Inky Horizons

It's Friday so that means it's music time again. 

Anyone who reads my blog knows I like opera.  But unlike some stuffed shirts I don't believe opera necessarily has to be Wagnarian in concept to be opera.  That's why I want to give you a link to one of the first rock bands to incorporate operatic themes and classical sounds in their music.  When Electric Light Orchestra first started out they were a true orchestra.  In fact, they were more orchestra than rock band which gave them such a signature sound.  They weren't ever referred to as ELO but as Electric Light Orchestra. It was only later they moved away from those classical roots and became simply E.L.O.  As a result they were never as good and they quickly vanished.  Deservedly so.

But nevertheless this song, and the blend of rock and classical music, still endures. "Livin' Thing" has a deep orchestral arrangement that not only sweetens the song but makes it one of the most memorable hits ever.  Give it a listen.


Livin' Thing

Yesterday I dug and planted a vegetable garden with my bare hands.  I expect to get high marks from the Universe for that someday.  Just sayin'.  And it wasn't difficult digging the garden.  I mean, I'm so incredibly powerful my muscles make pig iron look like cookie dough.  I planted cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, strawberries and cabbage.  Hooray for the Green Thumb Me.

Today I edited chapter seven of my new novel, "Blue Fire."  This is in preparation to bring something to my writing group tomorrow night.  I meant to bring this earlier, but I kinda got busy rewriting "A Sea of Silent Stars" and then rewriting it again to be followed up by rewriting it once more.  So it was a pleasure just to fiddle around with a single chapter today....

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I have from time to time commented on operas I have heard and then pass them along to promote the general discourse.  You know, something different from the usual LJ post detailing what kind of cheese sandwich someone had for lunch. While I was getting close to Nature yesterday I listened to the rock opera Tommy by The Who on my mp3 player.  (The fact I even own an mp3 player is a post for another day.) If you haven't heard this opera you should.  And, please, stay away from the movie soundtrack.  Okay, Elton John's rendition of "Pinball Wizard" isn't bad, but stick with the source material if you can.  (There was also an album with The Who accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra.  Not bad, and worth a listen if you have the opportunity.  The movie soundtrack is just plain awful.)

This is a good opera.  Even if you don't like opera it's a good opera.  It's episodic but the deep emotion and arc of the main story holds it all together.  That's because it's well written.  And is there a better piece of instrumental music by The Who than the "Underture"?  Okay, there probably is.  But the point I'm trying to make is opera isn't always what you think it is.  Sometimes you have to dig a bit beneath the surface.  Like you have to do with this opera.  Listen to it and you think, "Okay, it's about a deaf, dumb and blind kid who plays pinball."  Nope.  Not even close.  Listen closely to the final track entitled "We're Not Gonna Take It" and then you'll know what the entire opera was really all about.  And God help you if you can't figure it out.  (That's your hint, by the way.)

Tommy by The Who.  A ground breaking opera.  It even has a few memorable tunes.  Plus, there's no fat lady to bring down the curtain.  Give it a listen if you haven't already....

Not much accomplished writing wise.  Eh, but that's okay.  It's not like I didn't need the rest and I'm not behind on my writing so I could afford it.  I've got another chapter slated for this week which shouldn't be a problem.  I'll catch up.  My Muse calls.

Usually when I have extra time like that I read a ton.  It really bothers me I am not able to read as much as I used to.  Even though I have readers they don't really help.  Magnifying blurry text only gives me blurry text for my limited brain to decipher.  So it looks like I will have to go to the optometrist and get a new pair of glasses.  This really makes me happy because I spent 4 thousand dollars on Lasik surgery already.  Sucks.  Plus I get to go to the doctor and have an annual checkup.  I hate being poked and prodded.  Even under the best of circumstances I despise people in general (except for my intelligent and lovely readers) I certainly am not looking forward to being poked, prodded and sampled on Wednesday.  Sucks.

But there was one highlight this weekend.  I went to see I Puritani featuring Anna Netrebko.  Not only is she lovely her voice is fantastic.  I've come late to opera.  I appreciate it but I don't know that much about it.  I was stunned at how beautiful her voice is.  The opera itself was short on story because it's a bella canto which means "beautiful singing" or "beautiful song" takes precedence over the story.  And, boy, was the singing memorable as was Netrebko's mad scene as Elvira, the jilted lover.  This isn't my favorite opera, not by a long sight, but the singing was super and Netrebko has a brand new fan.

Oh, and after the opera I had tandoori chicken at an Indian restaurant.  This is the second time I've had Indian food.  It's not on my top five either for ethnic, but I did like it.  Hooray for me for trying new things!

This weekend I saw a DVD of Verdi's Aida. I highly recommend it.  I like the productions put on by The Met and Levine is old school himself.  No Boulez reinterpretation for him...he's very traditional which is a quality I like in opera.

This opera starts off like any other, setting the stage.  Because this is a Levine production you immediately get the sense of how small the actors are compared to the grand sets.  You know they will be ground into dust by the Egyptian empire before the opera is ended.  As each act ends Aida and the other characters slide deeper and deeper into disintegration until she and her lover are entombed forever.

This opera is very well written, too. (It is by Verdi after all!)  We never really like Radames, the Egyptian general Aida the Ethiopian slave girl is in love with. He's kinda stupid and easily duped.  But we REALLY hate Amneris, the King's daughter and Aida's rival.  But by the end of the opera we realize how wrong we were about Amneris and we're almost moved to tears by the revelation of HER love. 

Aida is one of the best known operas around.  There's a reason for that: it's good.  And, best of all, when the fat lady sings in this opera it really is over!

Seriously, give it a look if you have a chance.  It's well-written, the music is memorable, especially the song where Aida remembers her homeland, and the final scene where Amneris is off stage, singing about her loss.  Very, very moving.