Italian Tenor Pier Miranda Ferraro Dies

ROME (AP) — Pier Miranda Ferraro, an Italian tenor who sang in the 1960s and 1970s and was noted for his interpretation of Giuseppe Verdi's "Otello," died on Friday the 18th Of January 2008 at his home in Milan, family members said. He was 83.

Damiano Beltotto said his grandfather died of cardiac arrest in his sleep.

The singer was born Pietro Ferraro in 1924 in Altivole in northeast Italy. He took the stage name Pier Miranda Ferraro, borrowing the middle name from his wife's name.

Ferraro made his debut at Milan's La Scala opera house in 1951 and last performed there in 1972, family members said.

He sang on the stages of Covent Garden in London and the Vienna State Opera, as well as in operas performed in South America.

His last stage performance was in 1981 in the northern Italian town of Lecco in a production of "Otello."

In 1985, Ferraro founded a management agency for opera singers, conductors, directors and other opera professionals. Ferraro's daughter Beatrice is among those who run the Milan-based agency.

The singer is survived by his wife, four children and 16 grandchildren. A funeral was scheduled for Monday in a Milan church.

Free Audio Dub

Size : 6.84MB
Os : Windows 9x
Freeware

Free Audio Dub is an audio editing application that lets you delete unwanted parts from audio files without re-encoding. It does this without losing the original sound quality (i.e. lossless conversion).

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PhotoRazor

Version : 2.1

Size : 933 Kb
Os : Windows (All)
Freeware

Modern digital cameras capture photos that could be many megapixels in size. These are great for high quality printing, but quite big to email to friends and family, and for displaying on websites as well.

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Singing Bird

While extolling the virtues of PETCRAFT to a pet shop owner in Manhattan, a elderly woman burst into the store. "I want to buy a canary, but it's got to be a good singer. I've got good, hard U.S. cash, but I'm only paying for a good singer."

The shop owner began moving a ladder towards a small cage on a shelf about fifteen feet up, near the ceiling of the store. "Ma'am, I'm forty years in this business. In that cage is the best singer I've ever seen."

"Don't think I'm gonna feel obligated to pay for something I don't want just because you're climbing up a ladder like a monkey. I want a canary but it's got to be a good singer."

By this point the shop keeper was coming down from the ladder. "Ma'am, this bird is a veritable feathered Caruso!" Placing the cage on the counter, the bird burst into melody after melody.

Awed the woman murmured, "This bird is a good singer." Suddenly in a shrill scream, "Hey, this bird's only got one leg."

The pet store owner was unperturbed, "Lady what do you want a singer or a dancer?"

Express Rip

Size : 334KB

Operating System : Windows (All)

Freeware

Express Rip lets you extract digital audio tracks directly from audio CDs to either Wave (wav), or MPEG Layer-3 (mp3) files on your hard-drive. By using direct digital extraction, pure audio quality is maintained, and the process is very fast.

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Audio Tagging Tools

Size : 1.56MB

Operating System : Windows XP/Vista

Freeware

Audio Tagging Tools can be used to modify id3v1, id3v2, and file specifix tag formats. It supports audio formats like mp3, wma, ogg, vqf; and playlist formats like m3u, pls and wpl, and even filetypes like html, csv, rtf, and many more can be used for output. Audio Tagging Tools will automatically create title numbers, clean filenames or tags for you. Features like filters, filename cleaning, tag generator, tag editor, filename creator, output templates, a powerful script engine and many more will help you organizing your files.

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Wedding Band Requests

Dear Bandleader thank you for your letter. I really do think you have anattitude problem and do want a few requests played if you don't mind. Whatme and my wife were thinking was:

-Any Keith Jarrett composition from his solo series. Please arrange forfull ensemble and nothing in 4/4 please.

-Mahavishnu Orchestra, Dance of the Maya and please have the guitar playerplay John Mcglaughlin's solo from the live performance Nov. 16, 1972 atChrysler Arena. My wife and I were at that show and particularly liked hisuse of polyrhythmics. If you find it too difficult you can leave out thefeedback. Your choice.

-John Coltrane's duets with Pharaoh Sanders. I understand that their use ofatonality is not everyone's cup of tea, but my guests are usually fond ofhigh register tenor saxes.

