If you wish to have a professional shared hosting quality in a free hosting package, come and host with 000webhost.com and experience the best service you can get absolutely free.
Founded in December 2006, 000webhost.com has a trusted free hosting members base of over 60,000 members and still counting! Offering professional quality hosting, support, uptime and reliability, we have a great community of webmasters, you'd love to be a part of!
I have been using it for sometime now and had found it quiet satisfying..
Register now and get it all free:
*** 1500 MB of disk space
*** 100 GB of data transfer
*** PHP and MySQL support with no restrictions
*** cPanel control panel
*** Website Builder
*** Absolutely no advertising!
Join us now: http://www.000webhost.com/173150.html
Free Web Hosting
Tips for Beginners
Whether you are training your voice to join the ranks of professional singers or wish to cultivate your amateur talent, there are numerous aspects of singing to take into consideration. No matter how famous a singer is or how beautiful a voice, there will always be critical influences lurking in the shadows. They whisper about flat notes, put down song choices and even grimace at what a singer is wearing. All of these criticisms are fleeting.
It is up to the singer to learn from and embrace the good and the bad that comes with sharing his or her voice with the world. As long as you are confident and satisfied with your voice, the sky is the limit. Even the most popular vocalists of today have room for improvement.
When you’ve decided to embark on the path to develop your voice for singing, there is a certain level of respect regarding your craft to adhere to. As you enter the wonderful world of learning how to sing, there are many different concepts to embrace and aspects to consider when you are ready to take your potential to the next phase.
Choosing the Song That is Right For You
Although you may croon Frank Sinatra in the shower or hum Cher in the car, this doesn’t mean their songs are the right ones for you to take on while developing your voice. When singing, your vocal capabilities will fall into a specific vocal range, which are based upon the sex of the singer and the tonal quality they have in their voice.
Females are deemed a soprano (highest vocal range), contralto (lowest singing voice) or mezzo-soprano, which sits between soprano and contralto. The highest vocal ranges for a man include soprano and alto, which is also a term used to express the lowest singing voice of a female. Males have a wider assortment of tones associated with the range of their voice.
A tenor has a high vocal range that enables the singer to reach dramatic high notes. In opera, this is one of the more popular ranges of voice. The lowest vocal range for a man is referred to as bass. Typically, men with deep-speaking voices accomplish this vocal range. In the middle, there is the baritone (a cross between bass and tenor) and bass-baritone (a cross between bass and baritone).
Knowing your vocal strengths and capabilities, as well as limitations, will help you choose the kind of songs that will bring out your natural talent. Surely, if you have a deep voice, you will not benefit from tackling high-pitched songs that torture and strain your vocal cords.
Caring For Your Voice
When you make it a habit to practice healthy voice techniques and care, you will experience an improvement in the quality of your voice. These habits also ensure that your voice will continue to function in top working condition for many years to come. Singers should drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day. This will keep the throat well hydrated. Proper breathing techniques will aid an individual in learning how to sing. Singers-in-training should avoid shouting, yelling and talking loud. All of these actions can lead to a hoarse voice, which affects your ability to sing.
Did you know that what you eat and drink affects your voice? Spicy foods weaken the throat, alcohol irritates the vocal cords and throat, even mouthwash contains irritating ingredients. Smoking cigarettes, as well as surrounding yourself with second-hand smoke, also causes breathing, throat and voice issues. As a rule of thumb, a healthy body creates a better atmosphere for a healthy voice.
Gaining Confidence Through Preparation
When you feel ready to share your singing talent with others, you may select an amateur performance night or create a demo. Preparing for this moment means that you have gone through all of the proper channels of training your voice. This means participating in singing exercises and voice training sessions, as well as visiting a voice coach or singing teacher. These are all ways to build up confidence in your singing. When enlisting the help of a professional, you will also benefit from constructive criticism.
Another way to gain confidence in your singing is to develop your ear. This will allow you to hone your craft as a singer by identifying when a note, tone or pitch is off. This will lead you to efficiently self-correct your voice if it should waver. Additional preparation techniques also involve practicing breathing exercises, phrases, vowel sounds and scales. Even the slightest effort towards preparation goes a long way and over time, you will strengthen and build your vocal capabilities.
