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Archive for the ‘opera’ Category

Stunning Performance of “Tea: A Mirror of Soul” by Vancouver Opera

Posted in About the news, opera, tagged , , , , on May 5, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Tonight’s performance by Vancouver Opera of Tan Dun’s Tea: A Mirror of Soul was stunning.  We were apprehensive:  what if it is one of those terrible dull modern operas with weird music? (more…)

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Met Opera’s Giulio Cesare: A Triumph for Natalie Dessay & Christophe Dumaux

Posted in brandy, opera, People, tagged , , , , , , , on April 28, 2013 | 1 Comment »

You know that summer is coming when you spend a rainy day in the movie house in Coquitlam watching the final Met Opera production of the season, and you walk out infused with music and fun to go to Wendy’s for a spicy chicken burger and a baked potatoes and you all three can talk of nothing else. (more…)

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Pergolesi. La Salustia. Opera and a Pipe.

Posted in brandy, California, opera, People, tagged , , , , , , , , on April 15, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

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Friday and Saturday were given over to love (some may call it lust and the pleasures of the flesh.)  Sunday was given over to good weather, a long bike ride, opera, and smoking a pipe. The most innocent of these is smoking a pipe.  I first smoked a pipe when I was thirteen or fourteen–I cannot recall which.  We sat behind the shed and puffed the pleasures of tobacco.  I transgressed to cigarettes and cigars, and strong spirits, including brandy and cognac.  (more…)

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Esmeralda and Quasimodo. Mining QA/QC Diversions.

Posted in brandy, opera, tagged , , , , , on April 1, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

The lady who organizes, manages, and dominates my opera and movie life called this morning and said:  “I am not working today.  There is a ballet at the Coquitlam movie house.  I have never seen it, but it might be fun.”  Reluctantly, for the sun was shining and my bike beckoned, I took myself off to the ballet. (more…)

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Easter weekend for miners; Opera; Orpheus and Euridice.

Posted in brandy, Church, Global Warming, Mining history, opera, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 31, 2013 | 2 Comments »

On the mines of South Africa, a long time ago, Easter was a special occasion.  It was the end of summer and the beginning of autumn; it was a long weekend when even the miners did not work; it was a family time;  and we went to Church to pray for lives lost and redeemed.  For through the year, there were always deaths and distress.  After Lent, this seemed an appropriate time to reminisce.  (more…)

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Opera. Maria Stuarda. La Battaglia Di Legnano. Reflections on South Africa, Miners, and the Oppressed.

Posted in blogs, brandy, Mining history, opera, tagged , , , , , , on March 24, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Yesterday I went into the night, and experienced a new palette of pleasure.  Today I watched two operas: Maria Stuarda (seen often before) and   La Battaglia Di Legnano (not hitherto seen).  In a pale light and luke-warmth, I rode my bicycle through sun-dappled trees.  Now it is brandy, opera, and blogging. (more…)

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Francesca da Riminin vs Giulio Cesare of Met Opera Fame

Posted in brandy, opera, tagged , , , , , , , on March 18, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Yesterday we saw Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini from the Met Opera via the movie screen of the local movie house.  A magnificent production not seen in the past 27 years.  In particular, the sets and costumes awed us to silence; quite the most beautiful costumes of this season.  Plus the singing of Eva-Marie Westbroek; here are some web-praise of her and the production: (more…)

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Purcell Woods, District of North Vancouver in light of Verdi’s Un Giorno Di Regno

Posted in British Columbia, Mining history, opera, tagged , , , on March 11, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

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Estate planning is on our minds.  This past week a senior colleague spent long periods with his lawyers debating how to dispose of his estate: if I go first then….If my wife goes first then…..What complex solutions they devised.  For there are four houses and four kids plus nine grandkids.  Who gets what and how to avoid punitive taxes all round? (more…)

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Attila by Verdi: Thoughts on Opera, Mining, Women, and Porn

Posted in blogs, brandy, British Columbia, environmental, opera, tagged , , , , on March 10, 2013 | Leave a Comment »

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Here is a picture of a child’s play ground in Iowa.  Better we revel in the games of children than contemplate the outcome of these games: tribes, battle, war, death & devastation, or at the least indulgence in opera & brandy.  Here are some thoughts from today on these topics, blogged lest the demons of Hades torment our sleep. (more…)

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The Merryman and His Maid by W.S. Gilbert

Posted in brandy, opera, tagged , , , , on March 8, 2013 | 1 Comment »

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This week was a gathering of the old-boys club: a bunch of Wits graduates convened to address a serious problem on a remote mine.  We defined the outlines of a solution; much work remains to flesh out the skeleton of a positive approach.  A book will be written one day on the lessons learnt.  For now let me remark only that this gathering brought to mind an old operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan, namely The Yeoman of the Guards. (more…)

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