Just in case you ever wondered why Apple has always enjoyed that “cool kid” aura compared to Microsoft, well, here’s why.

Microsoft employees assault customers (with a dance)

Spontaneity doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Neither is it welcomed by everyone.

So please imagine how those who visited the new Microsoft store in Mission Viejo, Calif., a few days back must have felt when store employees suddenly decided to drop their trousers, wave their Zunes in the air, and sing a couple of Maria Callas’ greatest hits.

No, it really wasn’t quite like that. However, I feel sure that one or two people might have preferred the trouser-dropping and Zune-waving over the spectacle that actually occurred.

As the Black Eyed Peas were forced to propel some of their entirely commercial stimulation down the sound system, the employees performed their own version of the line dance for the one-legged. Because I am consumer-focused at every moment of my waking day, I found myself concentrating more on the reactions of the customers than on the techniques Spike Jonze might have used to make this an MTV VMA winner.

As the employees line up for this troubling, tourettesy Texas One-Step, one already feels a strange squeezing sensation on behalf of some of the customers.

Around the 1.15 mark, a little girl, her hair ponytailed with a yellow scrunchy, makes as if her vicinity has not been invaded by dancing, clapping, or stray employee sweat. She sits. She stares into her screen. The adults make fools of themselves.

Yes, this is the Microsoft store version of “The Ice Storm.”

Two minutes of constricting visual constipation are temporarily saved by three ladies who rush in from the mall to join in. These women, their purses held in place by a determined gravity, begin to show the employees just why Fergie’s tunes are precursors to a fiery personal life.

Look, I’m lying. But they are definitely better than the tall, blond string bean of a chap whose twisted movements are rather too similar those of certain people who bought Vista and couldn’t make it work.

I want to like this microcosmic flash mob of dance. I really do. However, once the balding chap holding the Brookstone bag joins the shifting knee-lifting, I find myself searching again for the little ponytailed girl staring into a very fine PC. She has not turned her neck one degree to observe these escapees from reality. She seems to have decided that this is not Miley Cyrus, this is not even Cyrus Vance, ergo this is not happening.

But it did happen, spontaneously, in Mission Viejo. That’s the place where the mission is old, right?

See also:
Hey, Microsoft: Please Stop Trying So Hard
Microsoft Dances Its Way Into Shoppers’ Hearts
Lines Of Code? No, Line Dancing, Microsoft Style
I never want to visit a Microsoft Store after seeing this
Microsoft Reduces Store Employees to Dancing Fools
Microsoft Store Employees Cruelly Forced To Dance For The Internet
Microsoft Retail Store Employees Break Out Into Dance And It’s Really Creepy

Of course, this latest Microsoft dancing debacle doesn’t hold a creepiness candle to the all time cringe classic.

/pass the knitting needles, my eyes and ears hurt

 By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal

SAN DIEGO–The great opera diva Maria Callas once famously said: “Love is so much better when you’re not married.”

Our patriarch, Isaac, would not have agreed! The Torah tells us that Isaac was taking a walk in a field when Eliezer returned from Aram-naharaim with Rebecca: “…looking up he saw the camels approaching…Isaac then brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he took Rebekah as his wife. Isaac loved her, and thus found comfort after his mother’s death.” (Gen. 24:64-67)

Rabbi Menachem Beker writes that many Jewish sages noted the superiority of early Jewish culture to contemporary mores in matters of love and marriage. Today most people think that a couple should fall in love before they decide to marry. The result is that this type of love, which is more infatuation, soon fades and couples may argue or split up if this is all that bound them.

Rabbi Beker continues that our ancestors, ‘from whose wells of wisdom we drink and through whose lives we are blessed,” thought differently. The Torah tell us that Isaac acted directly opposite of today’s  custom. First Isaac married Rebecca and then only afterward did he come to love her. 

I do not belittle romantic love, but the excited infatuation that one feels at the beginning of a relationship usually cannot sustain it for long.  Romantic love must evolve into a long and faithful commitment to one’s partner and marriage.

Dr. Morris Mandel, a columnist in The Jewish Press, wrote in his column: “Fidelity is rooted in love. The object of love is not only “union” but unity. It represents a life of truth, such as loving husbands and wives can perceive and share. It is unity in the full sense of the word. To reach that stage of complete oneness calls for unreserved absorption, both physical and spiritual. It is the job of a lifetime.” (May 23, 1977)

 Golde in Fiddler on the Roof put it even more plainly, though less poetically, when she sang to Tevye: “For twenty-five years I’ve lived with him, fought with him, starved with him. Twenty-five years my bed is his. If that’s not love, what is?”

Perhaps John Lennon wasn’t completely right when he sang: “All you need is love.” To sustain a marriage you do need love, but also a lot of hard work and compromise.

*
Rosenthal is spiritual leader of Tifereth Israel Synagogue in San Diego

I mentioned this in my previous post, and I feel now that I must refer to it again. I first heard it in the 1993 film Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks. This is the movie for which he won the first of his two back-to-back Oscars™. Philadelphia is the true story of a very promising lawyer named Andrew Beckett, a homosexual man dying of AIDS. He was fired from his law firm for being such. He then filed a class action suit against them claiming so, with Denzel Washington playing his attorney.

I must totally agree with one of the lines in this movie. “This is my favorite aria.” It never fails to break the heart when one listens to the song. I once thought my inspiration for wanting to learn Italian was the food but now I’m more inspired because I want to understand the songs I listen to.

The following video is the scene from which I first heard La Mamma Morta. I believe everyone would agree with me in saying that this is the scene that won Tom Hanks an Oscar™.