Why Are You Singing?
When it comes to singing, there are many different reasons why an individual wishes to tackle this challenge. Perhaps, you have always had the pipes, but really didn’t know how to control your talent. Maybe someone told you that you had a beautiful voice and you should pursue it as a career. You might even want to follow in the footsteps of a family member or person you admire.
Anyway you look at it, the best music comes from those who have passion for song. Singing should not be forced and if your heart is not into it, you might not last long in the business (if this is what you desire). There are also numerous styles of singing to choose from, including jazz, opera, pop, soul or theatre. You might want to experiment with a few if you already haven’t fallen in love with a particular genre.
By following healthy voice care, preparation and training, in no time, you should be singing to your heart’s content, whether in front of peers, on a stage or still in the mirror.
It is up to the singer to learn from and embrace the good and the bad that comes with sharing his or her voice with the world. As long as you are confident and satisfied with your voice, the sky is the limit. Even the most popular vocalists of today have room for improvement.
When you’ve decided to embark on the path to develop your voice for singing, there is a certain level of respect regarding your craft to adhere to. As you enter the wonderful world of learning how to sing, there are many different concepts to embrace and aspects to consider when you are ready to take your potential to the next phase.
Choosing the Song That is Right For You
Although you may croon Frank Sinatra in the shower or hum Cher in the car, this doesn’t mean their songs are the right ones for you to take on while developing your voice. When singing, your vocal capabilities will fall into a specific vocal range, which are based upon the sex of the singer and the tonal quality they have in their voice.
Females are deemed a soprano (highest vocal range), contralto (lowest singing voice) or mezzo-soprano, which sits between soprano and contralto. The highest vocal ranges for a man include soprano and alto, which is also a term used to express the lowest singing voice of a female. Males have a wider assortment of tones associated with the range of their voice.
A tenor has a high vocal range that enables the singer to reach dramatic high notes. In opera, this is one of the more popular ranges of voice. The lowest vocal range for a man is referred to as bass. Typically, men with deep-speaking voices accomplish this vocal range. In the middle, there is the baritone (a cross between bass and tenor) and bass-baritone (a cross between bass and baritone).
Knowing your vocal strengths and capabilities, as well as limitations, will help you choose the kind of songs that will bring out your natural talent. Surely, if you have a deep voice, you will not benefit from tackling high-pitched songs that torture and strain your vocal cords.
Caring For Your Voice
When you make it a habit to practice healthy voice techniques and care, you will experience an improvement in the quality of your voice. These habits also ensure that your voice will continue to function in top working condition for many years to come. Singers should drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day. This will keep the throat well hydrated. Proper breathing techniques will aid an individual in learning how to sing. Singers-in-training should avoid shouting, yelling and talking loud. All of these actions can lead to a hoarse voice, which affects your ability to sing.
Did you know that what you eat and drink affects your voice? Spicy foods weaken the throat, alcohol irritates the vocal cords and throat, even mouthwash contains irritating ingredients. Smoking cigarettes, as well as surrounding yourself with second-hand smoke, also causes breathing, throat and voice issues. As a rule of thumb, a healthy body creates a better atmosphere for a healthy voice.
Gaining Confidence Through Preparation
When you feel ready to share your singing talent with others, you may select an amateur performance night or create a demo. Preparing for this moment means that you have gone through all of the proper channels of training your voice. This means participating in singing exercises and voice training sessions, as well as visiting a voice coach or singing teacher. These are all ways to build up confidence in your singing. When enlisting the help of a professional, you will also benefit from constructive criticism.
Another way to gain confidence in your singing is to develop your ear. This will allow you to hone your craft as a singer by identifying when a note, tone or pitch is off. This will lead you to efficiently self-correct your voice if it should waver. Additional preparation techniques also involve practicing breathing exercises, phrases, vowel sounds and scales. Even the slightest effort towards preparation goes a long way and over time, you will strengthen and build your vocal capabilities.
Why Are You Singing?
When it comes to singing, there are many different reasons why an individual wishes to tackle this challenge. Perhaps, you have always had the pipes, but really didn’t know how to control your talent. Maybe someone told you that you had a beautiful voice and you should pursue it as a career. You might even want to follow in the footsteps of a family member or person you admire.
