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Boston Globe
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Tenor SeokJong Baek makes a stunning BSO debut in 'Tosca'
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up His phrasing in both of the character's big arias was supple and unforced, with no signs of strain, and his voice had a gorgeously gleaming resonant quality throughout the evening. Cavaradossi's big Act 2 moment, his extended cry of 'Vittoria, vittoria,' seared with raw defiance; triumphant while seemingly wavering on the edge of collapse. Baek also conveyed as much tender chemistry as the concert staging allowed with the Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais, the frequent BSO collaborator (and former wife of conductor Nelsons) who sang the title role. That the lovers ultimately meet tragic fates is no secret, but as they reached the apex of their act 3 duet, the ultimately futile plan to escape that of which they sang felt real enough to grasp, not simply a vain hope. Advertisement Baek is somewhat new to the tenor sphere, having originally trained as a baritone before transitioning to tenor during the height of the pandemic, when opera houses were closed. If he can consistently deliver performances of this quality and reliably follow through on his bookings, I predict full houses for him. Advertisement Baek's stunning performance was even more impressive given the two veterans with whom he shared star billing. Opolais performed the same role when the BSO did the opera's Act 2 in concert at Tanglewood in 2017, and she made a much stronger showing this time. She was unusually quiet in the first act, barely rising above the sound of the orchestra at some points, but she came back at full power for acts 2 and 3, limning 'Vissi d'arte' with silvery grace. Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel also returned from the 2017 Tanglewood cast; he has long counted Scarpia among his signature characters, and recently announced that he'd no longer be singing the role in staged performances of 'Tosca.' His voice is distinctly more weathered than it used to be, but Scarpia is maybe 90 percent acting, and those chops haven't gone anywhere. He didn't so much chew the scenery as devour it; sneering, leering, and purloining Tosca's scarf so he could conspicuously sniff it, he made for a power-drunk and easily detestable Scarpia. The supporting cast was also strong, from Neal Ferreira's brown-nosing Spoletta to Morris Robinson's puissant and panicked Angelotti and Patrick Carfizzi's pettily pious Sacristan. Extra special kudos is due to the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Vocal Program, who filled seemingly every square foot of stage for the 'Te Deum' at the close of Act 1, and demonstrated you don't need scenery to create a spectacle. Advertisement It's worth noting that the day before, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus also beautifully performed Rachmaninoff's contemplative, joyous 'All-Night Vigil' as a prelude concert to Sutton Foster and Kelli O'Hara's fabulous evening with the Boston Pops in the Shed, and Ozawa Hall and the lawn behind it were crowded with attentive listeners. Almost every Broadway baby was a choir kid at some point. Kelli O'Hara and Sutton Foster perform with the Boston Pops. Hilary Scott Sunday afternoon sweltered as piano diva Yuja Wang took the stage with Nelsons and the pre-professional ensemble Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra for Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 2, and to the audience (and the rapt throng of young musicians), she delivered dynamite. Leading the student orchestra, Nelsons was visibly less free with his gestures than he is with the BSO, which seems to have mind-melded with him such that he can convey his intentions in ways opaque to outsiders. Wang is always a captivating performer, but there was something unusually elemental about her on Sunday afternoon; I spotted a few mouths on stage hanging open as she attacked the first movement's towering solo, her hands leaping through the score's twists and turns and attacking the keys with precise force. It was enough to drive all thoughts of the heat away. Not to leave without a parting encore, Wang threw down three before intermission; a Sibelius etude, a Schubert song, and a Horowitz 'Carmen' arrangement. In the second half, as the story behind Berlioz's fever dream 'Symphonie fantastique' took its dark turn in the third movement, staff fanned out across the lawn ordering everyone to shelter in the Shed; there had been lightning spotted nearby. The sun was still shining at that point, but twenty minutes later, the wind shrieked behind the bells of the Witches' Sabbath before a deafening boom of thunder ushered in the 'Dies Irae' chant and the sky cracked open, drenching the chairs and coolers left on the lawn. No one could leave until the weather emergency lifted, and the TMC Orchestra deservedly basked in a full house's worth of applause. Advertisement BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER ORCHESTRA Tanglewood, Lenox. A.Z. Madonna can be reached at
