Kevin Siers Charlotte Observer May 12, 2013 |
ANTIGONOS' BRAIN
| Your Brain is Green |
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Monday, May 13, 2013
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Saturday, May 04, 2013
An Orgy of Operas
During my recent two week stay in NYC with my son I got to go to 4 operas at the Met: Das Rheingold and Die Walkure, both matinees, Rigoletto and a much lesser-known work, Handel's Giulio Cesare in Egitto. Three very different types of opera in a brief period.
First, let me say that going to the Met, even when one is way, way up in the "gods" ["nigger heaven" it used to be called in my childhood in the Southern city of Washington DC, but you'd be crucified if you used that expression nowadays, and for once, I think "gods" is nicer] is still a wonderful experience. Prices [which will come down a bit next year -- more on that below] are reasonable [$55 per seat for the Wagnerian operas, $25 for the others, plus small handling charges], the seats are comfortable, the atmosphere is friendly [quite amazing the conversations one can strike up in the intermissions], and in spite of the elegant decoration of Lincoln Center, there were plenty of patrons in jeans along with the evening gowns and tuxedos on display. The buffets were overpriced, but heck, you know the money goes to support the institution [I filled my water bottle from a fountain dedicated to Ezio Pinza. Not bad water]
I hadn't seen any of the operas performed live before, and I was completely unfamiliar with the Handel. In fact, I'd only bought a ticket because none of my other major favorites was being performed during my visit. Actually, I had a ticket for Gounod's Faust on the evening I arrived, but traffic from Newark airport got me into the city too late, and later I was assured that the production hadn't been a good one.
The Wagner will be dealt with in another post because the Mezzo TV channel will be broadcasting the full Ring from the Met in another couple of weeks so I can see Siegfried and Gotterdammerung in the same production I saw. Not the same impact, or sound quality, I'm sure, but then, I don't have a particularly good ear.
But Giulio Cesare and Rigoletto were big contrasts in themselves. Baroque opera, with long intervals of recitative interspersed with arias and duets or trios [or more] has never been my favorite. I'd rather listen to a "highlights" of a Mozart opera than see the whole thing, and Giulio Cesare is looong [3 1/2 hours]. But it was delightful, except that tradition was followed and the two main male roles, Cesare and Ptolemy, were taken by countertenors. I know the roles were written for the leading castrati of the day, and they were as celebrated as Domingo or Pavarotti now, but it sounds strange to hear men singing in such a high register. It is also confusing at times, since some of the soprano roles were nearly as low. [Pompey's adolescent son is sung by a woman, davka] But what made it fun was that ancient Rome was transposed, loosely, to the Raj and the Twenties. Cleopatra does a Bollywood number and also shows up in a little slip of a black dress and vamps everyone and later in jodhpurs and solar topee. In a scene of negotiation, Cesare and Pompey actually perform a sort of minuet, pirouetting around each other as they give and take points. The production was borrowed from Glyndebourne, and retains some of the Glyndebourne flavor. The singing was excellent.
Rigoletto was set in 1960s Las Vegas. The backdrop was very full of neon [the stormy night of act III was with flashing blue and white neon], the carpeting was loud, the men in dinner jackets except for Rigoletto, who looked [from a distance] quite a bit like Tony Soprano. The courtier who curses him was dressed as an Arab sheik. The translation was updated to be rather slangy -- one person, a music critic, no less, to whom I talked during intermission, disparaged this, but Verdi's name, in English, is only Joe Green, after all, and was probably known to his friends as Joey. Rigoletto is a very Italian opera. I understand this production got mixed reviews, but I liked it.
At the end of my trip I felt sad. This is food and drink for me, just as the Cloisters and the Metropolitan Museum are. Yes, the Israel Museum is nice, for the size of a country like Israel, but it can't compare. Hopefully, the son will invite me again before the year is out...
First, let me say that going to the Met, even when one is way, way up in the "gods" ["nigger heaven" it used to be called in my childhood in the Southern city of Washington DC, but you'd be crucified if you used that expression nowadays, and for once, I think "gods" is nicer] is still a wonderful experience. Prices [which will come down a bit next year -- more on that below] are reasonable [$55 per seat for the Wagnerian operas, $25 for the others, plus small handling charges], the seats are comfortable, the atmosphere is friendly [quite amazing the conversations one can strike up in the intermissions], and in spite of the elegant decoration of Lincoln Center, there were plenty of patrons in jeans along with the evening gowns and tuxedos on display. The buffets were overpriced, but heck, you know the money goes to support the institution [I filled my water bottle from a fountain dedicated to Ezio Pinza. Not bad water
I hadn't seen any of the operas performed live before, and I was completely unfamiliar with the Handel. In fact, I'd only bought a ticket because none of my other major favorites was being performed during my visit. Actually, I had a ticket for Gounod's Faust on the evening I arrived, but traffic from Newark airport got me into the city too late, and later I was assured that the production hadn't been a good one.