Anyway you look at it, the best music comes from those who have passion for song. Singing should not be forced and if your heart is not into it, you might not last long in the business (if this is what you desire). There are also numerous styles of singing to choose from, including jazz, opera, pop, soul or theatre. You might want to experiment with a few if you already haven’t fallen in love with a particular genre.
By following healthy voice care, preparation and training, in no time, you should be singing to your heart’s content, whether in front of peers, on a stage or still in the mirror.
Carlsberg launches Web-TV channel about football and fan
Recently Carlsberg Brewery launched a football web-TV-channel partofthegame.tv.
They launched 5 channels showing all aspects about football from the classic football matches to life as a fan.
Be sure not to miss the video clips about football funnies and rituals from the Football Magic channel or the bizarre story about fans in the stand and how fan culture sometimes go beyond reason.
As an extra feature you can upload your own favourite football and fan moments.
Its an amazing site with loads of features present in it. So log on to partofthegame.tv and experience the diference.
Be sure not to miss the video clips about football funnies and rituals from the Football Magic channel or the bizarre story about fans in the stand and how fan culture sometimes go beyond reason.
As an extra feature you can upload your own favourite football and fan moments.
Its an amazing site with loads of features present in it. So log on to partofthegame.tv and experience the diference.
Singing student earns ticket to the stage
When a singing student went to order opera tickets the last thing he expected was to be on stage just a few hours later.
But that is exactly what happened when 32-year Adriano Graziani made the fateful call on the eve of a concert at the Weston Studio at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff last month.
The original tenor for the performance, arranged by the Friends of Welsh National Opera, had fallen ill hours before the start.
Undaunted, Mr Graziani answered the distress call and had just enough time to rehearse and get ready before singing in front of hundreds of people.
His performance of E Lucevan Le Stelle from Tosca, Core N’grato, a Neapolitan song, the Brindisi Duet from La Traviata and the Welsh song, Arafa Don, won rave reviews and led to him being offered a three-month contract as an understudy for the role of Rodolfo in La Boheme in Birmingham next year.
The part will see the former bank worker from Neath, South Wales, taking the lead in a matinee performance at the city’s Hippodrome Theatre.
He has also accepted the lead role in a revival show of Tosca at the Richmond Theatre in London next February.
Speaking from Zaragoza in Spain, where he is taking part in the Montserrat Caballe International Singing Competition, Mr Graziani said of his lucky break: “I called up for some tickets to the gala concert last month as I thought it would be nice to sit in the audience for a change rather than be up there on stage singing.
“The person putting on the event for the Welsh National Opera asked if I was a tenor. I told him I was and he said ’I’m ever so sorry but could you take part in the concert tonight because the tenor is ill?’
“I was ’umming and ahhing’ because I would have only had a few hours to get ready and rehearse but I went ahead with it and it was a really big success.
“As a result I had a working session with the director of the Welsh National Opera to see what I was able to do and that led to me being offered the understudy in one of the principal roles in a production of La Boheme.
“Because of that I got auditioned for a lead role in a revival of Tosca at the Richmond Theatre in London and I got the role in that as well.”
He added: “It was all because I phoned up for tickets. I think I’m going to be ringing up all the time for tickets now!”
It is not the first time Mr Graziani, who is currently studying at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice, has stepped into a role at the last moment.
Last year, after leaving the Royal College of Music he became the understudy in the Glyndebourne Touring Opera production of Macbeth.
When the principal had to return to Italy to be with his pregnant wife, Mr Graziani stepped up and won a most-promising newcomer award for his efforts.
The plaudits he is now garnering are a long way from where he was less than five years ago, working for a bank.
“It really wasn’t what I wanted to do,” said Mr Graziani. “I knew that I wanted to be a singer and I was having lessons.
“I was always in the opera world in my mind. I think I was destined to be a singer or performer of some sort but opera was the thing that made me alive.
“It is in my blood because I’m part Italian.
“One day I was walking past the Royal College of Music in London and I asked if there was any chance I could see the head vocal coach.
“As a result of my singing that day, they offered me a two-year study and that really was the crunch.
“I was 28 then and I knew if I didn’t do it then, then I would never do it. If I left it any later then maybe people wouldn’t take me seriously.”
