frufru's haven

Lord of the Rings Chrome Theme

2011-11-15T19:38:00.001+01:00

Theme No.2. After the Doctor Who theme I decided to create one a bit more relaxing for the eyes. Behold, green:

Please enlarge the picture and see how the theme toolbar joins with the tab background, forming one whole :-) It was made for 1280x1024 resolution.

Download from Mediafire (nearly 2MB)

Doctor Who Chrome Theme with David Tennant

2011-11-14T22:18:00.001+01:00

I'm not only an opera buff, I also enjoy sci-fi and fantasy. I've been trying to find a Doctor Who Chrome theme, but couldn't find any that would suit me, so I decided to create my own. Feel free to try it an let me know what you think - it's my debut in the field of theme-making :-)

The DoctorWho Google Chrome theme features the time vortex from the RTD era, the Tardisin space and a picture of David Tennant as the Doctor in the suit from the 2007Christmas special. The white text of the inactive tabs was illegible over theTardis glow (which would be annoying if you use a lot of tabs), so I used thesame picture without the Tardis for the inactive tabs. Inactive Chrome windowfades the Tardis in space into yellow-ish. It was made in the Chrome Theme Creator online.

Thanks to SevenJetC for support, advice and pictures.

Once you've downloaded it, simply drag and drop it in a new Chrome tab. You'll be asked if you want to install it - click "yes". Enjoy!

Download (from Mediafire) 855 kB

Our Dear Minister of Culture

2011-05-06T23:10:00.000+02:00

If you google "kultura v čr",
this picture comes on the first page...

We have a very special Minister of Culture. A dentist by education, a president of an ice hockey club and a hotel manager by profession, Jiří Besser is known for being a fan of the hard rock group Kabát ("Coat") and a determination to liquidate the State Opera. While I respect different people's tastes and something probably should be done about the State Opera (like, give it more money), the longer he's been the Minister of Culture, the more I'm convinced that he shouldn't be.

I have that weird opinion that ministers, especially some, should fight for their portfolios. The Minister of Environment should try to protect the environment, the Minister of Education should aspire for our children to be as educated as possible, the Minister of Culture to protect the culture of the country, and so on and so forth. Apparently, not so with our government. Let me not write about the ex-minister of environment who had said that he would "breathe for Czech industry" (he resigned in 12/2010 after a corruption scandal at his ministry, too big even for Czech conditions). Let me not write about the salaries - or rather handouts - that Czech scientists and research workers get, either. That hopefully cannot get any worse. Let me write about culture.

...and this one on the fifth.
Jiří Bělohlávek conducting a concert at the Prague Spring.
foto: Jiří Bělohlávek © Pražské jaro – Zdeněk Chrapek

According to ČT24, at the conference Creativity and Innovation in Cities and Regions of the Czech Republic, our beloved Minister of Culture uttered the following: "We must realize that cultural output not only enriches the spirit, but also brings economic effects." He added that it was necessary to change the perspective that if something in culture is popular and financially successful, it becomes suspicious. Of course, Kabát made it to the Eurovision contest with the song Little Lady, and their live DVD Hellishly Big Concert sold 50,000 copies. Soloists from the State Opera, can you claim that?

It is a very dangerous attitude indeed. Let Mr.Besser dream about a Czech version of U2 (which, by his own words, brings a lot of capital to the British Ministry of Culture - which cannot be denied, of course), but he must realize that what rings a bell in a foreign mind is Dvořák, Janáček or Bělohlávek. We often criticize [some] Czech orchestras for their quality, but it is a bleak reality that musicians must often play in two or more orchestras to make a living. In these circumstances, the situation of Czech musical scene is nothing short of a miracle! The Czech Republic gives 0,5% of state budget to culture, which is, according to this very, very interesting website, one of the lowest in Europe.

Jiří Besser, M.D.

Of course, investment in culture doesn't return so apparently. Possibly a famed opera house brings more tourists. Possibly if citizens live up to their cultural standards, they are happier and more productive. But most importantly, an air of quality culture has a positive effect on the entire society. When people regularly encounter posters inviting them to the opera, maybe they will eventually go. Art is not escapism in catchy tunes and loud beats from everyday reality, as I suspect most of pop music is, but it brings a value and beauty to our lives. Are they useless for the economy? Not even that! Capitalism is built on Western moral values. The very values that were destroyed in Easter Europe by socialism and the lack of which is I believe now causing e.g. the levels of corruption being so high precisely in these countries.If art enriches our lives, it enriches our society - and what is a minister good for if he doesn't care about the future of his country?

We are not rich enough not to invest in art and culture.

PS: I fear it's lobbyists at work here, too :-(

Prague State Opera: Nobody Knows Anything

2011-04-22T00:53:00.000+02:00

Apparently, not even the Minister of Culture.

As this is a topic important for foreign visitors to Prague and has already driven attention abroad, I decided to try and summarize the issue.

History

New German Theatre

To understand the problem, we must take a look at the history of opera in Prague. There are two companies with three houses. The Estates Theatre was founded in 1783 mainly for German drama and Italian opera. During the National Revival Czech patriots naturally wanted a Czech language theatre, and after two provisional buildings, the National Theatre was opened in 1881. Shortly afterwards, in 1888, the future State Opera was founded as the New German Theatre.

Therefore, all the way until the end of World War II, the roles of the respective theatres were clear. During socialism, both houses had one management, and operas in the National Theatre were sung in Czech. The real challenge came after the Velvet Revolution, when the State Opera became an independent subject.

It was supposed to be a showcase of opera, an opera house of European standards. There were some bold projects in the 1990's - many new productions, modern operas, famous guests. Unfortunately, opera is expensive and good opera double so. In the early 2000's the ministry decided to appoint a director who would make more necessary compromises.

It is not true that there's nothing good at the SOP
(Death in Venice, 2009; foto Michal Krumphanzl, ČTK)

It is questionable whether separation of the house from the National Theatre was a good move, as some titles are shown in both of them, there is no coordination, only proclaimed beneficial competition. However, a lack of both funding and vision led to a situation when the quality of performances varies greatly, productions are decades old and neglected and, worst of all, the reputation of a once famous house has suffered greatly.

Minister's Plan
The ability of the Ministry of Culture to communicate with public reaches negative readings. Dr. Besser is the second least popular minister, and that is saying a lot for a minister of culture in a cabinet tormented with corruption scandals and unpopular reforms. His latest initiative is the plan to merge the companies of the State Opera and the National Theatre. However, you'd be mistaken if you thought that such a big step was fully announced, together with all pros and cons, leaving space for a thorough and reasonable discussion.

If only these light bulbs represented
the minister's good ideas...

In December 2010 the director of the SOP Oliver Dohnányi resigned, saying he wouldn't "assist the liquidation" of the opera, and was replaced by Radim Dolanský. A month later the artistic director of the National Theatre opera Jiří Heřman announced his stepping down, suggesting "the expected merge of the opera of the National Theatre and the State Opera Prague". Opera-loving public was in a flutter, agitated speculations were everywhere. Shortly after that a study was released without much explanation, so everybody assumed it was an official statement of the Ministry. It gave the impression of 'behind-the-desk' research and came to the conclusion that the ensembles should be merged and all opera should be performed at the SOP house, after a reconstruction of the building. The only exception is Mozart, which should stay at the Estates Theatre, leaving the National Theatre without opera at all (with the exception of special occasions, such as Smetana's Libuše on the Czech Independence Day). The discussions were furious.

In March, when it became clear that the ensembles (orchestras, choruses, ballets, soloists) would be merged, Dolanský opposed that. He was promptly replaced by the director of the National Theatre Ondřej Černý. There have been three versions of the 2011/12 season program, each suggesting a different date of beginning of the reconstruction, for which the opera house must be closed. The minister shoots from the hip, what seemed to be concrete plans has dissolved in vagueness, everybody is annoyed, ensemble of the State opera is protesting, musicians are worried for their jobs.

What now?

What FrufruJ Thinks
Many things reveal under-preparedness and imprudence on the part of the Ministry. While I've seen some atrocious performances at the SOP, it is clear that with only 0,6% GDP going to culture, the situation can hardly change. I wouldn't be a priori against a merge, if only it meant more cooperation, more coordination, better quality and if I were sure that it is well-thought-out. I've heard bad singers who either need long holidays and work on their technique, or shouldn't be singing at all. I've seen decades-old productions which have dissolved into bored concerts among dull sets. They're far from many, but in an opera house in a major European city, there shouldn't be any! If there isn't enough money, if the people come to the conclusion that giving more money to have two representative opera houses is not in their interest, a considerate merge (or partial merge, who says it's the only solution?) might be a good thing. Stress the word "considerate". The way how it is happening is unacceptable.

"Gorby 80"

2011-04-16T16:44:00.003+02:00

User maraeincognitum61 has uploaded the whole gala concert celebrating Mikhail Gorbachev's 80^th birthday (with Russian translation) to YouTube. I'm also being told that it will be available on Medici TV; that would be in English. There was no operatic singing, as Dmitri Hvorostovsky only sang one song. No, not one of the beautiful Russian romances or old songs, but one by Igor Krutoy called Vecchie illusioni. It's quite nice, and no, it's not the one with the slightly erotic video-clip. Katherine Jenkins was worse than usual, no matter if you thought possible or not. The rest is pop, rock and talking.

As much as I dislike such events, I must say that I quite enjoyed some performers - the classical rock bands were good. On the other hand, I'm not really sure what a Spice Girl had to do at Gorby's birthday, or why the final song had to be so kitschy. ("He sacrificed so others could survive"? Really? You are aware that he's not Jesus, right?). I don't know, sure these events must be quite mixed bags, but could they be more of carefully mixed cocktails that mix flavours with a certain idea in mind, rather than packs of names without any connection?

Part one: Intro; 1:30 hosts Sharon Stone and Kevin Spacey enter; 4:50 Gorbachev speaks, Mikhail Gorbachev award "The Man Who Changed the World"; 8:45 profiles of Ted Turner, Steven Spielberg and Bono; 10:15 Ted Turner accepts the award; 12:30 The Scorpions.

Part two: Most of The Scorpions; 5:47 message from Sting; 6:40 the British ambassador to the Russian Federation Dame Anne Pringle; 8:40 Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Igor Krutoy.

Part three: Israeli president Shimon Peres; 2:40 profiles of Sergey Brin (co-founder of Google), Jürgen Habermas (sociologist and philosopher) and Evans Wadongo (Kenyan engineer); 3:55 Evans Wadongo accepts the award; 4:45 Katherine Jenkins; 8:15 Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks; 10:00 Andrey Makarevich and the Time Machine.

Part four: Rest of Makarevich; 3:15 Gorbachev sings a song for his wife; 5:25 Lara Fabian and Igor Krutoy; 10:00 Shirley Bassey; 13:35 Melanie C enters.

Part five: Melanie C sings; 3:05 Lech Walesa; 4:30 Milla Jovovich; 6:40 profiles of Sir Timothy Berners-Lee (inventor of the World Wide Web), Martin Cooper (inventor of the mobile telephone) and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva; 8:10 Mike Berners-Lee accepts the award in his brother's stead, message from Sir Timothy; 11:30 Choir of Michail Turetsky.

Part six: More of Choir of Michail Turetsky; 4:40 a message from Bill Clinton; 6:10 Bryan Ferry.

Part seven: Paul Anka; 7:40 a message from Bono; 8:25 end speech of the hosts; 9:50 EVERYBODY singing Paul Anka's and Andrey Makarevich's "Changing the World For Us All"; 13:24 "Happy Birthday to You"

To Gorby With Love

2011-02-27T17:30:00.000+01:00

Mikhail Gorbachev is celebrating his 80th birthday with style. As long as "style" means an opulent event hosted by Kevin Spacey and Sharon Stone, featuring a mixed bag of performers ranging from Paul Anka or Melanie C (from the Spice Girls) to Valery Gergiev, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Katherine Jenkins. Ouch, that hurt, writing those names in the same sentence. To be fair, it is a charity event in support of the Macmillan Cancer Support. On the other hand, it is a bit trying to see my favourite baritone, my favourite conductor and an excellent orchestra (London Symphony) share a podium with pop stars at what seems to be a snobbish event.

The names of political personas who have promised attendance won't surprise anybody with a little insight into international political scene: Arnold Schwarzenegger, who recently paid a visit to Moscow and gave a huge shout-out to the Russian industry. Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, a country now closer to Russia diplomatically than Ukraine geographically. Sir John Major and Shimon Perez will be there, too. Bill Clinton and Dmitry Medvedev will only be shown on pre-recorded congratulatory messages.

A waspish article from The Telegraph is HERE.

Official website http://www.gorby80.com/

State Opera Prague to Be Merged with the National Theatre (?)

