If I were in Paris... Friday, October 5, 2012

If I were in Paris today...

I'd go to the exhibit on Bohemes at the Grand Palais. This exhibit is dedicated to the myth of Bohemia as the "home" of artists, starting in the mid-19th century. The exhibition includes the work of such artists as de la Tour, Degas, Corot, Turner, Matisse, Van Gogh and Picasso and traces the intersections of artistic life not only in the visual arts but in literature, criticism and music.

This is one of the new brand of exhibitions curated to connect grand themes across and through and between artists and media and styles.

There's a music festival and exhibition dedicated to Django Reinhardt starting tomorrow, as well. At the Cite de la Musique, it includes concerts through next week. Reinhardt was the jazz guitarist who introduced and made world-famous that distinctive French sound evoking French gypsy music. Reinhardt was born into a family of gypsies living in Paris, and started recording as early as age 18.

By the way if you are a fan of the film Chocolat, you'll recognize the style.

And yes, in both cases, I'd wind up the day in the bookstores.

But this is the perfect day to be walking along the Seine or through the Jardins du Luxembourg, to enjoy autumn. To take a lunch of French baguette, cheese, grapes or figs and an Orangina or split of wine, along with your best book and a camera. Yum!

Tuesday

Yesterday I worked in the archives at Tolbiac all day (9 am - 3 pm) then took the train out to Versailles. Very production day, but my back hurt! Friday and Saturday I'll be out there again.

Last night I saw the opera ALCINA by Handel in concert form in the royal opera house built by Louis XVI. Here is a YouTube of the group, to give you a taste. It was bloody fantastic! Marvelous soloists and marvelous group.

Today I will go out to the gardens--despite drizzly, cool weather--and see both Trianons and Marie Antoinette's farm. Oh, and the shopping.

Here's Les Talens Lyriques, just playing. This mezzo-soprano was one of the soloists last night; she sings the castrato role, because of course there are no more castrati.

Day 4: Errands and Printing

Today's tasks include printing out more items (I ran out of ink at home, so have to go to the office), picking up books at the office, and picking up dry cleaning. Also: laying out what I plan to pack and editing. Ferociously.

Today's discussion has to be Versailles and the Handel festival this summer. I plan to buy a ticket to one of the Handel operas being performed in Versaille's opera theatre, and then spend the following day visiting the Trianons and Marie Antoinette's ferme. Two days, with an overnight in a hotel in Versailles.

Why? Never seen an opera at Versailles. Never visited the ferme or the Trianons. Been inside the papalce multiple times... I can forego another visit, but this seems the right moment to make the rest happen. Did it, got it... ticket to Alcina by Handel (in the gods!), hotel room, ticket to gardens for the following day--Done!

What I'll do on Day 7 & 8: go back to the archives. The whole thing about working in the archives is that I have figured out that working no more than four hours is the smart move; any more time than that working ina second and my brain becomes mush. I have a translation project on hand for the down time, so I can certainly find things to do outside of the necessary research: translate the play, finish/edit/submit the second novel, write the paper I'll be giving in Exeter, prepare my Oxford course. LOTS to do... not including visitng cafes, museums, monuments, and shopping.

One more time... and Hoagy Charmichael treat

Well, it was a weekend full of crazy student plays and grading and sleeping--finally! The weather here in Big D has turned "winter-y": meaning it is a constant cold, damp rain that seeps into one's bones and takes root.

Crazy woman that I am, I still have my bedroom window open... for fresh air. I sleep bundled under two quilts, one regular and one down. In flannel pjs. And socks. And I love it!

The downside is that when not bundled in quilts, one must wear sweatshirts and other generally bulky, warm layers... resembling the Michelin Man (or L'Homme de Michelin, if one feels the need to become more elegant). Not usually a good look, but at home? Alone? Who cares.

I am now in the end-of-semester part where a/ students finally realize what the math means; b/ grading must be done quickly so as not to pile up; c/ every day has some kind of final, evaluation, or meeting scheduled, which must be handled before I spend the holidays at my folks' house...

The treat: Hoagy Carmichael himself playing "Stardust" on the piano. Sublime!

My Favorite Things: "Soul Driver" by Bruce Springsteen

What a weekend! I found myself driving south to San Marcos, Texas, to see a play, then driving back... 24 hours for the entire trip, 10 of which I spent on the road. But I stopped for barbecue going south, and you know I love me some barbecue.

