End of an Era -or- Remember To Turn the IM Off Before Going to Bed

1:35 AM
Reconnecting to arbaker340…
A: I don't know if this is THE most absurd move I have ever undertaken
A: but it is certainly competitive
1:55 AM
A: wnyc has a very nice rosenkavalier going, however
2:25 AM
A: I think maybe i would like to marry the first act of der rosenkavalier

Going to all of them...on purpose

J: so, you think cheap ass seats are fine for the Villaon/Trebs Boheme right?
A: oh yeah
J: like, who cares
J: it's Boheme
A: whoa
A: she's only doing the one?
J: yeah
J: weird right?
A: very
J: they are just slipping it in there
J: it is sort of amusing
J: so, fam circ row G for $15
J: I support this
A: yes
A: that is sweet
A: $5 more than a movie ticket strikes me as a really pretty sweet deal
J: seriously
J: it's awesome
J: hm, what about Don Carlo
A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-ihJWPXV7s&search=
J:: I wonder if nice-ish seats are worth it
A: this is nice/silly
A: oh good...that is early December
A: that looks so hot
J: are you going to be around then?
A: we have pretty much all of december off, so I assume I'll do a trip
A: its the quarter system thing
J: oh sweet
A: that's great they are keeping the same cast for the whole thing
J: yeah that is great
J: did you see Drowsy Chaperone?
A: Ino
J: it is so fun
A: this was your second time, right?
J: yeah
J: I liked it even more I think
A: cool
A: it is on the short list for sure
J: History Boys was very different than I imagined
A: Trebs sounding nice here
A: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtqPeeKhRVw&mode=related&search=
A: and making funny faces
A: how so?
J: have you read reviews?
A: no
J: well, it's very sexual
A: huh
J: I thought it was just like "oh so inspiring teacher and his pupils"
A: yeah...
A: Like stand and deliver with more cleverness and no mexicans
J: precisely
A: not so?
J: but instead it's like stand and deliver with more cleverness, no Mexicans, and the teacher touches their privates
J: and they sort of like it
J: and use it to their advantage
A: oh shnap
A: uh
A: didn't see that coming
J: yeah
J: and like, one of the students is gay and really sweet and open about it
J: and there are little interludes where he sings old standards
J: it's actually completely wonderful
J: but just very different than I thought
A: oh good
A: someone I talked to had been underwhelmed by it
J: oh that's too bad
A: good to know otherwise
J: I thought it was really awesome
J: I have a few gripes about the play I guess
J: but ultimately it's pretty awesome, and a wonderful cast
A: check this deconstructed Carmen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrEifPV7fHE&mode=related&search=
J: did you watch the Pearlfishers stuff after the trebs clip?
J: oh this looks awesome
J: I'd watch that Carmen
A: yeah
A: the grease on RV was out of control
J: Marina is one hot babe
J: I have only seen her play a man
A: fo'
A: reals
A: what did you see her in?
J: Fledermaus
A: I wonder if there is a full DVD of this somewhere
A: this looks great
A: Carmen can be pretty awesome sung well with no kitsch
J: you could do a December trip that included Don Carlo and the Netrebazonko Boheme
A: what is the date on the Trebs boheme?
J: Dec. 5th
A: nuts
A: I guess it doesn't actually end til the 9th
J: your semester?
A: yeah
J: total nuts
J: oh well
A: if you end up doing a DC after that, let me know though
J: ok. I will go to the first one, but there's nothing to stop me from going to another, if you are in town
A: bien sur
J: schweet
J: front row balcony for Jenufa
A: so awesome
A: I'm going to have to figure out how to get away for that
A: although it may of course cause permanent emotional damage
J: it's true
A: who is "begley"?
J: he is great
J: Kim Begley
J: he was the father in AmTrag
A: Not Ed Begley Jr.
J: or maybe Ed Begley Jr.
A: http://www.soystache.com/SoyStache-Frontpage/Ed_Begley_Jr_2.jpg
A: any word about the alternate Kostelnicka?
J: Judith Forst
J: Greg says she is good
J: I bet she will actually sing it at least
J: I am very excited for live Salome
J: with Voigtola
A: I feel like you might accidentally go to all of them
J: well I have thought about going to all of them on purpose
A: That woman doing that role is going to make people freak the fuck out
J: I know--she has done it before in this production
J: but now it is post-Salome so I feel like people want to go crazy for her. And I support that.
J: I may make myself watermelon margaritas tonight
J: um
J: Alelx
A: Joln?
J: have you looked at Parterre in the last few days?
J: http://parterre.com/2006/08/enzo-sees-future.html
J: scroll to the 2nd to last one
A: why yes, yes I did see that
J: now I just need to freeze myself
J: for two years
A: ha
A: That may affect my post-graduate school decisions
J: as well it should
A: "I was going to do the peace corps, but Mattilla is back in Salome, so..."
J: haha
J: I would protest so hard if you did the peace corps
A: yeah, I'm thinking that's not going to be such a danger
J: hah
A: digging ditches in Botswana doesn't so much pay down the graduate school debt
J: less so
A: some nice gheorghiu here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJdanla9Qn8&mode=related&search=
J: that is lovely
J: tho f-ing you tube keeps crashing my browser
A: huh
A: weird