The Wagner will be dealt with in another post because the Mezzo TV channel will be broadcasting the full Ring from the Met in another couple of weeks so I can see Siegfried and Gotterdammerung in the same production I saw. Not the same impact, or sound quality, I'm sure, but then, I don't have a particularly good ear.
But Giulio Cesare and Rigoletto were big contrasts in themselves. Baroque opera, with long intervals of recitative interspersed with arias and duets or trios [or more] has never been my favorite. I'd rather listen to a "highlights" of a Mozart opera than see the whole thing, and Giulio Cesare is looong [3 1/2 hours]. But it was delightful, except that tradition was followed and the two main male roles, Cesare and Ptolemy, were taken by countertenors. I know the roles were written for the leading castrati of the day, and they were as celebrated as Domingo or Pavarotti now, but it sounds strange to hear men singing in such a high register. It is also confusing at times, since some of the soprano roles were nearly as low. [Pompey's adolescent son is sung by a woman, davka] But what made it fun was that ancient Rome was transposed, loosely, to the Raj and the Twenties. Cleopatra does a Bollywood number and also shows up in a little slip of a black dress and vamps everyone and later in jodhpurs and solar topee. In a scene of negotiation, Cesare and Pompey actually perform a sort of minuet, pirouetting around each other as they give and take points. The production was borrowed from Glyndebourne, and retains some of the Glyndebourne flavor. The singing was excellent.
Rigoletto was set in 1960s Las Vegas. The backdrop was very full of neon [the stormy night of act III was with flashing blue and white neon], the carpeting was loud, the men in dinner jackets except for Rigoletto, who looked [from a distance] quite a bit like Tony Soprano. The courtier who curses him was dressed as an Arab sheik. The translation was updated to be rather slangy -- one person, a music critic, no less, to whom I talked during intermission, disparaged this, but Verdi's name, in English, is only Joe Green, after all, and was probably known to his friends as Joey
At the end of my trip I felt sad. This is food and drink for me, just as the Cloisters and the Metropolitan Museum are. Yes, the Israel Museum is nice, for the size of a country like Israel, but it can't compare. Hopefully, the son will invite me again before the year is out...
What's in A Name
Recently there has been considerable talk about changing the name of my hometown football team, the Washington Redskins, to something more Politically Correct. Fortunately, it now seems that about 80% of DC fans don't want to do so. Apart from the complete inanity of it, folks in the Capital have better things to do. The cynic in me says someone in the production of sports gear carrying the team logo is behind this, as it would require a lot of new purchases [and those hanging on to the old stuff could sell it for millions on eBay]
I never knew why the Redskins were called that, since there haven't been any Native Americans in the region for nearly 200 years. But the logo is known, and distinctive. I don't know if there are any buccaneers in the the Tampa Bay region, but it certainly sounds a lot better than the "Beach Boys" [which would be more accurate for San Diego too, than "Chargers", now that I think of it]
However, if the name MUST be changed as part of the current insane PC zealotry, how about calling Washington's NFL team the "Reds"? Make the baseball team the "Blues", and our NHL team [does Washington even have a hockey team?] the "Whites" which seems appropriate for a game played on ice. DC's NBA team, of course, would be called the "Stars and Stripes". See?
I never knew why the Redskins were called that, since there haven't been any Native Americans in the region for nearly 200 years. But the logo is known, and distinctive. I don't know if there are any buccaneers in the the Tampa Bay region, but it certainly sounds a lot better than the "Beach Boys" [which would be more accurate for San Diego too, than "Chargers", now that I think of it]
However, if the name MUST be changed as part of the current insane PC zealotry, how about calling Washington's NFL team the "Reds"? Make the baseball team the "Blues", and our NHL team [does Washington even have a hockey team?] the "Whites" which seems appropriate for a game played on ice. DC's NBA team, of course, would be called the "Stars and Stripes". See?
Sunday, February 17, 2013
The Ship of State is Rudderless [Surprise!]
