whiteness.

i'm clearly phoning this one in.

i wanted to play again in Musically Challenged. but i've hardly time to take any photos to pair with songs right now.

instead i sifted through the lyrics of the ten weekly songs and then i dug, dug, dug through the photos i've taken in the past several weeks, looking for a hit. however, nothing stood out to me, nothing was that well suited. no cobblestone streets or a halo streetlamp that scream 'Sound of Silence'. (or whisper, as the case may be)

so i leave you, once again, with further proof that my predilection towards the pacific ocean and kid reflections is alive and well.

_______________________

"American Boy," by Estelle

Take me on a trip, I'd like to go some day

Take me to New York, I'd love to see LA.

I really want to come kick it with you.

You'll be my American Boy. American Boy.

_______________________

* i'm actually delighted to have discovered this song, though. thanks, Musically Challenged!

it's got this funky but tranquil thing going. not something i'd normally gravitate to, but glad i had a listen. plus it's got three Best Things Ever in it: a British singer, Kanye West, and Adidas shell toes.

---

edit: this totally fits with TOTW: "Happy Happy, Joy Joy", as well! the kid is clearly happy splashing around!

Two weeks in NOLA for the mardi gras 2017

Founded in 1993, the Krewe of Orpheus takes its name from the musically-inclined son of Zeus and Calliope. Founding members included Harry Connick, both the junior and senior.

In New Orleans, the krewe established themselves as a superkrewe with their first parade in 1994, which rolled with 700 riders. They were the first super Krewe to allow both male and female riders.

The Krewe's throws include a number of popular items including emblem beads, stuffed animals, signature beads, light-up Orpheus medallion beads, cups, three different types of doubloons, and 4-foot-long stuffed dragons.

They have a number of notable floats including the Dolly Trolley, the horse-drawn bus that was used in the opening of Hello Dolly with Barbra Streisand, the Smoking Mary which is a six unit float that looks like a steam locomotive, a Trojan horse and the Orpheus Leviathan Float, which is a three unit, 139-foot float, and the first Carnival float to use extensive fiber optic lighting.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Fats Domino wass the honorary grand marshall for 2014. His eldest son, Antoine Domino III, rode in the parade and perform his 85 year old father's music.

In addition to Fats Domino, Quentin Tarantino reigned as the krewe's celebrity monarch.

- Rooney, Blueside

**Explored**

I'm not sure how well this shot fits the song, but I gave it a shot. For one of the weekly song choices posted by Pikespice in Musically Challenged this week.

This was taken just outside of Prehistoric Forest, where a bunch of old kiddie rides were dumped. They were fun to shoot. I have some cute shots of Tom, Ashley and Shannon shooting them too. :)

Musically Challenged: Rooney - Blueside

To celebrate the birthday of one Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a treble clef brooch, on a page of sheet music.

I'll leave it as an exercise for someone to try to identify WHAT music that is, but it should be fairly easy to guess...

Laurie Anderson Presents Lou Reed’s Drones With Stewart Hurwood @ Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Hirshhorn Museum, Washington, DC on Friday, June 3, 2022

For one night only, Grammy award-winning musician and multimedia artist Laurie Anderson presents a drone-based sonic experience as part of the yearlong celebration of Lou Reed’s 80th birthday. Anderson and special guests will perform live throughout the afternoon alongside an installation of guitars from her late husband’s collection that will be curated by Reed’s former guitar technician Stewart Hurwood. Reed’s instruments are arranged with a group of amplifiers to create an enveloping drone of harmonics that shifts as the sound waves and the audience move through the space.

About The Performers

As A Grammy Award-Winning Musician, Performer, Writer, And Artist, Laurie Anderson Has An International Reputation As An Artist Who Combines The Traditions Of The Avant-Garde With Popular Culture. Anderson’s Theatrical Works Combine A Variety Of Media, Including Performance, Music, Poetry, Sculpture, Opera, Anthropological Investigations, And Linguistic Games, To Elicit Emotional Reactions. As A Visual Artist, Anderson Has Been Shown At The Guggenheim Museum, Soho, And Extensively In Europe, Including The Centre Georges Pompidou In Paris. She Has Also Released Seven Albums For Warner Brothers, Including Big Science, Featuring The Song “O Superman,” Which Rose To No. 2 On The British Pop Charts. She Is Currently Charles Eliot Norton Professor Of Poetry At Harvard University.

Guitar Technician Stewart Hurwood Started Experimenting With Sounds And Building Elaborate Guitar Rigs Early In His Life. After Moving From London To New York City, He Took A Position At A Prominent New York Music Studio. Hurwood’s Technical Skills Were Quickly Noticed And He Began To Work In Many New York Venues And Pretty Soon Found Himself On Tour With Duran Duran. It Wasn’t Long After His Return Home, Hurwood Received The Call To Work With Lou Reed. Reed Too Noticed Hurwood’s Skills And Started To Rely More Upon His Sound Judgement. With Studio Work, One-Off Gigs And A Few Tours Under His Belt, Hurwood Finally Won The Trust Of Mr. Reed And Was Elevated To The Position Of Lou Reed’s Right Hand Man. Over Time, And With An Increasing Workload, Their Relationship Went From Strength To Strength. Much Of Their Work Was Musically Diverse And Included Collaborations With The Killers, Renée Fleming And The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, The Strokes, The Gorillaz, Laurie Anderson, Metal Machine Trio, Metallica And Various Benefit Gigs With Pete Townsend, Martha And Rufus Wainwright, Yoko Ono And Sean Lennon, Jimmy Fallon, Hal Willner, And The List Goes On! Hurwood Worked With Lou Reed Until Lou’s Death On October 27, 2013. Hurwood Continues To Carry The Baton For Reed By Promoting “The Drones.” Initially, The Idea Was The Backbone For Mr. Reed’s 1975 Album “Metal Machine Music.” However, The Idea Was Expanded In Preproduction For “The Metal Machine Trio Live Tour.” Hurwood’s Clientele Reads Like A Veritable Who’s Who In Rock And Roll. This Long, Distinguished List Includes: Duran Duran, Lou Reed, The Cult, Coldplay, Scissor Sisters, Steely Dan And Numerous Others. He Continues To Thrive And Is Sought After By Prominent Private And Public Artists Who Have A Desire To Own Unparalleled Musical Rigs And Explore Their Sonic Palette. Stewart Hurwood Currently Resides In New York City.

