fusillo

I did a little research on Google and discovered that Dessau composed music for "Mother Courage and Her Children." Well, that would be interesting to me... Oh, I wanted to recommend an album that I've been suggesting to everyone since I discovered it. It's an album by Dagmar Krause's group, Slapp Happy, made with Henry Cow. Their music is a mix of Weill and Zappa. I've even written a small review about it. Bye!

@Dedoluz, I want to point out that I haven't called Demetrio Stratos either arrogant or an idiot. I merely said that he annoys me a bit, which is an entirely personal judgment that doesn't offend him, his work, or his fans. If he were still alive, he would continue his honored career despite me, and he would be doing well.;) However, let me share something I saw on TV: a video from the late seventies, probably just before his death, where Demetrio explained his work with John Cage to a group of kids around seven or eight years old; he would go to schools, take the children outside, and give lessons complete with a blackboard and illustrations. The kids were utterly astonished... Now, it’s fine to be confident in your work, but in my opinion, this indicates a lack of reality awareness, and when I happen to hear some of Demetrio’s guttural tremors or his overly emphasized diction in his records, I find that same astonished expression appearing on my face. Cheers.

I don't really care about Area or Afterhours. Just imagine how little I could care about Afterhours redoing Area. Besides, strangely enough, I saw Afterhours in concert (for free at the Tora Tora festival) and on that occasion, they performed "Gioia e Rivoluzione." I didn't feel like throwing up. Agnelli might not be Demetrio Stratos, but he honestly does his job. By the way, Demetrio Stratos may have been a great singer, but with his exaggerated vocal evolutions, he sometimes annoys me a bit... The film you mention I have seen, and it didn’t suck. I didn’t find it commercial; rather, I found it to be an honest and well-documented film. To say “fuck” like ..Caz.. does in his review of Maledetti (Maudits) or that something or someone sucks doesn’t mean reviewing or even commenting. You could at least elaborate on some kind of explanation. Moreover, I don’t know about others, but for me, all this has the opposite effect of what it’s supposed to achieve. I have immense sympathy for Guido Chiesa and Manuel Agnelli. Bye.

@alocin: When you write a review, will you do it backwards? I like your card with Jacovitti's drawing... Or maybe I should write ittivocaJ? I haven't been listening to metal for a while, so I'll refrain from voting. Hi everyone!

Among the interpreters of Weill, I like Stratas the least precisely because she is too "lyrical." After all, I see Weill's works as Canzonacce, without wanting to imply a pejorative meaning to the term, of course. I don't know Dessau; by following the palastorchester a bit, I discovered some truly talented German composers buried by time and oblivion, but this name means nothing to me. By the way, isn't it strange that here on Debaser there isn't even a review of any Weill's work? An intervention is needed. Bye.

As for Lemper, the only album I can't stand is the one with Michael Nyman's music. I really like the album with Weill's music; I prefer it over Stratas, but none compare to Lotte Lenya. Perhaps Dagmar Kreuse. However, I've heard a beautiful version of "Die Dreigroschenoper" with Max Raabe from the Palastorchester as Mac Heath and Nina Hagen as Mrs. Peachum. Have I digressed enough, or could I have done better? 😉

I don't know, I find Elvis Costello a bit pretentious. I have the CD with Von Otter, but I've listened to it very little. Beautiful melodies, of course, but to appear in the Deutsche Grammophon catalog seems a bit lacking... Better are the songs from the album "Punishing Kiss" sung by Ute Lemper.

Hey Superkangaroo, weren't you in Trondheim? By the way, just think, I passed through there on a trip to Norway. It's really a small world... The review is nice, Iside. And thanks for the gift package. I owe you a favor. Bye bye Fusax

O.K. John, it seems clear to me that you know more about the oboe than I do, so I take everything back. Then, the urge to be contrarian at all costs and my poor memory led me to misinterpret the biographical data of Wolfgang Hildesheimer. I checked: the book isn't from '22 (at that time little Wolfgang was six years old). The first edition is from '77. And he was a lecturer in English at the British Institute in Tel Aviv, a novelist, painter, essayist... In short, everything but a conductor. I make this clarification because, once you read the book, you might have wondered: "what was this Fusillo rambling about?". The book is published in Italy by Rizzoli. I believe you can also find it in the budget edition BUR. Happy reading...

Can I be the contrarian? First, saying that the oboe is a rude instrument seems to me an audacious statement. If you then say it's an instrument for shepherds and for Christmas, it makes me think that perhaps you're confusing it with the zampogna... And all those pseudo-poetic phrases like "flashes of clear sky, musical blue, deep blue of the lightness of Mozart" or "a heavenly key of D major, of sapphire" or even "musical quicksilver," make me think of a book I read: the biography of Mozart written in 1922 by a conductor, Wolfgang Hildesheimer. I found the book attached to an old issue of AMADEUS. According to the magazine, it's the most beautiful biography of Mozart; I say it’s the most entertaining, even though it’s the only one I’ve read. I recommend it to you, John, if you're not familiar with it. In that book, old Hildesheimer takes aim at various definitions of Mozart’s music that have been written over the centuries by various critics and commentators. Comparisons to precious metals, celestial vaults, angels, saints, cherubs, etc... I won't tell you how Hildesheimer brushes them off (the portraits of the people surrounding the Salzburgian are priceless as well). So, John, with all due respect (it may seem odd to you, but I assure you it's true), if Hildesheimer were alive and well and read your review today, I believe he wouldn't give you a very high score... I'll abstain. Bye.