Listen to Lady Kier and VOTE!

California kids especially, you set the tone for the rest of the country.

Proposition 8 is Discrimination.  Vote NO

http://www.noonprop8.com/

Proposition 2 is for Animal Rights.  Vote YES

http://www.yesonprop2.com/

Vote and make yourself heard.

Wong Kar Wai and William Wyler

I have always loved the ending of In the Mood for Love set to Michael Galasso’s “Angkor Wat Theme”.  It reminds me of the ending of Roman Holiday.  Tony Leung Chiu-Wai as Gregory Peck and Maggie Cheung as Audrey Hepburn, the unseen objects of their love.

Unrequited love framed by rigid architecture.

IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE

ROMAN HOLIDAY

The Future of Ballet and Classical Music

Gretchen Smith

Friday, June 27, 2008 was the world premiere of Flit of Fury – The Monarch, Choreography by Adam Hendrickson, Music by Aaron Severini and the woman’s costume by Magda Berliner. New York City Ballet presented a one-time-only galalike event, “Dancers’ Choice” as a benefit for its Dancer’s Emergency Fund. Other highlights: The always amazing Ashley Bouder in “Rubies” and Savannah Lowery in “Union Jack.”

Aaron Severini’s musical debut at Lincoln Center shows the promise of a new generation of classical composers. I’m excited to see what he’ll do next!

Behind the scenes video of the Ballet “Flit of Fury – The Monarch”

Let’s hope it enter the repertory so everyone will have a chance to see it.

NY Times Review

The world premiere was “Flit of Fury — the Monarch,” with music by Aaron Severini and dances by Adam Hendrickson. The most remarkable feature seemed to be the rhythmic intricacy of its music, for two pianos, with a nice overlay of jazz elements and Philip Glass-style rapid-fire minimalism. To have it played onstage, with adjacent pianos at the back of the stage, made for a happy theatrical effect.

The NY Sun

The New Yorker

style.com

NY Daily News Profile

Oberon’s Grove

There was the new Hendrickson-Severini ballet FLIT OF FURY/THE MONARCH which won an enthusiastic reception. Driven by Aaron’s pulsating score with its ever-shifting harmonics – played on two onstage grand pianos by Steven Peck and Stephen Gosling – the four boys (Rob Fairchild, Sean Suozzi, Allen Peiffer and David Prottas) traded bursts of virtuosity centered in classical technique but with a contemporary edge. In the central duet, Gretchen Smith and Sean Suozzi danced while the three other boys knelt in silhouette… The pianists were in complete command of Aaron’s music which percolates with rhythmic vitality while ominous undercurrents continually rise to the surface. I hope we will have future opportunities to see this ballet – and judging from the cheers that greeted the creators, dancers and musicians I would say the audience agreed with me.

La vie en Rose Blog

Radiohead – Fake Plastic Trees

MP3: Fake Plastic Trees

PUNCH DRUNK LOVE

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“Pour mon âme”

Amazing.

His recent Performance with the Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center:

NY TIMES REVIEW

DVD: Donizetti – La Fille du Régiment @ Genoa Opera

Luciano Pavarotti with Joan Sutherland made his name at the Metropolitan Opera with this role.

Pavarotti – Ah mes amis

CD/MP3: Donizetti – La Fille du Régiment / Sutherland, Pavarotti

Reflections in a Golden Eye vs. Taxi Driver

Everything has been done before and as an artist you are the sum of everything that has come before you. Scorsese was influenced by Brando’s performance in Reflections in a Golden Eye and created one of the most iconic moments in film history.

Robert Deniro in Taxi Driver (1976)

Marlon Brando in Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)

In the Turner Classic Movies documentary on Marlon Brando, director Martin Scorsese says that the scene in which Brando stands in front of the mirror talking to himself as he inspects his dress uniform inspired the infamous “Are you talkin’ to me?” moment with Robert De Niro for Taxi Driver (1976).