L’altre dia, visitant el web del dibuixant Vizcarra, vaig descobrir algunes caricatures de personatges relacionats amb el món de la música. Si passeu el ratolí per damunt de la imatge sabreu qui és cada músic, tot i que penso que no caldria…

Today was a rather strange day. It wasn’t necessarily uneventful, but it wasn’t really what you’d call a good day either. It started out well enough. I had discovered that an old classmate from Eng 1 was also my classmate in Comm 3, and later that day, I discovered that she was also my classmate in Geog 1. Chem 16 was also sort of okay. Mundane, but acceptable enough, I suppose. The Chem 16 lab was sort of fun. The oh-so-tiny-but-oh-so-cute professor was amusing and seemed mild-mannered enough. What really made my day, though, was Math 53. According to him, he has been a professor at UP for 30 years, or more, I think. He has specifically stated that he thinks university students shouldn’t be blogging. He also explained that students shouldn’t go out, and should study. That socialization was for after graduation. Very interesting indeed. It also turned out that I was sitting between two people who had unos in Math 17 last semester. Bummer.

Right now, I am currently trying to gain access to his database of lesson materials (he has a lot, which is good) while listening to “La Mamma Morta” as performed by Maria Callas for the opera, “Andrea Chénier”. Good luck to me next semester.

A série Traça de Biblioteca nesta semana, indica algumas biografias recentemente lançadas pelo mercado editorial brasileiro. Em destaque para os amantes da música lírica, o livro sobre a vida de Maria Callas. Já os fãs incondicionais do rock ´n roll podem aprender mais sobre duas bandas que são emblemáticas em momentos distintos deste movimento musical e cultural: Led Zepellin e Beatles. Além claro, de conhecer um pouco da vida do baiano Raul Seixas, guru do rock nacional. Para não dizer que não falei de literatura, as dicas de hoje começam com a biografia de Jorge Luis Borges. Confiram:

====================================

VIDA E OBRA DE JORGE LUIS BORGES

A escritora Solange Fernández Ordóñez, autora de O olhar de Borges – Uma biografia sentimental, foi buscar em um conjunto de cadernos manuscritos utilizados pelo escritor ao longo de 20 anos,  as referências para desvendar a alma do autor. A autora também conta com depoimentos da mãe de Bprges, Leonor Acevedo Borges, e uma seleção que o próprio Borges fez, em diferentes momentos de sua vida, dos acontecimentos relevantes de sua infância e registros de seus comentários entre amigos, em palestras e entrevistas para a imprensa. Menos voltado aos fatos e mais para como se construiu o Borges literário, o livro mostra como “a vida de Borges vai se construindo de forma justaposta com o cansativo trabalho poético, sem deixar em sua escritura, embora pareça estranho, maiores resquícios por onde espiar sua intimidade”.

Autora: Solange Fernández Ordóñez

Tadução: Cristina Antunes

Autêntica Editora

248 páginas

Preço: R$ 43,00

Em tempo: Para quem quer saber mais sobre o escritor, outro livro é  Século de Borges, de Eneida Maria de Souza, que chega ao mercado em sua 2ª edição, revista e ampliada. A autora é professora emérita da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais e uma das maiores críticas literárias em atividade no país. A publicação recria e reconta o universo de Borges a partir de determinadas situações vividas pelo autor.

Autora: Eneida Maria de Souza

Autêntica Editora

112 páginas

Preço: R$ 27,00

O RAUL SEIXAS QUE OS FÃS NÃO CONHECEM

Raul Seixas-Metamorfose ambulante é escrito por Mário Lucena, Laura Kohan e Igor Zinza, com coordenação de Sylvio Passos, presidente do fã-clube do cantor. O livro mostra um Raul que os fãs não conheceram. Seu fascínio por filosofia, a inspiração para músicas que revolucionaram o rock nacional, e a criação do “Maluco Beleza”, reverenciado por antigos e novos admiradores. Sylvio Passos conviveu nove anos com Raul Seixas e revela que o músico tinha uma relação profunda com a filosofia de Schopenhauer, Crowley e Sartre.

Autores – Mário Lucena, Laura Kohan e Igor Zinza

Coordenação – Sylvio Passos

Editora: B&A

260 páginas

Preço: RS 29,90

A DIVA CALLAS

A vida de Maria Callas, a maior soprano de todos os tempos, foi um dos grandes mitos do século XX. Boa parte da atração que ela exerce tem origem em sua biografia, permeada por feitos espetaculares e por escândalos. Em Orgulhosa demais, frágil demais,  o jornalista Alfonso Signorini narra a trajetória da jovem sem graça que começou a carreira em bares de Nova York e se tornou uma diva disposta a renunciar à carreira magnífica por amor. Seu romance com o milionário Aristóteles Onassis esteve estampado na imprensa, sobretudo quando ele a deixou para se casar com Jaqueline Kennedy, inaugurando uma fase de clausura e tristeza que culminou na morte da cantora.

Alfonso Signorini

Tradução de Joana Angélica d’Avila Melo

Grupo Editorial Record/Editora Record

304 páginas

Preço: R$ 39,90

OS BEATLES, A GRÃ-BRETANHA E OS EUA

Os Beatles se transformaram em assunto inesgotável. Centenas de livros, artigos e matérias já foram publicados sobre eles. Can’t buy me love é um livro sobre os Beatles, a Grã-Bretanha e os Estados Unidos nos vinte e cinco anos que se seguiram ao fim da II Guerra Mundial. Fruto de quase vinte anos de pesquisa, o autor Jonathan Gould, que também é músico,  situa o Fab Four no amplo e tumultuado panorama de seu tempo e espaço e enraíza a história da banda no contexto social que envolveu tanto a ascensão quanto a dissolução dela. Tomando como ponto de partida a adolescência dos Beatles em Liverpool, Gould descreve as influências seminais – de Elvis Presley e Chuck Berry a The Goon Show e Alice no país das maravilhas – que os moldaram como indivíduos e como banda.