Fröliche Geburtstag!

Warm birthday wishes to a very dear Wellsung friend: Maury. Please be sure to stop by and send this dashing opera buff your best.

Change of scenery

Well, as I've told most everyone else, I suppose I should tell the blog. Come the end of the month, Wellsung is going mid-coastal. J will be maintaining the flagship presence in New York, while I shall be covering the great middle-western territories, i.e. Chicago, while pursuing further schooling by day. Not that I could stomach missing the entire Met season, of course. You tell me how I should sleep at night having missed the upcoming Agyptische Helene, Don Carlo, Meistersinger, and ***Mattila Jenufa***??? Not to mention the Gheorghiu Boccanegra. And the Trebs Puritani. And the Hvorostovsky Onegin (despite Flem-ball's presence). Fuck. This is going to be difficult.

But the upcoming Lyric season is hardly chopped liver, of course. And threatened naked Voigt Salome is already on the docket. So it shoud make for some interesting new experiences.

Hello, Chicago opera blogosphere, and thanks, New York, for the memories.

The Manatees of Summer

A: whatup
J: wassup
J: I got our tix
A: oh yay
J: woo!
A: I am sehr stoked
J: it will be totally fun
A: did you see about the manatee?
J: ?
J: no...
J: neat!
J: I wanna see it
A: I know!
A: let's take off work and hang out at the pier tomorrow
J: I got a neat Parsifal on the most random label
A: calling "manatee..."
J: "here manatee tee tee tee tee"
A: "prrrrow Manatee...chik chik chik chicken"
J: hahah
J: "Andrew!! I mean....Manatee..."
J: dude the 'tee was in my neighborhood
A: it's everywhere!!
A: I guess not the east river so much
A: altho I would not wish that on the 'tee
J: seriously
J: he's totally a west side 'tee
J: anyway this Parsifal
A: yes
J: is from Bayreuth 1951
J: Knappertsbusch
J: w/Windgassen, Martha Moll, George London (Amfortas), Ludwig Weber
J: and for a live 1951 recording is in awesome sound
J: especially on a label with Korean writing on it
A: ha
A: sweet
A: how is the w-gassen?
J: he has not come on yet. I just got it today and am still in the big Gurnemanz monologue
J: I feel like 1951 W-gas will be good
A: I feel I may be too down on him just cuz I associate him with doing some croaking Siegfried
J: right
J: we'll see how this is
J: it was like 2¢ on Amazon
A: dope
A: I am trying to choose a hotel in Berlin'
J: that is so rad
A: it is difficult
A: I have a general idea of what is a good place to be
A: but have to google map everything
J: right
J: but that is fun planning
A: no doubt
A: did you see my last IM today?
J: about Greg's Español message?
A: about going to the London Sunday
J: no!!!
J: you are going??!
J: ahhhhh!
A: I'm going to have a night or something there
J: you must go
A: consolation for Bayreuth
J: what night are you there?
A: I think it will just be the 23rd
A: I may stay with Lydia's mother on the 22nd
J: theater is so damn cheap there
J: the most expensive tix are 45 GBP
A: which actually is broadway comparable now that the dollar is such ass
A: but shouldn't be
J: hah right
A: there should be an advocacy group "Americans Against the Dollar Being Ass"
A: AADBA
J: Alex Allied with Delta Burke's Ass
A: hahaha
A: I'd sign that
J: "I'll drink that"
A: nast
A: I love that Delta Burke, even tho she is reportedly a crazy-ass Republican
J: shit
J: really?
A: wait
A: I'm thinking of the other Designing Woman I really love
J: are you thinking of Dixie Carter?
A: yes
A: why she gotta be like that?
J: yeah no kidding
J: oh Gurnemaz shut up
A: 'manz: I get it
J: I drink so much Seltzer
J: there are empty seltzer bottles everywhere in here
A: it goes fast
J: oh neat our Salami tickets came
A: aw
A: sum
A: are you set for the Minghella butterfly business?
J: all set
J: I am psyched
A: did you see there's a Robert Wilson Butterfly?
J: oh neat
A: Pat Racette did it in Los Angeles
J: I thought Pat Racette only "did it" in Park Slope
A: hehe
A: there was a review in that Opera News with 'trebs ta-tas on the cover
J: oh that like "barely legal" Trebs shot
A: The Trebs as Penthouse filler shoot, yes