In about 4 more days Israel will have been one month without a government, which is about the worst situation -- even worse than having a coalition -- it can be in. I'm very glum. The Israeli system is really bankrupt.
This time around, the negotiations between the parties have not made a lot of headlines, so it is very difficult to determine just what is happening [if indeed anything is]. Bibi will continue as Prime Minister. Whether he will be able to govern in any meaningful way or be held hostage by competing interests is unclear.
And apart from the coalition infighting, Lieberman is going on trial: the joker in the pack. Whatever agreements are carved out now between the parties with the largest electoral blocs, it will all be moot when the verdict on Lieberman comes in. Watch his party bolt the coalition if he doesn't get his job as FM back; watch Yesh Atid or Bayit HaYehudi bolt if he does.
This time around, the negotiations between the parties have not made a lot of headlines, so it is very difficult to determine just what is happening [if indeed anything is]. Bibi will continue as Prime Minister. Whether he will be able to govern in any meaningful way or be held hostage by competing interests is unclear.
And apart from the coalition infighting, Lieberman is going on trial: the joker in the pack. Whatever agreements are carved out now between the parties with the largest electoral blocs, it will all be moot when the verdict on Lieberman comes in. Watch his party bolt the coalition if he doesn't get his job as FM back; watch Yesh Atid or Bayit HaYehudi bolt if he does.
My Problem with Hagel
To be honest, I'd never heard of him until Obama put his name forward, so I don't have any premeditated feelings one way or the other about him. Maybe he's an anti-Semite, or anti-Israel [points of view which often overlap]. Maybe he doesn't like homosexuals. He is apparently on record as being willing to believe anything the ayatollahs say, and completely unwilling to force confrontation with them. Maybe he steals ice cream from children. I don't know.
But what is obvious to me is that he is currently tailoring his opinions to suit whatever Congress wants him to say, just in order to get confirmation. He apparently will take ANY position which will get him into the Cabinet. What's to say that tomorrow, as Secretary of Defense, he changes like a weathercock with every twist and turn Obama wants him to perform? This does not seem to be a person anyone can trust, and THAT makes him unsuitable to be in the Cabinet. IMO, it's not a partisan issue at all.
But what is obvious to me is that he is currently tailoring his opinions to suit whatever Congress wants him to say, just in order to get confirmation. He apparently will take ANY position which will get him into the Cabinet. What's to say that tomorrow, as Secretary of Defense, he changes like a weathercock with every twist and turn Obama wants him to perform? This does not seem to be a person anyone can trust, and THAT makes him unsuitable to be in the Cabinet. IMO, it's not a partisan issue at all.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
A Question
Adam Zyglis The Buffalo News Jan 26, 2013 |
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Bringing You Up to Date, part 1
The Husband and I got back to Israel on November 18, I being firmly resolved to sit down and chronicle our cruise, and my reactions to the US Presidential election, and the current Israeli situation, and reply to Friar Yid's several posts on Jewish identity...
And guess what? It is the 12th of January already. It is only a tiny excuse that the Redskins went on a winning streak, and my granddaughter finally let go and is now toddling around, without holding on to anything, at something approaching the speed of light. Her mother, my youngest daughter, and her husband began to be very busy by the middle of December, with the yearly inventory of the family auto parts supply business owned by his father [is there a generic term, like "father-in-law" for the father-in-law of my daughter, like "grandparents-in-law" maybe?], for whom they both work, due to be completed by Dec.31. Granddaughter Shir contributed to the sense of chaos by developing a high fever and cutting her last two molars. So it was SuperSavta to the rescue! I slept over at their house and she came to visit with me for a night or two. I have real difficulty realizing that, physically, I ain't what I was 30 years ago. That might seem obvious, but since my head is only 35, I often forget that my body is about 100. And anyway, although my replaced hip is fine, my knees are getting stiffer and stiffer -- enough so that keeping up with the guides on the tours at the various sites we visited on the cruise was not easy. Good thing Shir is walking; hoisting her into her high chair or the bathtub just about devastated my back, and she's not a fat child.
OK, I'll get finished with the election first. Things transpired pretty much as I expected; I hadn't much hope that Romney would win, but I did hope that the Democrats would lose control of both Houses. Obama with his hands tied is really the worst case scenario, because the US can't afford total paralysis, but Obama unchained is maybe even worse. The damage to the US, both domestically and in foreign policy, will only become apparent after 2016, IMO. He can probably stave off the worst of the bills until he's out of the White House. Presidents usually spend the first part of each first term dealing with the financial situation left them by their predecessor. Maybe he'll come down with antibiotic-resistant pneumonia from exposure to Washington's winter weather at the Inauguration. No, maybe better not. If Obama snuffs it, the US will have Joe Biden for President.
