In Memoriam NYC

In Memoriam
NYC

10-31-2017

I Put 👻 A Spell On You 👻

I Put A Spell On You

Bette Midler
Hocus Pocus 1993

 

Tim Burton

Corpse Bride
Remains of the Day

👻 🦇 👻 💀 👻 🕸  👻  🦇

Norma ♫ Casta Diva Sonya Yoncheva ♪

Norma - Bellini

«Casta Diva»

Sonya Yoncheva

The priestess Norma leads her people in a prayer for peace. Sonya Yoncheva sings the title role in Bellini's masterpiece, with the Royal Opera Chorus and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House conducted by Antonio Pappano, recorded September 2016

Bellini’s bel canto masterpiece Norma had its premiere at La Scala, Milan, on Boxing Day 1831. After a muted initial response the opera quickly became popular, and is now a mainstay of the repertory. 

Norma is perhaps most acclaimed as a vehicle for the lead soprano, most famously now by such 20th-century greats as Maria Callas, Montserrat Caballé and Joan Sutherland. 

Indeed, Bellini provides some astonishing vocal fireworks for his title character – most famously ‘Casta diva’, Norma’s Act I hymn to the chaste moon, and Act II’s ‘Dormono entrambi’. 

But the opera’s dramatic potency rests in its breathtaking ensembles, most strikingly in Norma’s duets with Pollione and Adalgisa, the Act I trio ‘Vanne, sì: mi lascia, indegno’ and the blistering Act II finale. 

This new production of Norma was The Royal Opera’s first in nearly thirty years. Directing is Àlex Ollé, of the Catalan collective La Fura dels Baus, reunited with the creative team behind his acclaimed production of Oedipe. They give Norma a contemporary setting against a backdrop of a cruel civil war, and focus on the opera’s exploration of the conflict between an individual’s own desires and those of her society – and of religion as a force for unity and for destruction.

Why all Great Sopranos
Are drawn to Bellini's Norma
The Royal Opera

Assia Ahhatt 🎻 Superstition ♫

Assia Ahhatt

Superstition

Assia Ahhatt (Ukrainian: Асія Ахат; born 6 March)
Is a Ukrainian musician. 

She plays the violin. 

She has been a nominee and a winner of many international competitions in Italy and France. 

She has recorded several songs in which singing and violin were of equal importance.

Ahhatt was born in Kiev, in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. She started to take violin classes at the age of five. She graduated from the National Music Academy in Kiev. She then studied at the Music Academy in Nice, France. She regularly performed in concert halls in Germany, France, Italy and other European countries. 

She was the soloist of the Ukrainian National Philharmonic. In 1999, she released her debut album Homo Novus, featuring modern instrumental music. In 2000 a nationwide promo tour of Homo Novus took place. Same year, Assia Ahhatt signed a contract with EMI records (Poland). Later Assia signed a contract with Universal Poland, and recorded a song Where are you now? with Polish-born Hollywood actor Bogusław Linda. Linda also starred in the video for the above-mentioned song, which instantly became a hit in several European countries. Assia began her career as a singer in 2002. The same year, Assia Ahhatt was signed to a record label, Universal Ukrainian Records. She released an album Tebe, Anais (Ukrainian: Тебе, Анаис; For You, Anais).

In 2003, she released an album Shokolad (Шоколад; Chocolate), which includes songs in Russian, Polish and French. Her next album was titled Dysha Bolela (Душа Болела; Soul Hurt), and was released in 2005. Same year she founded a group "69", and became it’s producer co-songwriter. Assia released the albums Goryachiy pocelui (Горячий поцелуй; Hot Kiss) and I Like It in 2006. In 2007, she released Ya lychshaya (Я лучшая; I Am The Best).

After this, she took a three-year break from her musical career. She did this to focus on her newly born son, Philip. In 2010, Assia released an album Angeli ne kuryat (Ангелы не курят, Angels Don’t Smoke). In 2011, Assia made some changes in her music career by introducing modern violin music, as her main creative direction.

Assia Ahhatt
Unbreak My Heart

‘If Only Tonight’ remix, made by legendary DJ Ralphi Rosario became an instant hit in all featuring dance clubs and discos from New York to Miami, L.A., and Honolulu, and, also, was in Billboard’s National Dance Club Chart for several weeks in a raw. After the remarkable success of “If Only Tonight” Assia brought her attention to the Latin market.

The next Ahhat’s single, ‘Fiesta in San Juan’, which was recorded ft. Puerto Rican rapper, Wisin, is a dynamic dance composition, infused with the sounds of the wonderful violin solo. ‘Fiesta in San Juan’ was again in Billboard’s Latin Tropical Chart, and its remix rapidly approaches Top 10 in Billboard’s National Dance Club Chart.

Assia Ahhatt

•  Facebook:            https://www.facebook.com/assiaahhatt
• Official website:   https://assiaahhatt.com

Behind the Scenes ♪♫ Metropolitan Opera ♪ Times Lapse

Behind the Scenes

Metropolitan Opera

  ♪♫ ♪ Times Lapse Video  ♪♫ ♪
The New York Times

Behind the curtain at the Metropolitan Opera. 
In order of appearance: 

1. set up for "La Rondine," 
2. set assembly for "L'Elisir d'Amore," 
3. stage rehearsal of "Rigoletto" 
4. and set up for "Le Comte Ory."

  ♪♫ ♪        ♪♫ ♪      ♪♫ ♪ 

French Café ♪ Accordion ♪ Traditional Music ♫

Best French Music 
For a Romantic Dinner
(French Café Accordion Traditional Music)

French instrumental music can be used for relaxing, background and lyrics café music.. This relaxing music can be used as to dreaming and reminiscing about France and Paris, background music, accordion romantic music, relaxation music or as music for stress relief. Let the beautiful, soothing and inspirational music help you relax!

Relax Chanel propose music such directions: 

French Music,Retro Music, Italian Music,Jazz Music,Bossa Nova Music, Morning Music, Piano and Guitar Music, Music for Cooking, Christmas Music, Background Music, Holiday music, Meditation Music | Yoga Music, Sleep Music.

With the Right Music... ♫ ♪♫

Les Contes d'Hoffmann ♫ Kleinzack ♪ Barcarolle ♪ Septuor

Les Contes d'Hoffmann

Michael Spyres
Légende de Kleinzack - Liceu 2013

Roberto Alagna

"Va pour Klein-Zach !"

  "Les Oiseaux dans la Charmille"
Kathleen Kim

Olympia's aria from Act I of Offenbach's "Les Contes d'Hoffmann." Kathleen Kim (Olympia). Production: Bartlett Sher. Conductor: James Levine. Taken from the 2009 Live in HD transmission.

«Belle Nuit, ô Nuit d'Amour»

Barcarolle

Kate Lindsey & Christine Rice

«Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour»
Elina Garanča & Anna Netrebko

 

Caballe & Verrett
«Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour»

Montserrat Caballé ( soprano)
Shirley Verrett (mezzo-soprano)
Anton Guadagno (Conductor)
New Philharmonia Orchestra

Septet (Acte III) Septuor

"Hélas, mon cœur s'égare encore"
Alfredo Kraus, Florence Quivar

Rosalind Elias, Paul Plishka

James Courtney, Charles Anthony
Metropolitan Opera Chorus
James Levine

Autumn Violins + Cats ♫

 

 

Guy Cambier
Born in 1923 in Belgium. Rembrandt was his idol

https://markovart.wordpress.com/2014/01/05/still-life-by-guy-cambier