-We thought a little Stravinsky would be nice. We particularly like theRite of Spring. If you want to use the sheet music it's OK. My husbandlikes it about 1/4 note = 93 beats per minute.

-Then for the candle lighting ceremony, please learn Frank Zappa's "TheGreat Wazoo". If you want to play it in the originally B flat, that wouldbe OK. And yes, cousin Jeannie does want to sing the baritone sax solo.Please don't say no, it would hurt her feelings so.

-Finally we have built our own musical instruments (It's kind of a hobbywith us) and we would appreciate if you would use our instruments. None ofthem are based upon a 12 tone scale or on common harmonics, but our 5 yearold son tells us it's not really that hard to transpose once you understandthe physics.

We would be happy to pay each member an extra $25 for any inconvenience.Thank you and don't be late!

Mr. and Mrs. Snovly

Difference - Jokes

What's the difference between an oboe and an onion?
No one cries when you chop up an oboe.

What's the difference between a bassoon and a trampoline?
You take off your shoes when you jump on a trampoline.

"Mommy! Mommy! When I grow up I want to be a guitar player!"
"Now Johnny, you can't do both!"

Why did the chicken cross the road?
To get away from the bassoon recital.

A trombone player and an accordion player are playing a New Years's eve gig at a local club.. The place is packed and everybody is absolutely loving the music .. shortly after midnight, the club owner comes up to the duo and says, "You guys sound great .. everybody loves you .. I'd like to know if the two of you are free to come back here next New Year's eve to play ?? ...
The two musicians look at each other then to the club owner .. and the trombone player says "Sure .. we'd love to .. Is it OK if we leave our stuff here ??"

Why do clarinetists leave their cases on the dashboard?
So they can park in the handicapped zones.

What is "perfect pitch?"
When you lob a clarinet into a toilet without hitting the rim.

What's the definition of a nerd?
Someone who owns his own alto clarinet.

What do you call a bass clarinetist with half a brain?
Gifted.

What's the difference between a lawn mower and a soprano sax?
You can tune a lawn mower, and the neighbors are upset if you borrow a lawn mower and don't return it.

If you were lost in the woods, who would you trust for directions: an in-tune tenor sax player, an out of tune tenor sax player, or Santa Claus? The out of tune tenor sax player. The other two indicate you are hallucinating.

How do you make a chain saw sound like a baritone sax?
Add vibrato.

How many trumpet players does it take to change a lightbulb?
Five: one to handle the bulb, and the other four to tell him how much better they could've done it.

What do a vacuum cleaner and an electric guitar have in common ?
Both suck when you plug them in

How many lead guitarists does it take to change a light bulb ?
None...they just steal somebody else's light

What do you say to a guitar player in a 3-piece suit ?
"Will the defendant please rise ..."

Two guys were walking down the street ...one was destitute ...
the other was a guitar player as well ..

How is an orgasm like a drum solo?
You can tell it's coming but there's no way to stop it.

What do call a successful musician?
A guy whose wife/girlfriend has 2 jobs.

Saint Peter is checking in new arrivals in heaven

"What did you do on Earth?"
"I was a surgeon. I helped the lame to walk."
"Well, go right on in through the Pearly Gates"

"What did you do on Earth?"
"I was a school teacher. I taught the blind to see."
"Fine .. go right on in through the Pearly Gates!"

"What did you do on Earth?"
"I was a musician. I helped make sad people happy."
"You can load in through the kitchen."

Musician Jokes

How do you get two piccolo players to play in perfect unison?
Shoot one.

What's the difference between a fiddle and a violin ?
Who cares - neither one's a guitar

How do you know when the stage is level ?
The drummer is drooling out of both sides of his mouth ..

Did you hear about the guitarist who was in tune ?
Neither did I

Why are so many guitarists jokes one liners ?
So the rest of the band can understand them

What do you call a guitarist who breaks up with his girlfriend ?
Homeless ..

What's the definition of a minor second?
Two oboists playing in perfect unison.

How do you get a guitar player off of your front porch ?
Pay for the pizza.

How many guitar players does it take to cover a Stevie Ray Vaughn tune ?
Evidently all of them.

What do you do if your bassist is drowning?
Throw him his amp.