Halten und Lassen

Tonight marks the final performance of Der Rosenkavalier @bay_staatsoper in the iconic Schenk/Rose production. To think of all the great artists who have performed this production over the past 5 decades, well, there are no words! In Gottes Namen! pic.twitter.com/2FWbynN8Xa

— Adrianne Pieczonka (@pieczonka_a) March 21, 2018

Whirt Shirt Monday: Cinderella

[And sometimes, Prince Charming is a Golden Girl: Helen Lepalaan (Le Prince Charmant) in Massenet’s “Cendrillon”, Opera Zuid 2008.]

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Video Alert: Echo Klassik 2017 aka Mezzos for President

[Joyce DiDonato singing “Thy hand, Belinda” from Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” with Il Pomo d’Oro during the award ceremony for the Echo Klassik 2017, Hamburg/Elbphilharmonie 2017]

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If there is a more poignant image in music and its power this week than the tear streaking through DiDonato’s heavy make-up as she sings – being awarded for the Album of The Year für “War & Peace” – Dido’s lament at the Eccho Klassik Awards, I’ve yet to see it.

Well, there is also the standing ovation for Brigitte Fassbaender while accepting her Lifetime Achievement Award in flats and with a no-nonsense attitude, which speaks to me on a spiritual level, so have your pick.

Upcoming Liveblog: Guess What

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[17 roses in Schönbrunn Park (Vienna) this morning (a silver one next week). – Sometimes,  we simply need a few hundred leaves of beauty.]

 

“La Calisto” on Culturebox tonight

Well.

It seems the God of Mt. Olympus do deliver; the alert is finally up for tonight and some artists involved have begun tweeting out the link. AAAaaaaaaah!

See you tonight, and bring the peacock popcorn!

 

From Anik’s Kitchen: Brioches

If you pass through Vienna, do make a stop at Kaffeeküche down in the Jonasreindl, a small cornerspot in the middle of an underground traffic station (Schottentor). They sell what is likely the best coffee in town and they also sell Parisian Brioches: tiny perfect fluffy things of subtly sweet white bread. And to top it off, they offer them filled-on-the-spot with chocolate or Marillenkonfitüre (apricot jam). Take the latter. Heaven.

They are closed on the weekends, though, so I had to come come up with a second-best thing made from scratch. Verdict: The whole batch was gone within an hour of making it. Parigi, o cara, noi lasceremo – we will make these wherever we go.