Autor: Jonathan Gould

Tradução: Candombá

Editora: Larousse do Brasil

752 páginas

Preço: R$ 99,00

QUANDO OS GIGANTES CAMINHAVAM SOBRE A TERRA

Jimmy Page é o pai do Led Zeppelin, talvez a maior e mais poderosa banda de rock de todos os tempos. O termo heavy metal foi usado por ele para definir o som pesado que a banda fazia. Logo se transformou num gênero musical. Led Zeppelin – Quando os gigantes caminhavam sobre a Terra é um documento primoroso da época em que jovens como Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Keith Moon,  Jimmi Hendrix, Eric Clapton  e Jimmy Page reinavam como deuses. Tudo começou com o término do Yardbirds, banda na qual Jimmy Page havia tocado (Eric Clapton e Jeff Beck  também passaram por ela). O ano era 1968 e Page planejou formar o New Yardbirds. Um amigo, o baixista John Paul Jones se interessou pelo projeto. Chamaram para os vocais, Jerry Reid, que sugeriu outro vocalista, Robert Plant, que introduziu à banda o baterista John “Bonzo” Bonham, com quem já havia tocado antes. Foi no ano seguinte, 1969, que os criadores do heavy metal lançaram seu primeiro álbum, Led Zeppelin. Curiosamente, o insight para o nome da banda não partiu de nenhum integrante do Led, mas sim do baterista do The Who, Keith Moon.  Escrito pelo respeitado biógrafo e crítico musical Mick Wall, o livro está organizado em ordem cronológica, e explora os quatro membros da banda e o empresário Peter Grant’s, um ex-lutador profissional que intimidava com seu tamanho aqueles que se saíssem mal em alguma negociação. Foi dele o mérito de conseguir um contrato para gravação com a Atlantic Records antes mesmo que os executivos da gravadora tivessem ouvido a banda tocar. Além disso, antes que o primeiro álbum estivesse prensado, o Led já estava excursionando pelos EUA. A obra é resultado de anos de pesquisa e se baseia não apenas em entrevistas individuais com todos os membros do grupo – além de outras feitas por pessoas que os conheciam e trabalhavam com eles – , mas também inclui muito da visão de Wall, profissional que passou três décadas no meio musical ao lado das maiores estrelas do rock.

Autor: Mick Wall

Tradução: Elvira Serapicos

Editora: Larousse do Brasil

550 páginas

Preço: R$ 99,00

Mexico's Dios de los muertos ... a day to celebrate our lost loved ones.

Today is All Soul’s Day. It’s a day to remember the dearly departed, especially those who have recently left us. I’d like to dedicate today’s post to two beautiful souls who passed away this week — my in-laws. At 96, they were both an inspiration to me in so many ways. And neither one of them would ever have called any of the thoughtful gestures and kind words and actions they shared daily — no, hourly — as good deeds. To them, it was second-nature to put yourself in another’s shoes and treat each person with compassion and understanding. I still have so much to learn from them.

One of the many things I learned by watching my father-in-law in action was the way he took a special interest in every person who crossed his path. Whether it was a waitress, a store clerk or a bank president, he treated each individual with the same warmth and courtesy, genuinely interested in who they were and what they were about.

He was a master at turning a brief encounter with a stranger into a warm exchange that invariably left that person a little cheerier as they went on their way.

I did try to do that today. And I will try to do that every day. For Flos and for Poppo.

P.S. Here’s a song that reminds me of my in-laws, both great opera lovers. Enjoy!

A few days ago, I got an email from my editor over at KQED’s Bay Area Bites asking me if I would incorporate “in my own very special way” a Halloween theme into this week’s post. Rather than over think it, I decided to do the first thing that popped into my head:

A Jackie O. Lantern.

As far as I’m concerned, creating this lantern satisfies three important Halloween criteria: 1.) It allows me to dress inanimate fruit in drag, 2.) It caters to the modern obsession with celebrity (the fact that said celebrity is dead and was a Roman Catholic is pure holiday gravy), and 3.) It gives an appropriate nod to the centuries-old tradition of warding off evil spirits. Of course, the only spirit a Jackie O. Lantern might ward off is that of Maria Callas. Or Christina Onassis.

I Googled images of Jackie O. Lanterns and was shocked– there weren’t any. Yes, there were a few that called themselves Jackie O. Lanterns, but they were either just female jack-o-lanterns or, more dishearteningly,  Jackie-o-lanterns wearing pink pillbox hats.

And that’s wrong, I tell you, just wrong. That pillbox hat– that’s not Jackie O., that’s Jackie Kennedy at the moment of her first husband’s death. I wanted to convey a more cynical Jackie (or practical, depending upon your point of view)– I wanted the Jackie who cashed in her status as American royalty to marry an aging stallion/obscenely wealthy Greek shipping magnate in order to protect what was left of her family and garner unheard of shopping privileges.

So I borrowed a wig, big sunglasses, and a scarf from my friend Natalie, who likes to play dress up more than any other adult I know, and tarted up a little sugar pumpkin.

To make your very own Jackie O. Lantern, you will need:

Big sunglasses. It’s all about the sunglasses.

A long brown wig

A sugar pumpkin. (Note: take the sunglasses with you while pumpkin shopping. If the glasses fit around the pumpkin’s girth, you’ve got your pumpkin.

Some sort of carving instrument, like a small, sharp knife.

A spoon

A votive candle

A vintage scarf. (Purely optional, but it does complete the look. Pucci’s nice.)

Preparation:

1. Cut out a lid on the top of the pumpkin at a 45 degree angle so that the lid will remain in place when pumpkin is hollowed. This opening should be just large enough to allow access to your clenched fist. The smaller the hands, the better.

2. Scoop out seeds and stringy bits of pulp from the inside of your pumpkin with a spoon, preferably made of sterling silver. It’s even better if you are using a dessert spoon that has been stolen from the Plaza Hotel in New York. Since I have no such spoon, I had to settle for one I stole from the Algonquin Hotel instead. I am not advocating stealing– I was just pretending I was Robert Benchley and was therefore necessarily pickled. Reserve the pumpkin seeds for later roasting, since the seeds of the sugar pumpkin are the best for toasting, which is something I learned from Elise Bauer’s always helpful Simply Recipes.

3. Situate sunglasses onto the face of the pumpkin to determine the best placement for the eye holes. Cut out small holes with the tip of a sharp knife, then enlarge the holes with the same, stolen silver spoon you used to scrape out the pumpkin’s insides. (Note: Holes should not be larger than the sunglasses.)

4. Put your now-naked Jackie O. Lantern upon some sort of pedestal (I used one originally intended for cakes) which, now that I think of it, seems entirely appropriate. Dress up your pumpkin doll with wig, sunglasses, and a purely optional scarf-around-the-neck. Presto! You’ve got an international woman of glamour sitting on a cake stand in your kitchen.