As far as his foreign policy goes -- as far as I can figure out that he even has one -- it will be more of the same, leading to an even greater decline in the status of the US as a world power. The Islamic threat will increase the more it is perceived that the US is weak and unwilling to spend more than some conciliatory words. And the Islamic threat is worldwide, not just directed against Israel.
That leads in to our upcoming elections. I'd really rather ignore them, because I think that our politicians are no better or worse than any other country's but our system is horrible. Proportional representation guarantees coalitions, and no one votes for a coalition, so in effect, Israel has never had a democratically elected government. [We do have democratically elected -- sort of -- MKs. You can join a party and participate in the primaries, which return a slate of potential Knesset members, based on the percentage of votes that particular party gets in the general election. However, only an inner circle decides who will have which seat on that slate. In reality, very few Israelis bother with party membership, so the average voter has no idea who he's voting for on the individual level, there is no one like a Congressional Representative or a British MP, who has a regional constituency. And of course, the voter has no control over the compromises, etc. his party of choice will make in order to get into the coalition. That, in a nutshell, is how the haredim have prostituted themselves ever since 1948 -- their allegiance [and it is very considerable] is contingent on massive amounts of money and perks extorted from either Labor or Likud [they prefer the latter but they'll go with whomever promises the most]. Their children have a long school day, hot lunches, transportation to and from school, and don't have to worry about going to the army -- as a result, secular children sit, in classes of 40, in unheated classrooms, must pay for meals if they get them at all, use public transport, and go to the army to keep the malingering, cowardly haredim comfortable. I reiterate, it's the system that's to blame. If Likud loses substantial support to the new, Rightist "Jewish Home" party, as looks likely, Bibi will still be the Prime Minister [he is really the only viable candidate running], but he will have to devote himself to pandering to the special interests of his coalition partners rather than dealing primarily with national issues. This happened to him in his very first term as Prime Minister and led to his ultimate downfall. Considering the relationship with Obama, which I think will only get worse, this is not good for Israel.
At least this is turning into the rainiest winter in 20 years, and we've just had our heaviest snowfall in that time, too [roughly 4 inches of slush in Jerusalem; gone entirely within hours] This, of course, is entirely due to the fact that a number of desalinization plants are due to begin functioning this coming summer, as the water situation was becoming very dire indeed. We cannot rely on Turkey to sell us water in future droughts.
And so we get into local politics. Syria seems no closer to any resolution apart from total anarchy; Assad can probably keep bombing his own people for a long time yet, and there's little real unity amongst the rebels, with certain definitely scary Islamic radical, both Sunni and Shi'a, groups who will slug it out once Assad is toppled [I am not in fact convinced he will be, btw] Lebanon, as a result, is even more unstable than usual. Turkey seems to be determined to march forward toward the Ottoman empire, which means confrontation with Syria now and Iran later. "Peaceful" Iran is not only developing The Bomb, it's developing missiles which can hit Egypt, Saudi Arabia or Kuwait, or Vienna. I still contend that Israel is only a secondary target for the Iranians; although they might hold Israel "hostage" if they want to threaten Europe. Egypt is tragic, alas, and stability there is far away. It doesn't look too good for the secular intelligensia and especially for the Copts. We sit by and wonder how world Christendom can just sit by with Islamic countries maltreating their Christian citizens -- it is so alien to the Jewish view of collective responsibility. "Not our kind of Christian". Huh?
Next: The Cruise. Keep tuned to this station
And guess what? It is the 12th of January already. It is only a tiny excuse that the Redskins went on a winning streak, and my granddaughter finally let go and is now toddling around, without holding on to anything, at something approaching the speed of light. Her mother, my youngest daughter, and her husband began to be very busy by the middle of December, with the yearly inventory of the family auto parts supply business owned by his father [is there a generic term, like "father-in-law" for the father-in-law of my daughter, like "grandparents-in-law" maybe?], for whom they both work, due to be completed by Dec.31. Granddaughter Shir contributed to the sense of chaos by developing a high fever and cutting her last two molars. So it was SuperSavta to the rescue! I slept over at their house and she came to visit with me for a night or two. I have real difficulty realizing that, physically, I ain't what I was 30 years ago. That might seem obvious, but since my head is only 35, I often forget that my body is about 100. And anyway, although my replaced hip is fine, my knees are getting stiffer and stiffer -- enough so that keeping up with the guides on the tours at the various sites we visited on the cruise was not easy. Good thing Shir is walking; hoisting her into her high chair or the bathtub just about devastated my back, and she's not a fat child.
