Karl-G

Last week I was watching the Cleveland International Piano Competition streaming, and I was reminded of how good the Cleveland Symphony is. I do not live anywhere near Cleveland. So I checked, and sure enough, the Cleveland Symphony streams its concerts; you pay for a ticket. So I signed up, and I have been enjoying the Cleveland Orchestra, which the N.Y. Times calls the best in the world, in its concerts of the past year. The new season's concerts start this fall. Then I checked further, and every major American orchestra now offers its season of concerts streaming: the CSO in Chicago, the BSO in Boston, the Los Angeles Symphony, Philadelphia, etc. So this coming season, I intend to enjoy watching all the best orchestras in the U.S. from the comfort of my living room. If you are not aware, you can watch anything on your computer or cellphone or laptop on your tv, if you prefer. There are a number of different simple ways of connecting; check with your tech person or local electronics store. You will want to have very good speakers, however. The pandemic "caused" this. I also learned that Igor Levit, one of the best Beethoven piano players in the world, gave 52 free concerts from his living room in Berlin during the past year via streaming. It was enormously popular in Germany. The streaming by American orchestras includes programs from Tanglewood, Ravinia, and other summer venues.

The Metropolitan Opera has just announced a week of productions honoring LGBTQ musicians, composers, and singers. It looks very interesting. Nightly Opera Streams: Pride Week JUNE 21–27 In celebration of Pride Month, we’re paying tribute to some of the extraordinary LGBTQ+ composers, singers, conductors, and directors who have shared their artistry with Met audiences. Enjoy free streams showcasing the talents of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Jamie Barton, Thomas Adès, and more—including a never-before-streamed telecast of Britten’s Billy Budd. And enhance your viewing experience with a curated collection of related content, including articles, videos, podcasts, and more. LEARN MORE RELATED CONTENT Monday, June 21 Thomas Adès’s The Exterminating Angel Tuesday, June 22 Dvořák’s Rusalka Wednesday, June 23 Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda Thursday, June 24 Puccini’s Tosca Friday, June 25 Puccini’s Turandot Saturday, June 26 Britten’s Billy Budd Sunday, June 27 Verdi’s La Traviata Each stream becomes available at 7:30PM ET and remains accessible for on-demand viewing until 6:30PM ET the following day. YANNICK NÉZET-SÉGUIN ON BECOMING MUSIC DIRECTOR Before becoming Met Music Director in 2018—the first openly gay person to hold the post—Yannick Nézet-Séguin spoke with General Manager Peter Gelb about taking the musical reigns of the company. WATCH VIDEO REMEMBERING BENJAMIN BRITTEN Friends and colleagues of the great English composer reflect on his unique musical legacy. READ ARTICLE Happy Juneteenth! In celebration of Juneteenth this Saturday, we are showcasing some of the exceptional Black artists who have thrilled audiences and made invaluable contributions to the Met’s legacy since Marian Anderson (pictured above with General Manager Rudolf Bing) first broke the company’s color line in 1955. All weekend long, explore a selection of interesting and entertaining content, including free access to our Black Voices Rise playlist, the digital version of the Black Voices at the Met exhibition, and a panel discussion between Met Chief Diversity Officer Marcia Sells and Carolyn Guszki and Maurice Wheeler, co-curators of the exhibition. LEARN MORE More from the Met MET STARS LIVE IN CONCERT—FINAL WEEK On demand through June 25 only, enjoy the last two performances in our hit Met Stars Live in Concert series, featuring some of today’s most exciting artists. Tickets are $20. WATCH NOW ANNA NETREBKO IN CONCERT Premiering tonight at 9PM ET on PBS’s Great Performances: Superstar soprano Anna Netrebko joins the Met Stars Live in Concert series from the magnificent Spanish Riding School in Vienna, Austria. Check your local listings for times and more information. LEARN MORE PROTECT THE MET Make a contribution now to help ensure that the Met will be back and stronger than ever. Your gift will be matched dollar for dollar by a Met Board member and will make a truly meaningful difference. MAKE A GIFT ARIA CODE: NEW EPISODE In the latest episode of our Aria Code podcast, audience favorite tenor Joseph Calleja explores Cavaradossi’s heartbreaking “E lucevan le stelle” from Puccini’s Tosca. Available wherever you get podcasts. LISTEN NOW LIVE IN HD SUMMER ENCORES This summer, enjoy special encore presentations of past Live in HD transmissions on the big screen—in select U.S. cinemas this July and August. LEARN MORE YANNICK: AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY This new feature-length documentary by award-winning filmmaker Susan Froemke follows Yannick Nézet-Séguin on his journey to becoming Met Music Director—coming to U.S. cinemas July 7. LEARN MORE MET OPERA ON DEMAND If you’re enjoying the Nightly Opera Streams and would like access to the Met’s catalog of more than 700 performances, check out our subscription streaming service and start a seven-day free trial. LEARN MORE MET OPERA SHOP Create a collection of Met DVDs and watch amazing performances whenever you want—plus, find more than a thousand DVDs, CDs, and Blu-rays. SHOP NOW FOLLOW US