Featuring

Acclaimed Composer And Instrumentalist Kaoru Watanabe’s Melodic, Authentic And Engaging Music Focuses On Points Of Connection: The Joints Between Western Jazz And Eastern Traditional, Japanese Theater And Political Action, The Ancient And The All-Too-Contemporary. Born Into A Musical Family, Watanabe Began His Training At A Young Age, Eventually Graduating From The Manhattan School Of Music, Then Devoting A Decade Overseas Performing With And Ultimately Leading The World-Renowned Taiko Drum Performance Group Kodo. His Ten Years In Japan Deeply Influenced Watanabe’s Practice And His Signature Skill Of Infusing Japanese Culture To Disparate Styles Has Made Him A Much In-Demand Collaborator. Watanabe’s Impressive List Of Creative Work Across Different Media Reflects His Ever-Curious Ear And Wandering Eye. He Advised And Contributed To Film Director Wes Anderson’s Oscar-Nominated Score For Isle Of Dogs; Tours Regularly With Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad; Has Supported Numerous Dance Companies And Movement Artists, Including Mikhail Baryshnikov; And Has Composed With And Performed Alongside Jason And Alicia Hall Moran, Eva Yerbabuena, Bando Tamasaburo, Sydney Symphony Orchestra And Zakir Hussain, Among Many Others. As A Composer, Watanabe Writes For Various, Often Unconventional Instrumentation, Utilizing A Wide Variety Of Techniques. Thematically, He Regularly Explores Issues Of Social Justice, History, And Heritage. Watanabe’s Newest Pandemic-Era Creation, Incense, Uses Live-Recorded Sample Loops Of Flute, Drums And Vocals, Providing Him The Technical Means To Perform Ensemble Compositions As A Solo Artist.

ift.tt/2hm9pSo

Medical Students Protest musically!

Voigtlander Perkeo II. Kodak Portra 160 Home Developed Tetenal C41 Kit

Explored.

...

One night of magic rush

The start a simple touch

One night to push and scream

And then relief

not much magic today, I wanted to keep it nice and simple to show how awesome my new (and super cheap) gary fong lightsphere wannabe works. I totally made it! which is AWESOME. i am finding new and interesting ways to do cheap photography!!! my new favorite site is www.diyphotography.net and some others.

the lightsphere wannabe was something i came across while researching diffusers. you can find the dubbed "ak49" (because it only costs literally 49 cents!!) at this link here

many thanks to Burnt Umber for hooking it up with the materials from The Container Store in Miami. (his wife works there! its AWESOME!!!!! the material costs only 25 cents a sheet which is enough to make one diffuser)

i LOVE it. i also love my Joe Demb flip-it! diffuser kit. I am not a big fan of the sto-fen omni bounce. I think I got robbed. it doesnt even go on my flash easily, but I'm going to keep it just in case I might need it some day when the flip-it and the "ak49" dont cut it.

in the meantime.....I missed you guys!!!!! I have alot to mail out in the coming days, and i have an xmas shoot with my aunt and uncle's family tomorrow night, I will be putting the Demb flip-it into practice and see how that goes. I'll keep you guys posted!

for now I will be using hot shoe flash and working on how to bounce and diffuse the light before I venture (afford) triggers and more flashes to go off camera.

strobist info: hot shoe flash with head tilted back to 95/85 degree angle towards white wall with "ak49" to bounce light off wall for fill. flash was on manual at 1/16 power and zoomed for 35mm.

photo info: the photo was shot at 18mm and cropped in. added a screen blending mode layer and soft light blending mode layer at drastically reduced opacity and a cyan photo filter at a low opacity. backdrop is anti-pill fleece. i love fleece its so easy to use.

project 365: day 197

My Face is My Canvas: Emulation #13

Musically Challenged: Heartbeats - The Knife

decluttr

i live underwater and you live on the moon.

You can't breathe around me and i can't breathe around you.

Another one of my Musically Challenged picks (go play! I'm not asking...i am TELLING!). I loved Tanya Donelly best as part of Throwing Muses and then in Belly, but her solo stuff ain't too bad...especially the first album.

342/365

ift.tt/2jqaRp5

For More Videos Follow Our Youtube Channel FUNKARO: www.youtube.com/channel/UCMzuYuaMNzBLNWi5yVBioiw

"Chained"

* * * * *

Almost as much fun as it was seeing them in 2004 :-)

More links about the show, mostly via the Frank Black Forum:

Vanity Fair - For the Pixies, Cashing in Is the Right Thing to Do.

It sounds damn good live too, thanks to an excellent sound setup and the songs themselves, which are as dynamic, colorful, and deliciously sinister as a David Lachapelle photograph. Having said all that, though, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that the Pixies, whose best-known members are rumored to not like each other very much, have been reunion-touring for the past five years for one overriding reason: to make money. Money that probably would have been beyond their wildest imaginings back in the late 80s and early 90s, when they were actually writing songs together and putting out albums.

Is that a bad thing?

It is if it means that audiences are spending top dollar to see a band go through the paces and cash a check. But that’s not what happened last night. The audience was in ecstacy, amazed at its luck to worship the Pixies in person. Countless hours spent listening intently to Doolittle, Surfer Rosa, and Come on, Pilgrim had led them to this moment, when they could share their obsession with thousands of like-minded souls. They knew every word to songs as foreign to the mainstream as “Hey,” “Monkey Gone to Heaven,” and even “Gouge Away.”

Not even screaming, weeping tweens possess this level of intimacy with their idols’ respective repertoires. It takes time to become this close to an album and, by extension, to an entire body of work. And if I’m right, then the young people I saw at last night’s concert won’t be the last generation to appreciate this music and hunger for a chance to see it performed for themselves.

The Boston Globe - Pixies return to their ‘Doolittle’ days.

Devoted fans of bands that have broken up are like casualties of divorce. They cherish the stories of the good times long after the fighting starts and the records stop.

An album like “Doolittle’’ is proof that the good times were indeed good - really good.

The Pixies recorded their second full-length album in 1989, and it is regarded as the Boston band’s crowning achievement, especially by zealous fans who still lurk on Pixies online forums and wear their “Come on Pilgrim’’ T-shirts long after they’ve faded to gray. A balancing act of melodic guitar and diabolical yelps, “Doolittle’’ solidified the place of the phrase “loud/quiet’’ in the rock ’n’ roll vernacular and exalted the Pixies as the godfathers of grunge. To commemorate the album’s 20th anniversary, the Pixies are touring again, playing all the songs from “Doolittle’’ and its B-sides in concert. The tour stops at the Wang tonight and tomorrow.

[...]

“Doolittle’’ epitomizes the polarities that the Pixies are remembered for. The album is gruesome. The opening track, “Debaser,’’ is about slicing eyeballs, and from there “Doolittle’’ only descends into apocalyptic lyricism, with songs about hell, blood, aliens, and AIDS.

[...]

One of the most widely revered songs from the Pixies catalog, the uncharacteristically straightforward and jaunty “Here Comes Your Man,’’ is evidence of the stronghold that pop had on the band. The song is the fifth track on “Doolittle,’’ though it was written years before. Steve Albini, the audio engineer who recorded the Pixies’ first album, “Surfer Rosa,’’ successfully argued for keeping “Here Comes Your Man’’ off that album. But engineer Gil Norton, who worked on “Doolittle,’’ saw the song’s potential.