Lighting Jackie’s Fire

To add an inner glow to your Jackie O. Lantern, remove the wig and lid from the pumpkin, place a votive candle inside her, and light. Replace lid and wig. Adjust hairstyle, if the need or desire arises.

For a delicious bit of added fun, summon the spirit of Aristotle Onassis with the help of your Ouija board. Once you have his full attention, blast  a Maria Callas aria from your surround sound speakers, then sit back and feel the tension. Voi lo Sapete from Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana would do very nicely. I recommend hiding all valuable, breakable objects.

I do not recommend leaving your Jackie O. Lantern burning with fire from the inside unattended, unless you wish to melt your wig or set your house ablaze, but lighting it does make her eyes shine bright and wide, which makes sense, if you think about it:

That woman saw things that no woman should ever have to see.

העץ היה צעיר. ילד וילדה יחד. לא אני ולא היא הבחנו בו עד כה. הנשימה נעתקה לרגע. הנשיפה  אפשרה לראות עוד עץ ועוד עץ ואפילו אחד גדול בחלקה הותיקה. הסתערתי ראשון. הוא היה מלא פרי. מאוד לא נימוסי לזלול תותים או שההפרדה שהשתרשה בין הדבר לתצוגתו בדוכני המכירה, עקרה את מנהג הקטיפה אלא אם הוא כלול בסיור מאורגן למשטח יצור. הידיים נמלאו אדום ארגמני שחדר לנקבוביות העור מילא אותן, שטף אותן מהצהבהבות החולית. העץ העניק בנדיבות

Jeg befinder mig i en midlertidig Lisbeth Salander-ekstase. Nøj, hvor er den kvinde dog bare L-Æ-K-K-E-R. Med hendes piercinger i næsen, skarpe kindben og sygeste tatovering på ryggen. Hun skal være min kæreste. Godt så.

Lucia læste mit brev op i Det Elektriske Barometer. Hun gjorde det så smukt. Dét var jeg virkelig beæret over. Jeg elsker Barometeret. Jeg elsker Lucia og Alicia og deres smukke stemmer, jeg elsker den dejlige rockede indiemusik, jeg elsker tankevæggen og ikke mindst, så elsker jeg alle de andre dejlige barometerbørn, deres dybe tanker og smukke poesi. Som Mie sagde: “Det eneste der gør en ellers dårlig søndag helt fantastisk”. Oh, so true.

Musikken jeg hører for tiden. Som jeg har nævnt i nogle tidligere indlæg: Mouritz/Hørslev-projektet. Kom Kom Kom. Jeg afspiller den på repeat dagen lang, og jeg fatter ikke, jeg ikke er blevet træt af den efter 5000. afspilning. Måske er det bare sådan en sang, man ikke kan blive træt af. Ellers er jeg røget ind i noget af en electronicaperiode. Jeg tænker Oh Land med den smukke Nanna Øland Fabricius – jeg kender ingen, der kan bære et hus på hovedet og stadig look freaking fucking fierce (til eventen for Kronprinsparrets Kulturpris)! Jeg er vild med hendes på samme tid seje og vildt yndefulde vokal, og så selvfølgelig det her væld af “skæve”, overdrevede – men alligevel tempererede – reallyde og skæve electronicsamples. Jeg er særligt vild med ‘Heavy Eyes’, ‘Audition Day’ og ‘Frostbite’. Lyt til dem her: http://www.myspace.com/ohlandmusic.

I London kan man købe plader til langt billigere prise end i Danmark – hvilket jeg selvfølgelig gjorde nytte af! Min far og jeg gik AMOK i den klassiske afdeling hvilket havde konsekvens af bl.a. Verdis Requiem (som jeg forresten var inde at lytte til i Royal Albert Hall i sidste uge – det var simpelthen så smukt), Mozarts samlede symfonier, Beethovens 4. og 5. klaverkoncert (5. klaverkoncert er sådan… “jeg og min fars”), Maria Callas, Edith Piaf, Hayley Westenra, Danielle De Nise og Loreena McKennit (DEN kvindes stemme er smuk. Og musikken fantastisk. Det var Visby fra Filosofisk Boghandel der preænsterede mig for hende – how come jeg aldrig har hørt om hende før? En smuk blanding af keltisk, irsk og østerlandsk musik – hun er allerede blevet en fast og vigtig bestanddel i min hverdag).

Jeg har ikke været i skole de sidste tre dage, hvilket ikke er så godt.

Denne danskopgave stresser mig en smule. Jeg skriver om Murakamis mesterværk, “Trækopfuglens Krønike”, som jeg før har nævnt. Jeg postede faktisk udkastet til min problemformulering herinde for nogle uger siden. Du kan læse den her: http://maleneschmidt.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/trkopfuglens-krnike/.

Det er lidt… øv. For jeg føler, jeg har LYST til det her, men at jeg ikke KAN. Det plejer i virkeligheden at være omvendt, ha, suk.

I am huffing and I am puffing also and I am to blow the house down…that I in the other time was calling home.  I hate Arnold Schwartzenegger, but all foreigners are jealous of other foreigners aren’t they…it’s just axiomatic, no?  Particularly when some are more successful than others.  Or, when they become successful on their own, without having to marry the random “bisexual” natural gas tycoon, adopting to them their surnames  only after  divorce.  Life’s events are so mystifying…I am still so amazed that Girton decided to upgrade my BA to the MA, or that my Bernie decided, after we had so much fun facing the music, that sleeping Greek  was just not right for him, and finally, why the “voters just aren’t on board.”  Ah, it is so ironic, yes, when you think about it…do you not agree?… in a different life both I and the Aniston Jennifer could  be making still our livings on those small, sunny islands, pleasuring the ugly American.  Instead, here we are, being the ugly Americans ourselves.  But, I must be my own political animal.  It is so remarkable, is it not?  Please allow me to say that, for the time being, I will support all the big candidates who pledge to me their allegiance, yes?  Until then, apyotepa!