National Museum of Women the Arts in D.C has an excellent and interesting collection. The quality is very high, and since most people know very little about the topic, it is very useful. Very nice cafe. One room has, among many others, the best Alma Thomas, best Joan Mitchel, and (one of the) best Helen Frankenthaler. Glorious. One day when I was there, I noticed Wilhelmina Holladay, the founder and funder of the museum, giving a tour to a group of museum directors. I began following, and she invited me to join in. She had wonderful stories to tell of each work: she had personally met all the living women artists whose works she had collected, and she had had long conversations with European dealers who sold her the earlier works. East Wing of the National Gallery deserves separate mention from National Gallery. The collection is outstanding; my favorites are in the basement rooms. One day I met an elderly lady weeping in the room with the "Stations of the Cross" by Barnet Newman; I asked if she needed anything. She said no; she was Mrs. Newman, and she was remembering. The Albright-Knox in Buffalo is outstanding, especially for late 20th century art. The family went to NYC once a year and bought new works for the museum from artists. I was impressed by their taste, manner, and generosity. The Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City has a fine Chinese collection, already mentioned. But they are much more. It is a large museum. Their free audio guide was one of the best I have ever encountered. Excellent 19th century American works, and of course new wing with 20th century art and outdoor sculpture. Enjoy lunch in the beautiful Renaissance courtyard, which they imported in toto, while listening to a live concert of guitar music. Minneapolis Institute of Arts has a major, excellent collection, including one of the best Asian art collections in the U.S. Mr. and Mrs. Dayton specialized in collecting, with the specific purpose of donating to the museum and creating a comprehensive collection. Their collection of Asian ceramics is the best I have seen on display anyplace. Maybe the Freer has more in storage, but they only have a few on display. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is one of the best in the country, and with their new addition, they can display much more of it. The Phillips Collection in D.C. has been mentioned and is certainly worth a visit. Their 20th c. American collection, from beginning to now, is especially good. Their addition helped greatly, and their small cafe is nice. Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, AK has a special setting and very fine collection. Smithsonian National Museum of American Art is best of its kind. Choose whatever period or style in American art history you like, and they have excellent examples. Stained glass by LaFarge and Tiffany, paintings by Adolph Gottlieb, furniture, 19th century paintings of all schools. Lovely cafe in the "outdoor" courtyard of the building. National Portrait Gallery is in same building. This building is downtown, not on the mall. You can walk from Women's Art to here to East Wing of National Gallery. Across the street is the public library designed by Mies van der Rohe in the purest, sparest International Style. It looks like it belongs with 860 Lake Shore Dr. Apartments in Chicago.