2011-01-28T19:58:00.000+01:00

The incumbent Artistic Director of the National Theatre Opera, Jiří Heřman (by the way the director of the wonderful Miracles of Mary), is to be replaced by a congenial 30-year-old Slovene by the artistic name Rocc, an Artistic Director of the Janáček Opera Brno. On the occasion of a commentary on the move, Heřman explained that "[w]ith the Director of the National Theatre Ondřej Černý we agreed on termination of my activity in the context of the expected merge of the opera of the National Theatre and the State Opera Prague. I'm not convinced that the reorganization can be performed in such a short-time perspective without an influence on the artistic level." ^[source]

There had been speculations on what would happen with the State Opera, which is suffering from financial problems and, according to some, lower artistic level. These talks emerged with much greater intensity just before last Christmas, when Oliver Dohnányi, the General Director of the Prague State Opera House, resigned after a "friendly agreement" with the Minister of Culture, Jiří Besser, as we reported here.

I'll keep you posted.

Jiří Bělohlávek - New Chief Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic (Hooray!)

2010-12-22T13:35:00.000+01:00

The Ministry of Culture confirmed that the world-renown conductor Jiří Bělohlávek would become the Chief Conductor of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra. The contract is to be signed later today (Dec 22 2010) and Maestro will take the position probably by autumn 2012.

Mr.Bělohlávek has already been the Chief Conductor of the CP - between 1990 and 1992, and his leaving is viewed as a major mistake on part of the philharmonics and a cause of the twenty-year crisis of the orchestra. He is currently the Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, with his contract ending in 2012. Some musicians of the CP are worried due to Maestro's notorious high demands, but most people assume that the orchestra needs a firm hand and that Bělohlávek's name will help the prestige of the orchestra abroad.

Source: operaplus.cz

Director of Prague State Opera resigned, future of the house uncertain

2010-12-20T23:17:00.002+01:00

Second economy-related post today. Oliver Dohnányi, the General Director of the Prague State Opera House, resigned today, after a "friendly agreement" with the Minister of Culture, Jiří Besser, M.D. According to the Minister, Mr. Donhányi is "more of a musician than a manager" and failed to pay off the debt inherited from the previous management (Dohnányi had been appointed by Riedlbauch in June this year). The opera house is, by words of the Minister's spokesman Brunclík, "in a state of despair" and in need of an extensive reconstruction. According to Mr.Dohnányi, the line was so low that there was nowhere to save up.

The opera is now 7,000,000 CZK ($370,000) in debt, while the reconstruction is about to cost tens of millions of Crowns. The length of the reconstruction hasn't been revealed by the Ministry. Even before there were concerns about the State Opera - it has been always losing the competition with the National Theatre. It has been suggested that it should merge with the National Theatre, so that there would be cooperation rather than the counter-productive competition. Some people argued that three opera stages are too many for Prague. As the plans of reconstruction emerged, many fear for the fate of the opera itself, including Mr. Dohnányi:

Oliver von Dohnányi

I'm not going to assist in the liquidation of the opera ensemble

Today at 11 o'clock, I resigned from the position of the General Director of the State Opera. It happened after a long pressure from the Ministry of Culture. At today's audience Culture Minister Jiří Besser informed me for the first time about the plan of the Ministry to have the Prague State Opera Prague comprehensively reconstructed, therefore to discontinue the art business - that in his opinion the post of the Director should not be occupied by an artist, but a manager. If I refused to resign, the Minister I was going to withdraw me on the spot. Minister didn't present me with another reason for the appeal he said that the State Opera has long been in a state of emergency, technically and economically, of which I do not bear the slightest guilt.

I regret that the Minister hadn't informed me of his intention earlier, while I was responsible for developing the project savings in 2011 and specifying the medium-term development concept of the State Opera. I presented to him both the documents. At the meeting on November 22 the Culture Minister also announced that he intends to list as director of the State Opera tender, in accordance with the declared intent to tender for any directors of governmental organizations, who in his opinion haven't passed the selection procedure. At the same time he invited me to take part in the selection process.

I regret that I could not implement the plans that I declared, but I am not going to assist in the liquidation of the Prague State Opera.

Thank you for your cooperation to all who joined me in striving to restore the importance and prestige of the opera house.

Oliver Dohnanyi

(translation by frufruJ)

Czech Philharmonic must economize, Hvorostovsky cancelled

2010-12-20T21:22:00.002+01:00

According to the Ministry of Culture, the Czech Philharmonic must "completely change its economy management". The audit doesn't report any fraudulent activities, rather incompetency of Mr.Riedlbauch and Mr.Darjanin. Mr.Riedlbauch was the Director General from 2001 to 2009, when he became the Minister of Culture of the caretaker government after the ~~international embarrassment~~ fall of the regular government during the EU presidency, and Mr.Darjanin took over.

Vladimír Darjanin

Václav Riedlbauch

_____________________________
However, ten months later, Riedlbauch dismissed Darjanin and appointed Václav Kasík - without a tender. After protests by the philharmonics, Kasík resigned at the end of August, and since then the director of the Czech Philharmonic is Radek Zdráhal, a deputy of the Minister of Culture.

Musicians protesting against Kasík in front of the Rudolfinum,
suggesting that he got the post out of acquaintanceship.

Mr.Darjanin had arranged a concert and workshop with the starry pianist Lang Lang, and the season was supposed to end with style, with Dmitri Hvorostovsky's concert in the Spanish Hall of the Prague Castle (it's the beautiful golden-white hall where Obama and Medvedev signed the New Start treaty). The philharmonic are arranging alternate dates for these two concerts, but it seems that it won't be before 2012.

Source of information and images: Czech TV

Le Nozze with Plachetka - Standing Ovations at the Estates Theatre

2010-11-22T21:48:00.001+01:00

Adam Plachetka, Kateřina Kněžíková.
Photo: National Theatre

Tripple good luck: I'm subscribed to the National Theatre on Facebook, where they announced that Adam Plachetka, who's now singing in Vienna, would make a special appearance in Prague; and there were two seats left in the centre of the second row! Moreover, the places before us were empty for the first two acts, so we could admire the full stretch of the conductor, Mr. Jan Chalupecký, who not only did great job, but was also fun to watch.

I saw this production more than a year ago, and then I had a few objections - I didn't like the scene of "Non più andrai", the way how Figaro and others behave to Cherubino, and some actions of Rosina in Act II. (namely the obligatory rolling on the floor in a gown, which I find as one of the most annoying clichés in opera direction). HOWEVER this time, the Countess behaved more like a Countess, and what's more important, it was sensible how every singer was enjoying the performance. Even the end of Act I was palatable for me, and even the audience of the Estates Theatre - mostly tourists who take it as an attraction, especially at operas like this or Don Giovanni - was constantly cracking up. I don't know if it's just me having seen one too many eurotrash productions, or if the singers smoothed it up with performing it, or it was special because of the special guest, or all three, but it was a wonderful night for us.

Kateřina Kněžíková
Photo: National Theatre

What I love about Czech productions of Mozart, is that they are (more often than not) able to capture the fun, playfulness and lightheartedness of his work, that I can't find in many productions by renown directors. When you add the wonderful cast - Adam Plachetka as Figaro, Kateřina Kněžíková as Susanna (I'm told that they've separated... if the rumour that they were dating is true in the first place... well, who cares :-) ), Martin Bárta as Almaviva (you can also see him as a very good [and handsome] Don Giovanni here, with Kněžíková as Zerlina), Stanislava Jirků as Cherubino, Yvona Škvárová as Marcellina or Zdeněk Plech as Don Bartolo.

History (abbridged)

2010-11-22T20:28:00.001+01:00

3050 B.C.- A Sumerian invents the wheel. Within the week, the idea is stolen and duplicated by other Sumerians, thereby establishing the business ethic for all times.

2900 B.C.-Wondering why the Egyptians call that new thing a Sphinx becomes the first of the world's Seven Great Wonders.

1850 B.C.-Britons proclaim Operation Stonehenge a success. They've finally gotten those boulders arrange in a sufficiently meaningless pattern to confuse the hell out of scientists for centureis.

1785 B.C.-The first calendar, composed of a year with 354 days, is introduced by Babylonian scientists.

1768 B.C.-Babylonians realize something is wrong when winter begins in June.

776 B.C.-The world's first known money appears in Persia, immediately causing the world's first known counterfeiter to appear in Persia the next day.

525 B.C.-The first Olympics are held, and prove similar to the modern games, except that the Russians don't try to enter a six-footer with a mustache in the women's shot put. However, the Egyptians do!

410 B.C.-Rome ends the pracitce of throwing debtors into slavery, thus removing the biggest single obstacle to the development of the credit card.

404 B.C.-The Peloponnesian war has been going on for 27 years now because neither side can find a treaty writer who knows how to spell Peloponnesian.

214 B.C.-Tens of thousands of Chinese labor for a generation to build the 1,500 mile long Great Wall of China. And after all that, it still doesn't keep the neighbor's dog out.

1 B.C.-Calendar manufacturers find themselves in total disagreement over what to call next year.

79 A.D.-Buying property in Pompeii turns out to have been a lousy real estate investment.

432-St. Patrick introduces Christianity to Ireland, thereby giving the natives something interesting to fight about for the rest of their recorded history.

1000-Leif Ericsson discovers America, but decides it's not worth mentioning.

1043-Lady Godiva finds a means of demonstrating against high taxes that immediately makes everyone forget what she is demonstrating against.

1125-Arabic numerals are introduced to Europe, enabling peasants to sole the most baffiling problem that confronts them: How much tax do you owe on MMMDCCCLX Lira when you're in the XXXVI percent bracket?

1233-The INquisition is set up to torture and kill anyone who disagrees with the Law of the Church. However, the practice is so un-Christian that it is permitted to continue for only 600 years.

1297-The world's first stock exchange opens, but no one has the foresight to buy IBM or Xerox.

1433-Portugal launches the African slave trade, which just proves what a small, ambitious country can do with a little bit of ingenuity and a whole lot of evil!

1456-An English judge reviews Joan of Arc's case and cancels her death sentence. Unfortunately for her, she was put to death in 1431.

1492-Columbus proves how lost he really is by landing in the Bahamas, naming the place San Salvador, and calling the people who live there Indians.

1497-Amerigo Vespucci becomes the 7th or 8th explorer to become the new world, but the first to think of naming it in honor of himself...the United States of Vespuccia!

1508-Michelangelo finally agrees to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, but he still refuses to wash the windows.

1513-Ponce de Leon claims he found the Fountain of youth, but dies of old age trying to remember where it was he found it.

1522-Scientists, who know the world is flat, conclude that Magellan made it all the way around by crawling across the bottom.

1568-Saddened over the slander of his good name, Ivan the Terrible kills another 100,000 peasants to make them stop calling him Ivan the Terrible.

1607-The Indians laugh themself silly as the first European tourist to visit Virginia tries to register as "John Smith".

1618-Future Generations are doomed as the English excute Sir Walter Raleigh, but allow his tobacco plants to live.

1642-Nine students receive the first Bachelor of Arts degrees conferred in America, and immediately discover there are no jobs open for a kid with a liberal arts education.

1670-The pilgrims are too busy burning false witches to observe the golden anniversary of their winning religious freedom.

1755-Samuel Johnson issues the first English Dictionary, at last providing young children with a book they can look up dirty words in.

1758-New Jersey is chosen as the site of America's first Indian reservation, which should give Indians an idea of the kind of shabby living conditions they can expect from here on out.

1763-The French and Indian War ends. The French and Indians both lost.

1770-The shooting of three people in the Boston Massacre touches off the Revolution. 200 Years later, three shootings in Boston will be considered just about average for a Saturday Night.

1773-Colonists dump tea into Boston Harbor. British call the act "barbaric", noting that no one added cream.

1776-Napoleon decides to maintain a position of neutrality in the American Revolution, primarily becasue he is only seven years old.

1779-John Paul Jones notifies the British, "I have just begun to fight!" and then feels pretty foolish when he discovers that his ship is sinking.

1793-"Let them eat cake!" becomes the most famous thing Marie Antionette ever said. Also, the least diplomatic thing she ever said. Also, the last thing she ever said.

1799-Translation of the Rosetta Stone finally enables scholars to learn that Egyptian hieroglyphics don't say anything important. "Dear Ramses, How are you? I am fine."

1805-Robert Fulton invents the torpedo.

1807-Robert Fulton invents the steamship so he has something to blow up with his torpedo.

1815-Post Office policy is established as Andrew Jackson wins the Battle of New Orleans a month after he should have received the letter telling him the War of 1812 is over.

1840-William Henry Harrison is elected president in a landslide, proving that the campaign motto, "Tippecanoe and Tyler too" is so meaningless that very few can disagree with it.

1850-Henry Clay announces, "i'd rather be right than president," which gets quite a laugh, coming from a guy who has run for president five times without winning.