PSA

If you haven't been already, just thought I'd note that Vincent over at Wagneroperas.com is doing yeoman's work with podcasts offering the greatest hits from the new Bayreuth Ring b-casts. Check 'em here.

Should the universe conspire in my favor, there's some small chance I might get a swing at the Aug 23 Walkure. If anyone in the know about such things cares to comment, is there really any sense in trying to snag a return/scalped ticket day of?

Siegfried listenin'

A guest IM buddy. I have chosen green for him.

A: any chance you're listening to the Siegfried rebroadcast?
G: crud, no
G: should i be?
A: it's pretty good...Stephen Gould is doing pretty well
G: i may tune in
A: Act III is going to start soon
G: who's b'hild?
A: Linda Watson
A: it's fun...they play the fanfares too
G: ok i'm tuned in now
G: my recollection is that linda watson has some troubles up top
A: I listened to an excerpt from Act II of the Walkure but wasn't paying much attention
G: oh wait this is the erda scene. who's erda?
A: Mihoko Fujimura
A: Erda-san
G: ha
A: Struckmann was ok in the Walkure ending I listened to, but definitely had some stamina issues and bailed on a couple big notes
G: it will all be better when pape is singing wotan
A: what do you think the ETA on that will be?
G: hm, I find I'm not the very most savvy abbout the "size" of roles...he sounds like he could sing it now, to me, but I"m sure I've heard him say it's not inthe near future.
A: http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/4797.html
G: wow, you're good
A: that is going to be some hot, hot stuff
G: 2010 isn't so veeery far i guess
G: this is a very meh erda
A: seriously

Bavaria Dreamin'