The rest of the weekend was cleaning house, putting closets and drawers in order because the autumn weather is FINALLY here and I am wearing sweaters and jeans and socks and warm jackets. Wow! I ahve all my windows open, so the house is chilly... but full of fresh, cool air. I wear thick socks and a sweater or sweatshirt indoors, and I don't care!

This coming week is all about finishing the mid-term grading, planning for the end of the semester, ordering books for next semester... and moving forward. I feel healthy and in a pretty good place.

In that spirit, I offer "Soul Driver" by Bruce Springsteen.

This is, hands down, my favorite Bruce ballad. Rare footage of rehearsal, and the best version available. I've never heard this live in concert. Also shows how very good a guitarist Bruce is, right up front.



In the recorded version, I love the moment when he laughs!

When I get married, this will be my wedding song. Down the aisle, first dance, whatever.

Janis Joplin, just 'cause it's Friday

Live recording from Eagle Rock.






Nothing like her.

10.26 -- Natalie Merchant's birthday

Love this song!



Beautful celebration of different women.

If I was in Paris... July 15, 2011

I'd definitely enjoy the clean-up from Bastille Day celebrations, which is undoubtedly going on all over the city. And with the temperatures only at 79 degrees and sunny, it would be a beautiful day to take the train to Versailles and enjoy the gardens.

Versailles is a wonderful day trip, but you do have to plan carefully in order to miss the hoardes of tourists who go there every day during warm weather.

A couple of serious pieces of advice:
reserve/buy your ticket on line a day or more ahead of time, including printing it out;
the chateau opens at 9 am: get there before it opens, by taking an early train from Paris and a picnic breakfast; plan to arrive by 8:30, at least;
the gardens open earlier and stay open later... go after you've seen the chateau.

Entrance courtyard

If this is your first visit, buy the ticket for the general chateau (des Grands Appartments,15 euros), which includes all the public rooms in the main building, including the Hall of Mirrors. If you go on a not-so-busy-day that will take you about 90-120 minutes, unless you simply cannot stand the crowds or get caught in them.

After that, you must make a choice.

Map: Chateau at bottom, canal at top

I would suggest the tour of the private rooms including the Chapel/Theatre for an English-language tour (and these ONLY go at 930 am daily) which take you to the royal apartments of Louis XV, the Chapel, and the Opera in a guided tour. If you buy the tickets online, you will also get a ticket for the Petit Trianon and Marie Antoinette's theatre: a 2-fer.  I have taken this tour several times and it is very good; you'll have to do it prior to the general tour.

Or--plan to see the gardens. The gardens are extensive--including the Petit Trianon, Marie Antoinette's "farmhouse" and the Grand Trianon. The gardens between the house and the Canal are much, much bigger than they look, and making it to any of these three very interesting constructions, especially on a hot day... enough.

Latona Fountain: looking to canal from back of chateau

Les Grands Eaux are on Saturdays and Sundays only during the summer season: the fountains in the gardens are turned on, and baroque music blasts as well, giving it a certain aspect of "The Sun King" as you promenade. The tickets are extra, unlike the free access during the rest of the week.

You will also want to visit one--or more--of the several shops, which do not duplicate merchandise.

Orangerie: Still holds orange trees from 1660s

In other words, make a plan and work it thoroughly. There are places to eat on site, where you cna grab a sandwich or sit down to a more elaborate (and expensive) meal. It is not worth it to leave the site, eat, and return. (See below for my caveat here.) If you can, bring sandwiches, fruit, a baguette and cheese, and your own water. mostly to avoid the crowds. You can certainly eat in the gardens, and alongside the Canal is a nice spot.

You can also rent a boat and go out onto the canal, andI believe bikes are for rent in town, if you simply want to bike the gardens and do nothing else. Also not a bad way to spend the day.

Right now there is an exhibition on "Le XVIIIe au gout du jour" at the Grand Trianon of the fashions of the most popular era of the early 18th century. It is co-curated with the Musee Galliera, which is the leading fashion museum in Paris (I've written about it before here and in other Friday in Paris posts). The description looks fantastic, if you are a buff of history, fashion, costume, or cultural history.

And closing this weekend--Sunday--is an exhibition "Venise Vivaldi Versailles" about the baroque triad. Yes, I would go go go! This weekend is a performance of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons played by Fabio Biondi, the violin soloist. Played in the damn Opera! Oh, my goodness!!!!