Spectator
02-07-2025
- General
- Spectator
Admit it: most wedding speeches are awful
Perhaps the most traumatic part of attending an American wedding – much worse than the bridesmaids coming in the wrong way, the proliferation of dinner suits and the tendency of couples to write their own appalling vows – is the tradition of the 'rehearsal dinner'. This, an event the night before the wedding, is where the United States of America gets to play out its full psychotic breakdown in the context of a couple's nuptials. Anyone, and I mean, anyone, is allowed to stand up and make a speech. Meaning that Uncle Robert E. Lee IV from Alabama can stand up and compare marriage to the Battle of Antietam while Cousin Xi/Her from Portland, Oregon, can rise to give a polemic on how marriage is a form of oppression, but in this case she'll let it pass. If only we'd have known that the non-conformist instincts of the pilgrims would come back to bite us in such a horrific way, we'd have sunk the Mayflower before it left Plymouth harbour. I say come back to bite us, because these American customs are now popping up in English weddings with alarming speed. Nowhere is this clearer than in the amount of wedding oration – both before and after dinner. Indeed, one of the least consequential side-effects of the 1960s revolution has been the inflation of wedding speeches. It feels outdated – sexist, even – to limit the talking to the groom, best man and father of the bride, so now basically everyone gets to have a go: bride, maid of honour, mother of the groom, you name it. Divorce has only added to the potential rollcall. A stepfather may have had far more to do with a bride's upbringing than a biological father, and therefore requires a speech too. All very inclusive, but the playbill does start to look fuller and fuller. Suddenly, rather than having two parties demanding to be represented, you might have four, or even eight. Often these come in such quick succession that listeners are denied a moment in between to recharge their glass and at least dull the horror with alcohol. All this is compounded by the rather awkward fact that many of us simply can't make speeches. Given that the House of Commons has become a rhetorical dead-zone (e.g. 'Does my Hon. Friend agree with me that we are moving at pace to deliver on our plan for change?'), it seems unfair to expect that generation of Home Counties dads to be masters of oratory. Rather than spare us the ignominy of having to listen, however, the modern tactic seems to be a policy of safety in numbers, as if five bad speeches are somehow better than one. For my wedding later this month, we will be only too happy to keep speeches at a minimum. Having gone to town on the church service – full choir, four hymns plus a Te Deum, two scriptural readings and two poems – paring back the after-dinner element seems only fair. The hope is that by that time, most guests will have drunk enough to lose at least two of their five senses. We have also been mindful that, in the grand scheme of things, having lengthy speeches – beyond a quick toast – is a fairly recent innovation. So much of modern romance owes its philosophical grounding to Jane Austen; yet despite the popular imagination of her as a doyenne of weddings, the novels yield almost no detail about the ceremonies themselves, apart from Mrs Elton's bitchy little aside about Emma's pared-back wedding: 'Very little white satin, very few lace veils. A most pitiful business!' There are certainly no speeches mentioned. Perhaps the greatest fictional wedding oratory comes in Four Weddings and a Funeral, where Tom, played by James Fleet, tries to copy his friend Charles's (Hugh Grant) more successful best man speech from an earlier wedding, but it all goes horribly wrong. In the film it lands badly; I happen to think it's the single funniest minute of all. 'When Bernard told me he was getting engaged to Lydia, I congratulated him because all his other girlfriends have been such complete dogs… Although may I say how delighted we are to have so many of them here this evening.' This is actually an ideal best man speech because, on a day where every moment is plotted out to the second, it brings a joyous touch of anarchy – and when so much wedding time is given over to sentimentality and pleasing untruths about the perfection of the couple, it can offer a welcome moment of relief, and reality. That said, too much Dutch courage can be perilous. A best man slurring his way through five pages of pre-prepared gags and boorish anecdotes about stag-do antics is the only thing worse than the doling out of mawkish praise. So – a plea this wedding season – let's keep the speeches short, and ideally not too sweet.
