Fabulosophy!

I am not impressed

nobody@vox.com(Mikee) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 20:33:09 -0800

Last week was the kickoff ceremony of UP's Centennial. I went to Diliman with some DAC friends - not by choice, but not exactly by force either. I was wondering why everyone was jumping up and down, rejoicing at the 100 years of UP's excellence, while I had no school spirit. Don't get me wrong - I love UP. I do. It's just sometimes, familiarity truly breeds contempt. Here's proof:

I had my first round of Impromptu speeches today. The students had to draw three topics from three different boxes - one box contained an emotion or an adjective, another contained an element of pop culture, and the last contained something about current world affairs or historical figures. A lot of the students did not know some of the topics - topics which, I thought, were taught in high school and re-taught in college as a freshman. Or at least, topics which any intelligent human being should be able to discuss.

Example:

The French Revolution. Student: "I don't know anything about this."

The Berlin Wall. Student: "I don't know anything about this."

Incompetent. A definition: Incapable of competing.

Loathing. A definition: Extreme heat.

Monica Lewinsky. Student: "Who's that, po?" So I answer. During student's speech: "I don't really know who Monica Lewinsky is, but she had an affair with Bill Clinton. I don't know if he's married." I'm paraphrasing, of course.

My god! I know I'm not getting any smarter, so why does it seem that people are getting more and more stupid. I apologize. I expected more from students of the Philippines' premier University. I am not impressed.

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Prima Doggie... another one

nobody@vox.com(Mikee) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 04:39:53 -0800

A few months ago, my Prima Doggie, Bailey, died (of old age and breast cancer). I was really upset that she died - I really did love her. She was smelly, and lazy, and stupid, but she had her charms...

Since then, I put off having a pet. I wanted a rest from the feedings and the chores of keeping a dog. Life was silent and peaceful for a while... it was also boring and depressing - being the only living thing in you house in the afternoon.

So I decided to buy a puppy... A poodle... a toy poodle...

I was so excited, I went a little crazy - buying different kinds of leashes, which he can't wear yet because he's too tiny...

It says on his medical record that his name is Chippy... I wanted to name him Alfie... but I'm a little superstitious... I didn't name Bailey and she lived for 12 years, so I asked my Tita and my Mom and they said that Chippy's a pretty cute name. So I'm retaining Chippy... ^_^

Here are some photos! ^_^

BTW: He HATES cameras! He looks away every time I'd put my phone in front of him. ^_^

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Multiply = fun!

nobody@vox.com(Mikee) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 16:10:04 -0800

Fabulosophy on Multiply...

^_^

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The most beautiful boy in the world...

nobody@vox.com(Mikee) — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:19:43 -0800

I've just finished watching Luchino Visconti's Death in Venice. It's a movie adaptation of the Thomas Mann novella by the same name, and is about an elderly scholar (a composer, Gustav von Aschenbach) who vacations in Venice. He stays in a hotel and observes the people, including (and especially) a young teenaged boy named Tadzio. He forms an obsession with Tadzio and begins to follow him around Venice.

Bjorn1

I've known about this movie since I was in high school but I've never seen it (except for some clips) until now. But I have read the novella - it was in a book with other short stories written by Mann (a few others also had homo-erotic sub-themes). I can't say that I really liked the film... it was okay, but it wasn't earth-shatteringly beautiful (like Pan's Labyrinth). The scenes were dragged on for ages, to the point that the movie sort of became boring. Its MAJOR redeeming quality - Bjorn Andresen - the boy who played Tadzio.Visconti described him as the most beautiful boy in the world.

The boy is gorgeous! I can't say anything more than that. He's just beautiful - too beautiful. His face is androgynous and that's probably why so many people are fascinated by it. How can a boy look like a girl and still look god-damned cute? He can give Heidi Klum a run for her money, and also sit next to Brad Pitt and make him look like a dried up old prune.

Yes, you can look at the movie (and the novella) as a form of pederasty - older man falls for a good-looking boy - and

Bjorn2

that view would be right. There's this one scene where Gustav dreams of touching Tadzio's hair - then he immediately recovers and decides against ever talking to him. Another of my favorite scenes was when Tadzio and Gustav meet each other while walking in the hotel grounds at night. Tadzio looks at Gustav and gives the coyest smile ever given on earth. Gustav rushes away, collapses into a bench in the garden and reprimands Tadzio - "You must never smile like that" - before he relents and says "I love you."

