Verbatim

When I walked out of the bathroom, she was still singing the same tune. She had been singing it on and off for the past several days. The song was now stuck in my head. I loved the song and loved her singing it. A thought struck me. “You know what, I just realized something.” [...]

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Adaptations of famous music in movie soundtracks

I am always fascinated when the inclusion of a famous song or classical piece in a movie gets it absolutely right. By that I mean that it not only perfectly reflects the mood and meaning of that movie scene but enhances its emotional impact in almost preternatural manner. Such is the case with Shostakovich’s “Waltz [...]

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Classical music that makes me happy

Despite the title, this post is not going to be a complete list but more of a little story. One day when I came back from a rather stressful day of school and in a really bad mood — I was thirteen at the time — my mom suggested I lie down on my bed, [...]

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The Habanera

Below is an abridged translation of the Habanera, currently my favourite song in all of opera. When will I love you? Good Lord, I don’t know, Maybe never, maybe tomorrow. But not today, that’s for sure. Love is a rebellious bird that nobody can tame, and you call him quite in vain if it suits [...]

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Can’t get out of Carmen mode

What’s so special about Carmen? For one, the truly great music. Carmen is magical melody after magical melody. As for the orchestration, this is what Richard Strauss had to say: “If you want to learn how to orchestrate, don’t study Wagner’s scores, study the score of Carmen. What wonderful economy, and how every note and [...]

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A funny coincidence

As I was watching the opera today, it struck me that there were some remarkable similarities between the character of Carmen and a person I loved a long time ago. I was thinking of this just now and suddenly remembered that her cellphone ring tone used to be the March of the Toreador. She really [...]

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Carmen

I went to see the LA Opera production of  Carmen today. What can I say about Carmen that hasn’t been said before? I had been waiting to see it for three years. Too often when your expectations are that high, you end up disappointed. Not so with this one. It was one of the most [...]

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Which Andrew Lloyd Webber musical has the best music?

I can’t make up my mind! I first heard Evita in high school and fell in love. Years went by and my favourite changed to The Phantom of the Opera. It stayed so for a long time till a year ago when I heard Evita again and started preferring it again. Then I heard Jesus [...]

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Musical bliss

I received the 100 Best Opera Classics in the mail today!

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Positive music

Many years ago, my then girlfriend showed me a website dedicated to “positive music”. Positive music, the website said, was music without harsh, discordant sounds. It wasn’t the kind of music that arouses negative emotions. It wasn’t music to disturb or change the world. It wasn’t rap, hip-hop, hard rock or grunge. It wasn’t heavy [...]

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Barcarolle from Les Contes d’Hoffmann

My car radio is usually tuned to FM 91.5, better known as classical KUSC. The channel plays beautiful classical music, but because they are listener supported, every three months they go on donation overdrive. So, I was listening to them go on and on about how I should help keep the music going, and that [...]

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Piano concerto 15

Having just finished an enourmous sandwich at Panera’s, I walked towards my car in order to drive to a nearby coffeeshop (which is where I am writing this post from). Today is blazing hot and as I entered my car it felt like I was inside a pizza brick oven. I stepped on the brake, [...]

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Remembering Evita

I was listening today to a recording of Evita that my apartment-mate had borrowed from the Glendale library. It made me travel, as music often does, back in time. To be precise, nine years and three months ago. I used to go to a boys school and my friends and I were understandably delighted one day to [...]

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LA Opera

I am a big fan of the Los Angeles opera and their upcoming 2008/2009 season is amazing. Hell, it’s breathtaking. Just consider some of the operas coming up over the next twelve months: Madame Butterfly, by Puccini; number one on the list the list of most performed operas in the US. Carmen, by Bizet; in [...]

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The Bellagio fountains

If you are ever in Las Vegas, do not miss this. For an amazing video of the same thing from the hotel room on the 30th floor, click here.

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