1859-Charles Darwin writes "Origin of the Species". It has the same general plot as "Planet of the Apes", but fails to gross as much money.

1865-Union Soldiers face their greatest challenge of the war: getting General Grant sober enough to accept Lee's surrender.

1894-Thomas Edison displays the first motion picture, and everybody likes it except the movie critics.

1903-The opening of the Trans-Siberian Railway enables passengers from Moscow to reach Vladivostok in eight days, which is a lot sooner than most of them want to get there.

1910-The founding of the Boy Scouts of America comes as bad news to old ladies who would rather cross the street by themselves.

1911-Roald Amundsen discovers the South Pole and confirms what he's suspected all along: It looks a helluva lot like the North Pole!

1912-People with Reservations for the voyage of the Titanic get their money back.

1920-The 18th Amendment to the Constitution makes drinking illegal in the U.S. so everyone stops. Except for the 40 million who don't stop!

1924-Hitler is released from prison four years early, after convincing the parole board that he is a changed man who won't cause any more trouble.

1928-Herbert Hoover promises "a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage," but he neglects to add that most Americans will soon be without pots and garages.

1930-Pluto is discovered. Not the dog, stupid; the planet. The dog wasn't discovered until 1938.

1933-German housewives begin to realize why that crazy wallpaper hanger with the mustache never came back to finish his work.

1933-Hitler establishes the Third Reich, and announces that it will last for a thousand years. As matters develop, he is only 988 years off.

1934-John Dillinger is gunned down by police as he leaves a Chicago movie theater. And just to make the evening a complete washout, he didn't enjoy the movie either.

1934-As if the Great Depression weren't giving businessmen enough headaches, Ralph Nader is born.

1938-Great Britain and Germany sign a peace treaty, thereby averting all possibility of WWII.

1944-Hitler's promise of Volkswagens for all Germans as soon as they've won the war doesn't prove to be as strong an incentive as he had hoped.

1945-Americans show the Austrians what will happen if they let the Czechs finish Temelin.

1958-In order to save his dog from being eaten, an unnamed Russian technician hides her in a metal box.

1961-After a home row, Yuri Gagarin slams the door, saying that he's going somewhere far, far away.

1963-The first victim in the series "Dallas" is a certain J.F.K.

1969-The main condition for the appearance of car thieves on the Moon fulfilled.

1972-Americans discover that the main cause of the small statue of the Vietnamese is a lack of the vitamin B. Therefore they prescribe them treatment with the vitamin B-52.

1974-Technicians at the company Intel drop an abacus in a hydraulic press. They realize that everything bad is good for something.

1982-The first part of the popular Soviet TV series "Funeral Live" is aired.

1983-The preparations of the second part took one year.

1984-The preparations of the third part took a year, too.

1985-The producers are outraged. The guy with the spot on his forehead returned the screenplay.

1986-For a change, the Russians show the same Austrians what will happen if they let the Czechs finish Temelin.

1989-Abandoned Trabants multiply excessively in Prague and Budapest.

1989-Critical shortage of building materials, especially concrete blocks, forces the inhabitants of Eastern Berlin to look around, if any could be found. They could.

1990-Mrs.Gates forces her husband to wash windows, which he hates. He leaves for his skyscraper and takes revenge on windows by inventing Windows.

1998 June - German Railways prove at Eschede that a train can stop on a dime.

1998 August - Bill Clinton proves that some stain can't stop his career.

2006-Disowning of Pluto. Not the dog, stupid; the planet. They say it's just a piece of cosmic waste, unworthy of the name "planet" - yet, how much effort it cost to discover it!

Source: Unknown. It is apparently translated from English until 1944, further entries are translated from Czech. Enjoy! :-)

Dmitri Hvorostovsky - Recital in Prague

2010-08-28T17:53:00.007+02:00

Yesterday's recital of the starry baritone, accompanied by Ivari Ilja (the two have released two CDs and can be seen on many videos on YouTube), was without doubt one of the highlights of the very busy season. Hvorostovsky's intelligence of interpretation, depth of feeling, and indeed the sheer beauty of the voice, make him the interpret of this repertoire.

In the beginning it seemed to me that the singer was not in his best of moods - perhaps because of the cold he had, as he said on his Facebook. Not only no indisposition was noticeable, but the atmosphere in the hall was so wonderful that it even warmed up the singer, who seemed much more cheerful by the end. Also I've learnt from a source close to the performers that it was their last concert with this particular content, which might have added to the artists' feelings. The first half of the concert (Tchaikovsky) can be found in this playlist on my YouTube channel and at the bottom of this post, if indeed embedding works.

The program opened with my favourite Why?. Probably because it was the first song, it was a little bit inferior in expressiveness to its counterpart on the aforementioned CD, but that's normal, especially with sensitive performers; during the course of a couple of songs, the recital turned into an event that even Mr.Hvorostovsky can be proud of. The second half featured Medtner's expressive songs (three of them are on the Pushkin CD) and the evening closed with five songs by Rachmaninoff.

The only negative thing I can say is a marginal detail: in the second half of the recital Mr. Hvorostovsky, to my ears, overdid a couple of fortissimi a bit. It was awkward that there was just one encore, yet another art song. One would have thought that such an appreciative audience deserves better, but maybe Mr. Hvorostovsky was tired because of the cold.

Overall however, it was a very strong experience for both those who are familiar with this repertory and those who are not. Hvorostovsky's artistry almost hypnotized the audience. Even knowing these songs almost by heart from CDs, I often found myself completely lost within them, staring jaw-dropped at the singer. One couldn't not smile when he was singing the light Pimpinella or the Serenade Oh, Child. He naturally worked with the people, it almost seemed that he was singing the amorous parts to each woman in the audience. In dramatic or melancholic passages, 100% concentration could be seen in his face. All people I talked to agreed that they could be listening to this till the dawn. Mr. Ilja provided an ideal support. Not only is he an excellent pianist, but also is able to tune-in for the singer and co-ordinate with him - a quality that can't be taken for granted.

This is a playlist featuring the same Tchaikovsky songs at a different recital - this one took place at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory and was aired in January 2010:

***EDIT***
Photos from the concert, by Alice Bochňáková after the jump

One of the Czech reviews said that Mr.Hvorostovsky has a serious illness in the family, which could be the reason of the somewhat early departure. From the depth of our heart, we wish the person to get well soon!

Antonín Dvořák's Devil and Kate, plus a Note on Devils

2010-07-03T16:42:00.016+02:00

The Devil and Kate (Čert a Káča) is another not-so-often performed opera by Antonín Dvořák. It is based on a folk fairy-tale collected and written down by Božena Němcová about an energetic girl named Kate.

Story:

The opera opens in a tavern, where a village celebration is taking place. Music is playing and everybody is dancing, but Jirka, the shepherd, has to go to work, or his master would fire him. Before he leaves, Kate and her mother turn up. Kate would like to find a husband, but nobody wants to dance with her, because she's cheeky and sharp-tongued. She says that she would marry even a devil. At that moment, the devil Marbuel enters the tavern, disguised as a huntsman. He had been sent by the lord of hell Lucifer to investigate whether the princess and steward have committed enough sins to be taken to hell. He wants to tease Kate and punish her a little for her sharp tongue, so he asks her to dance and proposes her to leave with him. When she agrees, he takes her to hell. Then Jirka returns, saying that his master had sent him to hell. When he hears what happened, he decides to save Kate.

The second act takes place in hell. Marbuel wanted to play a joke on Kate, but he made a terrible mistake; Kate refuses to get off his back, and with her temperament she turns all hell upside down. Jirka comes to rescue her, but in fact he's rescuing hell from Kate.

The princess has learnt that the devil is coming to take her to hell and she is sorry about the sins that she's committed. She begs Jirka to save her, so he tells Kate to hide in the palace to wait for the devil and catch him. When Marbuel comes, Jirka tells him that Kate is hiding there, and the devil flees in terror. The princess is immensely grateful to Jirka, promises to rule justly and abolish serfdom, rewards Kate, and appoints Jirka her councillor.

The overall musical style is dramatic, almost Wagnerian - there are not many arias, most of the time is filled with dialogs. The story flows quickly, it's not slowed down by many repetitions.

The Devil and Kate at the National Theatre:

The production you can see at the National Theatre usually at 11AM has the staging and costumes designed by the renown artist Adolf Born. The director Marián Chudovský decided to fully support the story. The time suggests it's not only for adults, but also for children, and they certainly won't get bored. Every single moment there's something happening on stage, at every point there's something to look at. And who would think that it's a second-rate performance would be mistaken; the bass-baritones Luděk Vele and František Zahradníček alternate as Marbuel, and if you're lucky, you can see the tenor Tomáš Černý as Jirka, even though Jaroslav Březina is a safe bet, too. Kateřina Jalovcová was the Kate and Jitka Svobodová was the princess on my evening, both sang nicely. Above the stage there are surtitles in English, so if you're in Prague when this opera is on, don't hesitate to go!

Čert:

The environment of the opera is entirely Czech - the countryside tavern, the clothing, and especially the appearance of the devils. Actually, in Czech we have two words for devil, and they are not synonymous. The word "ďábel" has the meaning the closest to the English "devil". However, when you say "čert" (pron. chert, /tʃɛrt/), most people imagine a being slightly different. While ďábel is an evil beast, čert often appears in folk fairy-tales as a being which takes sinners to hell. Čerti of the lower categories are often to a comic effect somewhat dim-witted, and in some fairy-tales even good-hearted, while čerti of the higher categories are often smart and can disguise as hunky huntsmen. The word is certainly derived from the Slavic word Chort, but I haven't been able to track the departure of the image to a somewhat "less evil" form.

This is a clip from a classic Czech comic fairy-tale film featuring čerti, named Chat with Čert made in 1956. The honest veteran Martin Kabát doesn't know fear, so he decides to spend a night in a haunted mill. The čerti try to win his soul in a card game.

Another classic fairy-tale I found this clip from, this one includes subtitles. 1984, Give the Devil His Due.

As a bonus, this is a picture from the first movie, with the drop-dead handsome Vladimír Ráž as Doctor Solfernus, the smartest and coldest devil of the tale.

Farewell to Adam Plachetka

2010-05-31T23:46:00.012+02:00

Today the last concert of the bass-baritone Adam Plachetka took place in Prague. Don't worry about his health, he's just starting next season at the Wiener Staatsoper. :-) Dear Wieners, take good care of him, don't make him appear in crazy productions, and let him get back to Prague as often as possible!

At mere 25 years of age, Mr.Plachetka has got an extremely beautiful voice, excellent technique, breathtaking expressiveness and an artistic approach of a middle-aged Met soloist. His artistic intelligence is way ahead of his age, and he is a wonderful actor, too.

His today recital with piano compiled of a selection of songs by Mozart, Sibelius, Ravel's Songs of Don Quijote, topped with four Schönberg's Cabaret Songs. Having heard Mr.Plachetka several times in full operas, never a concert, I must admit that I didn't expect he would make me laugh with Mozart's Warnung, or nearly shred a tear with Sibelius's Säf, Säf, Susa or Svarta Rosor. For the last four cabaret songs, he had a high chair brought on stage, changed his bow tie for a red one, put a red flower in his lapel and acted a cabaret singer. I still laugh when I remember it! The encores were my beloved Impossible Dream and On the Street Where You Live. The atmosphere was simply great. I can't remember the last time my hands hurt from applauding. The pianist, David Švec, had to ostentatiously close the piano keyboard to show that there would be no further encores (what a pity). Oh, yeah, and besides all the voice and acting and intelligence and sense of humour, he does look as good as on this photo *swoon*!

So, don't overuse him in Vienna, return him if possible, and if not, definitely go and see him. He might appear elsewhere in Austria, and in 2012 he's going to be doing Masetto at ROH. Quite a career ahead of him, let us enjoy him while we can. We are going to hear about this man.

Busy 2010/2011 Season of the Czech Philharmonic, Hvorostovsky Again!

2010-04-30T23:10:00.006+02:00

Some time ago I pointed out Dmitri Hvorostovsky's recital in Prague in August, saying that you might want to connect a trip with a cultural event. Since it was well received, I decided to point out some more concerts.

Here is the program of the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (booklet in .pdf frormat, mostly in Czech - but you can read the names). The ticket sale began this week, but when I asked at the box office today, I was told that the tickets for the last concert of the season are not on sale yet.

The best part is, the final concert is Dmitri Hvorostovsky! This time it will be opera arias with full orchestra in the beautiful Spanish Hall at the Prague Castle. Tickets will be sold probably in September or October. If there's any new info, I'll keep you updated.

The other huge names include conductors Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Charles Mackerras (gala for his 85th birthday! Great peaces by great Czech composers), Christoph Eschenbach, Eliahu Inbal, of course Manfred Honeck, the Principal guest Conductor of the CP, and of course Jiří Bělohlávek, singers Thomas Hampson or Eva Urbanová, the starry pianist Lang Lang, or the just-as-starry violinist Joshua Bell, the guy you might have seen fiddling in the Washington metro.