Yes, the movie is about pederasty - an impossible love. But it's much more than that. Gustav is an artist. By his very nature, he seeks beauty and perfection. Apparently, he has already achieved this by the time of his visit to Venice. The movie shows Gustav's reason for visiting Venice - apparently, he's lost his artistic touch. No longer the perfect musician, he travels to Venice and meets the perfect boy, the perfect face. And oh... that face! Throughout the movie, Tadzio keeps looking back at Gustav, making the latter follow him, enticing him. Once, he even stops in a dark alley to wait for Gustav to show up so that he could follow. All that time, Andresen delivers us his smile - the smile to end all smiles. That lovely half-tilt of his upper lips.

Enticing us, begging us to follow him. And so we do.

Bjorn3

In this, we are not just following a boy - even if he is the most beautiful in the world. We are following perfection. Just as Gustav von Aschenbach seeks perfection, we too seek the same perfection. But remember, nothing on earth is perfect. Gustav learns that the hard way. He dies while sitting in his chair observing Tadzio wading into the ocean, pointing ominously to the Sun.

Years later, Andresen would shun international fame and try to avoid his fate as the Most Beautiful Boy on Earth. Read this. And just to prove the point that nothing is perfect, here's a more recent photo of Bjorn.

Bjorn Andresen

So much for the smile to end all smiles... Now he kind of looks like Smallville's Lionel Luthor, don't you think?

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My daemon

nobody@vox.com(Mikee) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 04:57:42 -0700

I'm Mrs. Coulter! Hahaha!

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My first Callas

nobody@vox.com(Mikee) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 05:24:48 -0700

This is the story of how I came to meet Maria Callas, how I became a fan, and how I became me.

1996/1997
I was around 12 or 13. Madonna was starring in Evita. I've never heard of musicals or operas before, so I was really surprised when my mom and I sat in the cinema and saw/listened to the movie. I couldn't stand it. Why won't they stop singing!?!?!?

That year we went to New York. Sam Goodys... HUGE record store. I've never seen one this big before. Bought several CDs and singles (particularly loved Barbra Streisand and Brian Adams singing together, and Toni Braxton's Unbreak my heart - in Spanish!). Saw a CD of Andrew Lloyd-Webber songs featuring Sarah Brightman singing Don't cry for me Argentina and The Phantom of the Opera. Bought it - listened to it... loved it! (especially since it also had La Streisand singing As if we never said goodbye)

1998
I met Patrick. He also loved the Phantom of the Opera. He introduced further to the musical. I loved all the high notes. So I did what every 13 year old nerd did (although I would never have admitted to being a nerd back then, I was; still am, a little): trooped to the library and raided the Music Section for books on Opera and Musicals.

I really thought back then that all operas had faced out and turned into Musicals. So I saw operatic singing as dead, old, and really passe. Brightman was my icon. I couldn't find many books on Brightman in the library, but the net was full of her songs.

Then one day, I borrowed An Introduction to Opera. It had a huge full-color photo of a creepy-looking woman with huge eyes, looking shocked and angry. I loved her face. I wanted her face (so I could look at my classmates and they'd cower away in fear). The description read: Maria Callas and Miriam Pirazzini in Luigi Cherubini's Medea, Covent Garden, 1952.

Later that year, Darcy and I (and some other friends) went to the mall after classes, and we went into SM Centerpoint's Odyssey. Some cassettes were on sale - one of them had the label MARIA CALLAS LIVE: Famous Italian Concert Recordings. It was only 100 pesos (around $4 back then), so I bought it, Darcy warning me sternly not to play it in the cab on the ride home.

So I listened to it at home. I was shocked.

At first it was the shabby recording - the songs were poorly recorded and you could hear people coughing and clapping and yelling bravos after each song. Then it was the voice - dark, creepy, and very sharp - so sharp it hurt my ears.

So THIS is opera, I thought. Hmmp... Yuck. A woman half-screaming, half-singing while people coughed and cleared their throats. I hated it! In my mind, I was thinking that I'll stick with the Spice Girls and the Backstreet Boys, and Hanson, and the Moffatts.