“Here Comes Your Man’’ became one of the two singles that “Doolittle’’ produced. The other, “Monkey Gone to Heaven,’’ falls at the other end of the album’s spectrum, although the songs are separated by only one track. Full of demonic numerology and shrieking, “Monkey Gone to Heaven’’ encapsulates the dissonance and darkness of the Pixies, both musically and interpersonally.

The Boston Globe - The Pixies party like it’s 1989.

The full album concert concept that has become so popular in the past few years is on one level a gimmick to help juice catalog sales and draw out those less inclined to see a group they’ve already spent time and money on. But with a record as exhilarating and irresistible as “Doolittle,’’ it’s easy to understand the desire for both seminal alt-rockers the Pixies and their audience to want to party like it’s 1989.

It felt appropriate that the University of Massachusetts-spawned group was hitting the Hub around homecoming because the 94-minute show - the first of two sold-out gigs at Citi Wang Theatre - felt like a reunion with old friends. A big, loud, dry-ice-infused, sense memory-generating reunion of sticky melodies and squalling guitars. Sure, everybody’s gained a few pounds and lost a few hairs, but the spirit was there, from David Lovering’s first crisp downbeat and Frank Black’s throat-shredding scream.

Old-school fans and younger folks getting their first live taste of the group screamed right along to the outbursts from “Monkey Gone to Heaven’’ to “Dead.’’ The crowd bounced en masse to the rhythmic left turns of “Crackity Jones’’ and bopped to “Here Comes Your Man’’ with Black and bassist Kim Deal aptly replicating their metal and smoke harmonies. “Wave of Mutilation’’ got two spins, with the original coming in its spot and the whisper-smooth “UK Surf’’ flavor popping up in the encore.

Deal, a propulsion machine throughout, was also the evening’s appointed tour guide, giving in-progress announcements -- “we’re halfway through the first side’’ - accompanied by her goofy grin.

The band buttressed the 40-minute centerpiece with a quartet of b-sides from the album and encores chock full of assorted non-“Doolittle’’ favorites. Those included the juicy big beat drone of “Into the White,’’ complete with a cloud of hazy dry ice, the chilly coo and growl of “Where is My Mind,’’ and the clangorous and celebratory “Gigantic.’’

Buzzed-about indie rocker Jay Reatard handled the evening’s warm-up duties.

Chris Devers's Posterous linkblog thingy - The Pixies play the Wang Center, Boston.

news.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/general/view/20...

The 90-minute show started with scenes from ‘‘Un chien andalou,’’ a surrealistic short film with the infamous sliced eyeball scene. It was the particular inspiration for ‘‘Debaser,’’ the kickoff to ‘‘Doolittle.’’

The Pixies played the album to perfection, which is to say most of the songs were nasty, brutish and short.

Songs rarely went over the three-minute mark. Santiago’s noisy guitar squalls were essential, but there were surging pop hooks in ‘‘Here Comes Your Man’’ and surf-guitar licks splashed throughout. Deal’s high harmonies lent a tad of sweetness to Francis’ screams.

After playing ‘‘Doolittle,’’ they encored with several more B-sides before nailing hits ‘‘Where Is My Mind?’’ and ‘‘Gigantic.’’ What accounts for the Pixies’ peculiar longevity? The band’s life after death, if you will?

Perhaps it’s because life may be even more conflicted and tumultuous than it was two decades ago. As such, the Pixies are, oddly enough, in step.

True/Slant - Pricey Pixies Tickets, or Can Critics Complain About Concert Costs?

It’s been well over a week since Jim DeRogatis reviewed the first night of The Pixies’ three-night Doolittle retrospective at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom. DeRogatis caused quite a stir among Pixies fans with statements like:

…it’s hard to consider them anything but a cynical corporation cashing in on blatant nostalgia–a hipper version of Creedence Clearwater Revisited or Journey and whoever is singing with that group these days.

Pixies defending aside, DeRogatis has a right to his opinion. After all, that’s his job. As any critic who has ever encountered the briefest whiff of resistance from diehard fans over the years can tell you, not everyone’s going to agree with what you write. And of course, this came in droves for the eight paragraphs DeRogatis wrote about The Pixies set. There were comments from fans who couldn’t believe DeRogatis would compare their beloved Pixies to Journey of all bands – Journey?!?! There were comments from fans who said DeRogatis was elitist and assuming the worst before setting foot in the Aragon.

Flickr - The Pixies at the Wang Center in Boston, 27 November 2009.

Kelly Has Thoughts - Pixies Pics!

Flickr user sdowen: Pixies at the Wang Center in Boston - Nov. 27, 2009 -- a set of photos from the second row, unlike my pictures from the last row of the top balcony.

#tamil #kollywood #love #vijay #musically #tamilcinema #tollywood #telugu #thalapathy #tamildubsmash #like #bollywood #sivakarthikeyan #samantha #chennai #actress #tamilmusically #nayanthara #cinema #indiancinema #tamilmovie #bigboss #trending #tamilnadu #Tamil #actor #movie #anirudh #tamilsong #bhfyp

Muse... This was an absolute visual extravaganza. Musically it was Muse, they delivered

The Living Room at Kolbotn, (Hulda and Arne Garborg's home)

Artist: Harriet Backer

Creation date: 1896

Throughout Harriet Backer's 50-year career, women's rights changed radically. Being a woman and an artist became accepted. Backer was talented and determined, inspiring a new generation of women and men in the Norwegian art world.

In Backer’s family, art and culture were part of how the children were raised. Her older sister Agathe was musically gifted and wanted to become a pianist. She had to go abroad to learn, and Harriet became her sister's traveling companion. This gave Harriet the opportunity to visit art museums and get to know the historical masters of the art world at a young age. Agathe eventually became a renowned composer and concert pianist, while Harriet became an important artist.

Backer showed an early talent and interest in art, but embarked on full-time studies rather late in life. In 1874, at 29 years, she decided to travel to Munich. The art community in Norway was small, so one had to go abroad.

The art academies in Europe were reserved for men in those days, but women could receive private tuition or attend "women's classes". During her years in Munich, Backer had several teachers. In 1878 she moved to Paris to continue her studies.

Being accepted for exhibition at the Salon in Paris was an important step on the path to becoming a professional artist. In 1880, Backer was accepted with the painting Solitude. Hundreds of artists exhibited at these exhibitions at the same time, and the paintings hung close together, from floor to ceiling. The jury thought Backer's painting was excellent, and she was honoured with a diploma, known as a Mention honorable.

In Munich, Backer learned to paint in a style characterised by a high level of detail and dark colours. We see this for example in Avskjeden (The Farewell), from 1878. When she came to Paris, she was greatly inspired by impressionism. In one of her best-known paintings, Blått interiør (Blue Interior), painted five years after Avskjeden, the transformation of her painting style is evident. Clear and pure colours dominate the composition. From this point on, the interaction between figure, interior and light effects became a theme that permeated Backer's paintings. How to create contrasts between the light indoors and outdoors? How are colours perceived in lamplight compared to daylight? She approached her subjects with these issues in mind.