If you like sport souvenirs, you many want to check this out. Roger Federer is offering memorabilia, including shoes, shirts, and other accoutrements worn or used (like tennis racquets and carry-bags) at the 20 Grand Slam Tournaments which he won. The money raised will be used to support the charitable foundation he has created. He will sign each item. Christie's Auctions will handle the details. https://www.christies.com/features/Tennis-memorabilia-from-the-collection-of-Roger-Federer-11684-7.aspx

All you need to use in a long address like that is the part before the question mark: https://blog.opentable.com/2021/nyc-michelin-stars/

Valentino used a nude male model to advertise its latest handbag. There was backlash. https://tetu.com/2021/04/14/un-homme-nu-et-un-sac-a-main-la-campagne-de-valentino-qui-dechaine-les-homophobes/

As of Monday, March 29, all adults over 40 in Florida can get the vaccine. And as of Monday, April 5, all adults over 18 in Florida can get the vaccine. 600 additional Walgreen Stores will have the vaccine.

The pandemic continues. Wigmore Hall in London, one of the pre-eminent concert halls in the world, has announced it received over one million pounds in donations since the hall was closed last March. Wigmore continued to offer almost daily live concerts, without a live audience, ever since. Wigmore has been able to pay all its musicians and is now confident enough that it is offering 40 live concerts in the next 30 days, every evening at 7:30 GMT (2:30 EST) and often at 1:00 p.m. They are excellent. La Scala Opera and Ballet has announced that it has canceled its entire 2021 season, but it will offer every production streaming. Tickets required, but very reasonable. The four productions I have seen were excellent. Paris Opera and Ballet has made the same announcement - 2021 Season canceled, but all productions will take place and be streamed. The offerings so far are excellent.

There are three really major international ballet competitions in the world each year; the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland is one of them. Here, young dancers on the brink of a professional career perform, and winners receive awards and offers of positions at the great ballet companies of the world. The Prix de Lausanne was held two weeks ago, and for the first time, boys took four of the top six awards. You can watch the entire week of performances on YouTube, or you can watch just the final day and see the best performances. Top award gold medal went to Portuguese dancer Antonio Casalinho, who will certainly become one of the best dancers in the world in the next couple of years. He is 17 years old and amazing. Looking further, I found a number of YouTube videos of other performances and interviews he has done. He has also won first prize at the Youth America Grand Prix and other competitions. He speaks excellent English, with a slight and charming accent. Another of the medal winners was a boy trained at the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, FL. A boy from Egypt won the popular People's Award, based on votes from viewers from all over the world. It is the first time an Egyptian has ever participated. He was very good, with great charisma. His father is Egyptian and his mother is French; he trains in Italy and elsewhere in Europe.

The San Francisco Ballet is offering their full 2021 season as digital streaming, the first major ballet company to do so, I believe. So you can watch all seven programs, plus many additional supporting videos, from your home. No live performances are planned for the year. Some of the dances are performed on stage and others are specially created as filmed dances, which offers many new opportunities. You can purchase an annual subscription or tickets for individual performances. The two performances so far have been splendid. One short film, with choreography by Cathy Marston, is entitled "Mrs. Robinson," in reference to "The Graduate." It is both very well done and witty. A delightful ballet set to the music of Leroy Anderson is on the second program. Another filmed ballet uses the SFMOMA as partial setting and Golden Gate Park as another setting. The interaction of art and dance is explored. Dancers are in top form. Angelo Greco, Esteban Hernandez, Sasha de Sola and Frances Chung are superb. Esteban is from Mexico; his brother Isaac is principal at English National Ballet. They are the first Mexican ballet dancers to achieve international recognition. Two new excellent principal dancers have just arrived: Ms Nikisha Fogo, Swedish/Jamaican ballerina from the Vienna State Opera Ballet, and Julian Mackay of Montana and the Bolshoi Ballet School. Their gala pas de deux is excellent. Nikisha's performance in "Sylvia" for the Vienna, which was streamed, was amazing. It's a wonderful new world for ballet and audiences. I hope other major companies follow suit.