Also, do not ask me what is a progressive populist or why I am an accused (Maria Callas) plagiarist, or why on my web site it is not allowed the comment, or anything about Getty, or the Jerry Brown.  Thank you. I invite you to my site [www.huffingtonpost.com] so you may see how we offer our arguments in hair splitting terms…where we absolve Kevin Jennings (Obama’s Safe Schools Czar) of his predatory transgressions because his high school student victim was “above the age of consent.” In cases such as this, we feel the Huffington Post must ask, “Where is the egregious outrage?”

Ho la macchina nuova da 5 giorni.

Mi sono scoperta malata di golfite.

Per chi non la conoscesse è una pericolisissima sindrome che prende i possessori di Volkswagen – Golf nera.

E’ essenziale che sia nera, perchè negli altri colori non colpisce allo stesso modo.

I sintomi iniziali sono lievi e non danno grande preoccupazione, ma devono essere curati per tempo per non degenerare in una grave ed irreversibile malattia.

Cominciano facendoti dire ‘azzo’ che gran macchina, senti che ripresa, corre come se fosse sulle rotaie, a duecento ti sembra di essere ferma, un design da urlo.

Poi si arriva al sintomo più emblematico che è la prova dello stereo.

Funziona benissimo, ha dei bassi che ti arrivano direttamente nello stomaco e cominici ascoltando piano piano un pezzo di Chopin, poi passi ad uno di Bach, poi provi Mozart con il Don Giovanni (che non si nega a nessuno), poi assapori l’esperienza mistica del Koln Concert di Keit Jarrett.

Dopo vuoi non sentirti la Callas mentre gorgheggia L’amour est un oiseau rebelle? No quello, decisamente, non te lo puoi perdere.

Insomma, cominci in sordina fino a che non arrivi, senza quasi accorgertene, a “farti” un San Benedetto V.d.S – Bologna, nella fondo valle del Savena, come me oggi pomeriggio,  l’intero album “Riportando tutto a casa” dei Modena City Ramblers, con il volume a manetta (al massimo per i non bolognesi).

Solo quando sono arrivata a San Ruffillo ed è iniziato il centro abitato mi sono resa conto che ero diventata uguale a tutti quei neri golfisti che ho tanto denigrato e tanto disprezzato come buzzurri e maragli.

Peccato che la mia nuova fiammante nera (dentro e fuori) macchina non sia affatto una Golf ma una New Lancia Delta.

Il che rende la malattia ancora più grave perchè non è ancora stata studiata  la sua mutazione genetica da nessun meccanico, elettricista o garagista che dir si voglia; non ho attenuante alcuna.

Oltrettutto dovrò scrivere alla Lancia per protestare contro lo spot pubblicitario interpretato da Richard Gere, perchè quando salgo sulla macchina non mi vengono, affatto, in mente scene new age tibetane con tanto di visione mistica del monaco bambino che, in impeto di fratellanza, mette la propria manina nella neve a fianco della manona dell’americano brizzolato.

Quando salgo in macchina, a me, viene in mente Diabolik!

Questa storia della musica che si vede è una vera tragedia e comincia a fare i primi massacri. Fino all’ultima volta che ho controllato, la musica si ascoltava, ma sembra che questo sia diventato un luogo comune. Adesso, prevale l’idea che l’importante non sia la voce, ma lo spettacolo.

Poveri noi, in che tempi viviamo. E’ vero che sempre nel mondo della musica leggera una certa commistione tra immagine e canto c’è stata. Qualche bella fanciulla sui palchi di Sanremo s’è anche vista, e magari non era proprio una nuova Callas. Qualche altra volta, sono stati lanciati anche ragazzini svociati, ma dal bel corpo muscoloso, tipo gli straordinari “Ragazzi italiani”, che per me sono miti splendidi (sto facendo outing: anzi, se mi leggono, mi facciano sapere che stanno a fare ora come ora), ma certo non sono rimasti nella storia della musica come novelli Mozart.

Chi usa la propria voce per farsi strada, naturalmente, può anche osare e magari crearsi un nuovo look, immaginarsi diverso, rompere con la tradizione. Tutto, per fare spettacolo, può funzionare. Ma non si prescinde mai dalla sostanza dell’arte: essa resta di base, altrimenti non si può cantare.

L’idea, che qualcuno cerca di contrabbandare, che invece importi di più l’atteggiamento sul palco è pericolosissima. Ci sono cantanti che non sono mai stati televisivi e che anzi detestano perfino qualsiasi sovraesposizione. Secondo i nuovi profeti della musica, sarebbero da cacciare a pedate. Mina ha deciso di erigere intorno a sé la più alta delle barriere contro tutto e tutti: chissà cosa si inventerebbe Tommasini, se potesse metterle le mani addosso.

Il problema non è neppure tanto nelle parole di Rapino ad “Amici” (dove la musica è sempre stata più nuda che a “X-Factor”, a parte l’essere accompagnata dalla danza), o in quelle di qualche altro scalmanato, vissuto probabilmente nel mito dell’America consumista e costruttrice di miti (tanto l’età è quella). Il problema è quello della civiltà dell’immagine creatasi, purtroppo, anche in Italia: la stessa logica secondo cui ministro delle pari opportunità è una ex modella da calendario, o secondo cui Miss Italia viene invitata a “Porta a porta” a parlare del conflitto in Medio Oriente.

Finché non reagiremo a questa tirannide dell’immagine, l’arte non sarà mai propriamente libera e i Rapino e i Cecchetto di questo mondo e quest’altro potranno pontificare, consci che per fare successo (in tutti i campi) non occorre avere il talento o la competenza o le qualità, ma sembrare di possederli.

It happens. Hiding: it is a thing.

“Love is so much better when you’re not married.” — Maria Callas

Maria Callas – Queen of the Night aria, “Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen,” The Magic Flute (W.A. Mozart)

I finally have free time and I’m hiding from my writing today. I need to think about why. I think I know. But I need to admit it.

Hylocereus undatus, or Night-blooming cereus, sometimes called the Queen of the Night.

The nightblooming cereus is also known as the lunar flower, moon flower and luna flower. … The plant grows as a thin, almost dead looking stick from a single stem in the ground. They bloom just on one or two nights of the year. Pack rats often eat these blossoms before morning, so catching a glimpse of them can be fleeting. — The wiki.