Backer started her career with a desire to become a portrait painter. She painted many friends and acquaintances, and also received portrait commissions. But it is her interior scenes she has become best known for. She painted interiors from all walks of life – from farmhouses to bourgeois living rooms. For the most part, Backer's rooms are populated by women.

I think I serve the cause of women best by concentrating like a man – Harriet Backer

In 1888, Backer established herself in Norway, and from 1892 to 1910 ran a painting school in Kristiania. She became a popular teacher. Her openness to new ideas in both art and social development was appreciated. She sympathised with the women's movement, but did not actively participate in political work.

In the women's cause, Backer was recognised more for what she did than what she said – as a renowned artist she was an important role model. Together with friend and fellow artist Kitty Kielland, she was a pioneer who paved the way for women to have the opportunity to choose art as a career path.

About Harriet Backer:

Born 21 January 1845 in Holmestrand.

Lived in Paris in 1878–1888.

Started an art school in Kristiania in the 1890s. Backer’s students included Nikolai Astrup, Halfdan Egedius, Harald Sohlberg, Henrik Lund, Helga Ring Reusch, Astri Welhaven and Sara Fabricius (Cora Sandel).

Died 25 March 1932 in Oslo.

Important works:

Solitude (1878–1880)

Blått interiør (Blue Interior) (1883)

På blekevollen (Bleaching) (1886–1887)

Ved lampelys (By Lamplight) (1890)

Barnedåp i Tanum kirke (Baptism at Tanum Church) (1892)

Inngangskoner (Women in Church) (1892)

Interiør fra Uvdal stavkirke (Interior from Uvdal Stave Church) (1909)

_____________________________________________

www.visitoslo.com/en/articles/national-museum/

On 11 June 2022 the new National Museum opened in Oslo. This is the largest museum in the Nordics. The new museum now consists of the collections of the former National Gallery, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Norwegian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design.

The new museum has a permanent exhibition of about 6 500 objects. Design, arts and crafts, fine art as well as contemporary art will be exhibited alongside each other. As such, the permanent exhibition highlights interesting connections between different collections that previously have been on show at three different museums. Additionally, audiences will be able to see the most famous paintings by the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, including The Scream (1893) and Madonna (1894).

The building was designed by Kleihues + Schuwerk Gesellschaft von Architekten, with emphasis on dignity and longevity over sensationalist architecture. Great care was given to achieve a balance with the museum’s surroundings and the existing monuments in the area, such as Oslo City Hall and Akershus Fortress.

The most eye-catching feature of the new museum is the large, illuminated exhibition hall on top of the building. It will be used for temporary exhibitions.

The rooftop terrace offers a unique view of the inner Oslo fjord. The square in front of the main entrance has become an urban meeting place, with benches and a café that invites you in to take a rest.

www.nasjonalmuseet.no/en/visit/locations/the-national-mus...

news.artnet.com/opinion/new-national-museum-norway-2129606

www.forbes.com/sites/davidnikel/2022/06/14/what-to-expect...

...

Looking Back To The Day The Clash Came To Town On The White Riot Tour With Subway Sect, The Slits and The Prefects

Rare Ticket Chancellor Hall Chelmsford. Click On Image To Play "White Riot" Video From 1977

I don't have any nostalgic tales about the White Riot Tour coming to Chelmsford. Don't get me wrong, I was there and it was a blast but my memory is of a collection of bands from all round the Country being very angry about matters that meant F all to me. I remember The Prefects sang "Birmingham is a shithole" which I thought was funny but obvious - having now visited our town, the singer must have realised that anywhere north of Chelmsford would fall into that category (must be why they never recorded it!)? I completely forgot about Subway Sect and haven't a clue about their songs - must have been at the bar for their set? The Slits were sluts because one of them touched Barry's arse on the way to the stage - spent their set laughing at that and not thinking much of them musically, good album cover though, inspiring stuff for an adolescent! Loved The Clash - that backdrop is a brilliant representation of the time - but we didn't have riots like that in our Town so was a little difficult to sympathise but the songs, the anger were groundbreaking for us. Shame the best punk band to come to town was the first, in hindsight all the bands that followed weren't quite so inspiring.

In recent times, I was one of the 50 or so that saw Carbon/Silicon at V a couple of years ago when everyone else was watching Muse - old Mick is still out there folks, sometime Gorilla(z), shame he only comes to town every 31 years.

Ash July 2010

Chelmsford Punks Martin Reid, Gary McDowell, Pete Frostick, Mick Bartlett. Sunday Times Magazine Sept 1977. Photo taken at Chancellor Hall Clash Gig, Click On Image To Play Video "1977"

I remember the build up to the evening, about how sleepy Chelmsford was going to be invaded by hordes of rabid Punk Rockers marauding our streets from London, how drugs and alcohol were going to ruin the adolescent youth for years to come. I was 18 at the time and thought it was great. I can remember the Lion and Lamb, AKA the Animals (this was the pub in front of Dukes) having a lot of the local thugery, waiting for the punks and I think we actually drank in there and the Fleece before the gig. I do recall getting dressed up in an old school blazer with a skinny black tie. The blazers were ripped and had safety pins festooned all over them. Also this was the time of the Queens Silver Jubilee, there were many little plastic Union Jack flags in abundance, a lot of these were saftey pinned to jackeetsand shirts. We must have looked stupid but we thought we were cool.

Inside the hall it seemed ever so dark and sweaty, between the bands heavy Dub Reggae seemed to shake the venue to its core. I can’t remember a lot about the bands apart from that, I thought that the Slits were excellent, I think that this was my reggae upbringing. They played what I thought at the time the best song of the night, “New Town” When they sang this they rocked from foot to foot in unison. I know the Subway Sect also played and I think the Prefects, but this part of the night was a blur. The Clash were good and I remember “White Riot” blaring out and everyone going mental. They also did a version of Junior Murvins “Police and Thieves.” The strange thing at that time was that I couldn’t hear much difference between them and the Feelgoods. Fast exciting music.

I Took A Poster Like This From The Wall Downsatirs At The Chancellor After The Gig. Click On Image To Play Video "London's Burning"

The night seemed to go really quickly and I did realise at the time that I had been to something that had probably changed my life musically. If it wasn’t for that night, I would have never seen some of the great up and coming bands before they were famous. I wouldn’t have enjoyed a lot of the bands that I saw at the Chancellor and in a lesser degree the Rock Club. I would not have preferred my music to be rough and raw, rather than the practised polished rubbish that everyone else enjoys (excluding 70’s syrupy soul, because that is the best).