He added: “I’m very, very lucky to be doing what I’m doing because it is the best job in the world.
“You do need a bit of luck though.”
But that is exactly what happened when 32-year Adriano Graziani made the fateful call on the eve of a concert at the Weston Studio at the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff last month.
The original tenor for the performance, arranged by the Friends of Welsh National Opera, had fallen ill hours before the start.
Undaunted, Mr Graziani answered the distress call and had just enough time to rehearse and get ready before singing in front of hundreds of people.
His performance of E Lucevan Le Stelle from Tosca, Core N’grato, a Neapolitan song, the Brindisi Duet from La Traviata and the Welsh song, Arafa Don, won rave reviews and led to him being offered a three-month contract as an understudy for the role of Rodolfo in La Boheme in Birmingham next year.
The part will see the former bank worker from Neath, South Wales, taking the lead in a matinee performance at the city’s Hippodrome Theatre.
He has also accepted the lead role in a revival show of Tosca at the Richmond Theatre in London next February.
Speaking from Zaragoza in Spain, where he is taking part in the Montserrat Caballe International Singing Competition, Mr Graziani said of his lucky break: “I called up for some tickets to the gala concert last month as I thought it would be nice to sit in the audience for a change rather than be up there on stage singing.
“The person putting on the event for the Welsh National Opera asked if I was a tenor. I told him I was and he said ’I’m ever so sorry but could you take part in the concert tonight because the tenor is ill?’
“I was ’umming and ahhing’ because I would have only had a few hours to get ready and rehearse but I went ahead with it and it was a really big success.
“As a result I had a working session with the director of the Welsh National Opera to see what I was able to do and that led to me being offered the understudy in one of the principal roles in a production of La Boheme.
“Because of that I got auditioned for a lead role in a revival of Tosca at the Richmond Theatre in London and I got the role in that as well.”
He added: “It was all because I phoned up for tickets. I think I’m going to be ringing up all the time for tickets now!”
It is not the first time Mr Graziani, who is currently studying at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice, has stepped into a role at the last moment.
Last year, after leaving the Royal College of Music he became the understudy in the Glyndebourne Touring Opera production of Macbeth.
When the principal had to return to Italy to be with his pregnant wife, Mr Graziani stepped up and won a most-promising newcomer award for his efforts.
The plaudits he is now garnering are a long way from where he was less than five years ago, working for a bank.
“It really wasn’t what I wanted to do,” said Mr Graziani. “I knew that I wanted to be a singer and I was having lessons.
“I was always in the opera world in my mind. I think I was destined to be a singer or performer of some sort but opera was the thing that made me alive.
“It is in my blood because I’m part Italian.
“One day I was walking past the Royal College of Music in London and I asked if there was any chance I could see the head vocal coach.
“As a result of my singing that day, they offered me a two-year study and that really was the crunch.
“I was 28 then and I knew if I didn’t do it then, then I would never do it. If I left it any later then maybe people wouldn’t take me seriously.”
He added: “I’m very, very lucky to be doing what I’m doing because it is the best job in the world.
“You do need a bit of luck though.”
Convexsoft DJ Audio Mixer
Size : 8.18 MBOS: Windows 2000/XP
Freeware
Here's a new full-featured Disc jokey and beat-mixing system with two independent decks and professional sound quality, as well as digital beat-sync display, pitch control, and fast-seek mode. It's got a 10-band equalizer, multi-file player, and a user-friendly interface. You can even change the pitch control on audio files.
Special Features:
- Work with two independent decks.
- Pitch control on audio files.
- Choose all interface elements color by yourself.
- User-friendly interface.
- 100% Freeware.
Bloggerwave - Bloggers Earn Some quick bux
Bloggerwave presents bloggers with an opportunity to earn some money. how?
Well the blogger first of all has to register and start posting posts on the products and sites of the advertiser from the list of opportunities that you will assigned, and then you land up making some quick money. Minimun that you can earn is $1 and the maximum has no limit. So register all your blogs (maximum limit is 5 blogs) and try to grab some opportunity.