In other words, Versailles is a huge "French baroque" theme park and it will take you at least a day to see even part of it. Oh, and on the way home stop at Le Potager du Roy for dinner: the vegetarian food expertly prepared there comes from the original gardens of Louis XIV, which are also open for viewing. The Sun King loved vegetables, including asparagus, peas, and enarly everything except the potato, which he found to be common. Expensive but worth it.

Men in Power, or Tonight's Opera Talk

Tonight I am one of three panelists taking part in the discussion "Sex, Guilt, and The Diva" in the Dallas Opera's summer subscriber series. We are focusing specifically on La Traviata and Katya Kabanova.

My role, as explained to me, is to be the theatre expert (both plays are based on 19th-century dramas) and to offer feminist insight. I was told we want our discussion to be informative but not academic, and fun. All of which is great, and right up my alley.

Facts: La Traviata, Giuseppi Verdi's 1859 opera, was based on Alexandre Dumas fils' novel/play La Dame aux Camellias (usually referred to as Camille,which was in turn the title of the 1936 film starring Greta Garbo base don Dumas's novel/play). All versions focus on a courtesan who falls in love with a young, middle-class man and leaves her demi-monde life behind. In turn, his father comes to her and begs Marguerite/Violetta/Camille to set the young man free for the sake of his family's honor; she agrees, and returns to her old life, just in time to die from consumption (tuberculosis).

Katya Kabanova, Leos Janacek's 1920 opera is based on Alexander Ostrovsky's 1860 play The Storm. One of Ostrovsky's social dramas, the play and opera tell the story of Katya, a young wife who is bullied by her mother-in-law and her husband. She loves a neighbor and, while her husband is away, is tempted to meet the lover at night, which her mother-in-law discovers. When her husband returns, Katya confesses in front of all the neighbors, and then drowns herself in the Volga.

Verdi's opera is much more "traditional" in its structure and the style of the music. It is the second most performed opera worldwide (The Magic Flute is #1, and also part of this year's season in the Big D). Both operas dervive from plays that are, surprisingly, critiques of middle-class values, even while the middle-class values triumph. Both women die--one from consumption (a wasting disease) and one from suicide (derived from the guilt of adultery). Both plays and operas openly depict the double standard about sexuality for men and women, as well as the reality of women's limited opportunities.

Both are about doomed love, as well, which is, of course, the central draw for many spectators, as well as the gorgeous music.

I'll tell more about this tomorrow... but it has made me think about our recent news items about "men in power," since both authority, sexuality, and middle-class values seem to be a common thread.

My Favorite Things: Pandora

Right now I am listening to the Johann Sebastian Bach channel on my Pandora site. Thru my television.

"Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore." "It's like living in the future..." (name that movie and TV show!)

Seriously, I love that I can identify one artist or composer, and Pandora creates a playlist for me. If I don't like an artist, I can skip or dislike, and refine my own soundtrack. Yet another way my vinyl records are more and more obsolete.

But I like Pandora. In a movement toward minimalism, Pandora allows me to eliminate vinyl, tapes, CDs, and even the iPod, if I want. Of course, one does need a/ a computer with speakers/sound or b/ a Roku player synched up to both wireless and a TV to receive the music... There is less control than an iPod, which contains all your musical holdings/desires and plays them with with a flick of the finger--because I must react to whatever Pandora serves up under my title/rubric--but I actually like that for the most part. The fun of FM radio, for example, is the choice factor of what will a particular DJ play; you can only choose the type of station (classic rock, country, classic, alternative rock) but the DJ chooses the cuts.

And filling my house with endless recordings on my Bach channel or Mozart channel or Creedence channel or French Cafe channel for a couple hours without having to do anything more than turn it on... a pleasure.

And, well, free. Sort of--after the Roku player, wireless monthly charges, and electricity charges.

Shakira -- Aquarius!

Confession: I like Shakira. I wish I could move my hips like she does. I wish I could sing like she does.

She is a singer, songwriter, musician, and (hello, Aquarius!) a major philanthropist. Her albums have been off-the-chart successful, her singles hugely popular, and she broke out of the Latin American market into America (which equals the global market--I guess--and is what everyone wants!).

