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| Author |
Message |
| 25 new of 221 responses total. |
jradio
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response 25 of 221:
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Feb 22 20:35 UTC 1997 |
Thanks for the help Steve. I'll look into those. By the way, I amalso
interested in some info on Robert Shaw, (since I do live near Atlanta). Feel
free to respond here, or send me E-mail to jdtstu@westga.edu.
By the way, what do sunglasses have to do with classical music?
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krj
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response 26 of 221:
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Feb 23 05:09 UTC 1997 |
The idea is that one could use flip-up sunglasses to block out
one's view of the titles projected over the stage.
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rcurl
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response 27 of 221:
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Feb 23 06:45 UTC 1997 |
We went to the Friday evening performance of La Boheme at Power Theatre.
It was fabulous. One thing that made it extra enjoyable was that we
changed dates at the last minute, and could only get seats in the 2nd row,
orchestra. I've always been a cheapskate and sat in the middle-price
sections. What a difference! Everything was much more 'immediate'. The
two roomies, Corrine and Schaunauer (sp?), suddenly came across as great
parts (from a greater distance, one concentrated on the principles). The
small orchestra was just below us, and the conductor just to our right. The
direct interactions between the conductor and performers could be seen.
And, in final scene, Mimi seemed to be singing directly to *me* - I was
tempted to leap upon the stage to try to comfort her. We think we will
always get front row seats hereafter (may see fewer operas, but enjoy those
we see more).
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srw
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response 28 of 221:
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Feb 23 19:14 UTC 1997 |
I would encourage you to look for relevant web sites either at
http://yahoo.com/ for a topical hierarchy o organized data, or
http://altavista.digital.com/ for a search engine.
I scanned altavista for Robert Shaw, and got a number of false hits, which
is common for search engines, but these two appear to be relevant:
http://kennedy-center.org/explore/honors/html/1991/shaw.html
http://www.musicfan.com/ecd/details/134.html
Learning how to do reasearch on the internet is easy and fun, and a useful
skill. You can do it all from grex with lynx, even if you do not have access
to a browser.
(now back to the topic)
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remmers
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response 29 of 221:
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Feb 23 19:46 UTC 1997 |
(I think lynx *is* a browser. Perhaps you meant "graphical
browser"?)
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srw
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response 30 of 221:
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Feb 23 21:47 UTC 1997 |
I meant that even if you think you do not have access to a browser, you have
access to lynx on Grex, so you should be able to do all this searching
yourself. Graphical is irrelevant, as it adds nothing to the process of
finding useful things on the net this way.
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davel
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response 31 of 221:
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Feb 24 02:52 UTC 1997 |
(Except when lynx shows you only a page consisting of something like this:
[image][image][image][image][image][image][image][image][image][image][image][
image][image][image][image][image][image][image][image][image][image][image]
)
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rcurl
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response 32 of 221:
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Feb 24 08:12 UTC 1997 |
Use your imagination....
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davel
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response 33 of 221:
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Feb 24 12:51 UTC 1997 |
(I've tried that. I've also tried "clicking" at random. At least once that
got me somewhere more useful. At least once each choice brought me back,
apparently, to exactly the same page. Wonder what things would have looked
like with a graphical browser ...)
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rcurl
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response 34 of 221:
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Feb 24 17:49 UTC 1997 |
I'd say, a montage....
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krj
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response 35 of 221:
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Feb 25 16:54 UTC 1997 |
The Michigan Opera Theatre has a web page at:
http://www.detnews.com/mot/
Perhaps someone would like to tell us how it looks with lynx?
I'll agree with Rane on how wonderful opera is from a close-in
seat. For Rane, this has the added advantage of putting those pesky
projected titles out of the field of view.
One of my favorite opera experiences was a UM student production of
LA BOHEME, in Power Center, in English. I had a seat in the second row.
Yes, it's a very immediate connection to the drama.
We found that close-in seats could generally be had at the Masonic
Theatre for $40-$50. Once, for CARMEN, we found ourselves almost
a part of the orchestra. The augmented bass section had spilled out
of the pit, and the last three bass players were to our immediate left.
I'm not yet sure, but I think that the close-in seats at the new
Detroit Opera House are the one priced up in the $95 category, so
we're unlikely to be sitting in those anytime soon.
The UM student opera tickets have just one price, so you can get your
ticket early and sit as close as you want. Or, you can wait and maybe
get lucky. A lot of patrons don't like to sit way up in the front, and
we have often gotten front-row seats when we buy tickets at the last
minute.
However, as I think I mentioned already, I do *not* recommend waiting
until the last minute to get tickets for the spring production of
MARRIAGE OF FIGARO. The Mendellsohn Theatre is very intimate, and
for a popular opera like this one a sellout is almost guaranteed.
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rcurl
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response 36 of 221:
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Feb 25 18:06 UTC 1997 |
Yes, it was rather difficult to look at the projected "super-titles"
(I admit to having tested them a couple of times - but mostly not. I
was glad that they were not in my field of view, to distract attention by
flashing from one image to another.)