There are still few (very, very few) tickets for the festival Dvořák's Prague - even some for the launching concert, the final concert, even the one with Gardiner, the one with Daniele Gatti, and 142 seats are still free for Hvorostovsky's recital.

Once Again, All Alone - Videoclip with Dmitri Hvorostovsky

2010-03-28T14:25:00.005+02:00

Russian romances (romansy) have nothing to do with "romantic" in the sense of romantic movies. They are art songs, typically on the words of a poem by one of the many great Russian poets. They are often sad or nostalgic, and yet you must keep listening to them from the beginning of a CD to the end. Not excepting Hvorostovsky's newest release of Tchaikovsky's romances, which has a total of 81 minutes.

Mentioning this release, I can not forget to say that it's in my book his best release in this genre. The voice is darker, fuller, his approach mature and Mr. Ilja's playing perfect. Be looking forward to another release that the Delos are planning. I have heard it, as it has been released in Russia, and it's just as good!

Nevertheless, Mr.Hvorostovsky has always been singing this genre, and he's surpassed by none. His very second CD he released in the West, a year after the very successful Tchaikovsky and Verdi Arias (1990), was Russian Romances (1991). It is my second favourite CD of romances (after the newest one, of course). The picture on the cover comes from this videoclip:

I don't know how famous or obscure this video was at the time, but I suppose videoclips by opera singers were not as common then as they are now, let alone would they comprise of hints of eroticism (mild for today's standards). One thing is for certain: it's an excellent video. In its mood and artistic approach, it's entirely loyal to Tchaikovsky's song, and shows how literally timeless these songs are.

Sheet music with Russian text and singable English translation (surprisingly loyal) in .pdf can be found here, on a site dedicated to everything Russian, including Russian music, including art song. All of it is only in Russian, unfortunately.

If you feel like you need a literal translation and transliteration, I've made one for you:

Important notes:

я - ya - I

ы - is like "i" in "bit", but more to the back of your mouth.

е - full pronunciation is "ye", but the "y" part is often ommitted, what is left is some sort of a softening of the preceeding sound.

Notice the vowel reduction in unstressed syllables. Difficult to transcribe :-)

Dmitri Hvorostovsky (!) in Prague (!)

2010-03-27T14:20:00.008+01:00

On the 27th of August, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Ivari Ilja will perform Russian art songs at the festival Dvořák's Prague. Now, in March (!), only approximately 180 out of 1144 seats are left (!), so if you've been considering to visit the most beautiful city on Earth and maybe connect your trip with a cultural event, you should hurry up. If no circumstances beyond our control take place, FrufruJ will be the blonde girl in the fourth row centre (!). See you (t)here!

Tickets can be booked here.

PS: I might have one ticket left... ;-)

The Phenomenon of Rolando Villazón

2010-03-24T18:56:00.002+01:00

Some time ago the fellow blogger Mostly Opera launched the poll entitled "Best Tenor of the Moment". To the surprise of many, Rolando Villazón was closely first with 37% (293 votes). I have stated my attitude towards charts of any sort in art, and this is one of the reasons why I think they're pointless - even though I voted for Flórez :-)

The so-called "connoisseurs" almost uniformly scorn Mr.Villazón. The fact that his technique is not perfect has been proven by the necessity of undergoing a surgery. He could have chosen his repertoire more wisely. However, what these critics forget is, Art is not just technique.

Mostly Opera's ironic tone in the title "The readers have spoken", announcing the results of the aforementioned poll, and especially some comments from people hidden behind the veil of the Internet anonymity ("There's no way Mr overacting clown is a better tenor than...", to quote but one), and their astonishment at the results, only show their lack of understanding of what is behind. Opera public is not a herd of sheep, praising the one who is presented to them as a big name. They mostly don't care whether somebody's technique is perfect, they care whether his or her voice is beautiful - which is often connected. However, voice is the instrument, the artist is the interpret.

Mr.Villazón has always put at least 100% of himself in a performance. His sincerity, humility and inner beauty are what makes him a favourite to many. Maybe he's put in it too much and has given himself away - that would be a reason to grieve, not to scorn. People as sensitive as some singers being exposed to ironical and sarcastic statements, and often even insulted, is not a normal state, it is something we all must aspire to improve.

It never ceases to amaze me -- and sadden me -- that people call him "a clown" and mean it as an insult. It is a great gift, to be able to bring smile to people's faces, no matter if with a beautiful voice in a beautiful opera, or with a red nose. I wasn't present at his comeback performance, and a Czech blogger, Villazón's fan, was not positively surprised (automatic translation) - in fact, is afraid that this might be the beginning of the end of his operatic career. Let us hope that she's wrong. However, end or no end, Villazón or another singer or musician, please let's not forget that life's too short to be cool and serious all the time, that sometimes it's good to be swept off your feet, forgetting what you know about the "correct way", and always remember to be a clown! :-)

Good luck to you, Mr.Villazón! You are a great artist.

Leoš Janáček: The Makropulos Affair

2010-02-13T20:17:00.009+01:00

Věc [vyets] Makropulos at the National Theatre, Prague.

While Christopher Alden's production has been praised by the critics both here in Prague and in England, I am not so positive about it.

Janáček's opera, based on Karel Čapek's play, is about the last few days of Elina Makropulos. Thanks to a magic potion, she has lived for more than 300 years. She's grown cold and cynical, but the life experience gives her an aura which, together with her appearance, drives all men crazy - about her. The relatively short opera (1:30) is written in a modern fashion, close to expressivism; after all, it was composed in the 1920's. Only in the end, when E.M.'s vulnerability and despair is relieved, the music suddenly grows into a lyrical finale, strikingly contrasting with the rest.

Čapek's play is actually a philosophical comedy. However, I believe that the story is open to various approaches, and Janáček's opera with the added death of E.M. in the end is hardly a thigh-slapper. I suppose an absurd comedy (a genre typical for the Czech country) or a realistic, deep psychological study are the possible approaches.

Mr.Alden, on the other hand, chose to set it into a noir world of shades of gray, in which people behave without much restraint. His production is an example of the general tendency in today's opera world to "coolify" everything from Baroque. Everything must be cold and erotic, beauty and sensitivity are taboo.

This wouldn't have to be a problem in an absurd dramedy, but only to a degree. Mr.Alden had many interesting ideas, obviously understands the opera, his direction is very intelligent and I find the basic concept quite valid. So much for the good news.

Restraint isn't a word to be found in modern directors' vocabularies. Where a suggestion would have been just perfect, we get everything in the face (including one taking-off of a shirt - there must be one in every prod!). Even given the hyperbole and symbolism of the production, characters lacked a concept of personality, their behaviour being quite illogical. When the philosophy behind should have been stressed, it was overshadowed by the darkening and eroticizing. Even though this is just one paragraph in this review, it's a big problem with the production. The worst in this aspect was Act II, which was simply overdone.

My impression of Alden's production is 70%. The singers were good, especially Gun-Brit Barkmin in the title role was great, and the acting was excellent, so it's definitely worth seeing.

Follow me on Facebook

2010-02-09T21:55:00.002+01:00

Hi all. If it would be more convenient for you to follow this blog via Facebook, scroll down to the tab "Follow me on Facebook" and hit the "Follow" button :-)

Thank you very much for your custom.

Hugs,

FrufruJ

Toccata and Fugue in D minor in Walt Disney's Fantasia

2010-01-12T17:52:00.004+01:00

I really can't decide which Toccata movie is better. The original, where the orchestra is conducted by Stokowski, is very much a product of its time and to my ears sounds almost like a cross with a 1940's musical, but on the other hand, the sound is warmer and it's 100% synchronized with the picture. Musically I prefer the 1982 recording, but the movie is sound AND picture, so I can't decide even for myself. Let the readers decide for themselves, and maybe comment, please.

By all means, it was the golden age of the Disney studios.

1940, original, Stokowski conducting:

1982 re-recording

Somewhere over Joyce DiDonato

2010-01-04T05:15:00.002+01:00

Somewhere over the Rainbow sung by Joyce DiDonato. This girl really IS from Kansas!

Opera in a Nutshell

2010-01-03T21:07:00.012+01:00

Some time ago, Vancouver Opera started an animation contest OperaBot. The rule was to create an animated film between 0.5 and 4 minutes of any of the four operas performed this season in Vancouver - Norma, Nixon in China, The Marriage of Figaro and Madama Butterfly.

This was the winner in Chicago and was used for inspiration:

In Vancouver, 11 of the 16 contest shorts were dealing with Madama Butterfly, so it should not come as a surprise that this number included all winners. Only four featured Le Nozze and only one was about Norma. Here's Winner #3, focusing on the dramatic side of Puccini's masterpiece:

Winner #2, called "Fragile", on its beauty and is my personal favourite:

Winner #3, "Final OperaBot" on the fun (OperaBot, get it?):

This film is, too, Madame Butterfly, but frufru likes it even though it didn't win:

This is also a very beautiful and touching short of Madama Butterfly:

Finally, the one and only Norma:

Last but not least, a cute Marriage of Figaro:

More can be found in this YouTube playlist. Let's hope that more contests of this sort will be held via YouTube!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-22T22:07:00.005+01:00

Merry Christmas to all my followers. Thank you for your patience as I recently didn't find enough time to post.

Here is Plácido Domingo (young and bearded ♥) singing Janáček's Hail Mary with some talking and shots from the rehearsal in the beginning. He sang it in Prague on Christmas 1990, right after the Velvet revolution and the fall of the Iron Curtain. (How many languages does this guy sing in?)

Zdrávas Maria, Hail Mary,

milosti plná, Full of grace,

Pán s tebou; The Lord is with thee;

Požehnaná tys mezi ženami Blessed art thou among women,

a požehnaný plod života tvého, And blessed is the fruit of thy womb,

Ježíš. Jesus.

Svatá Maria, Holy Mary,

matko Boží Mother of God,

pros za nás, hříšné Pray for us sinners,

nyní i v hodinu smrti naší. Now and at the hour of our death.

Amen

Note on transcription: all /h/ are voiced, as in AmE and opposed to RP. In "hříšné" there is the raised alveolar trill "ř". In "hodinu" in the penultimate line, the "d" should be pronounced as a voiced palatal plosive, but I couldn't find the letter.

ˈzdraːvas ˈmarɪa | ˈmɪloscɪ ˈplnaː | ˈpaːn ˈstɛbou | ˈpoʒɛhnanaː ˈtɪs ˈmɛzɪ ˈʒɛnamɪ | ʔa ˈpoʒɛhnaniː ˈplot ˈʒɪvota ˈtvɛːho | ˈjɛʒiːʃ || ˈsvataː ˈmarɪa | ˈmatko ˈboʒiː | ˈpros za naːs ˈhriːʃnɛː | ˈnɪɲiː ʔɪ ˈvhodɪnu ˈsmrcɪ ˈnaʃiː | ˈaːmɛn

Merry Christmas and all the best in the new year!

Martinů:The Miracles of Mary, ND

2009-12-13T23:03:00.009+01:00

Advent 2009, National Theatre, Prague, Jiří Bělohlávek conducting.

In short, it was a night to remember. Few works are as overwhelming as this masterpiece by Martinů. It is beyond me why it is so underperformed. Let me quote here the program:

"Its central theme, inspired by medieval miracle plays and legends, is the benevolence and compassionateness of the Virgin Mary, and in the wider sense (and above all) womanhood – wise, foolish, sinful, vain, affectionate, self-sacrificing, munificent..."

The opera comprises of four parts: The Wise and Foolish Wirgins, Mariken of Nimégue, The Nativity and Sister Pascaline. It is based on medieval liturgical plays, which developed as detours from the Christmas story and were the first plays in the area of the Czech lands. Martinů used all forms of performing art - solo voice, choir, spoken word and ballet.

The first mini-story seems a bit out of place here. Based on an Old French liturgical play, it's a story of virgins awaiting the groom - Christ. They are to keep their laps lit, but some of them fall asleep and the oil in their lamps dries out. They beg their friends for oil, they beg the merchants with oil, but to no avail. They are damned without mercy. Considering the Christian view on the forgiving God, and the three remaining parts, it is truly surprising. The only explanations I can see are that it is either on a higher level of symbolism than we presume on the first sight, or just to scare people from falling into sin too easily.

All three stories are about women gone astray, but Virgin Mary helps them find the way. Mariken, both here and in the opera's source, an old Flemmish play, marries the Devil and lives with him for seven years. After seeing a Christmas play by a wandering group of actors about the forgiveness of Jesus, she suddenly understands and rejects Satan. He kills her, but her soul is saved.