In the last couple of years in France, there has been a movement and controversy in the literature and arts fields, about the reburial of two of France's most beloved and famous poets into the Pantheon in Paris. Of the 75 people currently buried and honored in the Pantheon, none are poets. Ten former ministers of culture and hosts of other luminaries in the literary and arts fields have pressed for this act, honoring the two men and also poetry. Yesterday, President Macron turned down their suggestion, at the request of Rimbaud's family, who do not want his body disinterred from Charleville. Arthur Rimbaud (died in 1891 at age 37) and Paul Verlaine (older) were two very important and famous poets in France in the late 19th century. All Frenchmen can recite at least some lines from their poetry. They were also lovers for several years, while Rimbaud was in his teens. He was a very precocious young man. Rimbaud was publishing astonishing and very highly regarded poetry in his teens to a French reading public. So there are a number of reasons why people want or do not want the honor of a Pantheon resting place for them. The French have created the word "pantheonization" for this act. If you have not read Rimbaud's poetry, you might try "Le Bateau Ivre" (The Drunken Boat) or "Une Saison en Enfer" (A Season in Hell). They were founders/precursors of surrealism and symbolism and modern poetry.

There is a vey interesting, long article in the NYTimes Magazine today about the 17th century Dutch painter, Cornelis van Haarlem. He had a particular fondness for nude male backsides, and also front sides, which was very unusual for his day. Several good photos and excellent text. I don't know whether the NYT will let you beyond the firewall. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/t-magazine/art-cornelis-cornelisz-van-haarlem.html

We all know that the great love of Alexander the Great's life was Antinuous, a youth from Turkey. Hundreds of statues of the young man are in museums all over the world. Today's NYTimes has a review of a very famous memoir, the "Babur Nama." Babur (1483-1530) was a descendant of Genghis Khan and a warlord from Central Asia who invaded India and founded the Mughal dynasty. He kept a record of his life, now known as “The Babur Nama.” Copies of it were illustrated by the greatest artists in illuminated manuscripts over the centuries and are some of the greatest treasures of Indian art. In it Babur admits to falling so heavily in love with a boy that “to look straight at him or to put words together was impossible.” Lost in his swimming emotions, “like the madmen, I used to wander alone over hill and plain.” Babur had wives and other women, but he also had a young man with whom he was deeply in love.

Digital Subscriptions If you have not tried a digital subscription, I recommend them highly. You get much more than in the print edition, and they are much cheaper. 1. Price is only a fraction of the print subscription. 2. You save whole forests and don't have a huge pile of paper each week. 3. They are updated constantly, so you don't get "the 5:00 o'clock news" or the "morning news" of the previous days events. Any time you look, you get the news as of that minute. They are not publised just once a day. 4. You get much more than you get in the print edition.. a. photographs are limited in print editions by space and cost constraints; these do not exist in digital editions. This morning, for example, there are many large color photos in the article on the virus in Italy. The articles on Jan Morris' death and Josh O'Connor in "The Crown" are filled with photos. There is no limit. b. every article has links to previous or other articles about the topic, from days, weeks, months, or years ago; you have only to click on them, and they are before you. c. the Arts Section is enormously enhanced. If there is a music review, there is usually a link to a Youtube video of part of the concert. Frequently ten music critics are asked for their recommendation on the best . . . (concert this week, recording of a Mozart aria, etc.), and each then provides a link to a youtube video you can listen to and watch. For Dance, there will be links to videos of dance programs reviewed. For Art, there will be many large color photos of exhibits and articles. The "Artemesia" Exhibit has been extensively illustrated recently. You don't get any of this in the print edition. d. sections I never looked at before now come high on my list. "Real Estate" is a fascinating look at the properties available for sale, with 24-37 large color photos of each. I get to see the interiors of Park Avenue condos, Fifth Avenue apartments, and areas all over the city, plus outside the city and in New Jersey, etc. Special sections on people looking for an apartment or condo or house are explored with many large color photos. These show up in the paper almost every day, and none are available in print. e. the software/interface used by both NYT and Post are excellent. They are not microfiche copies of the print edition. Articles are arranged clearly and logically and easily, so you can get all around the paper with ease and simplicity. Want to start with a couple of puzzles or a look at the latest same sex weddings, two clicks does it. There are several formats for viewing the papers, and you can choose whichever you like. I start with the "Headlines" version in the morning, and later on in the day, I use the general view. (I read on my pc with a large screen; the iphone or ipad experience will be different.)