And there you have it.

Vissa vänner tror man är fasta som klippor, tills man plötsligt upptäcker att det är gjorda av sand.
Maria Callas

(Leviticus 19-21)
Twice in this passage, God tells us to take a Sabbath.  To take time to do something to recharge our batteries, to fill ourselves up with something divine.  So, since I cant take the whole day for Sabbath, nor tomorrow, I’m stealing some this morning with Maria.  If you havent sabbathed in awhile (and if you dont know who Maria Callas is) sit back, relax, listen.

Maria Callas – La Divina (O Mio Babbino Caro)

Φαίνεται πως οι Έλληνες “εθνοπατέρες” είναι πολύ απασχολημένοι με τη μέριμνα της επανεκλογής τους στις επερχόμενες εκλογές και δεν τους περισσεύει λίγος χρόνος για να ασχοληθούν με την επέτειο του θανάτου της μεγάλης ντίβας, που κυριολεκτικά δόξασε την Ελλάδα σε κάθε γωνιά του πλανήτη. Η μόνη συναυλία, που έπεσε στη δική μου αντίληψη τουλάχιστον, ήταν αυτή που διοργανώθηκε από το Ίδρυμα  Athenaeum στο Μέγαρο Μουσικής. Η Εληνική πολιτεία πού βρίσκεται; Τί εορτασμοί και εκδηλώσεις έγιναν; Το σπίτι που έμεινε η Μαρία Κάλλας  μεταξύ 1936 και 1945 στην οδό Σκαραμαγκά και Πατησίων 61, στο Μουσείο, καταρρέει και τελεί υπό κατάληψη αναρχικών, ενώ στη Βενετία επέλεξαν ένα τυχαίο σπίτι προκειμένου να το μετατρέψουν σε μουσείο για τη Μαρία Κάλλας.  Ντροπή! Αίσχος! Ας ρίξουν μια ματιά στο Σάλτσμπουργκ, για να δουν τι κάνουν οι Αυστριακοί, προκειμένου να τραβήξουν τον κόσμο στη γενέτειρα του μεγάλου τους συνθέτη, Μότσαρτ. Μήπως είναι η πρώτη φορά άλλωστε, που δείχνουμε δείγματα πολιτιστικής αναλγησίας και προχειρότητας; Εδώ κατεδαφίσαμε όλα τα κοσμήματα της Αθήνας, που άλλες πρωτεύουσες διατηρούν ως “κόρην οφθαλμού”, για να χτίσουμε αυτή την τσιμεντένια τερατούπολη!

Παραθέτω βιογραφικό της Μαρίας Κάλλας, ένα πολύ ενδιαφέρον άρθρο του κ. Χρήστου Μιχαηλίδη και video με την υπέροχη Casta Diva.

Πολλές φωτογραφίες της κορυφαίας σοπράνο μπορείτε να βρείτε στη Σελίδα αυτού του Blog ΜΑΡΙΑ ΚΑΛΛΑΣ/ MARIA CALLAS

Η ζωή της μυθικής υψίφωνου

Η Άννα Μαρία Καικιλία Σοφία Καλογεροπούλου, μετέπειτα Μαρία Κάλλας, γεννήθηκε στις 2 Δεκεμβρίου του 1923 στη Νέα Υόρκη, όπου είχαν μεταναστεύσει οι γονείς της. Η Μαρία Κάλλας έλαβε μαθήματα πιάνου από παιδί και σε ηλικία 11 ετών λαμβάνει το πρώτο της βραβείο ως σολίστ, σε διαγωνισμό παιδικών φωνών τοπικού ραδιοφωνικού σταθμού.

Οι γονείς της χωρίζουν το 1937 και η 14χρονη Μαρία ακολουθεί τη μητέρα της στην Αθήνα όπου εγγράφεται στο Εθνικό Ωδείο του Καλομοίρη με καθηγήτρια τη Μαρία Τριβέλλα ενώ ένα χρόνο αργότερα βρέθηκε στο Εθνικό Ωδείο Αθηνών όπου δίδασκε η Elvira de Hidalgo και η οποία θεωρείται η κατ’ εξοχήν δασκάλα της Κάλλας.

Τον Απρίλιο του 1939 κάνει το ντεμπούτο της, ως Σαντούζα, σε μία μαθητική παράσταση της Καβαλερία Ρουστικάνα του Πιέτρο Μασκάνι από το Ωδείο Αθηνών. Λίγο πριν την είσοδο της Ελλάδας στον Β’ Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο, έρχεται η πρώτη συνεργασία της με την Λυρική Σκηνή Αθηνών και στις 21 Οκτωβρίου του 1940 ερμηνεύει τραγούδια από τον Έμπορο της Βενετίας του Ουίλιαμ Σαίξπηρ στο Βασιλικό Θέατρο. Η συνεργασία της με τη Λυρική Σκηνή θα συνεχιστεί και στις 21 Ιανουαρίου 1941 στην πρώτη της μελοδραματική εμφάνιση θα υποδυθεί τη Βεατρίκη στο έργο «Βοκκάκιος» του Φραντς φον Σουπέ στο κινηματοθέατρο Παλλάς.

Λίγο μετά την απελευθέρωση της Ελλάδας, η Μαρία Κάλλας αποφασίζει να επιστρέψει στις ΗΠΑ, αφού θεωρεί ότι η θέση της στη Λυρική Σκηνή έχει υποβαθμιστεί. Το Σεπτέμβριο του 1945 βρίσκεται στη Νέα Υόρκη και προσπαθεί να βρει εργασία. Η πρώτη της εμφάνιση γίνεται στις 3 Αυγούστου 1947 στην Αρένα της Βερόνα με τη «Τζοκόντα» του Αμιλκάρε Πονκιέλι και στη συνέχεια ερμηνεύει την Ιζόλδη από το «Τριστάνος και Ιζόλδη» στη Βενετία υπό την καθοδήγηση του μαέστρου Τούλιο Σεραφίν. Σύντομα γνωρίζεται με τον μουσικόφιλο Ιταλό βιομήχανο Τζοβάννι Μπατίστα Μενεγκίνι, με τον οποίο παντρεύονται στις 21 Απριλίου 1949.

