enough something that other actors and actresses were complaining about the crying actresses. I assume the stress just got to them.

Mic 3 failed.

Person who remembered the dance everyone else forgot yesterday did not do the dance section everyone forgot. Nobody else did that section either. Everyone held the position they were not supposed to hold.

Dewey’s voice is now completely blown out. Understudy will have to take villain role tomorrow.

I will not be at work on Friday.

#Peeps are saying they've never had such a string of bad #We seem to be competing over how many actors can end up hospitalised in one week #How long do you think it'll be before we get a cease and desist?#WE'RE CURSED #I shouldn't have shouted Macbeth in the middle of the theatre

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todayclassical · 7 years

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April 27 in Music History

1622 Birth of English tenor Edward Coleman in London.

1623 Birth of German composer Jan Adams Reinken.

1673 FP of Buxtehude's Evening Music concerts at Lubeck.

1673 FP of Lully's opera Cadmus et Hermione at the Paris Opera.

1720 FP of Handel's opera Radamisto dedicated to the King, receives an ovation at the King's Theater in the Haymarket, London.

1736 Performance of Handel's anthem Sing Unto God at the wedding of the Price of Wales to Princess Augusta Saxe-Gotha.

1749 FP of Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks in London's Green Park. Fireworks fizzel burn roof of palace. Everyone enjoys the music.

1762 FP of Hasse's "Il trionfo di Clelia " Vienna.

1765 FP of T. Arne's "L'olimpiade" London.

1767 Birth of German violinist and composer Andreas Jacob Romberg.

1770 FP of Sacchini's "L'Eroe cinese" Munich.

1778 FP of Gretry's "Les Trois Ages de l'opéra"

1795 FP of Dalayrac's "Adèle et Dorsan" Paris.

1803 FP of Fomin's "Zolotoye yabloko" St Petersburg.

1810 Beethoven finished his composition Fur Elise.

1811 FP of Moscheles' "Die Feuerprobe" singspiel, Vienna.

1812 Birth of German composer Friedrich Von Flotow in Teutendorf.

1820 FP of Hellwig's "Die Bergknappen" Dresden.

1824 FP of Auber & Boïeldieu's "Les trois genres" Paris.

1829 FP of Herold's "La Belle au bois dormant" Paris.

1830 Birth of soprano Caroline Barbot.

1861 Death of Russian composer Georgi Lvovitch Catoire.

1864 Birth of French tenor Julien Lepreste in Paris.

1867 FP of Gounod's opera Romeo and Juliet at the Théatre-Lyrique in Paris.

1867 FP of Suppe's "Banditenstreiche" Vienna.

1868 Birth of German tenor Hans Breuer in Cologne.

1871 Birth of American composer Arthur Finlay Nevin.

1871 Death of German composer and piano virtuoso Sigismond Thalberg.

1874 Death of Italian tenor Pietro Mongini.

1877 FP of Massenet's Le Roi De Lahore in Paris.

1878 FP of Cellier's "Bella Donna or The Little Beauty and the Great Beast" Manchester.

1891 Russian composer Peter Tchaikovsky prepares for the opening concert at New York's newly-constructed concert hall on 57th Street on 5 MAY.

1892 Birth of German soprano Delia Reinhardt in Elberfeld, Germany.

1894 Birth of Russian-American musicologist, composer and conductor Nicolas Slonimsky in St. Petersburg.

1904 Birth of French bass-baritone Pierre Nougaro.

1907 FP of Igor Stravinsky's Symphony in Eb, at an intimate performance in St. Petersburg.

1907 FP of Donaudy's "Sperduti nel buio" Palermo.

1901 FP of Sullivan & German's "The emerald Isle" completed by E. German, London.

1913 Birth of German tenor Kurt Marschner in Sudetenland.

1915 Death of Russian composer Alexander Scriabin in Moscow.

1916 FP of Leoncavallo's "Goffredo Mameli" Genoa.

1920 Birth of Italian conductor Guido Cantelli.

1920 FP of Igor Stravinsky's Ragtime for Eleven Instruments, in Morges.

1926 FP of William Walton's Facade with Dame Edith Sitwell's poems, in London.

1927 FP of Wienberger's light opera Schwanda, the Bagpiper at the National Theater in Prague. 1928 FP of Stravinksy's Apollon musagete choreographed by Adolf Bohm, at the Elizabeth Sprague Cooledge Festival in Washington, D. C. 1931 Birth of Russian violinist Igor Oistrakh, son of David.

1931 Birth of French tenor Michel Cadiou in Paris.

1931 FP of Weinberger's "Švanda dudák Stimme" Munich.

1937 Birth of German tenor Adalbert Kraus in Aschaffenburg.

1937 Death of German baritone Gustav Schützendorf in Berlin.

1937 FP of Stravinsky's Jue de Cartes at The MET in NYC by the American Ballet, Stravinsky conducting. 1939 Birth of Scottish pianist Hamish Milne. 1940 Birth of American soprano Judith Blegen.

1940 Birth of American composer Larry Solomon in New Kensington, PA.

1940 Birth of Australian bass-baritone Tom McDonnell in Melbourne.

1943 Birth of American composer Jon Deak in Hammond, IN.

1943 Birth of American tenor James Atherton in Montgomery, AL.

1944 Death of Russian tenor Dmitri Smirnov.

1945 Birth of American mezzo-soprano Carolyne James in Wheatland, WY.

1949 Birth of American electronic music composer Peter Gena.

1950 Birth of German pianist Christian Zacharias.

1952 FP of Frazzi's "Don Quixote" Florence.

1953 Birth of Hungarian soprano Ilona Tokody in Szeged.

1954 Death of Sedish tenor Torsten Ralf.

1970 Death of German mezzo-soprano Luise Willer.

1987 FP of Daniel Pinkham's Sonata No. 3 for Organ and Strings, by organist Richard Benefield, with a string quartet conducted by the composer at St. Peter's Church in Osterville, MA.

1992 FP of George Tsontakis' Perpertual Angelus, second of Four Symphonic Quartets after poems by T.S. Eliot. Tuscaloosa Symphony, Ransom Wilson conducting.

1992 Death of French composer Olivier Messiaen, in Paris.

1999 Death of Hungarian born Swiss soprano Maria Stader.

2003 FP of Michael Nyman's A Child's View of Color. Young People's Chorus, Nunuz, 92nd Street YMCA, NYC.

#todayclassical #classicalmusic #today in music history #musichistory #onthisday

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