I hated this entire album. Rossini: Semiramide, Ponchielli: La Gioconda, Verdi: Macbeth, Nabucco, La Traviata, Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor. I hated all of them! Except for one clip, which I found was exciting and beautiful. Bellini: Norma. It was Casta Diva, and I thought I could sing this easily! My voice hadn't changed then, so I still had high notes in there, which were perfect for the song's range. I looked for lyrics, which I found, and then started studying the song, playing and rewinding the cassette over and over and over.

Back in the library, I found another book: The Victor Book of the Opera, which had stories... So operas told stories... That was fun. Different from the Backstreet Boys who just sang under the rain and took their shirts off (which is why I loved them!).

I scoured that book for plots and characters and voice parts. It was really big and heavy, but all the pictures were black-and-white, but that was fine. So learned that Norma was a druid priestess and Casta diva was her song to the moon. Now this is a very important part of my story.

I was raised a Catholic, but I abhorred (and still do, sometimes) all their rituals and all the guilt they laid on you as a child. Witchcraft was my escape. Wicca was my true religion, and the moon was my true Goddess. A song to the moon was exactly what my spirit needed. And I had found it.

I also discovered Medea. Betrayed, alone, furious, and powerful. I wanted to be that. Plus, in my research, I'd found that she was the Goddess of Unrequited Love - the story of my life. I loved him, he didn't even see me. (But that's a different story!)

So I wanted to be a witch and sing to the moon and cast spells to destroy all my enemies (who have now become my closest friends). But that wasn't the only place Callas' voice was leading me.

When I went back to New York to visit, I bought all the Callas CDs I could (the ones that didn't cost more than $15 - I was on a very tight budget). I went back to the live recordings which I had bought first. I listened to the Traviata clip - Addio del passato, and I found it beautiful and sad and tragic. So I did as I had done with Casta diva, and added that to my repertoire.

Then I turned my attention to the CDs - Callas: Voice of the Century; The Golden Voice of Maria Callas; Callas: LA Divina 2. One by one, I picked out the arias and added them to my repertoire. Of course, I can't sing, I only try. La mamma morta became my next favorite, then In questa reggia (which I loved because it reminded me so of Medea),
then Lucia's mad scene, and slowly I acquired a taste.

Italian Opera. Bel Canto.

Wagner, I can't stand. French, I can't sing. So I had to stick with Callas' standard Italian repertoire.

1999-present
I was secure enough with my arias now to brave full length operas.

My first was, of course, was Cherubini's Medea. Since this was my first opera, and it had cost so much (Php1,030 was a lot for a kid whose allowance was only Php150 a day), I had a lot of time to study the score and the text before I could buy my next opera. It was my 15th birthday and I was delighted when I discovered that box sets contained the libretto and translation of the opera. So I was able to memorize the opera in no time. All parts, not just Medea but Creonte, Neris, Glauce, and even the character I loathed most, Giasone.

My next opera was Puccini's Tosca. I have no idea why. Probably because it was on sale (Php950) and partly because Norma cost P1,250 (3 Cds, the others were only 2 Cds). My next was La Traviata, then Il Trovatore, then Norma, La Sonnambula, then I Puritani and others.

All Callas.

Then Tower Records closed down, and the Callas EMI box sets were put on sale, and then disappeared completely.

So I had to result to buying other artists, or waiting till my mom went to the States and making her buy me some operas. She bought me my first full Lucia and Aida - the 1952 Mexico recording with the gorgeous E-Flat at the end of the triumphal scene.

Locally, I bought Turandot (with Katia Ricciarelli as Turandot), Madama Butterfly (with Mirella Freni as Ciocio-san), and then (since the 1st cd of my Aida had been stolen along with my CD player), Aida (again with Ricciarelli as Aida, Domingo as Radames, and Elena Obraztsova as Amneris, my favorite mezzo role).

But without Callas, I would still be listening to the Backstreet Boys and Hanson, and probably the fallen Britney Spears or Beyonce. Yes, I am a musical snob. All thanks to Maria Callas.

Now, the soundtrack of my life is opera. I have 28 Callas complete recordings (3 Medeas, 3 Normas, 2 Aidas, 2 Toscas, 2 Traviatas, and a whole bunch which I don't listen to: Il Turco in Italia, Un Ballo in Maschera, La Boheme - I know, I know, it's the world's most loved opera after Carmen). Plus around 12 different full operas without Callas, my favorites of which are Aida and Die Walkure both with Birgit Nilsson.

