Like a portent of death, twilight shrouds the earth
And envelops the valley in its sable robe;
The soul, that yearns for those heights,
Dreads to take its dark and awful flight.
There you shine, o fairest of the stars,
And shed your gentle light from afar;
Your friendly beam penetrates the twilight gloom
And points the way out from the valley.
O my fair evening star,
I always gladly greeted thee:
From a heart that never betrayed its faith,
Greet her when she passes,
When she soars above this earthly valley
To become a blessed angel in Heaven
Richard Wagner - "O du mein holder Abendstern" from Tannhauser
I shed a tear, which is no surpise considering the emotional roller coaster I've been on the last few weeks so just about anything sad or sentimental or poignant has me weeping. But isn't the text just lovely? And just listen to the orchestration. Astounding that someone as hefty (vocally and physically) as Bryn Terfel can bring such a delicate balance to it. I might like to play this at my funeral.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
A Class Act
"Thanks, Chelsea. I appreciate everything you do for me and you are a real pleasure to work with and have around. Sometimes it is OK to cry."
That's my boss comforting me after she learned her services will no longer be needed after June 31st. She remained composed as I sat in front of her and cried. *CRIED* And before she left work at 7:00PM on a Friday, she popped her head in to say, "You're going to be OK," hinting that I will still have a job come affiliation time.
And that is reason number 758 bazillion why I love my boss. And since my boss says it's OK to cry, I think I'll put on a movie, crawl into bed and do so.
That's my boss comforting me after she learned her services will no longer be needed after June 31st. She remained composed as I sat in front of her and cried. *CRIED* And before she left work at 7:00PM on a Friday, she popped her head in to say, "You're going to be OK," hinting that I will still have a job come affiliation time.
And that is reason number 758 bazillion why I love my boss. And since my boss says it's OK to cry, I think I'll put on a movie, crawl into bed and do so.
Monday, January 3, 2011
I Wish You (a very belated) Christmas
I'm not a huge fan of the Christmas jingle We Wish You A Merry Christmas. It just never quite did it for me like O Holy Night or Neil Diamond's rockin' version of Santa Claus is Coming to Town. It seemed so pedestrian and somewhat juvenile. The song always reminded me of grade school Christmas pageants and being yelled at by the music teacher to politely "wish" not "wishhhhhhh" or "wooosssshhhh" a Merry Christmas.
It takes a Finnish operatic singer to pump some juice into those notes and I actually kinda like the song. I dare you, play the YouTube clip and stick around long enough to hear the stratospheric notes of Karita Mattila that just climb ever higher. The arrangement is also beautifully orchestrated - it makes this song feel like a big deal, not just a cast-aside Christmas jingle.
It takes a Finnish operatic singer to pump some juice into those notes and I actually kinda like the song. I dare you, play the YouTube clip and stick around long enough to hear the stratospheric notes of Karita Mattila that just climb ever higher. The arrangement is also beautifully orchestrated - it makes this song feel like a big deal, not just a cast-aside Christmas jingle.
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