Ο Μενεγκίνι ανέλαβε και ρόλο μάνατζερ της Κάλλας, ασκώντας καταλυτική επιρροή στην καριέρα της, υποβάλλοντάς την σε δίαιτα με σκοπό να αποκτήσει καλύτερη εμφάνιση και αποτρέποντάς την από κάθε βιοποριστική ενασχόληση με την οικονομική κάλυψη που της παρείχε. Τον ίδιο χρόνο η Κάλλας κάνει εμφανίσεις στο Μπουένος Άιρες και το 1950 στο Μεξικό.

Στις 7 Δεκεμβρίου 1951 η Κάλλας ανοίγει τη σαιζόν στη Σκάλα του Μιλάνου με το «Σικελικό Εσπερινό», εμφάνιση που της προσφέρει μεγάλη αναγνώριση. Τα επόμενα επτά χρόνια, η Σκάλα θα γίνει η σκηνή των μεγαλύτερων θριάμβων. Το 1955 ανεβάζει την ιστορική παράσταση της «Τραβιάτα» του Βέρντι σε σκηνοθεσία Λουκίνο Βισκόντι. Στις 27 Οκτωβρίου 1956 εμφανίζεται για πρώτη φορά στη Μητροπολιτική Όπερα της Νέας Υόρκης ως «Νόρμα» στο ομώνυμο έργο του Giuseppe Bellini. Στις 5 Αυγούστου 1957 επιστρέφει στην Αθήνα και εμφανίζεται στο Ωδείο Ηρώδου Αττικού στα πλαίσια του Φεστιβάλ Αθηνών.

Δύο μήνες νωρίτερα, η Κάλλας γνωρίζεται με τον εφοπλιστή Αριστοτέλη Ωνάση, μια γνωριμία που θα εξελιχθεί σε μια θρυλική ερωτική σχέση που χαρακτήρισε τη ζωή της μεγάλης καλλιτέχνιδος. Σύμφωνα με το ντοκιμαντέρ «Απόλυτη Κάλλας» του Γάλλου σκηνοθέτη Φιλίπ Κολί, η Κάλλας γέννησε νεκρό ένα αγοράκι στις 30 Μαρτίου του 1960, καρπό του έρωτά της με τον Ωνάση. Ο Κολί ισχυρίζεται ότι επαλήθευσε το γεγονός με πιστοποιητικό γέννησης, στο οποίο αναφέρεται μεν το όνομα Όμηρος, αλλά με επίθετο «μη αναγνώσιμο».

Το 1960 τραγουδά στο Αρχαίο Θέατρο της Επιδαύρου «Νόρμα» και το επόμενο έτος «Μήδεια» σε σκηνοθεσία Αλέξη Μινωτή. Το 1962 επανεμφανίζεται στη Σκάλα του Μιλάνου και αποθεώνεται σαν «Μήδεια» σε σκηνοθεσία Α. Μινωτή και κοστούμια Γιάννη Τσαρούχη. Τον Ιανουάριο του 1964 πείθεται από το Φράνκο Τζεφιρέλι να συμμετάσχει σε μία νέα παραγωγή της «Τόσκα» στο Covent Garden. Η παράσταση εκθειάζεται από τους κριτικούς ενώ ακολουθεί την ίδια χρονιά νέος θρίαμβος στην Όπερα των Παρισίων με τη «Νόρμα». Παρά τα φωνητικά προβλήματα που ήδη έχουν κάνει την εμφάνισή τους, η σοπράνο αποθεώνεται στο Παρίσι.

Στις 5 Ιουλίου 1965 εμφανίζεται για τελευταία φορά σε παράσταση όπερας στο Κόβεντ Γκάρντεν με την «Τόσκα» σε σκηνοθεσία Φράνκο Τζεφιρέλι. Το 1966 απεκδύεται την αμερικανική υπηκοότητα και λαμβάνει την ελληνική, λύοντας και τυπικά έτσι το γάμο της με τον Μενεγκίνι. Η Κάλλας ελπίζει ότι πλέον ο Α. Ωνάσης θα της ζητήσει να παντρευτούν, ελπίδες που καταρρέουν στις 8 Ιουλίου 1968, όταν ο Έλληνας μεγιστάνας παντρεύεται τη χήρα του Αμερικανού Προέδρου Τζων Κέννεντυ, Τζάκυ. Η κορυφαία υψίφωνος πέφτει σε κατάθλιψη.

Το 1969 παίζει στην ταινία «Μήδεια» του Ευριπίδη, σε σκηνοθεσία Πιερ Πάολο Παζολίνι. Η ταινία δεν έχει τύχη στις κινηματογραφικές αίθουσες. Στις 25 Μαΐου 1970 η Κάλλας μεταφέρεται στο νοσοκομείο και γίνεται γνωστό ότι επιχείρησε να αυτοκτονήσει με μεγάλη δόση βαρβιτουρικών. Το 1973 σκηνοθετεί στο Τορίνο μαζί με τον Τζουζέπε ντι Στέφανο το έργο «Σικελικοί Εσπερινοί» (I Vespri Siciliani) και την ίδια χρονιά ξεκινά μαζί του μια παγκόσμια καλλιτεχνική περιοδεία.

Στις 8 Δεκεμβρίου 1973 η Κάλλας τραγούδησε στην Όπερα των Παρισίων, όπου το κοινό την κάλεσε να επανέλθει στη σκηνή 10 φορές, καταχειροκροτώντας την. Η τελευταία της εμφάνιση έγινε στην πόλη Σαππόρο της Ιαπωνίας στις 11 Δεκεμβρίου του 1974.

Η Μαρία Κάλλας πέθανε στις 16 Σεπτεμβρίου 1977, στο Παρίσι. Η σορός της αποτεφρώθηκε και, δυο χρόνια αργότερα, σκορπίστηκε στο Αιγαίο Πέλαγος.

