Fausta's Blog

Blind Boys of Alabama sing Amazing Grace. Their live performance version tonight was a powerful spiritual experience.

PBS is playing the Met‘s Wagner’s Ring cycle, and last night was Siegfried‘s turn,

Aficionados have been comparing Ring versions with this new one.

Of course, viewers of a certain age are familiar with the Siegfried immortalized by Elmer Fudd,

The 10 Greatest Pianists of All Time
10. Artur Schnabel (1882-1951)
9. Wilhelm Kempff
8. Alfred Brendel (b1931)
7. Glenn Gould (1932-1982)
6. Alfred Cortot (1877-1962)
5. Emil Gilels (1916-1985)
4. Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982)
3. Sviatoslav Richter (1915-1997)
2. Vladimir Horowitz (1903-1989)
1. Sergei Rachmaninov (1873-1943)

Oh, yeah,

Hot!

Infinite thanks to Maria.

The Indonesian Islamists won’t have her sing, even when Indonesia is supposedly a secular state,

Lady Gaga gagged in Indonesia after Islamic opposition

Pop star Lady Gaga has been refused a permit to perform in the Indonesian capital next month over security concerns, police said on Tuesday, after Islamic groups voiced strong objections to her “vulgar” style.

In other parts of the world, Mark Steyn confronts the truth,

For every independent-minded soul like Senator Bernardi, Lord Pearson of Rannoch, or Baroness Cox (who arranged a screening of Wilders’ film Fitna at the House of Lords), there are a thousand other public figures who get the message: Steer clear of Islam unless you want your life consumed — and steer clear of Wilders if you want to be left in peace.

So, while I don’t like Lady Gaga, must deplore that her concert(s) are cancelled.

I mean, Monday night opera,

Dizzy Gillespie playing Vida mía with Osvaldo Fresedo’s orchestra
1956- Night Club Rendez Vous Porteño- Buenos Aires

(h/t Danelle)

The Metropolitan Opera is doing Wagner’s Ring, and The Manolo is thrilled.

Bryn Terfel is playing Wotan.

Here’s the big guy singing Wotan in Die Walkure,

However, as much as I love BT, I do not like Wagner.

So it’s great that The Manolo has provided Anna Russell and The Ring of the Nibelung for our cultural edification,

Now, if we could get BT to do Mrs. Russell’s analysis, life would be perfect. Eye patch optional, of course.

And I would pay for that.

Lyrics here.

The Hypocrisy of Hollywood’s Whitney Houston Sorrow

The clown and politician is in the Brazilian headlines, again,
Race Matters: Sony Ordered To Pay Half A Milli In Damages After Brazilian Song Calling Black Woman “Stinking Beast” And Comparing Her Hair To Scouring Pads Is Deemed Racist (h/t GoV)

The lawsuit was brought forth by 10 non-governmental organizations that fight against racism. Humberto Adami, the defense attorney of the NGOs, argued that black women were offended, exposed to ridicule and felt violated due to the lyrical content of the song.

“This decision is a direct message to show how the issue of racial inequality should be treated. It is a moment to celebrate. The compensation won’t even go to the authors of the lawsuit. The money will go to the Diffused Rights Fund of the Ministry of Justice,”commented Adami.

Adami claims that the damages paid in the suit are the highest ever paid for compensation of a racist act in Brazil.

A representative for Sony maintained that the song was not intended to offend women and that Tiririca was in fact alluding to his wife in the song and that the terminology used in the song are used by Brazilians in reference to not only black women but white women as well.

In case you wonder if this is too much, take a look at the appalling lyrics.