Le film d’artifice
Call this Prima Donna: The Opera: The Documentary: The Trailer. Plus it includes a glimpse of tween Rufus playing Scarpia.
Call this Prima Donna: The Opera: The Documentary: The Trailer. Plus it includes a glimpse of tween Rufus playing Scarpia.
love Rufus…..I hope he does not kill us singing his song, here is Jason and me…
Yes, it’s a hour-long documentary currently running on the Sundance Channel. I watched it a couple of nights ago with a friend of mine, who doesn’t like opera very much, but was fascinated by this kind of music.
I watched this on Sundance the other day because I heard Renee was going to be in it, but I actually ended up becoming interested in Rufus and his opera.
The music sounds interesting. But the footage they showed of him “composing” was a bit odd. He was using a computer and the conductor was sitting next to him doing a lot of the actual composing.
Anyway, his boyfriend has the gayest mustache I have ever seen. Some ugly Hitler looking monstrosity on his upper lip.
Well, he doesn’t really compose, does he? He writes pop songs. He vaguely comes up with a tune and then sort of puts it down on piano. It’s not like he knows anything about orchestration, etc.
Sometimes you have just enough talent to appreciate opera…but not quite enough talent to compose one.
How true! the boyfriend seemed taken directly from one of those porn movies from the ’70s. I liked the music, though. Easy, pleasing.
For some reason, this Rufus dude rubs me the wrong way. Is it arrogance or ignorance, I can’t put my finger on it.
I think it’s just gayness.
The arrogance stems from a profound insecurity.
i am also suspicious, he is my friend on facebook but never talked to anyone…hmmmm
he probably has too many real friends, and facebook is just for promotion.
I could only hear a few snippets of the music but those sound a lot better than almost all of the new operas I have heard in the last 20 years.
BTW–I never even heard of RW until recently and haven’t bothered to really learn anything about him so I have no axe to grind one way or the other.
There are many cast changes in tonite’s Hoffman from the MET. I guess there is another superflu. Kim, Gubanova and Okie are out. Anyone remember the Cosi that no one showed up for? What year was that?
Let’s hope Gubenova stays out!
Is this the first performance since the HD?
who’s in?
I see Laura Vlasek Nolen (who’s very talented!) as Giulietta, and someone named “Gilmore” as Olympia. Who is the mysterious Ms. Gilmore?
Laurali Gilmore
We should be grateful it wasn’t Gail Gilmore.
This is better than any of the drag queens on the thread discussing Simone Kermes …
After watching the Aida clip all i could think was All of Bumbry’s issues with Italian pronunciation, Same issues with overacting and none of the many virtues Bumby has, like the impeccable musicianship.
Lindoro — out of interest, what were Bumbry’s issues with Italian pronunciation? I’ve always assumed her diction was pretty good.
In general, I don’t see how you can possibly compare Gilmore with Grace. Gilmore’s voice is somehow very amateurish by the side of La B.
Well, the similarities are there:
Same school of acting for starters. Bumbry’s Issues with Italian are the same that many Americans have. The diction is good but the declamation sometimes gets off. This happens when note values take over in their mind and they end up singing the wrong stress in a syllable. I have heard Arroyo do it, Voigt, Zajick, Bunbry and several others. For some it was a constant, for some it just creeps in every once in a while
Interestingly, I never heard it in Fleming, Millo, Swenson or June Anderson.
you know that la gilmore is now a soprano, right? amazing. you should hear her sing tosca or abigaille…
the gossip i heard is that she was at one point coupled with a certain dramatic soprano…
Ant she ain’t doing any better
I lo0ve me some GG!
I am sorry but I am LOVING this clip. I’d take her over a certain Russian who has been screaming her way through Verdi & Puccini over the past 15 or 20 years.
When was this performance recorded? From the jheri curl wig and the Michael Jackson epulets on the gown I would peg this as mid to late 80’s?
I heard GG in Abigaille and she was as crazy as a shit house rat. She sang that music like a woman possessed. She has been a real inspiration to me as a singer.
Are we talking DP?