The Nativity is highly inspired in folk traditions of the plays, depicturing Virgin Mary looking for a place to give birth to little Jesus. She is rejected both at the inn and in the smithy, so she goes to the barn. The blacksmith's one-armed daughter comes to see little Jesus, and her missing arm is restored by miracle. The blacksmith, upon seeing this, is sorry that he didn't help Virgin Mary earlier.

Sister Pascaline, not getting any escapes from the monastery to live with her beloved, but Devil kills him and arranges that it looks like Pascaline is the murderer. She is to be burnt at stake, but Virgin Mary saves her. When Pascaline returns to the monastery, she is told that sister Pascaline never left. It was Virgin Mary who back then took her habit, so that the sisters wouldn't know about her past, now giving it back to her. Pascalina, moved by Mary's mercy, gives her soul up for God.

The stories might be simple, but the opera is not. Martinů used French miracles, folk Moravian poetry, liturgical texts and Psalms. The opera itself is highly modern, primarily in its main concept and its approach to metaphor. A recurring character, joining all four parts, is the spoken role of the Leader of the Play. It sounds almost like a miracle that Martinů managed to put all these pieces into a functioning opus, but the result is breathtaking.

The direction was again modern, BUT, this is a huge but, completely and utterly followed the music and the words - unlike what some of us has learnt to understand "modern direction". It was a solid counterpart of the composition itself. Only in one moment in the first part was I afraid that the director, Jiří Heřman, would fall into profanity, implying a mass rape of the "foolish virgins", but everything was calmed again without spoiling the atmosphere by anything unnecessarily violent (I feared for the many nuns in the audience, you know...). Jiří Heřman chose to work primarily with a set of different curtains AND light. Settings were changed simply by turning panels on the sides. The only props were tables on wheels. The resulting effect, though it can hardly be called "minimalistic", was just perfect.

Choreography, as much as I'm not too much into ballet, was extremely well done. Jan Kodet is arguably the best Czech choreographer, having worked with many Europian ballet companies.

As far as the voices go, nothing bad can be said. I was especially positively surprised by the low notes of the female protagonists. I can't complain about my turn of cast, being familiar with most of their names and voices from other operas. The actor Jakub Gottwald, playing the Leader of the Play, could be understood, even across music - a rare feat among today's actors, it seams.

Last, but not least - the music. Jiří Bělohlávek, what else can I say? The music just enwraps you, a magic happens and you are taken to another world. Perhaps I should only add that a special mention should go to the pianist, Libuše Klausová, and the violinist, along with the rest of the National Theatre Orchestra.

Overall, it was one of the most overwhelming opera experiences I've ever had. I almost don't know whether seeing it once in a lifetime is not enough - could another production ruin the memory of the experience? If opera houses are less focused on Verdis and Puccinis, we can find out, but once - it's a must.

Václav Havel: We Shall Overcome

2009-11-15T16:47:00.002+01:00

20th Anniversary of the Velvet Revolution

2009-11-15T16:18:00.009+01:00

A concert, set up by Václav Havel and featuring Joan Baez, Suzanne Vega, Lou Reed and Renée Fleming, took place yesterday, 14 November, at the Prague Crossroads.

In the end, the two major guests, Renée Fleming and Lou Reed, sang Perfect Day together.

After that, all the guest sang together the song Freedom.

During the concert, Renée Fleming also sang the obligatory Song to the Moon

...and, correct me if I'm wrong, she sang for the first time Milada's aria from Smetana's Dalibor. I hope that will appear on YouTube, too.

Thanks for uploading to MrFrais and velehof. If you're interested in more videos from the concert, visit their channels.

Meet... Cyprien Katsaris

2009-10-21T21:01:00.016+02:00

Cyprien Katsaris has taught me that you can admire a person and laugh at (with?) him at the same time - positively speaking, of course. I truly admire his genius, and yet am more often than not unable to watch him with a straight face. Gotta love the hair :-)

Now, seriously: He's my favourite pianist of today, at least as far as Chopin is concerned. Trying to be objective, he's certainly "one of" the finest pianists. (And, seriously, don't you ever cut your hair short!)

Thanks to a friend of mine, I discovered this video. Few videos on YouTube make you fall off your chair in laughter just to make your jaw drop a few seconds after. And then make you laugh, and then make your jaw drop, and again, and again... Just amazing.

I don't know what he had smoked before this, but I want it too! :-D Bach's Toccata & Fuga faster than ever...

So that we don't just show the curiosities: Cyprien Katsaris playing The Flight of the BumbleBee by Rimsky-Korsakoff / Cziffra - in Cziffra's presence, in 1975.

Last, but not least: Mr. Katsaris is a magician when playing Chopin, here's one of my little favourites:

I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for uploading to Sissco, dafuckinmart, jaimeleclassique, and tosa1gou, respectively. I love you, Cyprien, please come to the Czech Republic sometime! ♥

Chopin's Death Mask in Prague

2009-10-12T19:49:00.003+02:00

The Czech Republic is the first and, so far, the last country to welcome Frédéric Chopin's death mask. The year 2010 is to be named The Year of Chopin by UNESCO. At the gala concert, the Chopin Symphony Orchestra and Choir, conducted by the best Polish conductor Lukasz Borowicz, will play Mozart's Requiem - the composition that the Polish composer himself asked to be played at his funeral. Prague's St.Vitus Cathedral's bells and Warsaw's St.John's Cathedral's bells will sound at the same time.

It is actually Chopin's second death mask. The first one, taken right after the composer's passing, was regarded too troubled and weary by the mortal illness. Therefore the sculptor, Jean-Baptiste Clésinger, smoothed out its features. As a miracle, the bronze cast survived the World War II and the bombing of the Royal Palace in Warsaw.

Why Mozart's Requiem? Mozart influenced Chopin a lot. He died 19 year before Chopin, who often returned to Mozart's compositions, which he loved very much - especially his Don Giovanni and Requiem. When Chopin felt that his illness was fighting him, he had sent for its score. His last wish was "play Mozart's Requiem at my funeral, as a farewell."

FruFru's Attitude towards Opera Productions

2009-10-10T16:42:00.004+02:00

"When the curtain opened on La rondine at Covent Garden, the audience gasped and applauded. People want to dream. If directors want to do something new with operas, why not do something beautiful?"

Angela Gheorghiu

In response to the recent talks about the new Tosca at the Metropolitan Opera, directed by Luc Bondy, I came to the conclusion that it's about time for me to summarize what I actually think. I'm open to discussion. An "IMHO" applies to all of it, as a matter of course.

Yes, I do think that Carsen's Rusalka was bad, and no, I'm not afraid to say it.

Firstly and primarily, my opinion is that a director is just another interpreter - next to the conductor and the soloist. He or she should be seeking the best ways how to present the author's vision to the members of the audience.

The most often performed operas were composed in the 19th century. Everything about them is romantic (or "Realistic", haha). The problem of most "modern" productions is that they interfere with the opera, rather than interpret it. Dvořák composed a romantic fairy-tale, Carsen directs it as a psychological drama, making everybody who understands Czech laugh their head off. The reason for giving this example is the critical acclaim of this production. If you want a DVD with Rusalka, you can choose between an English one and this one.

My favourite simile is that to a painting and a frame. Operas are like Romantic or Realistic paintings. They work the best in those wooden, artistically crafted frames, OR in frames which don't interfere with them. On the other hand, can you imagine a Géricault in, say, a neon frame? No matter how interesting the frame is, its task is to frame a painting by Géricault, in which it fails.

According to many today's philosophers, the Enlightenment fable, that "the newer, the better", is rooted deeply in our society. A director will be praised (because the booing ones will be put aside as philistines), if his/her production is "innovative". As if there were the connoisseurs on one side, and the conservative grannies (whom every decent connoisseur scorns) on the other side.

Not that I am saying that Carsen is a bad director or that we should have a set amount of productions repeating. Even though, it's not a bad idea - just like we have a set amount of classical operas, musicians are trying to find the best way within what they offer... Imagine directors studying day in, day out, how to approach a Zeffirelli! Anyway, everybody should be reasonable, and not lament on the absence of candles in a Tosca, but, at the same time, not approving Tosca resting on a couch and revel in the sight of the dead Scarpia. Or any of the many things wrong with this production, for that matter.

A word [a little] against the "traditionalist" productions. I think it is actually quite difficult to direct such a production. Yes, if you fail, you don't insult anybody, but there are as many productions which lack some chemistry and are essentially boring, as the abortive "modern" ones.

Respect, man, just a little bit. For the author, performer, work, everything.

Just an off-topic footnote: Why do so many directors seem to relish in being despotic? It's a psychological 101, especially in a performing genre. The actor (singer) must know your (director's) intentions, and must trust them and agree with them. It's a hard enough job, why make it even harder by pushing them to things? Moreover, they might come with something useful on their own. A good leader is not a tyrant.

50 Years Since Mario Lanza's Demise

2009-10-07T18:22:00.005+02:00

On this day, 50 years ago, mankind lost one of the most beautiful voices ever, and a wife, parents and four children lost their husband, son and father. The all-too-warm heart of Mario Lanza's stopped beating and his voice silenced forever on October 7, 1959.

Guardian Angels by Harpo Marx is a lullaby, but I have never heard it as such; and if, then for a child who is seriously ill. I can't help the interpretation that the guardian angels are holding the delirious child's hand and, if he loses his fight, will show him to the paradise.

Rest in peace, Mario.

Jan Martiník: A New Hope for Czech Opera

2009-10-06T13:35:00.002+02:00

['jan 'marciɲi:k] This young Czech bass at first wanted to study Medicine, like his father. Luckily, his talent was discovered when he was still at secondary school. Since then, he has been third at the Elena Obrazcova's competition in Moscow, a finalist of Operalia, and a winner of the Art Song Prize at the Cardiff Singer of the World competition.

Here's why:

La Finta Gardiniera @The Estates Theatre: Mozart & Dwarves

2009-09-20T18:20:00.020+02:00

La Finta Gardiniera was finished when Mozart was only 18 years old. His arguably longest opera, in the old style of a looot of repeating in the arias, can probably be a tad bit... ahem... boring. Not so in the production of Ursel and Karl-Ernst Herrmann.

Their more than twenty year old production of this underperformed opera, obviously televised in 1989, leaves little to be desired. Unlike their Clemenza di Tito, which I saw in this theatre two years ago and where they committed many UIF (UnIntentionally Funny) and WTF crimes , this production was very funny in the light Mozartean fashion.

Yes, I was a little worried when it began with a dwarf reciting Heinrich Heine while crawling up from the underground. However, within some twenty minutes, it was clear that it would be a pleasant evening. The Herrmanns' clever and fast-paced direction was (nearly) fully supportive to Mozart's almost Shakespearean comedy. Unlike many "modernized" productions, it was not trying to be "wiser than the author," and the sets offered a basis for many comic gigs. There was no ugliness or violence, so necessarily present in many today's productions. Nothing of the sets was there just pro forma, and even the shy Czech audience (well, at least half were Czech...) found it too difficult to muffle their laughter at times.

From the musical standpoint, there are no complaints on my part. Especially as Prague's opera sweethearts, Kateřina Kněžíková and our barihunk Adam Plachetka, were showing off not only their beautiful voices, but also a great deal of comedy talent. Plachetka can also be seen in Vienna, he had the "luck" of appearing in the fugly Salzburg Rusalka, and in three year's time, he will perform Masetto at Covent Garden. However, most of the cast was international, which opens some questions as to whether there are enough reasonably good Czech singers here. All that under the steady baton of Tomáš Netopil's, the new (and very young) chief-conductor of the National Theatre.

Overall impression: 85%

Adam Plachetka & Kateřina Kněžíková

Photos from their respective official sites.

Interview with Dmitri Hvorostovsky on Vocal Technique

2009-09-17T19:40:00.012+02:00

By V.P. Morozov
Original (Russian) here.

- Dmitri Alexandrovich, your name has been on the posters of the most prestigious musical theatres, the press calls you the best baritone of the world, gives many interesting details about your personal life and creative successes, plans, but not a word about vocal technique. I plan to put a page about your voice in the second edition of my book "The Art of the Resonant Singing”, which I gave to you after your triumphant concert at the Great Hall of the Conservatory. Although about you - as an outstanding singer - is high time to write an entire book.

- Thank you. I am interested in vocal literature. I have an entire library about it. But I haven’t had the time to read your book, because my father took it.

- He sings, too?

- Yes, he has a beautiful voice.

- Fine. So you have a voice in the genes, that’s for sure. When did you start singing?

- As far as I can remember, about when I was three.

- And what voice did you have until the breaking?

- Normal, high, most probably soprano.

- Usually sopranos after the breaking transform into low voices.

- But I found a large range with very nice tenor top. My parents say it was a Lemeshev-like timbre.

- And how did you turn out as a baritone?