So that is the story of how Maria Callas has shaped me into who I am today.

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I am the moon.

nobody@vox.com(Mikee) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 03:55:02 -0700

You are The Moon

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.

The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

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Vox Hunt: My Latest Download

nobody@vox.com(Mikee) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 03:37:14 -0700

Audio: Show us a song or album you've recently downloaded.

This is the last song I was able to download:

Cecilia Bartoli, Mezzo-soprano, singing Una voce poco fa from The Barber of Seville (G. Rossini)

Cecilia Bartoli - RossiniI - El Barbero de Sevilla - Una Voce Poco Fa - full version

Here are the lyrics! (from The Aria Database)

Rosina:
Una voce poco fa			A voice has just
qui nel cor mi risuonò;			echoed here into my heart
il mio cor ferito è già,		my heart is already wounded
e Lindor fu che il piagò.		and it was Lindoro who shot.
Sì, Lindoro mio sarà;			Yes, Lindoro will be mine
lo giurai, la vincerò.			I've swore it, I'll win.
Il tutor ricuserà,			The tutor will refuse,
io l'ingegno aguzzerò.			I'll sharpen my mind
Alla fin s'accheterà			finally he'll accept,
e contenta io resterò.			and happy I'll rest.
Sì, Lindoro mio sarà;			Yes, Lindoro will be mine
lo giurai, la vincerò.			I've swore it, I'll win.
Io sono docile, son rispettosa,		I'm gentle, respectful
sono obbediente, dolce, amorosa;	I'm obedient, sweet, loving
mi lascio reggere, mi fo guidar.	I let be ruled, I let be guided
Ma se mi toccano dov'è il mio debole	But if they touch where my weak spot is
sarò una vipera e cento trappole	I'll be a viper and a hundred traps
prima di cedere farò giocar.		before giving up I'll make them fall

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Voci degli Angeli

nobody@vox.com(Mikee) — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 18:09:32 -0700

A few weeks ago, Chong Ardivilla (a co-teacher) lent me a copy of Les Choristes (The Chorus). I loved it!

It's a wonderful, and heart-warming story about this music teacher who gets assigned to a school for delinquent boys. He organizes a choir and, almost immediately, the school turns from this harsh, Ms. Minchin-esque school to a place that values Music and childhood. ^_^

Anyway, more than just the plot, the music in this film is amazing! The choir used in the movie is Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc (I hope I spelled that correctly). And it's not an all-boys choir, though the movie features exclusively boys. The songs are gorgeous! I love them. After the movie, I downloaded the soundtrack and loaded all the songs into my (already limited) mp3 phone. I set one of the songs as the alarm tone, so I wake up every morning to the sound of angels singing. ^_^

Now, I know my boy choirs and my boy sopranos, and the soloist in this film is AMAZING! His name is Jean Baptiste Maunier (although, apparently, you're free to insert the word 'de' in between his given name and his surname). I've never heard a boy soprano sound as clear or as brilliant as him. His voice slices through the choir like the Subtle Knife slices through the fabric between the worlds... I know, I'm such a nerd. ^_^ Plus, it doesn't hurt that Jean Baptiste is completely adorable, in that French kind of way, with his sloping rs and everything. ^_^

Here are some clips:

Les Choristes - 11 - Compère Guilleri - Petits chanteurs de St Marc

Just a cute clip.... ^_^

Les Choristes-Les avions en papier

Cerf-volant: you can hear a short solo of Jean Baptiste in the middle. This is actually my alarm tone ^_^

Les Choristes - La Nuit

Finally, Rameau's La Nuit, featuring Jean Baptiste Maunier. ^_^

and... Jean Baptiste:

Leschoristes

then and now:

I love his voice! Too bad he's older now, he probably can't sing like this anymore. Puberty sucks!

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QotD: Fall Films

nobody@vox.com(Mikee) — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 21:39:20 -0700

Which new movies are you looking forward to seeing this fall?

I want to see The Golden Compass and The Dark is Rising! ^_^

I'm currently reading The Dark is Rising... it's not quite as fun (or easy) to read as Harry Potter, but it's a pretty good book. ^_^ I want to see how they translate (read: distort... hihi!) it into a film.

As for The Golden Compass... well... Nicole Kidman as a villain... need I say more?

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