Rigoletto at Arizona Opera

Watch the preview of Arizona Opera's Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi at the Arizona Opera's website by clicking on the picture above. This picture hangs right in front of me on the wall just above the monitor as I sit at the computer. I was fortunate to have the experience of singing in this opera with Arizona Opera many years ago. Giorgio Tozzi sang the role of Sparafucile. He later became my teacher.

Performances are scheduled for October 11 and 12 in Tucson. Then 16th through the 19th in Phoenix.

Michael Emmanuel in the news

From the Newberry Observer in Newberry, South Carolina:

Local Legend signs on with ‘Coyote Girl' in Arizona

By Cindy Pitts, Staff Writer
Monday, September 29, 2008 11:50 AM EDTA
Local Legends finalist has released a new album.

Former Newberry resident Michael Koch, who goes by the stage name Michael Emmanuel, has released “Morning Sun“ through Coyote Girl Records, a private label.

Koch was a finalist in the 2007 Local Legends contest sponsored by The Newberry Observer and Radio 1240 WKDK.

The new album features selections that can also be heard on his Internet radio show, “Shaman's Hand.” Shaman's Hand can be heard live or in a podcast format and airs each Sunday at 11 p.m.
The new album, available through Amazon.com, features Emmanuel's original songs, which were composed over a number of years while he lived in Newberry and at his new home in Arizona.

read all here

Renee Fleming shines in MET Gala Opener

The Metropolitan Opera opened its 125th-anniversary season on Monday evening with a gala Renée Fleming showcase. Everything about the three-part evening was fashioned, quite literally, for Ms. Fleming.

She was featured in three favorite roles: Violetta in Act II of Verdi’s “Traviata”; Manon in Act III of Massenet’s “Manon”; and the Countess in the final scene of Strauss’s “Capriccio,” conducted by Patrick Summers. To lend an extra touch of diva dazzle to the evening, the Met commissioned three renowned fashion designers to create Ms. Fleming’s costumes.

For weeks waggish opera bloggers had been calling the evening “The Renée Fleming Fashion Show,” “The Renéesance” and such. And in a way the gala was, as Peter Gelb, the Met’s general manager, said recently on “Charlie Rose,” a “kind of retro affair.”

The NY Times article has a slide show of all the costumes Ms Fleming wore and an aiduo clip from "Capriccio." Click on the photo at right to see the NY Post review.

Below Ms Fleming sings "Song to the Moon" from Rusalka by Dvorak with the Welsh National Orchestra.

"Lost" Mozart score found in France

From the BBC News article: (click here to read all)

A previously unknown piece of music by Mozart has been discovered at a library in western France.

Ulrich Leisinger, head of research at the International Mozarteum Foundation in Austria, said the single sheet of music was "really important".

"His handwriting is absolutely clearly identifiable," he added. "There's no doubt that this is an original piece handwritten by Mozart."

Also found: a rare portrait of the composer.

A portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart that lay unidentified for more than 200 years has been proved to be authentic, according to an expert on the composer.

Professor Cliff Eisen from London's King's College has spent more than a year trying to confirm that the picture was of Mozart, who died in 1791.

He said: "This is arguably the most important Mozart portrait to be discovered since the composer's death." Its significance came to light after it was bought by a US collector in 2005. read all here

There are links to other interesting Mozart related stories at the BBC you may enjoy.

Photos from Hubble Space Telescope

I received an interesting email today with the top ten photographs taken by the Hubble telescope. I always mention something about our awesome galaxy, space/time reality on my radio show, Shaman's Hand. Here's a link to more pictures.

The Sombrero Galaxy - 28 million light years from Earth - was voted best picture taken by the Hubble telescope. The dimensions of the galaxy, officially called M104, are as spectacular as its appearance. It has 800 billion suns and is 50,000 light years across.

Here's the Hubble site. Here's the Hubble Heritage Project.

Unusual Stuff

"An astronomer in Cambridge, UK, has captured on camera an "upside down rainbow", which is considered to be an anomaly of nature."

I heard about this a few days ago but had not run across a picture till today. Click on the pic to go to the story.

George Li, eleven year old pianist

This is a fun piece by Franz Liszt. One of the Hungarian Rhapsodies, No.11. George Li, or whoever handles his YouTube account, invited me to be a friend. So I accepted knowing full well that he may know nothing of it. All the best to this young prodigy.

George Li, is a resident of North Andover, MA where he is a student at the Annie Sargent School. George has been playing piano since the age of four and enjoys taking tests, math and of course, the Red Sox.

Janine Jansen playing Vaughan Williams' Lark Ascending

Shaman's Hand Interview with Ron Klestinski

You can check out the interview with former head football coach Ron Klestinski on the Shaman's Hand Blog Talk Radio, (see side bar). Here's a picture of me winning the conference 100 yard dash after breaking my leg in the previous football season. It was taken by the local newspaper and I got a copy and gave it to him at the end of the year which was my senior year at Roncalli High School in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Ron was recently inducted into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Hall of Fame.

Listen to the archived show, August31, 2008...you'll love him!

The inscription at the bottom reads in full: We did it! With tons of love and appreciation.