- When I came to the Krasnoyarsk Conservatory, Ekaterina Constantinovna Yoffel - my teacher - listened to me and said: "You are, without doubt, a baritone" - and led me as a baritone. In the third year I sang full baritone operatic repertoire in the theatre. My middle and lower register became stronger, baritone timbre, but I could not take the tenor top as freely as before.

- Do not regret! If you were a tenor, it is not known whether you would enjoy such a world-wide fame as you do today as the best baritone. After all, look what happens - at a concert in the Great Hall of the Academy the audience cheered you so much that they prompted you to sing an entire block of encores which was not on the program. I was listening to you already standing. But let's talk about the technique.

How do you imagine and feel your voice and its formation in your vocal apparatus, for example resonance?

- I can feel the vibration especially above the eyebrows, between eyebrows, around the nose, this "mask", as you know.

- And the chest resonance? Can you feel the connection of chest and head resonance?

- Chest, shoulders - all resonate. Like a column, resonating from the head, comes into the chest – such a feeling.

- When going to the top, what changes in your feeling of the resonance?

- Nothing in particular changes, because in the entire range and the lowest notes, I try not to lose the feeling of the mask, i.e. the upper resonator, and on the highest notes, to keep the chest resonance. Perhaps in the uppermost notes still noticeably the head sounds more. But in general, on all notes of the range, I use a mixed sound of the head and chest resonators.

- And on the transition notes?

- And on the transition notes - I have this "E" - "E-flat" - a mixed nature of sound, when both the upper and chest resonators sound, helps me to smooth out the registers.

Actually I have a feeling is that with the help of the resonance, it is possible to develop a force of sound that it will drown out the thunder of aircraft engines.

- And have you not tried?

- I have not tried to compete with a plane, but with the acoustics of the hall yes. At 35 years, when I began to sing in the big theatres in Europe and, especially, America, like the Metropolitan, I wanted to make my voice bigger, more powerful. And this is understandable - a huge hall provokes forcing. Your voice goes away from you and doesn’t return and to you it seems that you sing silently and should sing louder. But as a result I began to notice that I lose resonance and the ease of the voice, especially at the top. Yes, and transitional notes dropped a semitone, moved into the bass region - with the "E-flat" to "D".

- Yes, the forcing - the enemy of the resonance. How did you cope with this problem?

- It helped me that in our class – with E.K. Yoffel - we were accustomed to sing in muted acoustics. All the walls there were covered with drapery. You sing in the corridor - everything sounds great, but come to classroom – you can’t recognize your voice. As a result, I learned to sing focusing mainly on my internal feelings - both the resonator and the muscles.

After all, on the stage, especially in the opera, there are all draped sets, you’re wearing some plump costume, a huge hat absorbs all the high singing formant. Therefore, if you will rely solely on your ear, you will certainly force, and you’re ruined. But inner feeling, and in particular - resonator, here’s salvation. The singer has to be sure, - if the voice will be unforced, free and resonant, he does not fear any very "bad" acoustics, the voice will be flying and audible everywhere.

- Fine. Well, and how do you feel your singing breathing?

- The inhaling is short, very short. Yoffel used to say: "Breathe in the smell of a flower" - it definitely helps correct inhalation. But in order to have enough breath, the air consumption must be economical, very economical. This does not mean that you should hold your breath, no. It should be free and not forced on the larynx. The larynx should also be free, not tense, though lowered, as in yawn. This makes the oropharyngeal cavity larger and longer, and that’s good for the voice.

- And do you feel your vocal cords, do you try to manage them, when you sing?

- But for what? I read in Yudin, you probably know, he focuses on the vocal cords. As a student I tried to experiment with these cord sensations of tension and so on, but apart from damage to the voice, I didn’t get anything. We feel, control and regulate the work of breathing and resonators. This is important. But keep track of how your vocal cords work? No, no. It seems to me quite unnecessary.

But with the breathing and resonators we form some habits and then this all goes into the subconscious, in the automatism. And on stage I, of course, both breathe and resonate, as it should be - over that I keep some sort of control - but I think mostly about other things - how do I "paint" with my voice the emotional painting, the image, so that it is seen by each of my listeners.

The process of singing is not just a physical process, but also a psychological process. Therefore, the state of the singer’s soul is very important.

- When one listens and watches you on stage, they see how you show what you sing with all your body.

- This is Yoffel’s school. When I as a student began to unnaturally gesticulate, "help" myself with my hands (laughs), she halted it. And she taught to meaningfully express feelings with voice and behaviour. I am grateful to her. In addition, such natural "movement of the soul" helps as if to relax, to withstand the unnatural strain on the scene. And freedom of the body causes also, by the way, a resonating sound.

- Wonderful. And what are your preferences of other singers?

- How I turned out what I am – 50% of that comes from how much I listened and listen to other singers. I cultivated and cultivate my voice because of this.

- Your ideal? Which singer?

- From ours - it is P.G. Lisitsian - amazing, I mean the beauty of timbre and the vocal technique.

- You know, in the first edition of the book, in the section of computer spectra of the voices of masters of vocal art, I placed your spectra next to Lisitsian’s. So your voice can be compared in the basic parameters of high singing formant.

- Interesting! I will certainly look at it!

Published:
V.P. Morozov. The Art of Resonant Singing. M., 2008, pp.459-462

В.П.Морозов. Искусство резонансного пения

Translated by:

frufruJ

How I Came to Stop Worrying and Love Organ Music

2009-09-16T22:35:00.006+02:00

I knew Toccata et Fuga in D minor - who doesn't? Then I saw this video:

And then I saw this video (Karl Richter playing at the Ottobeuren cathedral):

A Message to Critics

2009-09-16T20:48:00.010+02:00

Perhaps this is a futile effort, as few of those whom this post is addressing - the harshest critics, both professional and amateur - are going to take it to heart. However, if a single person thinks again about what he or she writes about performers, it has not been in vain.

From the movie The Great Caruso, starring Mario Lanza (even though the film was highly fictionalized, the part about Caruso being compared to de Reszke and called "bourgeois" is correct, just like [both] de Reszkes' admiration to Caruso):

Not that I am blameless. Sometimes it's a difficult job not to be harsh, when music is your passion, and you hate some of its parts just as much as you love others. But we all should think twice, whether what we are saying or writing is truth, or if it is just a little frustrated musician in us talking.

In Art, few things are objective, and what one person likes, another may not. YouTube seems to be full of all too wise people who know a singer's technique is wrong, how a world star is terrible, or how a conductor's fame is just good PR. These are exactly the people who would criticize Enrico Caruso for not being Jean de Reszke; now they criticize Dmitri Hvorostovsky for not being Lawrence Tibbett, or Renée Fleming for being vulgar.

Artists are extremely sensitive beings, but in this ugly world, they either develop thick skin, or can't do what they love - sing, play, conduct. Everybody who can perform in public in the first place is great, because they are bringing Beauty to our lives. By savaging them, you're betraying the very essence of Art.

Life's too short not to enjoy world's beauty and loose time with what you dislike, or to annoy other people by not respecting their tastes!

Opera Trivia Quiz

2009-09-11T22:31:00.003+02:00

A trivia quiz, made by moi :-)

Takes some time to load.

Some questions taken from Regina Opera, one from Discovery Education, two from Patricia Gray's website.

Music used:

1. Renée Fleming - Un bel di vedremo

2. Bryn Terfel & Cecilia Bartoli - Duet Papageno-Papagena

3. Mirella Freni - The Death of Butterfly

4. Mario Lanza - Che gelida manina

5. Hansel und Gretel - Act 1, Scene 1

6. Dmitri Hvorostovsky - Largo al factotum

7. Ellen Hagris - Se tu parti da me

8. Maria Callas - Si, mi chiamano Mimi

9. Anna Netrebko - Quando m'en vo

10. Dmitri Hvorostovsky & Renée Fleming - La ci darem la mano

100 Best Classical Recordings

2009-09-08T00:31:00.011+02:00

No matter how I think choosing any "top few" in art is a folly, and giving "classical rules" conceited, it's nice to see a Hvorostovsky recording among the opera's top ten in the 100 best classical recordings, according to Igor Toronyi-Lalic, John Allison, and Michael Kennedy:

"7 Tchaikovsky Eugene Onegin (conductor Semyon Bychkov) Philips £17.60, RRP £17.99

Russia’s greatest opera, amid strong competition, Tchaikovsky’s 'lyric scenes’ have not been better served on disc than by the idiomatic conducting of Semyon Bychkov and a cast including Dmitri Hvorostovsky’s fresh-voiced Onegin."

It's only a pity that the discussion is not open under that article; I would give the authors a piece of my mind for telling me what to like and what to throw away.

Anna Netrebko's Video Blog

2009-09-04T20:10:00.004+02:00

"Each month Anna Netrebko will select a few questions and post short video responses to them here. Submit your questions to Anna by filling out the form on Anna's website."

So far, there are three videos on her channel:

Doesn't Tiago look just like his father? Aren't they sweet together? :-)

Now, if only her Siberian colleague were willing to do something similar...

Wikipedia is joking, right??

2009-09-04T14:16:00.003+02:00

"A physically fit male abdomen" in an encyclopedia article o_O

How to Become a Successful Opera Director

2009-09-02T02:29:00.010+02:00

The Ten Commandments of Opera Directing, by Frufru:

McVicar, who else?

Rule no.1: Shock value is the value!!! Whatever you do, keep this in mind.

Rule no.2: Make a character gay.

Rule no.3: Make a character naked.

Rule no.4: Or both.

Rule no.5: If somebody dies, there should be a loooot of blood. No matter it's considered a mark of second-class horror movies.

Rule no.6: If an opera goer has to read through a manual to get a hint of what you're trying to say, you're on the right track.

Rule no.7: Use as much cliché as you are able to put in. Cliché in an artistic genre is considered to be "innovative approach."

Rule no.8: By ANY means whatsoever, don't get yourself troubled by the libretto or the score. The *story* is the important thing, and it has to be *retold.*

Rule no.9: Fire a soprano or two. Just to gain popularity. You'll always find a reason - too fat, too short, too tall, too bad an actress... ~~doesn't want to undress~~ creative differences...

Rule no.10: If half of the audience are booing and half are cheering you, you've achieved your goal. From now on, you'll be hailed by critics as one of the best opera directors, and DVDs will be sold only because your name is in the credits.

Il Trovatore in London, 2009

2009-09-01T20:40:00.010+02:00

As Mostly Opera nicely put it: "So we are supposed to believe that the soprano kills herself to avoid sleeping with this guy? Right..."

I was awaiting a moment when Mr. Hvorostovsky appeared in Europe in a live, un-amplified concert, or in an opera where the baritone role is not too small and where I didn't have to be disgusted by some director's "retelling" of the story. I nearly gasped when I saw that he would appear in London, as il Conte di Luna, with Sondra Radvanovsky and Roberto Alagna, in the somewhat clumsy but traditionalistic and appealing Moshinsky's production.

It was my first visit of London, and of a big, famous opera house, too. I arrived in Covent Garden well before time, as I had intended to walk, but the rain was so heavy that I decided to take a cab. From the phonetic standpoint, the driver was a very nice Cockney guy, the doormen and ushers at ROH spoke "received RP" - the most understandable accent for foreigners - and most of the audience members and cashiers were native RP speakers (the cashier I spoke to when I was picking up the ticket had an especially arrogant tone in his language).

When I came in, I decided to dissolve my boundless excitement in a glass of wine and sit at a table there. If you, like me, have problems with low blood pressure, or any other reason why you prefer to sit down, I must recommend you to arrive *at least* half an hour before the performance. The room got crowded quickly, so that there was nowhere to sit, and the auditorium opens just ten minutes before the performance.

I invited a lovely elderly English couple to sit at my table, we talked mostly about opera. They had seen Rusalka in English, and they had visited Prague. They said that they liked the city, but in such situation, I always fear the people are just being polite... Well, come and see for yourself :-). We also talked about the dress code. We couldn't agree more that people should dress nicely, to show to the surroundings *and* to themselves that this is a special occasion. They told me that some twenty years ago, long gowns and tailcoats were common. I confessed that I had been afraid of being underdressed, but that fright was soon gone, after having seen a guy there, a tad bit horizontally challenged, dressed in casual jeans, army green pullover and white sport shoes. It spoils the impression a bit, when you see such a figure. While we're at the fashion policing, Mrs. Hvorostovsky, who was also there, chose the elegance of little black dress, Maestro Orbelian was wearing a dark suit.