Well the blogger first of all has to register and start posting posts on the products and sites of the advertiser from the list of opportunities that you will assigned, and then you land up making some quick money. Minimun that you can earn is $1 and the maximum has no limit. So register all your blogs (maximum limit is 5 blogs) and try to grab some opportunity.
Singing Tutor 4.1.5
Filesize: 1.31 MB
License: Shareware
Price: $19
Limitations: Free to Try
OS: Windows XP,Windows 2000,Windows 98,Windows Me,Windows NT
Requirements: IBM PC - 486, 300 MHz, RAM 16MB or more; Sound card (mono mode)
Homepage: http://www.vimas.com
License: Shareware
Price: $19
Limitations: Free to Try
OS: Windows XP,Windows 2000,Windows 98,Windows Me,Windows NT
Requirements: IBM PC - 486, 300 MHz, RAM 16MB or more; Sound card (mono mode)
Homepage: http://www.vimas.com
Download
With Singing tutor you can: Improve your singing skill, tune musical instruments, measure voice tone, sing with mp3 song background and see your singing accuracy, listen your voice interpreted as a MIDI instrument. See the nearest music note to your voice tone. Sing some known melody, and Singing Tutor will show you how to play this melody with a piano or other keyboard instrument. Record and listen your own voice in wav format. Select several notes from the pitch range and test your singing in the selected diapason. Impartial Singing Tutor will help you to estimate your abilities and develop your singing skills. Singing Tutor idea is simple. Each note has a defined pitch frequency. The higher note has the higher frequency and vise versa. Singing Tutor allows to measure the pitch frequency of the voice or music, with high precision, and to compare it with pitch frequency of the reference note. Interesting fact: not everyone knows how to sing well. But peoples without musical training can not understand what is wrong. Among musicians it called by mysterious word - ear for music.
This "musical ear" provides some subculture divide everyone into people who have it not. Nevertheless, ear for music can be evolved. Actually musical ear is just an ability to distinguish sounds of close height. Singing Tutor is wonderful voice tone measurer. Its measure accuracy more than enough to discern sounds, which very close to each other. From that standpoint, he has a great musical ear. It immediately displays your voice tone, and the nearest musical note. So you can adjust your voice, making it slightly above or below. Also it can sing in harmony with you, playing nearest note your voice. In such a way Singing Tutor discover mystery musical ear. And giving you an excellent opportunity to learn sing better.
With Singing tutor you can: Improve your singing skill, tune musical instruments, measure voice tone, sing with mp3 song background and see your singing accuracy, listen your voice interpreted as a MIDI instrument. See the nearest music note to your voice tone. Sing some known melody, and Singing Tutor will show you how to play this melody with a piano or other keyboard instrument. Record and listen your own voice in wav format. Select several notes from the pitch range and test your singing in the selected diapason. Impartial Singing Tutor will help you to estimate your abilities and develop your singing skills. Singing Tutor idea is simple. Each note has a defined pitch frequency. The higher note has the higher frequency and vise versa. Singing Tutor allows to measure the pitch frequency of the voice or music, with high precision, and to compare it with pitch frequency of the reference note. Interesting fact: not everyone knows how to sing well. But peoples without musical training can not understand what is wrong. Among musicians it called by mysterious word - ear for music.
This "musical ear" provides some subculture divide everyone into people who have it not. Nevertheless, ear for music can be evolved. Actually musical ear is just an ability to distinguish sounds of close height. Singing Tutor is wonderful voice tone measurer. Its measure accuracy more than enough to discern sounds, which very close to each other. From that standpoint, he has a great musical ear. It immediately displays your voice tone, and the nearest musical note. So you can adjust your voice, making it slightly above or below. Also it can sing in harmony with you, playing nearest note your voice. In such a way Singing Tutor discover mystery musical ear. And giving you an excellent opportunity to learn sing better.
Star Baritone Discusses Singing As 'Cyrano' For Upcoming Opera Company Production
By Lewis Whittington, The Bulletin
Philadelphia - When baritone Marian Pop was contemplating a career as a violinist in Romania, he so disliked the stage that he thought he would quit pursuing music performance as a career.
That was then. Now playing on opera stages and in concert halls around the world, the singer's stage jitters have vanished. "I love it," he said in an interview last week. He will get the chance to display that love and his cinematic stage presence while debuting as the title role in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's premiere of "Cyrano." His image as the prominently schnozzled hero adorns show banners along Broad Street.