Πηγές: Έθνος, Wikipedia

Εγώ, η Μαρία Κάλλας

32 ΧΡΟΝΙΑ συμπληρώνονται σήμερα από τον θάνατο της Ελληνίδας υψιφώνου Μαρίας Κάλλας.

Πέθανε στις 16 Σεπτεμβρίου 1977 στο Παρίσι από καρδιακή προσβολή, σε ηλικία 53 ετών. Η επικήδεια λειτουργία τελέστηκε 4 μέρες μετά, 20 Σεπτεμβρίου, στην εκκλησία του Αγ. Στεφάνου στο Παρίσι. Η σορός της αποτεφρώθηκε στο κρεματόριο του Pere Lachaise. Η τεφροδόχος εκλάπη το 1978 και, όταν βρέθηκε ξανά (σ.σ.: μυστήριο εξακολουθεί να περιβάλλει αυτή την κλοπή), μεταφέρθηκε στην Ελλάδα και, κατά την επιθυμία της, διασκορπίστηκε άνοιξη του 1979, στη θάλασσα.

Στις 4.2.2001 η «Κυριακάτικη Ελευθεροτυπία» δημοσίευσε ένα απόσπασμα για «τη θλιβερή ιστορία με την τέφρα της Μαρίας Κάλλας», από το βιβλίο «Ο κουραδοκόφτης» του Ηλία Πετρόπουλου, που έκανε μεγάλη αίσθηση. Στο απόσπασμα αυτό, ο Πετρόπουλος περιγράφει πώς «η Μαρία Κάλλας ετιμήθη από το ελληνικό κράτος με μιαν άτιμη μεταθανάτια τελετή».

Στο «Αναγνωστικό» μας σήμερα, ένα απάνθισμα από διάφορες κουβέντες που είπε κατά καιρούς η μεγάλη λυρική τραγουδίστρια. Κουβέντες που θα μπορούσαν να ήταν και μια σύντομη, αποσπασματική αυτοβιογραφία, αλλά και «ακτινογραφία» του χαρακτήρα της.

Πρώτα, έχασα τη φωνή μου. Επειτα, έχασα τη σιλουέτα μου. Και μετά, έχασα τον Ωνάση.

Πίστεψέ με, ο έρωτας είναι πολύ καλύτερος χωρίς τον γάμο.

Προετοιμάζομαι για τις πρόβες όπως θα προετοιμαζόμουν την ημέρα του γάμου μου.

Μια όπερα αρχίζει πολύ πριν ανεβεί η αυλαία και τελειώνει πολύ μετά την πτώση της. Για μένα, ξεκινά μέσα στη φαντασία μου, γίνεται μέρος της ζωής μου και μένει ζωντανό κομμάτι της ζωής μου για πολύ καιρό μετά την αναχώρησή μου από τη σκηνή.

Δεν θα σκότωνα ποτέ τους εχθρούς μου. Αλλά θα τους ανάγκαζα να γονατίσουν μπροστά μου και να μου ζητήσουν συγγνώμη. Μπορώ να το κάνω. Πρέπει να το κάνω. Και θα το κάνω.

Θα ήθελα να ήμουν απλώς «η Μαρία». Ομως, υπάρχει η «Λα Κάλλας», που απαιτεί από μένα να κουβαλώ διαρκώς μαζί μου την αξιοπρέπειά της.

Ημουν ανέκαθεν πολύ ωριμότερη από την ηλικία μου -και όχι πολύ ευτυχισμένη. Δεν είχα φίλους και φίλες της ηλικίας μου. Μακάρι να μπορούσα να επέστρεφα στα παιδικά μου χρόνια. Να τα ζούσα ξανά. Να απολάμβανα το παιχνίδι μαζί με τα άλλα κορίτσια. Πόσο ανόητη ήμουν!..

Θα έπρεπε να υπάρχει ένας νόμος που να απαγορεύει στους γονείς ή σε οποιονδήποτε άλλον να βάζουν μικρά παιδιά να δίνουν παραστάσεις. Τα παιδιά πρέπει να αφήνονται να απολαύσουν μια υπέροχη και ξέγνοιαστη παιδική ηλικία. Δεν πρέπει να τους αναθέτουμε τόσο πολλές ευθύνες, σε τόσο τρυφερές ηλικίες.

Πηγή: ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΟΤΥΠΙΑ 16/9/2009

Casta Diva από τη όπερα Norma του Bellini – Παρίσι, 1958

Maria Callas

Da giovedì 17 settembre fino a sabato 31 ottobre,  il foyer di platea del Teatro Lirico di Cagliari ospita la mostra Callas sempre Callas, omaggio all’insuperabile arte della Divina.

La personale, interamente ideata e curata da Michele Nocera, è dedicata alla figura di Maria Callas e presenta costumi e gioielli di scena, immagini, documenti audio-video e cartacei dei primi anni di carriera del grande soprano, scrupolosamente collezionati negli anni da Michele Nocera, uno dei suoi biografi ufficiali, attraverso donazioni private di Giovanni Battista Meneghini e numerose aggiudicazioni in aste nazionali ed internazionali.

Michele Nocera – Autore di numerose pubblicazioni nei settori della lirica e della danza, ha curato mostre, in Italia e nel mondo, con autorevoli interventi Rai, per Maria Callas, Lina Aimaro, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Tancredi Pasero, Ettore Bastianini, Katia Ricciarelli, Carla Fracci. È annoverato tra i biografi di Maria Callas ed è biografo di Katia Ricciarelli. Nel 2002 è stato nominato Commissario Ministeriale per la danza in Italia e, nel 2004, Cavaliere al merito della Repubblica Italiana per meriti artistici.

Ingresso libero

Orari: dal martedì al venerdì dalle 10 alle 14 e dalle 18 alle 20 e il sabato dalle 10 alle 14.  Visitabile anche durante gli spettacoli.

Per informazioni:

Biglietteria del Teatro Lirico, dal martedì al sabato, dalle 8 alle 14 e dalle 18 alle 20, telefono 0704082230 – 0704082249, fax 0704082223, biglietteria@teatroliricodicagliari.it; www.teatroliricodicagliari.it.

K.S.