Then the performance began. Mr.Moshinsky had been criticized for this production of his, that the sets take too much time to change, that it's all too static etc. That was apparently the reason why he chose to reduce the number of flats, which I found very unfortunate, especially in the third act. I was also looking forward to the first act fight between Di Luna and Manrico. Yes, Mr.Alagna is a half-pint, but quite athletic, I mean, I wouldn't force Johan Botha to it, but I think Alagna could have pulled it off... However, Moshinsky decided to go for the "Leonora-prevents-the-fight-until-the-curtain-falls" option. There was some fighting in the convent, but there they forced Di Luna to lay on the ground, in the fashion of American cops arresting a suspect. I was sitting in the second row, and feeling the urge to bounce from Maestro Rizzi's head and help Dima out. Anyway, forcing him down was a bit unnecessary. The great news was that Moshinsky crossed out the gayish ballet-fight in the third act, which 1. was weird and 2. didn't match the overall concept of the production. Instead, the chorus members were singing, sitting on chairs at the edge of the stage, with several stunt-men (?) showing-off their impressive fencing abilities behind them. The Di quella pira reminded me of Lt. Columbo; Manrico went away and returned a couple of times, like the repeated line "Oh, there's just one other thing..." The last change to the original production was, Di Luna did not shoot Manrico to death, but stabbed him in an outburst of anger, having realized that Leonora killed herself because of him, and Manrico died in his arms. I very much like the idea of the Count killing his brother with his own hand, and this worked just perfectly.

As for the singing: Ms.Walewska as Azucena was very good, if somewhat insipid in comparison to the starry cast. Ms.Radvanovsky has a big voice, and frankly, I can't understand the people who keep criticizing her for some reason. She appears to be the best Verdian soprano around these days, and I like her approach to her roles, too. Mr. Alagna was a very pleasant surprise. To be honest, I was expecting a disaster, having seen him as Radames on the DVD, but he pulled off Manrico very well. Last, but not least: Dmitri Hvorostovsky. People say that he's got a small voice - to me he sounded louder than Alagna. People say that he's not a "true" Verdi barytone - that was perhaps true ten years ago. The singing, the acting, the feeling, the man. I am happy and honoured that I have seen one of history's greatest baritones at his best.

So Il Trovatore ended. I was almost shocked by how short the applause was - only one curtain-call?? I quickly went to the stage exit, hoping to meet Mr. Hvorostovsky, but apparently, he had gone earlier, or through another exit, if that is possible. However, I met Maestro Rizzi, and I got an autograph from Mr.Alagna. Of course, the only thing I had forgotten was a pen, but I met a lovely Polish woman there. She was standing a bit aside, so she was an easy victim of my attempts of conversation. Her English was not too good, so I asked her where she was from, and she said, Poland. I said "Já jsem z Čech" (I'm from Bohemia), and she said "Tak to možem po našom" (So we can speak our languages). I have a feeling that the Poles understand Czech better than the Czechs understand Polish. She lent me the pen and showed me the members of Roberto Alagna's family. She was there alone, going back to Poland in the morning. As we were leaving, she said she would take a walk through London by night, I hope she got to the airport safely.

Well, and that's it. The evening of wonders was ended. One thing is for sure, that I will remember it for the rest of my life.

Opera Singer Laryngoscope

2009-08-28T16:31:00.004+02:00

This is what your vocal folds look like. The second part of the video, where it looks like slow motion, is called "laryngo-stroboscopy." Thus the laryngologist can see if the vocal folds open/close properly.

Thanks to scottyandgenie for uploading.

The Best of Twitter re: Hvorostovsky

2009-08-27T14:52:00.011+02:00

Kathrine_A: On my desktop there is now a lovely wallpaper of Dima Hvorostovsky. (Yes, I'm twelve.:) Though listening to Jussi Björling at the moment.

24601_: Just went to see Dimitri Hvorostovsky, he signed my DVD and I told him to come to Chicago more often. I love him.

LLSi: Meninas, esqueçam Brad Pitt. Dmitri Hvorostovsky não é feio, além de ser um dos melhores cantores da atualidade. (Girls, forget Brad Pitt. Dmitri Hvorostovsky is not ugly, besides being one of the best singers of our time)

andrewpatner: Dmitri Hvorostovsky makes Rigoletto his own at Ravinia with the CSO

Still in clouds after opera Rigoleto last nite w/Dmitri Hvorostovsky, most gorgeous baritone in opera.

icmanu43: Mood of the moment: Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin with Fleming, Hvorostovsky and Vargas under Gergiev. Few things are as painfully beautiful.

LutheranLucciol: Dmitri Hvorostovsky is coming to SF Opera! Hello, sexual sin. Some women actually go to hear his voice, too. (I'm joking....sort of).

Petruccl: Hvorostovsky rocks my world...

TiciaEvans:

#iamsinglebecause Dmitri Hvorostovsky is still not divorced.

#iamsinglebecause I couldn't say his name to the priest

#iamsinglebecause still can't spell his name

Opera_is_Sexy @thaisinhafc Dmitri Hvorostovsky is such a Hottie! I have an #operacrush on him! lol

tommydavidson: Spent time with Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Arguably the world's greatest baritone. Believe my wife would have left me in 5 seconds for this dude

Stickolofogus has a HUGE crush on Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Like seriosly HUGE!

musicbizkid: I think today I'll listen to nothing but Dmitri Hvorostovsky singing "Ja vas lyublyu" That oughtta kill my ambition to make music ever again

20:13 CET: New Concert Coming Soon

2009-08-26T20:13:00.016+02:00

Frufru is now watching this concert. It features some arie antiche and some bel canto arias. The young Dmitri Hvorostovsky is accompanied by the young Mikhail Arkadiev. As soon as Frufru finishes watching, she'll cut it and post it to YouTube.

******UPDATE******

Done. The playlist is here.

Something which I've never seen in a recital occurred here: the audience demanded a bis, so we hear Fenesta che lucive twice in a row! I actually prefer the second time around, what about you?

******UPDATE #2******

My dearest friend fazed111 discovered that the concert had also another part. In the beginning, Mr.Hvorostovsky sang also some Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. Coming to YouTube soon.

Mario Lanza - L'alba separa de la luce l'ombra (Tosti)

2009-08-26T18:21:00.006+02:00

My all-time favourite tenor sings an incredibly beautiful and sad Italian art song. It is even more sad when you consider that it was recorded only months before his untimely death.

L'ALBA SEPARA DALLA LUCE L'OMBRA
Francesco Paolo Tosti / Gabriele D'Annunzio

L'alba separa dalla luce l'ombra,
E la mia volutta' dal mio desire.
O dolce stelle, l'ora di morire.
Un piu' divino amor dal ciel vi sgombra.

Pupille ardenti, O voi senza ritorno
Stelle tristi, spegnetevi incorrotte!
Morir debbo. Veder non voglio il giorno,
Per amor del mio sogno e della notte.

Chiudimi,
O Notte, nel tuo sen materno,
Mentre la terra pallida s'irrora.
Ma che dal sangue mio nasca l'aurora
E dal sogno mio breve il sole eterno!
E dal sogno mio breve il sole eterno!

THE DAWN DIVIDES THE DARKNESS FROM LIGHT

The dawn divides the darkness from light,
And my sensual pleasure from my desire,
O sweet stars, it is the hour of death.
A love more holy clears you from the skies.

Gleaming eyes, O you who'll ne'er return,
sad stars, snuff out your uncorrupted light!
I must die, I do not want to see the day,
For love of my own dream and of the night.

Envelop me,
O Night, in your maternal breast,
While the pale earth bathes itself in dew;
But let the dawn rise from my blood
And from my brief dream the eternal sun!
And from my brief dream the eternal sun!

Opera Stars & Muppets

2009-08-24T16:44:00.004+02:00

Long gone are those times when we would watch The Muppet Show and Open, Sesame. They would not just teach us to count, but also a little to appreciate the arts. They also showed that even opera divas can have sense of humour.

Learn counting to five with Renée Fleming, melody of Caro Nome from Rigoletto:

Samuel Ramey - "eL Toreador:"

Beverly Sills 1 - tap-dancing:

Beverly Sills 2 - spoon-hanging:

Beverly Sills 3 - Pigoletto:

Thanks for uploading to gtelloz, sawing14s and bakerpaters.

21st August: Heroes and Villains

2009-08-21T14:00:00.011+02:00

During the night from the 20th to the 21st August 1968, five armies of the Warsaw pact crossed the borders of Czechoslovakia. During the first phase of the operation organized by the Kremlin, Czechoslovakia was invaded by about 100,000 soldiers, 2300 tanks and 700 airplanes. With relation to the occupation, 290 people were killed and 577 were seriously injured. It was a reaction to the gradual loosening of the totalitarian system, called "Socialism with human face," which ultimately led to the abolition of censorship early in 1968 and the so-called "Prague Spring." It was followed by long years of "normalization," which was ended by the Velvet revolution in 1989.

"Little Brother, Close the Gate" Thanks for composing and uploading to muv69

The Czechs, in their history, learnt to laugh at tragedies they could do nothing about: "A Well Intended Advice - Go Home, Ivan!" (And never come back. Ever.) Thanks for composing and uploading to bwdbwd

Paradoxically, my heroes come from the ranks of the "villains." On the 25th, eight people made a hard choice between clear conscience and imprisonment. Eight Russians went to the Red Square in Moscow and demonstrated against the Soviet invasion in Czechoslovakia. Their names were Larisa Bogoraz (whose husband, a writer, had previously been sent to Gulag for "anti-Soviet activity"), Konstantin Babitsky, Vadim Delaunay (a poet, died in Paris, aged 35 of a heart attack), Vladimir Dremluga, Pavel Litvinov Natalya Gorbanevskaya (a writer and poet, her blog is here), Viktor Fainberg, and Tatiana Baeva. Some of them ended up in jail, some of them in asylums, some in forced exile in Siberia.

For your and our freedom

The story continues. Forty years later, on the 24th August 2008 (not on the 25th, so that the police forces wouldn't be ready), seven activists went to the Red Square to remember this event. According to Novaya Gazeta, they were holding up a banner with the same slogan and were handing out leaflets: "There are again political prisons in this country [...] Love for country has been replaced with the love for leaders." The entire action (which had been authorized by the authorities) lasted five minutes. The police confiscated their banners and arrested the three activists who didn't manage to escape. They tried to confiscate the journalists' cameras and arrested correspondents of Novaya Gazeta, Grani-TV, The New Times and Vedomosti. The journalists were released the same day, the activists the following. The situation is not as bad as in 1968, but not too good, either - and could get worse. (NY Times article here)

Photos: Wikipedia and Novaya Gazeta, respectively

Hvorostovsky's Ex's Solicitor Chosen "Lawyer of the Week"

2009-08-21T11:13:00.009+02:00

Lawyer of the Week: "Michael Rowlands, a partner in Cripps Harries Hall, acts for Svetlana Hvorostovsky, the former wife of the opera singer Dmitri Hvorostovsky."

"Variation of existing maintenance orders is a hot topic and there is a lack of certainty for those going to court. My client therefore needed to be kept on the right side of the risk-reward balance. Maintenance payments for life — in this case to the former wife and the two children — are a division of expected future income and it is reasonable for payments to go up to a level that might outweigh the standard of living enjoyed at the time of marriage breakdown."

Now I don't want to be Dmitri's wife any more. I wanna be his ex-wife!

On the left, Dmitri with his first wife, Svetlana, and boy twins. On the right, with his present wife, Florence, and their second child, Nina.

Meet... The Countertenor

2009-08-20T20:29:00.016+02:00

Countertenor, compared to other voice types, is quite obscure to the pure Puccini-Verdi opera goers. But you don't want these faces when you first hear it, do you?
With the use of falsetto, men can achieve a sound quite similar to that of castrati. When you get used to the pitch, you realize that the timbre is distinctly male, or at least not female. That's what gives the voice the quality that many people describe as "angelic." Some even prefer the countertenor to the female voices. However, falsetto is difficult to master, and only with a great amount of talent and hard work you can be a good countertenor.

Frufru's favourite countertenor is without doubt Philippe Jaroussky. Here, at the "Artiste lyrique," he sings Vivaldi's Vedro con mio diletto (beating Roberto Alagna in the competition)

Something for coloratura lovers:

Just in case you don't believe their speaking voices are "normal" (or that they don't have a sense of humour) - Sombrero:

Countertenors can be encountered even on the pop scene. Just for fun, here's Vitas's Il dolce suono (Lucia di Lammermoor):

Thanks to Vitorvhs, BaroqueFever, MehdiCaps, and rxsuicide, respectively, for uploading.

A Review of Netrebko's Videoclips from the DVD "The Woman, The Voice"

2009-08-19T21:45:00.023+02:00

I'm going to be untypically harsh here, but I can't attempt to like modernized opera and remain nice at the same time.

Anna Netrebko is not one of my favourite singers, but she's far from bad and she's nice to look at. Especially in a videoclip. That's what I thought when I was ~~downloading~~ purchasing her DVD. Upon seeing the screenshots, I thought it would be interesting.

