Battle of the bulge
Inspired by Our Own Camille (not pictured, obviously), La Cieca proposes a new competition in honor of the Met’s coming revival of La fanciulla del West. Your challenge: share with us the most suggestive double-entendre line in a published synopsis or review of Puccini’s opera.
La Cieca will start you off with: “Minnie bursts into sobs and throws her arms around the motionless Johnson.”
The thickest and meatiest entry by December 6 will be awarded the usual Amazon gift card.
Oh.my.word! Imagine my consternation when, upon returning from my prandial repast with the ladies who lunch, I encountered this LATEST disgrazia! Attributable to poor little coughing, cortigiana Camille but it was, in fact, ANNA who made me say it!
Baron Douphol will ABSOLUMENT, if he hears of this scandale, cut off my entire Guerlain Eau Imperiale allowance for the year!! How will one bathe?! In my mortal sins?? Hey that gives me an idea–maybe I can borrow a flacon or two from Mme. Flambe?!
Soccorso, Renata carissima!!!!!!!!.
Act 1: Minnie falls hard for Dick.
Act 2: Minnie’s poker skills saves her Dick.
Act 3: Minnie rides Dick in a saddle.
those miners seem very keen on hanging Dick
I bet they were juiced, too.
no, I think whisky is what they drink
From a magazine review from the Met Prima:
“Puccini gets Johnson into the woods where there is much hue and cry and then a huge amount of talk while the “boys” are stringing him up.”
Sounds like Puccini was into a bit of bondage and S&M???.
“selbst eine faszinierende Frau wie Minnie dürfte es kaum schaffen, ihre harten Jungs zum Studium der Heiligen Schrift zu bewegen, ”
http://www.omm.de/veranstaltungen/musiktheater20092010/AMS-la-fanciulla-del-west.html
Imagine if Wilde had substituted Richard for Ernest.
No kidding. Reminds me of a wonderful joke in the revue “When Pigs Fly” about a musicologist working on a book titled “The Unknown Richard Rodgers or, You Don’t Know Dick.”
And then there’s the article about bad translations that I once found in a literary journal. (This is for real.) It cited a synopsis of Carmen, translated from the Vulcan perhaps, in which the cigarette girls worked in a “Tobago” factory and sang “All hail the balls of the toreador!”
You sly puss! I just now caught this one and am imagining all the possibilities. LOL!
The English synopsis of La Boheme in the program at the Teatro Eliseo in Rome (back when they hosted the occasional touring opera company) began: “Mimi, a young hothorse flower …”
There is nothing in the world so mirthsome as Italian-to-English translation! (All the more fortunate we are to have our Most Excellent Cvaliere Farnese, who avoids all such pitfalls).
A dear friend of mine who sang at Teatro Eliseo told me of a young promising Americana who sang Musetta there, once only as it turned out, as instead of singing “Felice mi fa” she sang “FALLAce mi fa”. Never heard of again, poverina.
Oh, now you remind me of the inspiration for that Bavarian cream recipe – the many non-Italian tenors who sing “ecco ridente in cello.” Are they afraid of malicious grins from the lower string section?
Dunque, Dear Batty M., “Ecco ridente in JELLO” is a Bavarian Creme pie of sorts? I am rather unfamiliar with this type of dessert.
Soon I will be back in NYC, on the trail of that swansdown tippet, and truffes for my turkey, too. I read that Rossini only cried three times in his life, and once was when a turkey stuffed with truffes (all the rage then) accidentally fell off his picnic bateau as it floated down the river. What a guy.
Ma chère Camille, at today’s truffle prices, I wouldn’t have cried, I’d have dived in after the thing!
A Bavarian cream (a bavarois, of course) is a kind of unmolded mousse that incorporates gelatin. Dear Julia’s original cookbook has several to get you started if you’re interested.
Mon cher Monsieur Batty M.
Oh yes, a bavarois–now I understand what you intend better! No, I would never buy Julia’s cookbook–as I did toy with the idea–but I found it rather too formidable and work intensive for a little old lady like me, at this late date.
There is quite a wonderful epicerie/ristorante, Sapori d’Ischia, in NYC (actually in Queens) that has an entire series of truffle inspired dinners which they host at this time of year. They may sell them in the groceries department. They are the fresh catch from Italy, so scrumptious! I will check on the prices and apprise you of them when I am able.
In the meantime, I can only echo Julia with a hearty Bon Appetit!!
I miss the Redwood Highway! So beautiful and inspirational!
Speaking of closely watched crotches, has it been noted that Pavol Breslik is “ill’ tonight and that Bruce Sledge will sing Ferrando at the Met?
Indeed it has and I have it from on high that Sledge will be even better than Breslik.
from a Suite101.com plot synopsis
“Rance is disgusted that Minnie loves Johnson. Ashby, hot on the trail of Johnson, catches him after an extended chase….”
We have an early leader.
Like a *Startled Hind*, Minnie ejaculates: “Per sempre, Dick”.
Despite his heroic efforts, Marcello Giordani could not rise up to the standard set by Franco Corelli’s Dick.
Well, sad to say, that’s just going to be the plain old unvarnished truth. No one can reach Franco’s Dick!
I DO hope he attends to that bleeding chin.