Summing up I think I was lucky to have been a teenager when I was, it was an exciting time to be young. There was an air of innocence about which made the punk scene, seem very dangerous. You could see bands cheap on a Sunday which were on Top of the Pops on a Thursday. The music felt as though it was breaking down barriers and not conforming to the norm. I suppose like the 60’s protested against something, as the only other time I saw the Clash was with Maurice at Vicky Park in Bow, supporting the Rock against Racism campaign. Most surprising of all though, was that the Clash would become Megastars and the Slits were not as good as I thought.

Duncan Egleton June 2010

Subway Sect Click On Image To Play "Why Don't You Shoot Me" Recorded Live On The White Riot tour 1977

I was so excited when the Clash came to town, I had just bought the first single “White Riot” b side “1977” I had played them over and over and Punk was all new to me. Such raw short and fast tracks that I just loved , Punk was well and truly here now. I lived in Great Baddow with my parents then a 17 year old bored teenager fascinated by the emerging new wave bands.

Having already seen pub rockers Dr Feelgood, I was now certainly ready for the White Riot Tour at the Chancellor Hall. I had read stories in the Media about rioting in other towns and the local paper reported that the council had restricted admittance numbers to 400 with a soft drinks bar only following these reports.

My self and Barry Magowan who lived a few doors away talked and planned how we would dress as Punks for the night. We had sprayed and spiked our hair and dressed best we could as Punks that Sunday evening. The walk into to town was memorable as the older generation look on in shock as here were some of those terrible Punks they had read about in the press.

Is all we had to watch out for were local Ted's who might want a Punch Up as there were still quite a few Teddy Boys in Chelmsford then but they never appeared. We started of at the “Lion And Lamb” locally known as “The Animals” now “Dukes”. As we arrived there were about 60 Punks outside some probably from the London area, we had a couple of drinks here. I must admitt I was a bit scared at the time as this was the first time I had mixed with such characters ,some of whom were frightening to look at. Sounds crazy that I tried to dress to shock, but was instead terrified of other scary punks.

The Slits

Once inside the hall we made our way to the bar that was busy serving soft drinks, Barry had managed to talk to some punk girls who we did not know until they appeared on stage, they were the Slits. I don't remember a lot about the Prefects who I think were the first band on , other than that they were fucking terrible. When the Subway Sect came on rumours started in the crowd that Ted's had gathered outside the venue armed with iron bars, this sent the crown running over to the front windows to view, but I never saw any. Having said that, "where have all the Ted's gone in Chelmsford". I always remember seeing Ted's all the time round town but now there's none to be seen.

The Slits sounded bad as well as they could hardly play, just a screaming horrible noise, but I remember this song were they danced side to side like stiff dummy's it was called “New Town” one of there better efforts of the evening. Click on image to play the 1978 video of this song and you will see what I mean.

The Prefects

We had moved close to the front when the Clash came on and you soon new that here was a band of the future, they were just superb. The punks did pogo and dance to the sounds that came from the first Clash LP , London's Burning, Jamie Jones, Remote Control, Hate and War, What's My Name, Career Opportunity's, I'm So Bored With The USA, Cheat, 48 hours and Garageland that could have been played but defiantly 1977 and White Riot as I remember these. We had witnessed the turning point in music live, that changed us for ever more. All in all local history had been made when the Clash came to town.

Maurice Hyde

Bob Dorough: Devil May Care

CD (2012)

Label: BMG

Catalog No.: BR-5016/BCP-11

Monaural

Number of Discs: 1

[Back cover: here.]

▶ Original release:

Vinyl LP (1956)

Label: Bethlehem

Catalog No.: BR-5016/BCP-11

***************

▶ Well before his Schoolhouse Rock acclaim, Bob Dorough was an accomplished 'cool' jazz pianist/vocalist, singing in the laid-back manner of Mose Allison, Bob Frishberg, and Blossom Dearie, or, maybe more properly, they, in his. (And hinting at a much-later-to-come Randy Newman.)

Mr. Dorough was held in high enough esteem by fellow musicians that he was one of the few singers asked by Miles Davis to appear on Davis' records, twice.

Devil May Care was Mr. Dorough's debut album as a leader, released in 1956, since reissued on CD. Bob Dorough, born 12 December 1923, died on 23 April 2018, at age 94.

**************

☞ Side 1

1. Old Devil Moon

2. It Could Happen to You

3. I Had the Craziest Dream

4. You're The Dangerous Type

5. Ow!

6. Polka Dots and Moonbeams

☞ Side 2

1. (7) Yardbird Suite

2. (8) Baltimore Oriole

3. (9) I Don't Mind

4. (10) Devil May Care

5. (11) Midnight Sun

6. (12) Johnny One Note

▶ Personnel:

Bob Dorough — piano, vocal, leader

Warren Fitzgerald — trumpet

Jack Hitchcock — vibes

Bill Takus — bass

Jerry Segal — drums

****************

▶ Liner Notes

"Bob Dorough made his singing debut at the age of four years as part of an amateur show in a local theater in his native Arkansas. From that sublime start in show business, young Bob proceeded to the natural business of growing up, and, save for an occasional radio program or motion picture, his exposure to music as a way of life was somewhat limited.

As we have tried to indicate, Bob Dorough fits into many classifications in the music spectrum. The audible as well as the inaudible aprts f this collection represent a blend of musical ingredients that are both entertaining and jazz-based. Bob Dorough is a welcome link in the jazzman's quest to do both well."

— Joe Quinn

***************

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▶ For a larger image, type 'L' (without the quotation marks).

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▶ Commercial use requires explicit permission, as per Creative Commons.

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Once again musically inspired title. Thanks Kris Kross.

Antoine Pesne hofdame

Born in Berlin, she was eleven years younger than her brother, and would have been seven years old when he made his abortive attempt to run away from home, after being humiliated by his father.

Both children were musically inclined, but for Anna formal musical instruction was only possible after the death of her music-hating father. Music was her secret consolation against his cruelty to her (he would often drag her across a room by the hair during his rages).

Princess Anna Amalia of Prussia (9 November 1723 – 30 March 1787) was Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg and a Prussian princess, one of ten surviving children of Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia and Sophia Dorothea of Hanover. Anna learned to play the harpsichord, flute, and violin, receiving her first lessons from her brother, which her more 'civilised' mother encouraged.

She was contemplated as a bride for the crown prince of Sweden along with her sister Louisa Ulrika, as her brother warned that Louisa Ulrika was perhaps too ambitious to be a good queen in a monarchy without power, as Sweden then was during the Age of Liberty. Her brother king Frederick said that Louisa Ulrika was "arrogant, temperamental and an intriguer", and that they should not let themselves be fooled by her friendliness towards them, while Amalia was mild and "more suitable"; it has been considered, that Fredrick's judgment was given because he believed Amalia would be easier to control as a Prussian agent than the more dominant Louisa Ulrika. But the Swedish representatives preferred Louisa Ulrika.

n 1743, Anna secretly married Baron Friedrich von der Trenck, a man whose adventures inspired works by literary greats such as Victor Hugo and Voltaire. When her brother, who had ascended to the throne in 1740, discovered she had married and was pregnant, he packed her off in a rage to Quedlinburg Abbey, a place where many aristocratic women were sent to give birth to children out of wedlock. Anna's marriage was annulled at the request of Friedrich II, and von der Trenck was imprisoned for ten years. However, Anna continued to correspond with him until her death.

