Blogging Positive

28. January 2009 · Comments Off on Blogging Positive · Categories: Ramble, Videos

I just read of another opera company (one that does concert performances) that has canceled the remainder of their season. I was going to post the link, but I’m wondering if all the doomsday stuff I post is only causing readers of this blog — or perhaps just me! — to grow more fearful. So never mind.

I think from here on out I’ll just post good news. Who need the bad news, right?

We all know that things are rough right now. I don’t need to remind anyone of that. I do need to remind myself, and perhaps those who read this, that good things continue to happen as well. So there you go.

Moving to good news …

Today we had the orchestra rehearsal of Cosi fan tutte. I just love this music, and I’m so glad we are doing it. The overture has some oboe licks, to be sure, and there’s one little run in the finale of the second act that always scares me a bit. I sit for quite a long time and then I have to come in and play the thing. Good old Mozart; he does let us sit a good long time and do nothing sometimes.

I’ve been told that the singers are incredible. I can’t wait to hear them. We have the first sitzprobe tomorrow, and the second on Friday.

Just Sayin’

28. January 2009 · 2 comments · Categories: Ramble

The winner of tonight’s Jeopardy just made more in one night than I make in a year.

PS Of course he is a lot smarter than I.

🙂

YouTube Symphony Orchestra

28. January 2009 · 2 comments · Categories: Links, Ramble

As you may have noticed, I’ve stopped putting up the audition videos. At this point I would recommend that you go to the YouTube Symphony link, click on “View”, and select either oboe or English horn. There you’ll find a number of auditionees. Some are quite good. Some are … well … not so very good.

And I even recognized one player, as I’ve had conversations via Instant Message with the player. Fun!

So go check ’em out if you want. It’s kind of fun, but I grew weary of hearing so many oboes.

Weird, huh?

MQOD

28. January 2009 · 2 comments · Categories: Quotes

I don’t know who’s playing, but Yo-Yo Ma is gonna be on a commercial.

Okay, okay … that was ME talking.

I was just reminding Dan that the superbowl (Hmmm. Should that be capitalized?) is on on Sunday. He responded somewhat indifferently, saying he didn’t even know who was playing. Nor do I. But my response above is all you need, right?

Truth be told, we used to watch the game and yak through the actual game but, come commercials, we’d hush everyone up. I’m guessing I won’t be as thrilled this Sunday, as it seems that the past few years haven’t been nearly as good, aside from the all important oboe ad.

Opera Blogging

28. January 2009 · 2 comments · Categories: Links, Opera, Ramble

Vancouver Opera really has some fun stuff going on. First, they have a blog which is quite savvy of them. (I wish SSV and OSJ would start something up.) They have a Facebook page. They feature Opera Manga. And just last night they invited some bloggers to attend Carmen and do some live blogging, even featuring them in the lobby.

How fun.

They only had four bloggers. When I attended San Francisco Symphony’s Blogger Night (gee, that was a while ago, I wonder if they’ve done another and taken me off the list?) there were many more of us, but I like this smaller idea better. More attention for the few bloggers, for one thing.

Here are the bloggers, in no particular order:

delicious juice dot com
Miss 604
This Chick’s Life
Beyond Robson

I’m not linking directly to their opera blog entries, but I’m sure you are smart enough to find them … yes?

BQOD

28. January 2009 · Comments Off on BQOD · Categories: BQOD

I don’t think I ever had the patience for classical music, having had my attention span honed since birth by the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the King. But suddenly last summer I had grown up enough to sit still through a sonata, and my reward was beyond anything. I have always loved opera arias, but now I learned about where they fit into the opera and what they were about. I learned names of musicians and singers and musical groups performing symphonies by Dvorak and Lizst and Bach and Salieri. I learned that Salonen was leaving the LA Philharmonic this year (wonderboy Gustavo Dudamel is taking his place).

🙂

I love reading stuff stuff like this.

Wrath of Khan Opera

28. January 2009 · Comments Off on Wrath of Khan Opera · Categories: Videos

Thanks, Drew, for alerting me to this!