A: someone is holding my phone hostage!
J: wait what??
A: I realized that I didn't have it
J: sorry for the delay I am in the midst of a big apartment clean-up, but you have my full attention
A: s'ok
A: and I im'd greg asking him to call it
A: thinking it was just under some laundry or something
J: and what happened?
A: and this guy totally picked up
J: and?
A: but was completely incoherent and then hung up
J: !
A: and then I called on KR's phone and got the same thing
J: whoa
A: now he's not picking up my calls at all
J: i am calling now
J: right
J: it seems to be off
A: oh damn
J: I think it is your phone-dämmerung
J: ok but you can go online and see which numbers were called
A: they aren't showing up
J: hrm
A: Greg left a message in Spanish offereing money
A: which I just listened to
A: it was great
J: haha
A: Sieglinde is going to the Salome premiere too
J: oh awesome
J: that will be so fun
J: I hope our seats are decent
A: Alan Held will be an interesting Jokana-an
A: I feel like he leans a bit more to the low end of the baritone spectrum than standard Jokanaaaaaans
J: yeah tho Wozzeck has some high stuff
J: ok I sent a text to your phone
J: the from will say "We Located You"
J: and the text says:
J: We have spoken to our attorney who will be contacting you shortly. To avoid legal action, we suggest you call 917-302-2515.
A: ooh
A: good stuff
J: that was all the characters it would allow
A: hopefully they can read English
J: I sent another that the from will say "Stop Using Phone" and the text
J: This is an official
warning. Stop using this phone immediately and call 917-302-2515. We are pursuing legal action.
A: sweet
J: and another
J: Police Contacted
J: We are contacting the New York City Police Department. To avoid further legal action, call 917-302-2515.
J: I am hoping it will just freak them out
A: I don't think they've actually turned it off yet
J: they are probably madly reading texts
J: are you going to try Bayreuth?
J: I was listening to a Parsifal broadcast today
J: and it made me want to go so bad
J: not that it was even so wonderful
A: shnap
A:I was going to do that JFerrantel: but the whole thing seemed so neat
A: we missed all the ring b-casts
J: yeah but they are rebroadcasting them all
A: oh really?
J: yeah
J: http://www.operacast.com/bayreuth06.htm
J: scroll to the bottom
J: I went ahead and started the 76 year process of applying for tickets
A: natch
J: and mailed in a request for a booking form
A: bayreuth is a 4-5 hr drive from berlin
A: but Lydia has a flight from Heathrow two days before me
J: is Berlin the closest big city?
J: ohhh
J: so like you could stick around
A: so I'm actually trying to figure out what to do with about 48 hrs
J: um
J: clearly
A: I could go back to London and crash at her mother's house
A: and see London, which I never have
J: yeah London is wonderful
J: if they start selling
single tickets for the Canada ring I thought about going up on a Friday and doing Siegfried and G-Dams
A: nice
A: toronto, right?
J: yeah it is usually real cheap to get there
A: well, keep me apprised
J: will do
A: in Bayreuth there is a "Lohengrin thermal spa"
A: hopefully adjacent to the "Gotterdammerung massage parlor"
J: Lohengrin Thermal Spa??
J: haha
A: "Ask about our ambiguous happy endings"
J: Rienzi Coffee Shack
A: haha
A: Parsifal Stop n' Shop
J: I was thinking today what a bummer it would be to wait 9 years for Bayreuth tickets and then get Fliegende Höllander
A: yeah
J: not to talk shit about DFH
A: that would be weak
J: but...y'know
J: weak
J: I never had dinner
J: I had a heavy lunch
J: I sort of want Mac and Cheese
J: and Sangria
A: ooh
A: that sounds so good
J: I mean
J: I could make that happen in under 20 mins
J: I have red wine and rum
A: you and your talents
J: I could go downstairs and get fruit juices
J: and Mac and Cheese
J: and ice
A: huh...I guess you have to change trains in Nuremburg
A: do it
J: I wonder if accomodations are a fortune
J: you can stay at "Das Liebesverbot Motor Inn" but you might get scabies
A: hahaha
J: that would be a great adventure
J: I mean
A: the hotels don't seems so bad
J: Bayreuth!
J: like
J: you will be so close
J: and if you just devoted one day to getting up at dawn and waiting in line
J: what are the days you are there?
J: potentially?
A: it would be 21 to possibly 23 if I could figure out how to get back to London by the next morning
A: it's a parsifal, a DHF and a Walkure
A: not parsifal
A: tristan
A: uh, and not DHF
A: but Rheingold
A: the tristan has Nina Stemme
A: I mean, here's a hotel that looks perfectly respectable for $88
A: the "Meister Bär Hotel Bayreuth"
J: perfect
J: this is not my finest Sangria effort. But it is drinkable.
A: "I'll drink that"