The new opera, a coproduction of OCP and Michigan Opera Theatre, had a short world premiere in Detroit last fall. Based on Edmond Rostand's 1897 play "Cyrano de Bergerac," this ariatic version is the creation of composer David DiChiera, a founding director of MOT, and librettist Bernard Uzan, who is directing the production.
The story of Cyrano, renowned for his large, unironic proboscis, has remained one of the most enduring romantic characters around, and has been memorialized in several stage and screen productions, including Steve Martin's 1987 film, "Roxanne."
This is great raw material for opera: "Cyrano's problem is that he hates himself," says Mr. Pop. "Everybody who has a complex - you say that in English, yes? - develops other things to compensate."
Cyrano overcomes ridicule about his large nose by becoming a great swordfighter, writer and poet, but gets both physically hurt while swordfighting, and emotionally bruised as the hidden suitor of Roxane. He vicariously woos Roxane by writing her beautiful letters, used by her hopelessly tongue-tied suitor Christian to make her fall in love with him. But Christian is clueless about how to win her heart without Cyrano's letters, and Roxane has no idea that Cyrano is the author of the beautiful prose.
Mr. Pop, sounding a little gravely, dashed through a Friday morning downpour to grab a bite before rehearsal, and talk about what it takes to build a convincing Cyrano. He kicked back at the Cosi down the street from the Academy.
"This is very friendly and safe place," he said with a laugh, as things bang ominously in the background. "I love this city; it's a beautiful place, and I also have some relatives here. This opera house looks like the houses I am used to in Europe."
Between productions of "Cyrano," Mr. Pop did some freelance work, taking two months off to perform concerts in Romania's capital city and other locations in Europe.
"In Bucharest, I did 'The Barber of Seville,' because they had never heard me there. In St. Petersburg, I did 'Carmina Burana,'" he said. "It's great working with different people, artists, mentalities."
Originally from Cluj Napoca (Kloozh' Nah poh' kah) in Transylvania, the baritone has a silky Eastern European accent, and once even shot an opera film in the ruins of Castle Dracula.
While practicing for the heroic role last week, Mr. Pop bruised the back of his hand, but was relishing the thought of returning for more swashbuckling and the chance to sharpen the vocal subtleties of the role.
"Cyrano is fearless," said Mr. Pop, who says he like to consider how a character arrived at a certain point in his life, which affects how he expresses himself onstage. "I like to bring as much physical knowledge as possible to a part."
Soprano Evelyn Pollock will be joining Mr. Pop on stage as Roxane and Stephen Costello, an AVA graduate who made his debut at The Met in 2007, will play Christian. "Evelyn is an absolutely great singer, and Stephen is going to be one of our best tenors. I feel honored being around these great voices," said Mr. Pop.
Mr. Pop is looking forward to this stage of the opera's development. "In Detroit, we had to do everything from scratch -from nothing - and now we are much further. The main parts are big, [but] now we are pretty much ready for it," he said. "Our director wrote the libretto and knows it by heart. He communicates to us want he wants in an instant. We are lucky to have a director who knows language. He made a point from the very beginning that we would work together to develop these characters," said Mr. Pop.
"'Cyrano' is written in a romantic style, but musically it has a rhythmic element in the bars. It's one of the characteristics of David DiChiera's composing style," said Mr. Pop. "It keeps the singer awake and gives a spontaneity to the actors. It's more like a movie style, in the opera you expect when they are going to start the musicality. Here, it feels like the action of the character starts the music. It took me a while to realize this. I love that."
The Opera Company of Philadelphia's East Coast premiere of "Cyrano" opens at the Academy of Music Friday, and runs through Feb. 17. Tickets are $7.50 to $115, and can be purchased by calling 215 732-8400.
Lewis Whittington can be reached at lwhitti284@aol.com
Philadelphia - When baritone Marian Pop was contemplating a career as a violinist in Romania, he so disliked the stage that he thought he would quit pursuing music performance as a career.