Anna became the Abbess of Quedlinburg in 1755, making her a wealthy woman. She chose to spend most of her time in Berlin, where she devoted herself to music, and became known as a musical patron and composer. As a composer she achieved a modest amount of fame and is most known for her smaller chamber works and her opera, Erwin und Elimire. A quaint and tasteful setting of the libretto by Goethe.

In 1758, Anna began a serious study of musical theory and composition, engaging as her tutor Johann Philipp Kirnberger, a student of Johann Sebastian Bach. She composed chamber music, such as flute sonatas, and wrote music to Ramler's Passion cantata ("The Death of Jesus"); this was also her favorite piece. Only a few of her works have survived, and it is probable that she may have destroyed many of her compositions. After all, she did describe herself as being very "timorous and self-critical."

Anna was also a collector of old music, preserving over 600 volumes of works by notables such as Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, George Philipp Telemann, and others. This act in itself was a significant contribution to Western culture. Her library was split between East Germany and West Germany after World War II, and still survives today in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin (this collection should not be confused with the Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, the former library of Anna Amalia von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel).

Orpheus in the Underworld

Jacques Offenbach

Orphée aux enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld) is an opéra bouffon (a form of operetta), or opéra féerie in its revised version, by Jacques Offenbach. The French text was written by Ludovic Halévy and later revised by Hector-Jonathan Crémieux.

The work, first performed in 1858, is said to be the first classical full-length operetta. Offenbach's earlier operettas were small-scale one-act works, since the law in France did not allow certain genres of full-length works. Orpheus was not only longer, but more musically adventurous than Offenbach's earlier pieces.

This also marked the first time that Offenbach used Greek mythology as a backdrop for one of his buffooneries. The operetta is an irreverent parody and scathing satire on Gluck and his Orfeo ed Euridice and culminates in the risqué Galop infernal ("Infernal Galop") that shocked some in the audience at the premiere. Other targets of satire, as would become typical in Offenbach's burlesques, are the stilted performances of classical drama at the Comédie-Française and the scandals in society and politics of the Second French Empire.

The "Infernal Galop" from Act II, Scene 2, is famous outside classical circles as the music for the "can-can" (to the extent that the tune is widely, but erroneously, called "can-can") . Saint-Saëns borrowed the Galop, slowed it to a crawl, and arranged it for the strings to represent the tortoise in The Carnival of the Animals.

Playbill from an 1874 revival

The first performance of the two-act, opéra bouffe version took place at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens in Paris on 21 October 1858 and ran for an initial 228 performances. It then returned to the stage a few weeks later, after the cast had had a rest. For the Vienna production of 1860, Carl Binder provided an overture that became famous, beginning with its bristling fanfare, followed by a tender love song, a dramatic passage, a complex waltz, and, finally, the renowned can-can music.

In America the work played in German at the Stadt Theatre, on Broadway, from March 1861.[4] It had its Czech premiere in 1864, under Adolf Čech.[5] It had a run of 76 performances at Her Majesty's Theatre, in London, beginning on 26 December 1865, in an adaptation by J. R. Planché.

A four-act version, designated as an opéra féerie, was first performed at the Théâtre de la Gaîté on 7 February 1874.[7] (This has proved less popular over time than the original two act version.)

Sadler's Wells opera presented an English version by Geoffrey Dunn beginning on 16 May 1960.[8] In the 1980s, English National Opera staged the opera freely translated into English by Snoo Wilson with David Pountney. The production was notable for its satirical portrayal of the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as the character Public Opinion. The first performance was at the Coliseum Theatre in London on 5 September 1985.The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company performed the work in the 1990s.

Critical appreciation

In the eyes of Clément and Larousse the piece is une parodie grotesque et grossière (a coarse and grotesque parody), full of vulgar and indecent scenes that give off une odeur malsaine (an unhealthy odor). In the opinion of Piat, however, Offenbach's Orphée is, like most of his major operettas, a bijou (jewel) that only snobs will fail to appreciate. The piece was not immediately a hit, but critics' condemnation of it, particularly that of Jules Janin, who called it a "profanation of holy and glorious antiquity," only provided vital publicity, serving to heighten the public's curiosity to see the piece.

Description de l’œuvre

Orphée aux enfers est un opéra bouffe, une féerie à grand spectacle, brillante et pétillante.

Parodiant les anciennes versions lyriques du mythe d'Orphée, Offenbach se moque de l’hypocrisie et de la recherche du plaisir à tout prix de son époque, avec une impertinence et une causticité, qui choquèrent profondément, en leurs temps, une partie du public, bourgeois et populaire.

Ce fut le premier grand succès de Jacques Offenbach, et l’on trouve déjà ce qui explosera dans La Belle Hélène, La Vie parisienne ou encore La Périchole, ce mariage parfait du théâtre et de la musique, du sérieux et de la trivialité. Tout brille dans cet opéra, où tout est prétexte à chanson, la verve satirique de son livret autant que la qualité de sa partition musicale proprement jubilatoire.

Résumé

C’est une folie que cette histoire de couples en crise, d’Olympe en révolte, d’Enfers orgiaques où chacun ne pense qu’à son propre plaisir et tout le monde ne rêve que de fête, de séduction, d’amour et s’en donne à cœur joie.

Acte 1

Comme on le dit familièrement, « Il y a de l’eau dans le gaz » dans le couple d’Orphée (ténor), le violoniste et d’Eurydice (soprano). Le premier charme les autres nymphes tandis que la seconde flirte avec le berger Aristée (ténor), qui n’est autre que Pluton, le dieu des Enfers. Fort heureusement pour Orphée, Eurydice meurt. Mais c’est sans compter avec l’opinion publique (mezzo-soprano) qui enjoint Orphée de partir la rechercher au séjour des morts.

Acte 2

Sur l’Olympe, Une rébellion de dieux remet en cause l’autorité de Jupiter (baryton). Junon (mezzo-soprano), son épouse, lui fait une scène de ménage quand arrive Pluton, à qui Jupiter reproche son inconduite. Orphée et l’Opinion Publique viennent réclamer Eurydice. C’est alors que Jupiter, accompagné des dieux, décide, par curiosité, de descendre aux Enfers.

Acte 3

Aux enfers Eurydice s’ennuie malgré les distractions du bouffon Styx (baryton). La vigilance de ce dernier est trompée par Jupiter, transformé en mouche, qui parvient à approcher Eurydice et à la séduire.

Acte 4

Pendant ce temps là, Pluton organise une bacchanale et empêche Jupiter d’emmener Eurydice. Quand à Orphée, guidée par l’Opinion publique, il doit ramener Eurydice sur terre, mais Jupiter, jaloux et trompeur, élimine les deux prétendants et abandonne la nymphe à Bacchus.

