le jardin

[LaurieAK]

HI Kush-

Yes, ARIA is quite good. It has Che Gelida, too if i remember right. If you are a big Nessum Dorma fan (from Turanadot) he does that on Viaggio Italiano; I think it is earlier than ARIA.

Sometimes a lighter voice (literally and figuratively) can be drowned by greater heavyweights and needs to be heard in isolation to feel its beauty.

Well said

I'll check out Vusi...never heard that name before....thx

regards,
Laurie

[bee]

Laurie, - very good, thank you very much for your insight, great!
Very happy- it is what it is, I thought so. You said it, because you know what you're talking about.
I had 2 CD's of Andreas but I gave them away to a friend, she will get better use of them.
I could not listen to him too much, he made me nervous and annoyed a bit. After I stopped Andreas CD, I enjoyed silence so much, was wondering how beautiful sometimes world can be without any sound or music at all- well- shame on me
Love

[Kush]

I have a recording of Beniamino Gigli and to my ears I hear a lot of vocal dexterity, a beautiful voice and not much power from the old recordings. A small voice if there ever was one. Yet he is among top tenors of the century. Is there a double standard or are my ears missing something? Either is quite possible.

Bee...lets make a deal you give Bocelli a second chance and I'll give Mr. QT the same.

Vusi Mahlasela is a popular south african singer-songwriter that I have mentioned before. He was at the New orleans Jazzfest last year when there was a special south african music section. I like Nadine Gordimer's description of him "He sings as a bird does: in total response to being alive".

http://www.vusimahlasela.com

[LaurieAK]

bee- some folks just don't like his voice.

I was one of those who heard it in fleeting (Time To Say Goodbye, flashing on tv) and couldn't stop searching till i found out WHO had that heavenly voice and had a cd on its way from the amazon. This was in 1998 and i Hated opera at the time.

I'm curious if you had 'opera' cd's or if they were 'pop'. Have you heard Romanza? If not, and you are curious enough to give him another try, that is what i'd recommend. There is a song on Romanza titled, Rapsodia; if ever there was song that could melt your socks off, this is it

Kush-

I have a recording of Beniamino Gigli and to my ears I hear a lot of vocal dexterity, a beautiful voice and not much power from the old recordings. A small voice if there ever was one. Yet he is among top tenors of the century. Is there a double standard or are my ears missing something? Either is quite possible.

You know i have Gigli on cd too and you are right, it is a 'tender' tenor voice. I have always thought he was very similar to Bocelli. Outside the Italian box, and in the older genre, Jussi Bjorling had a very pleasant tenor voice; but definately on the big side in his case.

I had a listen of Vusi at amazon.com yesterday and enjoyed his voice, but the music does not work for me. It was too jazzy for my taste. I never have been able to connect with jazz. Although a friend insisted that i get Grover Washington Jr's cd ARIA (concidently) and i adore it.
hihohiho,
L

[bee]

Laurie- thank you for your advise- I'll try it.
Yes, I guess I had the popCD's. I think there was even one duet Bocelli with Celin Dion. I did not care for that at all.
I did go to SF Opera house many times. Friend of mine Fth.Gabby treated me with seasonal tickets for some years, not this year though
I cant say that I would've ever had become so interested and involved as to follow certain stars, or what is new, or any of that all area. But I do really sincerely enjoy the performance, stage sets, costumes, and music. I can even get very emotional- like at Mdm.Butterfly I would cry like a sucker, many other times as well.
At home I would mostly listen to Puccini, Verdi, but I don't have much sophistication on the subject, which now when I think about it, makes me sad. Also I have been focused so much on painting that I really am afraid to distract myself too much from what is a priority in my life(which is no excuse, I know).
Kush- yes, it's a deal and i will keep my end, I'll go tommorow and I'll get what I can at Streetlight's store on 24th Street. But I will not buy the one where Bocelli is singing with C.Dion, no sir.
Love,

[linda_lakeside]

bee,

Well, I'm glad you're not going for the Celine CD, as a Canadian I would be deeply embarrassed if anyone were to even pretend to infer that Celine has anything to do with Opera whatsoever! No Celine!!!

I listened to Opera at my Pappy's knee. But it's not the same people these guys are talking about. So it looks like I'm going to have to relearn the whole damn Opera thing again. My Dad has a HUGE collection, he keeps saying he's not buying any more. But, every time I go down and see him, it's become larger by about 100 CDs.

I guess Opera, like everything else, is evolving, people come, people go. I have to learn the new as well as keep my appreciation for the old.

Linda.

[LaurieAK]

bee- i had to pull my cd out to recall what he sang with Celine (i hate it too!) it is The Prayer. Schmaltzy.
Romanza is the cd that Andrea is wearing a bright red shirt and looks gorgeous. If that was the other cd you had but gave away, you'd probably remember this cover.

I just remembered reading you do some sort of theater work. The setting and the costumes are a large part of the appeal. My most memorable moments have been the couple of sets i saw at the met by Zefferelli. The curtain came up and took my breath away. As for Mdm. Butterfly, it my highest rated, in the 'tear factor.' Gawd so tragic and beautiful.

