tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post7154163136479769910..comments2024-03-28T12:59:05.739-07:00Comments on Iron Tongue of Midnight: Nixon in San FranciscoLisa Hirschhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-38341349867034018002012-11-12T21:15:55.081-08:002012-11-12T21:15:55.081-08:00Yes.Yes.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12254138622622583294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-70156344667686892022012-11-11T21:09:37.721-08:002012-11-11T21:09:37.721-08:00Uh....presumably "Genevieve Castle Room"...Uh....presumably "Genevieve Castle Room" is another pseudonym for the Pelleastrian?Lisa Hirschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-37963172675258624642012-11-11T20:41:20.088-08:002012-11-11T20:41:20.088-08:00Lisa,
One more point:
"Oh, I find it a lot ...Lisa,<br /><br />One more point:<br /><br /><i>"Oh, I find it a lot more compelling than Pelleas"</i><br /><br />Are you aware of the fact that <i>Pelleas et Melisande</i> is probably the most musically sophisticated opera of the last 400years?<br /><br />I suggest you read this entry on my blog to get a perspective on the deepest and purest form of opera love.<br /><br />http://genevievecastleroom.blogspot.com/Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12254138622622583294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-65361149947652177562012-09-08T21:03:04.521-07:002012-09-08T21:03:04.521-07:00Nixon is a late 20th c. masterpiece. Do you know i...<i>Nixon is a late 20th c. masterpiece. Do you know it?</i><br /><br />Yes I got to know it through the Edo de Waart recording.<br /><br /><i>As for Palestrina and Mathis, I do not know them to speak of, but I've read enough about them - and know how rarely they are performed - that I'm willing to accept received knowledge on them: they're rarities for a reason.</i><br /><br />But why would anyone willingly accept ‘received knowledge’ about an aesthetic object? I always must do my own close, detailed and personal study of an opera and then form my own judgment. Also, I would never care too much what any prominent critic says because we all have our tastes and predilections, and not every art work can move us all equally.<br /><br />Sorry but in the case of <i>Palestrina</i> and <i>Mathis der Maler</i> most opera critics are simply wrong. Very wrong. Again, these 2 works with their noble and beautiful music are unjustly neglected.The Wistful Pelleastrianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01391989065502028363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-7698953186912262842012-09-08T00:51:36.192-07:002012-09-08T00:51:36.192-07:00Nixon is a late 20th c. masterpiece. Do you know i...<i>Nixon</i> is a late 20th c. masterpiece. Do you know it?<br /><br />As for <i>Palestrina</i> and <i>Mathis</i>, I do not know them to speak of, but I've read enough about them - and know how rarely they are performed - that I'm willing to accept received knowledge on them: they're rarities for a reason.Lisa Hirschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-57198037594493032072012-09-07T16:57:13.945-07:002012-09-07T16:57:13.945-07:00Of course you're an opera lover. I just find i...Of course you're an opera lover. I just find it weird to see someone make qualitative comparisons between <i>Pelleas et Melisande</i> and <i>Nixon in China</i>. The former is one of the great masterpieces of Western music and a landmark in opera history while the latter is a fine but second tier opera (at best). <br /><br /><i>"Rolling on the floor laughing over your suggested swap"</i><br /><br />Do you intimately know <i>Palestrina</i> and <i>Mathis der Maler</i>?<br /><br />How can one not feel that the final 40 minutes from Act 1 of <i>Palestrina</i> (the apparition/composition scene) is one of the great scenes in all opera? And what about the 3 amazing preludes? And the wonderful, all male 70 minute Council of Trent (Act 2) -- a very special favorite of mine.<br /><br />As for <i>Mathis der Maler</i> try the second and third scenes from the Fifth tableaux - beginning at <i>'Tiefste Scham steigt in mir auf'</i> all the way to the end (about 12 minutes). This is <b>great</b> opera, folks. <br /><br />Those are just 2 of the more famous passages. With the exception of Regina's inane little folk song ('Es wollt ein Maidlen') in the first tableaux I find all 3 hours of Hindemith's masterpiece to be riveting. For me it is more than worthy to stand with Berg, Strauss, Britten or Janacek.The Wistful Pelleastrianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01391989065502028363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-32639910599314751602012-09-07T15:49:53.240-07:002012-09-07T15:49:53.240-07:00If you're saying I'm not an opera lover, y...If you're saying I'm not an opera lover, you're wrong.<br /><br />If you're saying no opera lover would ever mention Debussy and Adams in the same sentence, you're wrong, because I have.<br /><br />Rolling on the floor laughing over your suggested swap.Lisa Hirschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-84819925592666784382012-09-07T15:34:33.069-07:002012-09-07T15:34:33.069-07:00Henry,
Pelleas et Melisande
Salome
Elektra
The Cu...Henry,<br /><br /><i>Pelleas et Melisande<br />Salome<br />Elektra<br />The Cunning Little Vixen<br />Bluebeard's Castle<br />Wozzeck<br />Dialogues des Carmelites<br />Kata Kabanova<br />Peter Grimes<br />Lulu</i><br /><br />A fine 10 list but there are 2 superior operas that belong there: <i>Palestrina</i> and <i>Mathis der Maler</i>. Without hesitation I'd remove <i>Lulu</i> and <i>Bluebeard's Castle</i> to make room for them.The Wistful Pelleastrianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01391989065502028363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-74480353947212011462012-09-07T15:19:40.063-07:002012-09-07T15:19:40.063-07:00"Oh, I find [Nixon in China] a lot more compe...<i>"Oh, I find [Nixon in China] a lot more compelling than Pelleas.</i><br /><br />Seriously?<br /><br />I don't think any opera lover would ever mention Debussy and Adams in the same sentence. The Wistful Pelleastrianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01391989065502028363noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-38653039673033608292012-06-12T15:10:12.250-07:002012-06-12T15:10:12.250-07:00Oh, I find it a lot more compelling than Pelleas. ...Oh, I find it a lot more compelling than Pelleas. ;-)<br /><br />And note my wording: as musically compelling, not MORE musically compelling. And yes, that's what I believe. <br /><br />You know that I hate Dialogs, right? Not a big Grimes fan either.Lisa Hirschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14014924958428072675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-91205683049642519042012-06-11T23:34:19.897-07:002012-06-11T23:34:19.897-07:00But listen you must, because Nixon is as musically...<i>But listen you must, because Nixon is as musically compelling as anything to reach the operatic stage in the last century</i><br /><br />Oh, c'mon Lisa, really? Even with that third act? Let's be generous and say the last 110 years to accomodate Debussy's opera, you're going to make that claim when these operas still are performed? <br /><br />Pelleas et Melisande<br />Salome<br />Elektra<br />The Cunning Little Vixen<br />Bluebeard's Castle<br />Wozzeck<br />Dialogues des Carmelites<br />Kata Kabanova<br />Peter Grimes<br />Lulu<br /><br />That's just off the top of my head, I didn't even mention my usual suspects!Henry Hollandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15871451112170286316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8957911.post-9340481073163107302012-06-11T13:31:02.499-07:002012-06-11T13:31:02.499-07:00When I appear the people hang upon my words!When I appear the people hang upon my words!Axel Feldheimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12517904558156089265noreply@blogger.com