As I'm not interested in Ms.Netrebko reveling in talking about how she loves shopping in boutiques, I kept fast-forwarding to the videoclips, scattered on the whole length of the film. I quite liked the first one, Musetta's waltz. You could argue that it doesn't retain the spirit of the aria, but none of the videoclips here does. Musetta's waltz video is elegant, even though it somewhat lacks invention (what operatic videoclips don't?). I was especially annoyed by the switching to the black&white shots, but I liked the way she and the driver exchanged glances in the beginning *wink*! I guess this balancing on the edge of cliché is a match with Puccini.

However, the videoclips that followed were not short only of invention and originality, but also a slightest hint of style, pretending to be artistic. The diva is running/standing/lying around, with no further ideas to it. Vincent Paterson, the director, obviously thought that "the woman and the voice" is enough for a videoclip. He stayed half way between the traditional, where not so many things happen and you are left to enjoy beautiful music accompanied by beautiful pictures (as Sumi Jo's clip), and the progressive. He managed the almost impossible: modern opera clips which are boring.

The second clip was the Jewel Song from Faust. Ms.Netrebko in three very different settings for no apparent reason doesn't do anything but puts on jewels and adores herself in the many mirrors. Isn't that enough? Eh, not for me, especially when the settings are so kitschy.

A sparkle of hope came with the Don Giovanni clip, even though it immediately reminded me of the walking-talking trees in the Russian fairy-tale film Morozko (Jack Frost) and Titus. Unfortunately, the director again did nothing about it, so "the woman" is left there among the dancing trees, only opening her mouth to "the voice" and moving arms. Plus, there are several moments when the camera is so bad it's attracting attention.

La Sonnambula clip is so eurotrash it's almost useless to analyze it. The director knew no better way how to make it interesting than "the weirder, the better." It's tasteless, pointless, but at least not boring.

The Song to the Moon clip has been critically acclaimed, even by people who didn't like the other videos, but the reason escapes me. I'm amazed that so few people are capable of understanding the fact that Rusalka (opera) is a delicate and tender tragedy. The very *point* of it is that Rusalka (character) has got pure heart. There's a certain naïveté in her, but also strength: she sacrifices everything, is betrayed, but does not betray her love. Netrebko's approach to the aria is shallow every time, but when accompanied by a videoclip where she ~~sings~~ opens her mouth lying on a floating mattress, in a nouveau-riche style, with a giant moon behind her, it's just making fun of Dvořák and his depth. Otherwise, the clip is well structured, its only problem is that it's just as superficial as Ms.Netrebko's interpretation. Rusalka coming to the Prince when he's having a shower?

Well, I'm sure everybody who reads this review, including myself, will love the videoclips as a result. It's the expecting-a-disaster effect. If you like eurotrash productions and/or adore Anna Netrebko, I'm sure you will enjoy this DVD. However, it's almost a pity that she wasn't given the opportunity of having a documentary like those about Rolando Villazón or Elina Garanča. What actually saddens me the most is the wasted potential. Some clips look good at first sight, but the director let it all be as if unfinished, just the basic concept with no idea.

...But the pics look nice, don't they? Click to enlarge:

Musetta being neglected

The black&white inside life of the poor Musetta, who is neglected by her husband, which led her to having an affair with the driver. Which opera is this from?

Three snapshots from The Jewel Song, no comment

It looks beautiful, pity there's no meaning to it.

♪♫ Non mi dir ♪♫

La sonnambula. Flirting with an old man with pigtails on his beard. You should know that on the table there's a cake in the shape of a female leg.

Poor Bellini

Rusalka?

I bet you didn't believe me the one about the shower!

Unfortunately, 90% of the time of the DVD we see just this:

Joyce DiDonato: The Anti-Diva

2009-08-19T18:37:00.018+02:00

Frufru is now going through Joyce DiDonato's web log and is getting the impression that Frufru is the most self-centered woman on earth. Not only does Ms.DiDonato possess a wonderful voice capable of some wild coloratura, but also is a beautiful person with a

heart of gold.

Photography: Nick Gillespie (Member of the ROH chorus), taken from Ms.DiDonato's official website

This is my favourite Una voce poco fa. In the beginning, yet another little proof of Ms.DiDonato's magnanimity.

Thanks to thecelticspirit and Klassizismus for sharing.

Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy

2009-08-18T20:15:00.014+02:00

My first operatic post here cannot be on anyone else than the person thanks to whom I listen to this beautiful genre of music. I had been acquainted to the performances of The Three Tenors, Bocelli, and others who are considered popular opera singers and who perhaps have set many people’s footsteps on the path of classical music. However, it was the smashing tour de force of Lanza’s voice, together with the incomparable heartfelt interpretation, what really caught my heart.

It is a twisted humour of the Fate that the one who could have become the greatest tenor in history died so prematurely, having made so few truly great recordings. His good looks turned out to be more of a curse, rather than a blessing. After a couple of years in Hollywood, everything started turning against him. The classical music critics started savaging him, resulting in a loss of his self-confidence, so vital for a performer.

The studio needed him to be slim for the filming, so he would put on weight for making of the soundtrack, and then quickly put it off for the shooting. As years passed, simple dieting would not work, so Lanza had to take medicines. He started having problems with phlebitis. Heavy drinking did not help his physical state.

After his moving to Italy, he made two more films and was planning to do more serious work. A TV spectacle with Maria Callas, or Pagliacci on stage of the Opera Roma season opening were on his schedule, but it was too late. Mario Lanza died on October 7^th 1959 of pulmonary embolism, aged 38.

You’ll find a more detailed biography in Derek McGovern’s essay “Mario Lanza: A Radical Reassessment” here. A much more detailed biography is offered in the excellent book by Armando Cesari. You might also be interested in the Mario Lanza Google Group, the members of which are also Mr.McGovern and Mr.Cesari.

Lanza had no artistic guidance during his Hollywood years, plus many recordings were made quickly, without an established opera conductor. Moreover, most Lanza collections, especially those named “Lanza Gold” or “The Best of Lanza”, or similar to that, are simple packs of various recordings, no matter if good or bad. Even the only purely operatic CD “Mario Lanza – Opera Arias and Duets” is a decidedly mixed offering. It contains also lesser recordings, such as the Celeste Aida from the 1952 radio show. Why not the excellent one from The Great Caruso, with Peter Herman Adler conducting? Amor ti vieta, Nessun dorma, O soave fanciulla – ditto. In a situation where many opera aficionados don’t take him as a serious singer, there should be at least a CD of his true best.

If you’d like to know what his greatest recordings are, search here, a song-by-song review of the most popular CDs can be found here.

This is my absolute Lanza favourite. Un di all'azzurro spazio from Andrea Chenier. If Mozart's compositions are a proof of God's existence, this recording of Lanza's is double so.

Here you have some of Lanza's film best. Thanks to DiPlacido71 and Tenor65 for sharing.

The first clip is Dio, mi potevi scagliar from Verdi's Otello, as shown in the film Serenade, 1956.

The following video is of Vesti la giubba from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. It's a clip from Lanza's last film, paradoxically named "For the First Time", 1959.

Here we have Lanza in his youthful best: La donna e mobile from Verdi's Rigoletto, from the film The Great Caruso, 1951. Peter Herman Adler is conducting the soundtrack. The woman looking at him from the backstage is the famous Jarmila Novotná, who plays a selfish diva named Maria Selka. Unfortunately, their duet didn't make it to the final version of the film.

Voice Onset Time

2009-02-17T16:35:00.011+01:00

Voice onset time (VOT) is the time between the release of a consonant and the voice onset (the point when the vocal folds start vibrating). VOT can be zero, positive, or negative.

VOT = 0 - The vocal folds start vibrating at the point when the consonant is released. Typical for fortis consonants in Czech ("tak", "pak", "kat"), Spanish and many others. In English, this occurs when t,p,k are following "s" ("step", "speak", "sky").

Positive VOT - The vocal folds start vibrating more than 15 milliseconds after the release of the consonant. The resulting sound is aspiration. It normally doesn't occur in Czech, but is typical for English ("ten", "pay", "cup").

Negative VOT - The vocal folds start vibrating before the release of the consonant (i.e. during the closure, or in its beginning). The resulting sound is a partially or fully voiced consonant.
a) Vocal folds start vibrating at the consonant's onset: a fully voiced consonant. Typical for Czech ("den", "být", "guma" etc.), Spanish, and other languages (usually those which don't have aspiration). In English, fully voiced consonants occur only between two vowels.
b) Vocal folds start vibrating sometime during the closure: a partially voiced consonant. Typical for languages which do feature aspiration (English: "day", "bay", "gay", "they", "jam" etc., German and others)

On the picture below (click to view full size), you see all types of VOT, from fully voiced to aspirated consonant.

As it seems impossible to publish audio, I made videos. The voice is mine :-) It was recorded in quite awful conditions, that's why you'll hear some noises (especially at the final aspiration, unfortunately), but the voice onset can be heard. Notice how it is unnatural for me, as a Czech speaker, to pronounce a devoiced lenis consonant; I pronounced it fully devoiced (which does NOT make it fortis!):

[bæ] (fully voiced)

[b̥æ](partially voiced / devoiced)

[pʰæ] (voiceless)

[pʰæ] (aspirated)

These are the spectrograms of the respective above recordings. Click to view full size.

Important note: When an aspirated plosive (we're talking about English) is followed by something else than a vowel (an approximant - in English), the aspiration is not marked with the small "h", but as a devoicing of the consonant.

Why? Because the effect is the same. VOT is counted from the end of the consonant, therefore a partially voiced consonant (the vocal folds start vibrating somewhere towards the middle of the following sound, be it a vowel or another consonant) is marked as devoiced, with a little circle under (or above) it. Examples: "track", "play", "clay", "cute"

Fortis x Lenis (Eng)

2009-01-08T22:41:00.007+01:00

One of the greatest mysteries of studying the English phonology seems to be: What does it mean that a sound is fortis or lenis? We are told by our teachers that consonants which appear in pairs, voiced & voiceless, are called lenis and fortis, respectivelly. But why?

Fortis in Latin means strong, firm. Lenis means slow, calm, soft.

When the air escapes through an open glottis (for a voiceless consonant), it's not slowed down by anything, and arrives at the stricture at full strength. When the vocal folds are vibrating, they slow the airflow down, and therefore the pressure before the stricture is lower.

The stricture has to be more firm for voiceless consonants, in order to sustain the higher pressure.

Metaphor story by Dr.Machač, slight improvements by myself:
Imagine Frank Fortis and Luke Lenis want to play football (soccer, for Yankees :-)). They need the goals. Frank is punctual, and wants a firm goal which can sustain a fast ball. He takes many bars, nails, and ropes and creates a very stabile goal. It takes time, but it holds. Luke, on the other hand, is lazy. He just takes two bars, plucks them into ground and puts another across them. It takes just a few moments to build, but a faster ball would break it. But that doesn't matter, because his partner is weak and Luke can expect only slow shots.
Unfortunately, their neighbour, Mr.Sam Succeeding Sound doesn't like their play and wants them to dismantle their goals. Luke just pulls out the bars and he can go, but the poor old thing Frank has to disassemble his complex construction, and that will take time. It was worth the effort, though, because Luke is strong and his shots were fast, but Frank's goal sustained it.

Another metaphor:
There is a wide open window in the room. You need the door to be half-open (half-closed, for pessimists). You have to put a lot of effort, because the draft is so strong it would flung the door open. The window is the vocal folds, the door is the stricture, and you have to be fortis.
However, if you fasten the window so that the air can go only through a little cranny, you won't need so much effort to keep the door where you want them to be.

In practice:
In some languages, where phonologically voiced consonants are really voiced from the beginning to the end, like e.g. Czech or Spanish, this is not so important for the perception. It would be just an interesting piece of trivia. It only allows us to understand the whispered speech. Try to whisper for example the Spanish "panal" and "banal", and ask somebody if s/he understands. For Czech, the typical example is "saze" and "zase". Notice that there's a big difference between a "s" and a fully devoiced "z".

Unfortunately, some languages, including English, German, or Japanese, the vocal folds don't necesarilly have to be vibrating during a phonologically voiced consonant. We call it a consonant partially or fully devoiced. Here, it's not so much important whether the vocal folds are actually vibrating or not, rather whether the pronunciation is fortis or lenis. Of course, to give contrast between phonologically devoiced and voiceless consonants, these languages often use aspiration.

We don't speak about fortis or lenis in some consonant types:
Nazals: There's a very small rising of pressure before the stricture, as all the air escapes through the nose. According to our metaphor, the draft doesn't affect the door you're holding, as it escapes through another, wide open door next to yours.
Approximants: The stricture is so open that there's a very small rise of pressure before it. Metaphorically, you don't need the door to be half open, but nearly open (not entirely, though).
Taps, flaps, trills: You need the draft to be strong enough to rattle the door.