Linda- sounds like you have access to mountains of music through your dad. I have found that compilations of famous arias are a good way to hear several different artists and learn what you like and don't like as far as voices and arias go....

toodles,
L

[bee]

Linda an Laurie- oh God, so good you don't care for the Celine girl too, I was afraid that Linda- as a Canadian might get upset for me disliking Celine. Gosh- she drives me nuts. I also have all kinds of old records of opera and don't know what, it's all sitting in my basement. I broke my record plyer long time ago, and did not bother to buy an other one, with all that CD stuff coming up.
Yes, I do work with stage sets for a small theater company. Once I even thought I should go to Opera and work there, but then I thought better of it, I've become so lazy, I don't like much of hard work anymore, in fact I hate working at all, except my painting. Long time ago I worked for a Musical Theater- operetta
Some time ago I had all these rich guys hanging around, I should've grabbed one then, so I would not need to work anymore ever- just sit in the Opera and munch on chocolates and drink some shampagne at the intermission time, wouldn't that be sweet? .
Laurie, - that CD was with Andreas in a red shirt, but how come I think there was Celine singing as well? I have a very sweet friend Gaida- she is a balerina in LA, she was in some video clips, where she danced with that wich from hell- Janiffer Lopez. She was visiting me couple of month ago and I gave the Andrea's CD's to her to play in her car when in on her way back to LA.
I remember the settings for Zefferelli's opera films, it is really really breathtaking. Of course - the lights play a good deal of a role there too.
have a sweet night , ladies!

[linda_lakeside]

Hi All,

Yes, Laurie, I do indeed have mountains of Opera from which to draw. My Dad, in his infinite wisdom, has culled what he thought to be a good 'starter kit' for people like me, compilations as you say, are very valuable as far as the arias and various artists. I developed a love of Mozart a long time ago and find his operas to be very beautiful and everything I hear, I tend to compare to Mozart. Not a good or fair thing to do to any composer (living or dead). It became a "Leonard thing" in that I couldn't listen to anythng but Mozart. Time for me to move on. Don't be surprised if I come to you for an opinion from time to time.

Speaking of Time to Time (isn't that an old Sinatra song?) anyway, he (Daddio) is also trying to show me what he feels are the finer points of Sinatra and Axel Stordahl. There were many good 'big band' type singers in his day that got lost in the band. The singers were never given the credit they deserved, it was always the 'band'. So, I've collected a number of 'standard' compilations as well. As long as Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams, Bono and bunch of others arent' on them, I'll try them out.

I have a terrible time trying to listen to a tenor or soprano try and sing pop. It just does not work. Not for me, at least. A lot of pop/rock's appeal is in the blurring of words, opera singers tend to enunciate too much, which does not appeal to me in terms of pop. I like those old 'what did he say?" songs. Such as Steve Miller's famous...jeez, I forget now. Hmmm.

Thank goodness Celine is not in the mix. My place of residence has nothing at all to do with my taste in music/art/drama or the colour of rain.
Although I do like Dianna Krall. I've followed her career for a long time since she's from very near to where I'm from. I was beginning to find her too bland and then she married Elvis Costello and I think he breathed new life into that woman. She sounds much livelier and has more range than she did.

Well, I've run on long enough. See you all!

Linda.

[LaurieAK]

bee-
oh crumbs. Well don't bother buying Romanza because you did have it and gave it away (with the red cover). "Sogno" is the cd with celine. I will say on Romanza, there are 2 duets, besides the one with Sarah Brightman that irritated me even more than the celine one. Otherwise i adore the whole cd.

And you are so fortunate to have the talent you have and make it your career. I have a job in every sense of the word...the most uninspiring thing i can imagine...data entry. The plus is that i am the boss and get to work from home...but, i still complain.

p.s. jennifer lopez bugs me as much as celine-and she's a bitch!?!

Linda-

Well there you go. I know next to nothing about Mozart. I felt i HAD to choose and it was Beethoven who won my heart....other than loving Mr.B's music, i know little about him too. I must convince you of my ignorance! keep watching, you'll be converted.

Like jazz, i totally cannot connect with singers/singing such as Sinatra's. It is just like tasting a food you do not like, a shudder of distaste makes its way to my ears. another example of my lack of musical taste.

I have a terrible time trying to listen to a tenor or soprano try and sing pop. It just does not work.

There's practically nothing worse! Far as Bocelli goes, what is called 'pop' is really 'easy listening'...so it is not how you describe above (in case you haven't heard him). But as you can see he is not for everyone.

toodles,
L

[linda_lakeside]

Laurie,

I've already gone on about old blue-eyes and there is much there in the far gone past. I found his later years to be quite tacky. Just wait, you'll be humming Ol' Man River before you know it.

Linda.

Being able to at least do some work at home is certainly a bonus isn't it? All the goofing off I get to do far out weighs the need to get up, put on panty-hose and heels, make-up, then drive in. Oh! What a loveerly, loverly life!

