Saturday, May 16, 2009

Music and Culture : Elina Garanca - A New Mezzo-Soprano Star on the Opera, Symphony and Classical Music Recording Scene

Elina Garanca is a new mezzo-soprano star on the opera, symphony and classical music recording scene. As written about Elina Garanca on May 7, 2009 by Steve Smith at the New York Times:

"Already a star, she clearly has a capacity for greatness."

We saw her sing Carmen here in Europe and she was spectacular. She will be singing Carmen again this year at the end of July and the beginning of August in Rome and in October she well be at Covent Garden in London. If you love opera, do not miss her performance in this role.

NEW RELEASE, Bel Canto

Originally scheduled to be released in January 2009 by Deutsche Grammophon ("Deutsche Grammophon is Classical Music") was Elina Garanca Bel Canto but it has only become available in the last several weeks:



Other recordings:

Elina Garanca - Mozart Opera & Concert Arias:



Elina Garanca - Arie Favorite:



Elina Garanca - Aria Cantilena:



2009 Upcoming Performance Calendar (as taken from Elina Garanca) includes the Metropolitan Opera (New York City), Covent Garden (London), Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Vienna, Rome, Munich, Frankfurt, Duessdeldorf, Basel, Lodz, Valencia, Bilbao, San Sebastion, Villadoid - as follows:

"January 9, 12
- Octavian in R. Strauss's "Der Rosenkavalier", Staatsoper Vienna

January 16-27 European Concert Tour with Basel Chamber Orchestra:

January 16 - Basel
January 18 - Vienna
January 20 - Lodz
January 22 - Valencia
January 24 - Bilbao
January 25 - San Sebastian
January 27 - Valladolid

February 6 - Solo recital, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Portugal

March 2, 5, 7 - Romeo in Bellini's "I Capuleti e i Montecchi",
Covent Garden, London

March 13-25
Concert Tour in Germany:

March 13 Hamburg - Laeiszhalle
March 16 Stuttgart - Liederhalle
March 18 Berlin - Philharmonie
March 20 Düsseldorf - Tonhalle
March 23 Munich - Philharmonie
March 25 Frankfurt - Alte Oper

[Added by LawPundit - 2009 concerts - tickets in Germany - to the following concerts:

Friday, March 13, 2009 8:00 p.m.
Laeiszhalle (Grosser Saal) in HAMBURG

Wedenesday, March 18, 2009 8:00 p.m.
Philharmonie (Grosser Saal) in BERLIN

Monday, March 23, 2009 8:00 p.m.
Gasteig (Philharmonie) in MÜNCHEN

Wednesday, March 25, 2009 8:00 p.m.
Alte Oper (Grosser Saal) in FRANKFURT AM MAIN]

March 30 - Romeo in Bellini's "I Capuleti e i Montecchi",
Covent Garden, London

April 2, 7, 11 - Romeo in Bellini's "I Capuleti e i Montecchi",
Covent Garden, London

May 1, 6, 9 - Angelina in Rossini's "La Cenerentola",
Metropolitan Opera, New York

May 20, 24, 27, 30 - Charlotte in Massenet´s "Werther",
Staatsoper Vienna

June 7, 10, 13 - Charlotte in Massenet´s "Werther",
Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich

July 29, 31 - Carmen in Bizet's "Carmen",
Terme di Caracalla, Rome

August 2, 7, 9- Carmen in Bizet's "Carmen",
Terme di Caracalla, Rome

October 3, 6, 10, 13, 17, 21, 24 - Carmen in Bizet's "Carmen"
Covent Garden, London

further approximate dates:

October 26 to Jan 2 (2010) - Muse, Nicklausse
in Offenbach's "Les contes d'Hoffmann",
Metropolitan Opera, New York"

See her biography at Elina Garanca.

This is NOT a paid advertisement but rather represents our interest at LawPundit in the voice of this rising young musical star who hails from Latvia.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Maywood - When I Look Into Your Eyes

More Maywood - When I Look Into Your Eyes

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Happy Mother's Day this Sunday : Maywood sings Mother How are You Today?

Mother How Are You Today? Medley by Maywood. Happy Mother's Day!



Give Me Back My Love by the group Maywood in the album Maywood was recorded way back in 1980 (see the lyrics at their site under Discography, World Wide, Germany, Maywood, Label CNR, Catalogue no. 0030.354.)

As we read in the biography at the official Maywood website, Maywood's Give Me Back My Love hit gold status in the Netherlands and Sweden but somehow escaped greater fame.

We definitely would put this song on our all-time Top Ten list of songs.
Absolutely fabulous.
Take a listen....



Here is another song, by both Maywoods. Spectacularly good.
Maybe even better, at least optically for sure, than the first....
Late at Night....



Listen, Maywood...is superb, superb!

Update: OK, I'm hooked on these ladies. How about this vibrant song Rio (1981):



and, what can you say about this heart-to-heart song ...
I'm in Love for the Very First Time



For us, it is an Alice May and Caren Wood revival. MayWood. Beautiful.

Kristy Kay Pop Music

We very much like some of the music of Kristy Kay - but definitely not everything. We have a hard time understanding why so few of her songs are available to buy online.



Some of her songs are found at MySpace.

Other links are:

When You Find Love

Song "When You Find Love" (our favorite) . Hothead Dance Hits - available US only
Rhapsody Online leads the user to the following VERY IRRITATING popup here in Germany:
"U.S. Only We're sorry. We have detected that you are outside of the United States. This service is currently only available to residents within the United States." Now we now what it feels like to be in China and have half the stuff you want to see blocked by the government. We expect this to be corrected there in the good old USA.


I Will Wait

Who's That Loving You Now?

Song "Don't Break My Heart"

Video "Who's That Loving You Now"

See also
Official Kristy Kay site
Kristy Kay, Featured Artist
Song of the Month "Not So Perfect World"
Kristy Kay - Airbrush Artwork
Kristy Kay - Promo Only

What's it all about?

The Latvian website E-Misterija in a translation by RV entitled Kas ir Visums? presents a small theory that I first published online at my personal website as What is the Universe? It has gotten quite a bit of reaction in Latvia, so you might be interested in the English version.

After all, as Dionne Warwick and Cher have sung, "What's it all about, Alfie?" (words by Hal David and music by Burt Bacharach)