That was then. Now playing on opera stages and in concert halls around the world, the singer's stage jitters have vanished. "I love it," he said in an interview last week. He will get the chance to display that love and his cinematic stage presence while debuting as the title role in the Opera Company of Philadelphia's premiere of "Cyrano." His image as the prominently schnozzled hero adorns show banners along Broad Street.
The new opera, a coproduction of OCP and Michigan Opera Theatre, had a short world premiere in Detroit last fall. Based on Edmond Rostand's 1897 play "Cyrano de Bergerac," this ariatic version is the creation of composer David DiChiera, a founding director of MOT, and librettist Bernard Uzan, who is directing the production.
The story of Cyrano, renowned for his large, unironic proboscis, has remained one of the most enduring romantic characters around, and has been memorialized in several stage and screen productions, including Steve Martin's 1987 film, "Roxanne."
This is great raw material for opera: "Cyrano's problem is that he hates himself," says Mr. Pop. "Everybody who has a complex - you say that in English, yes? - develops other things to compensate."
Cyrano overcomes ridicule about his large nose by becoming a great swordfighter, writer and poet, but gets both physically hurt while swordfighting, and emotionally bruised as the hidden suitor of Roxane. He vicariously woos Roxane by writing her beautiful letters, used by her hopelessly tongue-tied suitor Christian to make her fall in love with him. But Christian is clueless about how to win her heart without Cyrano's letters, and Roxane has no idea that Cyrano is the author of the beautiful prose.
Mr. Pop, sounding a little gravely, dashed through a Friday morning downpour to grab a bite before rehearsal, and talk about what it takes to build a convincing Cyrano. He kicked back at the Cosi down the street from the Academy.
"This is very friendly and safe place," he said with a laugh, as things bang ominously in the background. "I love this city; it's a beautiful place, and I also have some relatives here. This opera house looks like the houses I am used to in Europe."
Between productions of "Cyrano," Mr. Pop did some freelance work, taking two months off to perform concerts in Romania's capital city and other locations in Europe.
"In Bucharest, I did 'The Barber of Seville,' because they had never heard me there. In St. Petersburg, I did 'Carmina Burana,'" he said. "It's great working with different people, artists, mentalities."
Originally from Cluj Napoca (Kloozh' Nah poh' kah) in Transylvania, the baritone has a silky Eastern European accent, and once even shot an opera film in the ruins of Castle Dracula.
While practicing for the heroic role last week, Mr. Pop bruised the back of his hand, but was relishing the thought of returning for more swashbuckling and the chance to sharpen the vocal subtleties of the role.
"Cyrano is fearless," said Mr. Pop, who says he like to consider how a character arrived at a certain point in his life, which affects how he expresses himself onstage. "I like to bring as much physical knowledge as possible to a part."
Soprano Evelyn Pollock will be joining Mr. Pop on stage as Roxane and Stephen Costello, an AVA graduate who made his debut at The Met in 2007, will play Christian. "Evelyn is an absolutely great singer, and Stephen is going to be one of our best tenors. I feel honored being around these great voices," said Mr. Pop.
Mr. Pop is looking forward to this stage of the opera's development. "In Detroit, we had to do everything from scratch -from nothing - and now we are much further. The main parts are big, [but] now we are pretty much ready for it," he said. "Our director wrote the libretto and knows it by heart. He communicates to us want he wants in an instant. We are lucky to have a director who knows language. He made a point from the very beginning that we would work together to develop these characters," said Mr. Pop.
"'Cyrano' is written in a romantic style, but musically it has a rhythmic element in the bars. It's one of the characteristics of David DiChiera's composing style," said Mr. Pop. "It keeps the singer awake and gives a spontaneity to the actors. It's more like a movie style, in the opera you expect when they are going to start the musicality. Here, it feels like the action of the character starts the music. It took me a while to realize this. I love that."
The Opera Company of Philadelphia's East Coast premiere of "Cyrano" opens at the Academy of Music Friday, and runs through Feb. 17. Tickets are $7.50 to $115, and can be purchased by calling 215 732-8400.
Lewis Whittington can be reached at lwhitti284@aol.com
The singing telegram at 75
Although there is no record of the content of the inaugural message, today marks the 75th anniversary of singing telegrams, or musical telegrams as they were originally called, the first of which was delivered by the New York-based Postal Telegraph Company on Feb. 10, 1933.