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jiffer
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response 37 of 221:
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Mar 2 05:16 UTC 1997 |
who wants front row seats? singers' spit? i rather have middle row... far
enough not to be shouted at and spitted on, but close enough to apprecate the
scenery and costumes!
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rcurl
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response 38 of 221:
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Mar 3 08:00 UTC 1997 |
I don't think spit would have made it past the orchestra pit - of course, some
of the musicians also have spit problems. Music is like making sausage....
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jiffer
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response 39 of 221:
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Mar 4 06:08 UTC 1997 |
i was making a jest actually about the spit, but i do usually find the front
row seats to be too close to singers and orchastra..... so i really don't
enjoy it that much.
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rcurl
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response 40 of 221:
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Mar 4 06:57 UTC 1997 |
I think it would depend upon the theatre. At Power Center the stage
is at about eye height for a tallish person in the front row. It would
be better to be able to see the stage floor at an angle of at least a few
degrees, but no action was lost because of the geometry.
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jiffer
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response 41 of 221:
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Mar 8 08:08 UTC 1997 |
that is true.... and good thing opera and stages weren't done like they used
to be... the proportion was set for the guest of honor (king or baron) and
if you were not next to the guest of honor... the proportion was off kilter...
but rather interesting bit of history about thes tage..
that is one reason why i usually like center rows center ceats... that is
usually where the designers go for when i want to watch scenery and
costumes... and also its usually a general good location for the music...
though the amazing thing about stages is that sometimes (if the theater was
designed right) you could hear a whipser spoken on stage.
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krj
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response 42 of 221:
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Mar 20 00:53 UTC 1997 |
We just got the ad in the mail for the UM School of Music production
of Mozart's opera MARRIAGE OF FIGARO. This will be performed at the
Lydia Mendellsohn Theatre from Wednesday March 26 through Saturday
March 29. Tickets are quite reasonable, something like $14/$18, with
generous student discounts.
If you live in the Ann Arbor area and you want to try an opera with a
minimum of investment, this is for you!! Similarly, if you have never
experienced opera in a house as small as the Mendellsohn, you should
try this.
If the past is a reliable guide: all four performances will sell out
by early next week, and then tickets will be made available for one or
both of the dress rehearsals. These will be even cheaper!
Rane, do you go to the student operas?
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rcurl
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response 43 of 221:
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Mar 20 06:42 UTC 1997 |
We have - and thought they did a quite credible job. We are thinking of
going to the dress rehearsal anyway, to enjoy the performance being created.
Whoops...I think our calendar is full then. Bummer. Well, *someone* go
to a dress rehearsal, and report to us?
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tpryan
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response 44 of 221:
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Mar 23 17:43 UTC 1997 |
Since I am listening to the Rock Oper "Jesus Christ Superstar"
here on a Palm Sunday, I was wondering if this 25 year old is
classic opera yet?
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rcurl
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response 45 of 221:
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Mar 24 06:13 UTC 1997 |
Nope. Nor is "Oklahoma".
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krj
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response 46 of 221:
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Apr 10 01:10 UTC 1997 |
It's past time for me to comment on the two performances we saw
of UM's production of MARRIAGE OF FIGARO. Thusday's performance
was a little shaky, though it tended to light up whenever the
Countess was on stage. I spent a lot of time losing myself in
Mozart's instrumental textures.
The Easter Sunday performance, which had been added at the last minute,
was only sparsely attended. Y'all should have come. In place of the
full orchestra there were just two pianos; but the two pianos seemed
to often hold together better than the Thursday orchestra, and the
spare accompaniment allowed me to "see" into the vocal lines in
a very appealing way. The Sunday cast was much better: special
praise goes to Allan Schrott, the Sunday Figaro, who has his
singing and stage presence very well together.
---
David Daniels, a UM alum who had an opera performance class with
Leslie some years ago, has been given the Richard Tucker Award for 1997.
The Tucker award is probably the most prominent given to young American
opera singers; David Daniels will be appearing in this year's
Richard Tucker Gala, a concert at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC
in November which is broadcast over PBS during the holiday season.
---
We just got a flyer from Cleveland Lyric Opera, which is doing a summer
season in English. "My Fair Lady," Mozart's "Abuduction from the Seraglio,"
and two contemporary operas I have never heard of, one aimed at children.
We'll try to get out for the "Abduction," since we have never seen that
opera before.
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krj
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response 47 of 221:
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Apr 29 18:49 UTC 1997 |
David Daniels, the rising young countertenor and UM alum who I mentioned
in the preceding response, is being presented by the University
Musical Society in their 1997-1998 schedule. I don't have the
exact date at hand.
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jiffer
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response 48 of 221:
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Jun 15 14:20 UTC 1997 |
I don't know if anyone is actually reading this item anymore, but what the
hey!
Jane England, I found out today, has a CD out of her singing solos of some
famious Wagner and other operas! Quite good!
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rcurl
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response 49 of 221:
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Jun 15 17:14 UTC 1997 |
(I'm reading it...just haven't seen any opera lately.)
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