Her video of the official FIFA/World Cup song of 2010, written and performed by Shakira:



And (bonus) those great looking soccer players!

She is from Colombia, but has not only used influences from Latino music and native Latin American sources, but was also highly influenced by gritty American and British groups like The Pretenders. Her influences range, to say the least. I love it. I think it is great that she sings in Spanish and English--why not?

But like Carmen Miranda, people from Colombia and the Latino world have criticized her for this, for turning her back on her roots for money... really?



I think it's pretty impressive that she can record the same song in both languages and it is successful... and you can hear the Andean instruments here.

The girl is constantly and consistently singing concerts for charitable groups. She has founded her own charitiable group which funds schools for poor children in Colombia. She worked against the Arizona anti-immigration laws. She has worked with and created groups performing for unity among Latino artists (and raising money for the region!). She is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. She has personally donated millions of her own hard-earned dollars...

On her own time and dime, right? On top of a hugely successful global career as a performer and writer... wow.

And she continues to study history and participate in academic programs around the world.

See: I love Shakira!

Carole King -- Aquarian

Because of my age, Tapestry was one of the iconic albums of my youth and Carole King one of the first women I saw on the cover of an album filled with songs she had written.

That was something, for girls my age, because rock and roll was full of male performers, all-male bands, and women singing songs by men. There were probably lots of women trying to do what King did, but she was the first one I saw and recognized as different.

And it wasn't all about the hair or the makeup or the dress. She didn't seem manufactured--although she had probably found an image that worked for her, which she's kept throughout her career and, frankly, personal life.

Plus, the songs were singable, the lyrics interesting, and they seemed to be about girls, or women, which msot rock and roll songs weren't, except from an objectifying, "Oh, aren't you pretty" kind of way. They were about being inside the feelings, feeling the feelings, doing the loving, being the friend, not just being looked at.

And from that standpoint, "You've Got a Friend" is one of the most Aquarian songs, ever. Right?

But if Tapestry is everything you know about King--and for a long time, it was, for me--you're missing 90% of the event. Before Tapestry she carved out a career as a spngwriter starting in 1961 ("Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?") through this past decade, when she was still releasing new songs, touring (with James Taylor among others), and appearing on stage on on albums with others. She's written songs for TV and film and continued to write new songs for other performers. Her roll of songs and recordings is amazing.

And kind of inspirational, considering she was a Brooklyn girl growing up in the 1950s: clearly, she had a big dream and talent, and followed that.

I also love that she's continued to write new songs, for herself and others, and obviously cultivated strong relationships with people in the business. Other artists want to collaborate with her, and songwriters and performers recognize her talent.

I find it ironic that despite the fact that Tapestry broke all business records and won awards (4 Grammys, for example) and defined "platinum" before that definition existed in the music industry, despite the fact that that album alone stayed on charts and held records for 11 years (kicked out by Michael Jackson's Thriller), it only made #36 on Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums, and it took until 1987 for her to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and until 1990 to make the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And both times, she was inducted with her former writing partner and ex-husband, Gerry Goffin.

She also has four children from her first two marriages, which can't have been easy: working in the music business (mostly in LA) and raising kids.

October's music videos... last day!

Last one: #22, George Michael, "Faith"



Which has been a good thing for me during the last 2 weeks!

October's music videos

#21, Talking Heads, "Burning Down The House" -- live version

October's music videos

#20, Wham, "Wake me up.."

Ah, the original boyz.



Nothing to add.

October's music videos

#19, M.C. Hammer, "You Can't Touch This"



The girls, the colors, the crazy crazy PANTS!

October music videos

#18, Irene Cara, "Flashdance"

I'm a welder, I'm a ballerina... I'm a welder! I'm a stripper! Oh, the identity confusion of the early 80s!



And dig the crazy legwarmers! You know you had a pair... or three!

October's music videos

#17, Prince, "Purple Rain" from the movie of the same name.



Iconic. Don't mess with Prince!

October's music videos

#16, Dire Straits, "Sultans of Swing"

One of the best rock songs ever, in my opinion, especially with Knopfler on guitar. This is the live version, since the video is un-embedded.



Bonus: "Tunnel of Love" which I really liked. Great sound.

October's music videos

#15, Joan Jett, "I Love Rock & Roll"

You go, girl.



I notice the music vids by women aren't protected... what's that about?

"Put another dime in the juke box, baby" -- wow!