- See more at: www.opera-online.com/items/works/orphee-aux-enfers-halevy...

Motorcar 5 (MAN - 1928) part of the heritage fleet parked at the (new) terminus Stadtmarkt for a special occasion. Canary yellow; quit musically but too bright for the occasion. Published by A & R Adam - Dresden.

Still working my way to the end of my 52 weeks, should have been done last weekend, oh well. Only 3 more to go!

For Musically Challenged. This weeks list chosen by Ninnianne.

The Creationist by Kerli

(49 of 52)

Tomorrow is HBCCT, hope to see you all come and play :-)

Musically challenged entry (Roxanee- The Police).

Strobist:

Vivitar 285 HV full power 7 o'clock with shoot through umbrella and 1/2 cto

Vivitar 285 HV 1/16 power 2 o'clock with 1/2 cto

Cactus triggers

Alright sir

Sure I'll have another one it's early

Three olives, shake it up, I like it dirty (dirty)

Tequila for my friend it makes her flirty (flirty)

Trust me

I'm the instigator of underwear

Showing up here and there uh oh (oh no)

I'm always on a mission from the get go

So what if it's only 1 o'clock in the afternoon

It's never too soon to send out all the invitations to the last night (of your life)

A good excuse to be a bad influence on you and you

************

So, I had another idea for this song, but I'm cheating and using an oldie for this week's Musically Challenged list, but it's mostly b/c I'm just trying to promote y'all go over and give it a shot at playing. :)

HMAM, too!

I know, you're all thinking..WTF dude?!?!

So let me explain. A few months ago it was Housework Is Evils turn to pick the songs for the Musically Challenged group. She added a bonus song and basically dared anyone to do a photo for it. Thats when I came up with the idea for the Tub Photo. Well when she commented on the image she said: However, I believe I now have you pegged. You are sooo one of those people who cannot help but to take any dare, aren't you?

I could so have fun with that fact...*rubs hands together while grinning evilly*

Then a month later my Flickr friend insomniac was selling some Detroit T-Shirts he designed and asking if you buy one to please take a picture and post it. Thats where you got THIS & THIS image from.

Well I guess that T-Shirt idea got Housework Is Evils head spinning and she FM'd me and said she had a shirt she dared me to wear and post a photo of.

Now I am not someone that just does any stupid thing someone dares them to do. I weigh the risk vs. reward and decide if it's worth it. Not just for silly little photo dares but for everything in life. Thats just the way I am.

So I told her sure, WTH, how bad can it be....well, it's this bad. But really, I think it's pretty damn funny, and if you can't laugh at yourself, then you shouldn't laugh at all :-) And ya know what, for a 41 year old, those are some sweet abs....HA!!

So if you are rocking some sweet abs and you really want to show them off please contact Housework Is Evil and I am sure she will hook you up ;-)

Happy Low Key Lame Ass Thursday!

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So my flights were cancelled due to a strike. So i wont be going on vacation this summer. This will make 2 years since i've seen my dad and asia hasn't seen him at all. I had so many plans for this trip and they all went down the toilet. So right now i'm just tryin to make the best of the fact that i am still getting up and going to work, because many people weren't even afforded that privilege this morning.

Also i'm sick of seeing my face so i will go a week without any face shots!

I hear a sound above

A sound above my head

The distant sound of thunder

Booming out on the moor

Blackbirds they flew ahead

Into the cooling towers

I packed my bags fast

Thinking of one of those hours

With you

Waiting for you

My god

It takes an ocean of trust

In the Kingdom of Rust

Doves-Kingdom of trust

As bunnybear... still musically inclined. Just have to find the right-sized instruments!

Explored

ha ha ha the jokes on me

I feel jealous and I feel mean

is she so nice that it makes up for her face there's no way

do you have to keep your eyes closed

do you have to keep the lights down low

oh I bet you wish you had a blindfold can't you see

you're leaving me for an ugly girl

Ugly Girl - Fleming & John

this might be a little shallow of me. but I told donnie that if he had to leave me or cheat on me, PLEASE let it be a prettier girl than me. then I wouldnt feel so bad.

I think all girls think this way. I think most guys do the same? feel free to discuss.

anyways. I am totally digging this rotating thing. thanks Anna thanks Ashley!

project 365: day 175

musically challenged

decluttr

For the Musically Challenged group, from "15 Steps" by Radiohead.

And I was about 15 steps from a sheer drop when I took this picture.

Upload for 9.3.10.

This could almost meet three of the themes for Flickr for Fun Scavenge challenge, those being "me", "music" and "moving". Another instrument I'm sentimental about - it's the piano I learnt to play on and belonged to my mum. She gave it to me when she bought a baby grand.

This one's too late for the 52 Weeks of Pix 2013: "Anything music" competition too, but I'll put it in the pool anyway....

poor little girl had to grow up quick

she ain't a child no more

her heart's still soft, but her skin got thick

she ain't a child no more

- Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, She Ain't a Child No More

It's funny the way growth works. Usually you don't realize when it's happening. But sometimes when you stop to take stock of your life, you realize just how far you've come. I didn't choose this growth, but I'm happy for it.

Tomorrow I get to spend the day with one of my best friends and have some quality girl time. I can't wait. There's no substitute to hanging out with her. ♥

Musically Challenged: Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - She Ain't a Child No More

This construciton 'worker' looked a little too relaxed if you ask me... I guess like his sign reads, he was taking things SLOW!

Song: Relax (Don't Do It) - Frankie Goes To Hollywood

My first addition to the Musically Challenged Group

(for further information please go to the end of page and activate the corresponding link!)

TOPICS

The Vienna Opera Ball

Viennese Opera Ball

Just as already the operetta and the waltz had been imported from Paris to Vienna, comes also the model for the Vienna Opera Ball from the Seine metropolis. By a corresponding approval of Duke Philip of Orleans, on 2 January 1716 a "public ball" can be held for the first time, to which everyone has access who can pay the admission fee of five livres. First, the balls take place at the Comédie française, but already in 1717 was given the Académie de Musique, the Paris Opera House, the special right of the organization. Nevertheless, in the Comédie furthermore take place balls, with the audience far more popular than the 'opera balls'.

In 1861 the construction of an opera house begins at the Ringstrasse, on the explicit desire of Emperor Franz Joseph not solely intended for performances of operas and ballets, but also for the staging of the Opera Ball. With this, have been created both the spatial and the official conditions for a genuine Viennese Opera Ball according to Parisian model. It should, however, take another eight years before a dance event in the opera could be held for the first time after the completion of the house in 1869.