OK, I'll get finished with the election first. Things transpired pretty much as I expected; I hadn't much hope that Romney would win, but I did hope that the Democrats would lose control of both Houses. Obama with his hands tied is really the worst case scenario, because the US can't afford total paralysis, but Obama unchained is maybe even worse. The damage to the US, both domestically and in foreign policy, will only become apparent after 2016, IMO. He can probably stave off the worst of the bills until he's out of the White House. Presidents usually spend the first part of each first term dealing with the financial situation left them by their predecessor. Maybe he'll come down with antibiotic-resistant pneumonia from exposure to Washington's winter weather at the Inauguration. No, maybe better not. If Obama snuffs it, the US will have Joe Biden for President.
As far as his foreign policy goes -- as far as I can figure out that he even has one -- it will be more of the same, leading to an even greater decline in the status of the US as a world power. The Islamic threat will increase the more it is perceived that the US is weak and unwilling to spend more than some conciliatory words. And the Islamic threat is worldwide, not just directed against Israel.
That leads in to our upcoming elections. I'd really rather ignore them, because I think that our politicians are no better or worse than any other country's but our system is horrible. Proportional representation guarantees coalitions, and no one votes for a coalition, so in effect, Israel has never had a democratically elected government. [We do have democratically elected -- sort of -- MKs. You can join a party and participate in the primaries, which return a slate of potential Knesset members, based on the percentage of votes that particular party gets in the general election. However, only an inner circle decides who will have which seat on that slate. In reality, very few Israelis bother with party membership, so the average voter has no idea who he's voting for on the individual level, there is no one like a Congressional Representative or a British MP, who has a regional constituency. And of course, the voter has no control over the compromises, etc. his party of choice will make in order to get into the coalition. That, in a nutshell, is how the haredim have prostituted themselves ever since 1948 -- their allegiance [and it is very considerable] is contingent on massive amounts of money and perks extorted from either Labor or Likud [they prefer the latter but they'll go with whomever promises the most]. Their children have a long school day, hot lunches, transportation to and from school, and don't have to worry about going to the army -- as a result, secular children sit, in classes of 40, in unheated classrooms, must pay for meals if they get them at all, use public transport, and go to the army to keep the malingering, cowardly haredim comfortable. I reiterate, it's the system that's to blame. If Likud loses substantial support to the new, Rightist "Jewish Home" party, as looks likely, Bibi will still be the Prime Minister [he is really the only viable candidate running], but he will have to devote himself to pandering to the special interests of his coalition partners rather than dealing primarily with national issues. This happened to him in his very first term as Prime Minister and led to his ultimate downfall. Considering the relationship with Obama, which I think will only get worse, this is not good for Israel.
At least this is turning into the rainiest winter in 20 years, and we've just had our heaviest snowfall in that time, too [roughly 4 inches of slush in Jerusalem; gone entirely within hours] This, of course, is entirely due to the fact that a number of desalinization plants are due to begin functioning this coming summer, as the water situation was becoming very dire indeed. We cannot rely on Turkey to sell us water in future droughts.
And so we get into local politics. Syria seems no closer to any resolution apart from total anarchy; Assad can probably keep bombing his own people for a long time yet, and there's little real unity amongst the rebels, with certain definitely scary Islamic radical, both Sunni and Shi'a, groups who will slug it out once Assad is toppled [I am not in fact convinced he will be, btw] Lebanon, as a result, is even more unstable than usual. Turkey seems to be determined to march forward toward the Ottoman empire, which means confrontation with Syria now and Iran later. "Peaceful" Iran is not only developing The Bomb, it's developing missiles which can hit Egypt, Saudi Arabia or Kuwait, or Vienna. I still contend that Israel is only a secondary target for the Iranians; although they might hold Israel "hostage" if they want to threaten Europe. Egypt is tragic, alas, and stability there is far away. It doesn't look too good for the secular intelligensia and especially for the Copts. We sit by and wonder how world Christendom can just sit by with Islamic countries maltreating their Christian citizens -- it is so alien to the Jewish view of collective responsibility. "Not our kind of Christian". Huh?
Next: The Cruise. Keep tuned to this station
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