I hope that wasn't a quote from someone's much loved copy of "My Fair Lady".

[bee]

Laurie- I'll see what they have at the Streetlight- it is a pretty good shop, they sell old and new. I live in Noe Valley neibourghood at famous Castro street- many artists and writers and poets live here. This is a spot where they go and trade and buy etc. Imagine Sharon Stone stralling down with her kid and people don't give her a hard time, just pretending they don't know her.. (it was when she lived in SF while married to Phil Bronstein- the SF Chronicle editor). When I worked a bit for MD Curch i gave a tour in the old cemetery to Rod Staiger, it was 6 month before his death I've met in a shop Frances McDorman, Peter Coyote and Benjamin Bratt is such a fine gentelman, he even greets me on the street. He is married now to a very lovely girl and they have a baby with them in a stroller. It is a very nice place to be indeed- artists feel very good here.
jennifer lopez is a tottal bitch- and very cheap. What Gaida told me - she treats the dancers and backgroud singers as dirt. Gaida says that even JL used to be a dancer herself- she makes them to be at the building for shooting the clip at 3 in the morning, being late herself, but the dancers are not aloud in the building, So they would have to sit on the street for 4 hours till the time madame comes- after that she would not even consider paying them for the lost hours. She told me most unpleseant things about her, - JL is a bitch and plays damn "diva" games- they call her Lo -cheap- in LA-something like that.
Linda- I know what you mean when one needs to get to get up and out of the house, is great whe you have te job now at home.
I am with you on Sinatra as well. and the jazz thing too, it bothers me like an unplaseant sound most of the times, even i know that it is not fare, but that is how it feels.
It is a lovely day today-62F, got to go.

[lizzytysh]

Well, I certainly enjoyed this trip. Trying to catch up, a thread at a time. Great poem, Tom, both versions. Because I already have such a good sense of how Bee's paintings look, I was able to imagine this one with ease [and, perhaps, I've already seen it ~ however, she's such a prolific painter, that can not be considered a conclusion].

I laughed when I 'turned the page' because I had already copied [for pasting] this phrase from the bottom of the previous page, only to see Laurie quote a portion of it, on the top of the next page:

" . . . very complicated for me to understand the poets kitchen" ~ what a great way of phrasing my own dilemma, with the image conjured by "poets kitchen." Well said, Bee.

Jussi Bjoerling's is a voice I remember. I bought a couple of Celine's CDs, after loving so much her presentation of the song from the Titanic ~ and was disappointed beyond belief! "What!?! Is this!?!"
I couldn't believe the presumptions people were making when Barbra Streisand opted out [ill health] from appearing with Celine at the Academy Awards ~ like Barbra even had to concern herself with comparisons with Celine ! Please.

I like both Beethoven and Mozart, as well as Puccini and Verdi. Would dearly love to see an opera Live. Almost had that chance in the park in NYC ~ oh well, another year. I agree with your admiration of Bocelli for the reasons you've given, Laurie. Linda ~ I love the 'old standards' ~ once I start listening, I'm 'in there' ~ I've even developed, some time back, an appreciation for jazz. Compiled a collection; later, sold most of it, however.

Kush ~ "He sings as a bird does: in total response to being alive". I love that. Such a high compliment for the truth within the singer.

Not sure if that's all I intended to comment on. Think so. Catching up is a bear.

~ Lizzy

[linda_lakeside]

Hey Lizzy ~

Catching up, are you? There are threads I've not even heard of, let alone posted in. I try and I try to look in every nook and cranny but I always get side-tracked somewhere along the line.

Interesting comment about Kush. I know there are many talented people in this Forum, I just wish I had the opportunity to somehow read, see, hear or watch whatever art form they are involved in! I'm very impressed with bee's painting.

You sold your jazz collection? Funny thing. Several years ago (I guess it's many years ago now) I became so disenchanted with the pop/rock slop that was being served that I sold most of my R & R collection! What did I buy to replace it? Jazz. Naturally, I sorely regretted the loss of what were some truly classic rock LPs, the jazz was OK but one has to be pretty knowledgable in order to get the right collection. So I had to rebuild again. Now I have a nice, diverse collection. A little too small though. I think most of us can never own enough books/music. Even though I have a nice little/medium sized collection, it's always Leonard that I grab for first.

On Celine, ______that's about it. Even her following in Quebec is getting tired of her. She's quite ostentatious and is the punchline of many a joke up here in the GWN (Great White North).There is no doubt that she can reach and hold a note, but she's not my cuppa.

You opened your post with "Well, I certainly enjoyed this trip". Were you really and truly on a trip? Maybe just a trip around the board? Whatever the case, I have been wondering, "I wonder where Lizzy got to?" All I can say is "Hey, nice to run into you again!"

Good luck on your catching up. Don't get side-tracked or you'll have to start all over again!

See ya later,
Linda ~

[lizzytysh]

Thanks, Linda ~ The trip through the thread is about all this one can afford right now.....and, even then, travel at your own risk .

Love,
Lizzy