Initially, due to the increasing violence at the Paris balls but only Court Opera soirees take place. This includes elegant evening soirees with musical entertainment, but without dancing. On 11 December 1877 opened the court musical director Wilhelm Gericke the first Court Opera Soirée with the "Wedding March" by Felix Mendelssohn. After several concert pieces the baton is handed over to the Strauss family. First, Johann Strauss son conducts the Vienna Philharmonic with a waltz, followed by his brother Edward with a specially for this day composed "Opera Soirée Polka". After that, the dance-crazed Viennese are no longer stoppable: all chairs were put to the side, and the evening, which was thought without dance pleasure, ends like a ball. This is the hour of birth of the opera ball, even though for the time being still far away from being called so.

Already the second event on 15 January 1878 is announced officially as "Second Hofopernsoirée (Ball)". The third, for 12 February 1878 scheduled Soirée, is canceled for reasons of piety, since Pope Pius IX. a few days earlier had died. After the uncomplicated election of Leo XIII. to new head of the Church the ball is on 23 February rescheduled.

After these three opera soirees from March of the same year take place redoutes in the Court Opera, continuing the tradition of masked balls and linked with strict dress code: "in the hall, with the exception of the lodges, the ladies the stay is only permitted in an elegant mask, short costumes are not allowed. The gentlemen of civil appear in evening dress with white cravat, cylinder or Claquehut (opera hat - chapeau claque). "During the next twenty years during the carnival time each year should be organized two, in some seasons even three redoutes. However, at these festivals the Viennese society is not as boundless as once united in the common ball pleasure, because in the meantime the guests are spread across three different levels, not only differing in space but also in the appearance of guests from each other. Are the boxes the aristocratic guests in elaborate ball gowns reserved, so gather in the stalls the bourgeois guests, for which there is no mask constraint. In addition, there are the galleries that are accessible to every viewer without special admission ticket.

1899 the popular balls for the time being come to an abrupt end, as is discovered that the opera for such festivals does not comply with the safety regulations. Since an appropriate conversion proves to be too costly, the redoutes are discontinued for an unforeseen period of time. A certain compensation for those festivals offers in the following years the in the new town hall held "Ball der Stadt Wien".

Only in 1921, the tradition of the redoutes in the Court Opera has been resumed, but without being able to follow on the success of previous years. After several breaks followed in 1924, 1928 and 1929 again opera redoutes, neither musically nor stylistically corresponding with the level of the defunct imperial monarchy-time and they are not characterized by the former wit, charm and temperament. The twenties are not only politically, but also culturally a very different time in which with the progressive emancipation of women the meaning of a redoute became obsolete.

And so 1935 is launched the first as such referred to Opera Ball. In a time of political uncertainty, it complied in addition to social also with diplomatic and official representative purposes. Therefore, it takes no wonder that the guest list has many personalities from politics. The last opera ball before the outbreak of the Second World War should be organized in 1939, when Austria was already 'connected' by Adolf Hitler to the German Reich. Therefore respectively stiff and artificial resulted according to that this night on which no happiness will raise, previously the rule.

Image

Reopening of the Vienna State Opera, 1955

© wissenmedia

Shortly before the end of World War II, the Vienna Opera House on 12 March 1945 almost completely was destroyed by a bomb. It should take ten years until the house was rebuilt and with Ludwig van Beethoven's opera "Fidelio" at the 5th November 1955 ceremoniously could be opened. In the following carnival season with this also the first opera ball of the post-war period can be celebrated, but which has changed its face much: "Actually, the Opera Ball is not a Viennese event anymore, but already a pan-European one. A ball night for which the world envies us".

This new image has remained to this day, with the only difference that the Opera Ball is now no longer considered only as a pan-European, but as an international event. A highlight of the evening is the annual opening of the ball by about 180 debutantes who on the arm of the to them for this evening assigned Cavaliers in a Polonaise move in. After the Vienna Philharmonic for many years had taken over the musical interpretation of the evening, there is since 1982 a Vienna Opera Ball Orchestra grounded specifically for this purpose. In addition, since 1984, there is also a Viennese Opera Ball Ladies Ensemble, made ​​up of 15 musicians and beyond the ball unfolding a very busy concert schedule.

Today on the Opera Ball there is not exclusively danced just waltz anymore. Up to ten orchestras or soloists play at the same time in different places of the house, and as a concession to modern times there is since some years even a nightclub. And yet, the waltz enjoys as the king of dances to this day unbroken popularity, without which for many no Viennese Opera Ball is thinkable. Another innovation is also the since 1981 in the Schwind Foyer installed Viennese Opera Ball Casino, which is a special attraction especially for the younger guests. Collectors will also appreciate the annually by the casino issued special Opera Ball chips.

How to become a debutante?

Proposals are now mostly send in by the dance schools of the country. The first condition is the perfect mastery of the links waltz, which is checked at a Vortanztermin (dance audition date - don't worry, the Lipizzans are doing the same!). Has the potential debutante overcome this hurdle with flying colors, it is about to find a suitable partner for the big night. The criteria for this choice are less situated in personal relationships than in pure dance qualities. After finally the couples have found each other, for five days under the expert guidance of several ballet master not only the links waltz, but also the choreography of the marching in is practiced until everything is perfectly rehearsed. The question of clothes is strictly regulated for the couples: the ladies in white dresses with a little crown on the head and the gentlemen in evening dress. To underline the internationality of the ball, every year also Debütantinnen and Debütanten from around the world are invited.

Guests

Artists from the world of the theater and the music, film and television can be found on the Vienna Opera Ball as well as well-known athletes and fashion designers. Diplomats and politicians from home and abroad appreciate the special atmosphere, and every now and then you meet also members of the European nobility. The Opera Ball today is no longer just a lavish celebration in which together a whole evening and a full night is celebrated, but increasingly also a social forum that connects professional and political contacts in a pleasant way with a social event.

Scandals

In recent decades, the Vienna Opera Ball, however, has not only found unanimous support, but has been increasingly criticized. In the 80s made fights between angry citizens that characterized the event as a "festival of the political and monetary bigwigs" and the police the headlines. Unforgettable is also the demonstration against the reprocessing plant Wackersdorf when in 1987 the Bavarian Prime Minister Franz-Josef Strauss participated in the Opera Ball. In addition, now almost every year during the opera ball take place demonstrations against these seemingly senseless waste of funds in the face of hardship and misery, hunger and wars, social and health problems in the world.

Nevertheless, the Opera Ball has lost none of its fascination and all over the world - from Bangkok via Kuala Lumpur and Korea to Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul and Dubai, Ankara, Istanbul, Kiev, Prague and Budapest to Rome, New York, Los Angeles and Washington - it found imitation, without being able to ever really come close to the Viennese model. Even if the question of the contemporaneity of the Vienna Opera Ball ever and again was controversially discussed, at the latest in 2005 has been shown that even this traditional event cannot stop short before general social changes: for the first time a smoking ban for the Opera Ball was pronounced.

www.wissen.de/thema/der-wiener-opernball?chunk=wiener-ope...

One weird title, one really rather good cover (on paper and musically).

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