I checked the NYTimes. They have a special - $1 a week for a year. You can't go wrong. You can subscribe to both.

The Washington Post currently is offering two specials in digital subscriptions: one year for $29 for one subscription, or $39 for a subscription for yourself plus a gift subscription for a friend.

Matthew Shepard died in the early morning of Monday, October 12, 1998, from severe injuries due to a brutal beating and torture in Laramie, WY. He was attending the University of Wyoming, majoring in political science/foreign relations with a minor in languages at the time of his death. He enjoyed soccer, swimming, running, camping, hunting, fishing and snow skiing. He was 21 and he was gay.

Already posted.

The Vienna State Opera announced yesterday that they will be live streaming free all of their productions (that's 45) this year. They started with "Elektra" today. It is amazingly generous, and a marvelous opportunity for us. And if you like classical music, Wigmore Hall in London will stream free 100 concerts over the next three months and starting Sunday. On Monday, etc. there are frequently two concerts per day, one at 1:00 p.m. and one at 7:30 p.m. (London time). They are superb. Each is a little over an hour.

The featured work of fiction in the New Yorker this week is by Douglas Stuart and is a gay chronicle of an encounter in London. I don't think I have read anything like it in the New Yorker before.

The Metropolitan Opera has cancelled all performances until at least January 1. To respond to music lovers' demands, the Met will be presenting twelve live concerts with its brightest stars in a streaming format, once every two weeks, on a Saturday afternoon at 1:00, and charging $20.00 each. The recital will remain up for ten days, so you are not limited to that one time, and you can listen and watch as often as you like. Each recital will take place in some dramatic venue without live audience. The first performance, by Jonas Kaufmann, was last Saturday and is still available. The next will be August 1 with Renee Fleming from the Dumbarton Oaks Museum in Washington, D.C. This is the full planned schedule: August 1: Renée Fleming, from the Dumbarton Oaks Museum in Washington, D.C. August 16: Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak, from the Château de la Chèvre d’Or in Èze, France August 29: Lise Davidsen, from the Oscarshall Palace in Oslo, Norway September 12: Joyce DiDonato, from the Fundació Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in Barcelona, Spain September 26: Sondra Radvanovsky and Piotr Beczała, from Barcelona October 10: Anna Netrebko, from Liechtenstein Palace in Vienna, Austria October 24: Diana Damrau and Joseph Calleja, from Malta (castle location TBD) Nov 7: Pretty Yende and Javier Camarena, from Zurich, Switzerland (location TBD) Nov 21: Sonya Yoncheva, from Berlin, Germany (location TBD) December 12: Bryn Terfel, from Wales (church location TBD) December 19: Angel Blue, from New York City (location TBD)

Excellent review of concert: https://operawire.com/metropolitan-opera-stars-live-in-concert-review-jonas-kaufmann-in-polling-bavaria/

LIVE: Saturday, July 18 at 1PM EDT Superstar tenor Jonas Kaufmann opens the new Met Stars Live in Concert series, performing 12 of the most popular, show-stopping arias in the operatic repertoire. The concert will be broadcast live via satellite from the ornate Polling Abbey, located in the rolling Bavarian countryside outside Munich, Germany. The grand Baroque interior of the historic venue serves as a perfect setting for a performance showing off Kaufmann’s prowess in a collection of strenuous and spectacular showcases for the tenor voice, including “Nessun dorma” from Turandot and “E lucevan le stelle” from Tosca, among many others. Tickets for this live concert are $20, and the performance will remain available for on-demand viewing for 12 days. If you are unable to tune in live, you may purchase a ticket at any point during the 12-day window to access the concert on demand. Saturday July 18

Wigmore Hall in London is presenting a free luncheon hour concert in streaming every day in June. I just listened to a lovely recital by Paul Lewis of Beethoven and Schubert. It is broadcast in Britain on BBC3 and around the world on streaming video. There is no audience except for us, but these musicians had prepared recitals, and BBC wishes to broadcast them. The audio and visual are HD and excellent. They leave them on-line for 24 hrs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHzwE2EiFXo