A mid-Depression marketing ploy to make its messengers stand out from the competition's, the company hired musicians who would play appropriate music while recipients read their telegrams. Another motive behind musical telegrams was to supplant the public's association of telegrams with bad news -- the death of a loved one, for example -- with something more cheerful.
One of the most famous early telegrams was the first one ever delivered by Western Union, on July 28 of the same year. The story goes that a fan of singer Rudy Vallee sent him a birthday greeting telegram, and the company's public relations director, George P. Oslin, asked one of the operators, Lucille Lipps, to sing the message over the phone, to the tune of Happy Birthday to You. (The part about the original sender may be apocryphal, as some reports suggest that the whole idea originated with Oslin, who was allegedly a friend of Vallee's. Oslin's story became such legend, in fact, that he is often credited with inventing singing telegrams.) Oslin later recalled he "was angrily informed I was making a laughingstock of the company."
Yet singing telegrams, which were generally delivered in person, grew in popularity until the increasing prevalence of telephones in homes saw the novelty wear off.
In Canada, the singing telegram died around 1950, when Unitel Communications, the modern-day equivalent of Western Union, ceased sending them. Western Union halted its singing telegram service in the U.S. in 1974.
A mid-Depression marketing ploy to make its messengers stand out from the competition's, the company hired musicians who would play appropriate music while recipients read their telegrams. Another motive behind musical telegrams was to supplant the public's association of telegrams with bad news -- the death of a loved one, for example -- with something more cheerful.
One of the most famous early telegrams was the first one ever delivered by Western Union, on July 28 of the same year. The story goes that a fan of singer Rudy Vallee sent him a birthday greeting telegram, and the company's public relations director, George P. Oslin, asked one of the operators, Lucille Lipps, to sing the message over the phone, to the tune of Happy Birthday to You. (The part about the original sender may be apocryphal, as some reports suggest that the whole idea originated with Oslin, who was allegedly a friend of Vallee's. Oslin's story became such legend, in fact, that he is often credited with inventing singing telegrams.) Oslin later recalled he "was angrily informed I was making a laughingstock of the company."
Yet singing telegrams, which were generally delivered in person, grew in popularity until the increasing prevalence of telephones in homes saw the novelty wear off.
In Canada, the singing telegram died around 1950, when Unitel Communications, the modern-day equivalent of Western Union, ceased sending them. Western Union halted its singing telegram service in the U.S. in 1974.
India Catholics set world record for 40 hour singing marathon
Mangalore, India
Catholics in southwestern India have set a new world record by singing non-stop for 40 hours, UCA News reports.
Priests, religious, and laypeople started singing on January 27, managing to eclipse the previous 36-hour record set by a Brazilian Christian group in 2004.
The record-setters sang in the Konkani language, currently spoken by about 5 million people. The language is largely associated with Catholics on the southwestern coast of India.
Eric Ozario, founder of the Konkani cultural organization Mandd Sobhann, told that the aim of the project was to instill a sense of unity and solidarity among Kokani-speaking people. “We are a small community and Westernization is eating away our culture,” he said. The Konkani community could grow "only when it is united, culturally rooted and proud of its culture." Ozario said some Konkani-speaking Catholics have turned to an “English culture, forgetting their rich cultural roots.”
"Konkani language and our Catholic faith are linked to each other, and we cannot separate one from the other," Sister Juliet Lobo, a Queen of Apostles nun who helped conduct the performance.
Sister Lobo said about 1,700 singers in 44 groups sang continuously, with less than ten seconds between songs and between singing groups. While the singers mostly came from Catholic parishes in the Indian states of Goa, Maharashtra, and Kerala, some Konaki-speaking Catholics from Persian Gulf countries were also included.
They sang over 600 Christian hymns or faith-related songs. No song was repeated and no singer appeared more than once. The groups providing musical accompaniment changed every four hours.
Keith Pullin, an official from Guinness World Records, monitored the performance. He said he was "amazed by the discipline of the groups, their performance and the professionalism" of the event.
Father Ramesh Naik, a Mumbai parish priest who was the event’s chief patron, said the Konkani culture had played a major role in shaping faith and culture. “It has to be preserved,” he said.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