Straits Times
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Argentina reeling from poverty, pensioner hardship, says archbishop in sermon
Argentina's President Javier Milei walks outside the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral on the day of the traditional Te Deum to commemorate the 215th anniversary of the May Revolution, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 25, 2025. REUTERS/Cristina Sille BUENOS AIRES - The Archbishop of Buenos Aires used his pulpit on Sunday to voice criticism of Argentine President Javier Milei's policies addressing poverty and support for pensioners. At the Te Deum religious ceremony for the anniversary of the May Revolution of 1810, where Milei, a libertarian, and his cabinet were present, Archbishop Jorge Garcia Cuerva told the congregation that in Argentina "fraternity, tolerance, and respect are dying." "Our country is bleeding. So many brothers and sisters suffer marginalization and exclusion," said Garcia Cuerva, who heads the archdiocese of Buenos Aires, the former home base of Pope Francis. He called for support for the poor, young people who are victims of drug trafficking and pensioners. "Retirees deserve a dignified life with access to medicine and food, a wound that has remained open and bleeding for years, but as a society we must heal it soon," Garcia Cuerva said. Milei has implemented sweeping public spending cuts since taking office at the end of 2023 in a bid to control the country's years-long economic crisis. Pensioners, who have been badly hit by the cuts, protest in the streets every Wednesday and often face police repression. Garcia Cuerva also referred to the "constant aggression" on social media and called for a "stop to hate." "We have crossed all boundaries. Disqualification, constant aggression, mistreatment, and defamation seem to be commonplace," the archbishop said. During Garcia Cuerva's comments, Milei was seen listening with a stern expression. Milei's government frequently uses social media to refer to politicians, economists and journalists who question its policies as "baboons," "degenerates," "underachievers," and "mongoloids." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Argentina reeling from poverty, pensioner hardship, says archbishop in sermon
Archbishop of Buenos Aires Jorge Ignacio Garcia Cuerva speaks during a press conference, after the death of Pope Francis was announced by the Vatican, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 21, 2025. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -The Archbishop of Buenos Aires used his pulpit on Sunday to voice criticism of Argentine President Javier Milei's policies addressing poverty and support for pensioners. At the Te Deum religious ceremony for the anniversary of the May Revolution of 1810, where Milei, a libertarian, and his cabinet were present, Archbishop Jorge Garcia Cuerva told the congregation that in Argentina "fraternity, tolerance, and respect are dying." "Our country is bleeding. So many brothers and sisters suffer marginalization and exclusion," said Garcia Cuerva, who heads the archdiocese of Buenos Aires, the former home base of Pope Francis. He called for support for the poor, young people who are victims of drug trafficking and pensioners. "Retirees deserve a dignified life with access to medicine and food, a wound that has remained open and bleeding for years, but as a society we must heal it soon," Garcia Cuerva said. Milei has implemented sweeping public spending cuts since taking office at the end of 2023 in a bid to control the country's years-long economic crisis. Pensioners, who have been badly hit by the cuts, protest in the streets every Wednesday and often face police repression. Garcia Cuerva also referred to the "constant aggression" on social media and called for a "stop to hate." "We have crossed all boundaries. Disqualification, constant aggression, mistreatment, and defamation seem to be commonplace," the archbishop said. During Garcia Cuerva's comments, Milei was seen listening with a stern expression. Milei's government frequently uses social media to refer to politicians, economists and journalists who question its policies as "baboons," "degenerates," "underachievers," and "mongoloids." (Reporting by Lucila Sigal, writing by Cassandra Garrison; editing by Clelia Oziel)
Spectator
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
‘I've seen controllers come and go': Radio 3's Michael Berkeley interviewed
A few years ago I had a panic-stricken phone call from a female friend. 'Help!' she wailed. 'Remind me what classical music I like. I think I'm going to be a guest on Private Passions.' I could understand her anxiety. The programme, which celebrated its 30th birthday this month, is BBC Radio 3's lofty version of Desert Island Discs. Eminent writers, scientists, artists and businessmen, plus the occasional book-plugging celeb, explain how music – mostly but not exclusively classical – is, well, one of their private passions. Even if, as in the case of my friend, it isn't. It's an honour to be asked on the show, which is presented by Michael Berkeley – the first classical composer since Benjamin Britten to be elevated to the House of Lords. In other words, if you're bluffing about your lifelong love affair with Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen, then Lord Berkeley of Knighton will rumble you instantly, though he'll be far too polite to let on. In the end my friend chickened out. I didn't blame her, though I'd love to have heard her enthusing about Schubert's Piano Sonata D960 or Haydn's Te Deum – both chosen by me. It's amazing how many otherwise cultivated people just don't get classical music. They rhapsodise about Manet or Mann but fall silent if they're asked about a new cycle of Bruckner symphonies. Yet, unlike my friend, I suspect few of them would turn down Private Passions. Even the King has been a guest. In 2018 he chose Haydn's C major Cello Concerto, the Quintet from Die Meistersinger, a chorus from Jean-Marie Leclair's Scylla et Glaucus and Leonard Cohen's 'Take This Waltz'.
