Monday, June 18, 2007
Opera and Wales, again
All right, all right, I'm on the bandwagon now, too, thanks to Spiced Sass's mention. He won the whole kit and kaboodle last evening and got himself a recording contract. Watch his first audition (here) and hoist yourself up beside me and the others. Plus, watching is worth it just to see the looks on the faces of Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, and Piers Morgan and hear the audience. British reserve? Yuh. As Morgan (the editor of the Daily Mail) wrote:
Anyway, read Morgan's whole piece and check out the show's website and various performances here (good luck getting on today, however). Plus, YouTube has several performances. And, by the way, what is it about music and Wales (Bryn Terfel, Charlotte Church, Mary Hopkin, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, John Cale, etc., etc.)?? Water? Geography?? What?
P.S. If you don't believe me, read what Wide Awake Café's husband's wrote. Wow.
One minute you're seeing someone make a complete imbecile of themselves, the next you see something so surprisingly talented that you feel your heart flutter with excitement.It seems they got quite the real deal this year. Paul Potts' voice is extraordinary. Though never formally trained, there's no thinning or straining in the upper registers and, in fact, his tones through all the range are full. I hope they let him take his voice where aficionados pay him compliments, even if grudgingly, instead of being a sensation and leaving it there. It's all wonderful for him, of course, and good luck! Mobile phone salesman one day, singing sensation the next. Crazy world, this.
Anyway, read Morgan's whole piece and check out the show's website and various performances here (good luck getting on today, however). Plus, YouTube has several performances. And, by the way, what is it about music and Wales (Bryn Terfel, Charlotte Church, Mary Hopkin, Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, John Cale, etc., etc.)?? Water? Geography?? What?
P.S. If you don't believe me, read what Wide Awake Café's husband's wrote. Wow.
Permalink | 
| posted by jau at 11:02 AM
— at 11:07 PM, June 18, 2007:
— at 11:11 PM, June 18, 2007:
— at 11:37 PM, June 18, 2007:
jau — at 9:40 AM, June 19, 2007:
— at 10:34 PM, June 19, 2007:
| posted by jau at 11:02 AM
7 more:
— at 11:07 PM, June 18, 2007:
Barb, regarding Simon, it might be a Brit thing, even their comedy is harder edged. I you can, compare All in the Family with Archie Bunker and Meathead to the original English show, Till Death Us Do Part. It made the American show look like a Disney happy family hour.
After I had posted on Paul Potts I found that Dr Sanity had linked to it but put it in her Carnival of the Insanities. Hmmm, will have to think about that.
My daughter thought he was better than Pavagrotti, [grotty being another English word for something awful] I checked out through Google Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma and sure his technique is superb, his voice is powerful and seemingly effortless, but, and I don't know if it was the occasion or the low expectations, I thought Paul was more 'musical', Pavarotti was devoid of any emotion. You may call me several kinds of idiot now if you wish.
After I had posted on Paul Potts I found that Dr Sanity had linked to it but put it in her Carnival of the Insanities. Hmmm, will have to think about that.
My daughter thought he was better than Pavagrotti, [grotty being another English word for something awful] I checked out through Google Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma and sure his technique is superb, his voice is powerful and seemingly effortless, but, and I don't know if it was the occasion or the low expectations, I thought Paul was more 'musical', Pavarotti was devoid of any emotion. You may call me several kinds of idiot now if you wish.
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— at 11:11 PM, June 18, 2007:
By the way, the guy who played the 'Meathead' part in the British show, is the father of Tony Blair's wife Cherie.
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— at 11:37 PM, June 18, 2007:
By the way 2! Re Welsh singing, there is a long tradition of male voice choirs in Wales. And getting a bit historic, back in the fifties one of the most popular comedy shows on BBC radio was the Goon Show. A kind of lunatic affair with Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, Michael Bentine and Peter Sellars. Harry S was Welsh and had a wonderful light tenor voice, made many recordings which were very popular.
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jau — at 9:40 AM, June 19, 2007:
Oh, indeed I do know The Goon Show and love it. I'm an anglophile of some excessive order, I'm afraid. As a kid, I listened to Flanders & Swann more than Elvis. Not to mention Peter Cook (with and without Dudley Moore). I love Brit comedy's emphasis on wit and cleverness as well as the harder edge you mention.
Interesting remarks about Potts and Pavarotti. I think I agree, although that probably means we should give up all hope of membership in the high falutin opera fan club. The high faluters loathed Callas precisely because she sang with so much emotion. And they sneer at Bocelli for being too lightweight though I suspect that's code for very very popular. I've never been sure why they think gorgeous tone and lots of feeling are wrong in opera. So call me an idiot now too, if you wish.
By the way, my grandfather was Toscanini's concertmaster so I heard 'officially' good music throughout my childhood. Lest you think I really am an idiot.
Why do you think Dr Sanity put you and Paul in the Carnival of the Insanities? Is she one of the high faluters to such an extent? Doesn't seem so, but maybe.
Interesting remarks about Potts and Pavarotti. I think I agree, although that probably means we should give up all hope of membership in the high falutin opera fan club. The high faluters loathed Callas precisely because she sang with so much emotion. And they sneer at Bocelli for being too lightweight though I suspect that's code for very very popular. I've never been sure why they think gorgeous tone and lots of feeling are wrong in opera. So call me an idiot now too, if you wish.
By the way, my grandfather was Toscanini's concertmaster so I heard 'officially' good music throughout my childhood. Lest you think I really am an idiot.
Why do you think Dr Sanity put you and Paul in the Carnival of the Insanities? Is she one of the high faluters to such an extent? Doesn't seem so, but maybe.
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— at 10:34 PM, June 19, 2007:
Your grandfather was Toscanini's concert master? Wow, you were so lucky, both from the musical experience and for being born into such a musical family. No wonder you write so well on music.
One thing I'm a bit of a 'high faluter' about is that I hate when some idiot in the concert hall lets out a loud shout when the last 'note' has barely finished, let alone had a chance to die away. I think they like to let the people around them know that they know the piece has ended.
Marcia Davenport [her mother was Alma Gluck and her stepfather was Effrem Zimbalist] in her autobiography wrote that at the end of a Toscanini concert there was no wild applause, just a respectful silence until Toscanini had left the podium then the audience would quietly leave. Do you know if that is so?
One other tidbit, apparently Paul Potts once took a master class with Pavarotti.
One thing I'm a bit of a 'high faluter' about is that I hate when some idiot in the concert hall lets out a loud shout when the last 'note' has barely finished, let alone had a chance to die away. I think they like to let the people around them know that they know the piece has ended.
Marcia Davenport [her mother was Alma Gluck and her stepfather was Effrem Zimbalist] in her autobiography wrote that at the end of a Toscanini concert there was no wild applause, just a respectful silence until Toscanini had left the podium then the audience would quietly leave. Do you know if that is so?
One other tidbit, apparently Paul Potts once took a master class with Pavarotti.
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