Well if you were one of the lucky ones to be captivated by the LAOpera performance of Manon by Jules Massenet, then you were astounded by the Sunday matinee at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. From the updated setting in the 1950s, the razor sharp lighting, and to the steamy performances of Villazon and Netrebko, we all soaked up alot first class work by this company.
Opera works best when all its parts are well oiled, so to speak. LAOpera seems to be better and better fine tuned as each production rolls off the assembly line. While some of the new operas are exquisitely staged, it is the older operas that just knock your socks off with a polish and performance that makes me feel like I am staring at a 1930s Cord displayed in all its awesome glory.
This Manon has a wonderful 1950's concept that seems to translate well until the death scene the prison death seems over done for the time. But, it is a small point after you have been captivated by scenes, acting, lighting, and singing that seems to sparkle like an Ozzie and Harriet's kitchen. Even the costuming works to bring you into 50s Paris of haute couture, post war jubilance, and the destruction of money that modern society says is love. This undercurrent commentary elevates the performance from well performed to stellar.
Some of us do not have the knowledge of some of the opera buffs, but you cannot mistake the performances of Rolando Villazon and Anna Netrebko for anything but magnetic. Their attraction for each other, their marriage, and their almost exhibitionist performance placed the parts of Manon and des Grieux into a mind warp of scandal and properity. Few will forget the des Grieux's letter being held by Manon as slowly pulls it along her body as her lover reads every mushy, loving phase.
If we were not convinced, here comes the Act III, Scene II in the church where the scenery plays a prison to each characters' thoughts, yet ends up being the prop that restarts their love affair all over. Manon, is dressed in symbolic couture red, while des Griuex's gray robes seem like a moth trying to resist the flame of Manon's apology.
But, what caught my ear was an aria of des Grieux as he sings of his lone place now that Manon has left him and God is his light to forget the past. His conviction seems assured, but minutes later he is surprised by the destructive force that is Manon. Manon as the operatic mammon corrupts all around her as shes spins a confection of doom she seems addicted to wherever she goes. Without money, she dies. And, real love is part of her last breathe as she relizes what she has done.
What a worth while time courtesy of the LAOpera!
20061010
20060927
Design of the Day
Well it should not surprise anyone when I say that we have good and bad days. I am not sure why we have them, but I think it is partly due to the pace of our day. Frantic pace rarely produces a "good" day in my opinion. When something goes wrong, we say that the day was not "good." When the day is too boring; the day is not thought of as a "good" day.
I think my best days are the ones with a balance of structure and accomplishment. They seem to end with a positive outlook. They are days that a sense of peace pervades the deeds and actions.
Today is a good day as most are. We remember the bad days maybe because they get fewer in number as we progress into our better days. It is just a suggestion. Yet, even a gray day can be 'good' when compared to a black day.
I like my house to face east to brighten my day. A "good" day is usually brighter, yet there have been some stormy days that were "good" as in different. I remember a "good" day when we lived in Kansas City and the tornado threats were present, but the clouds were awesome columns with lightening passing through clear blue sky. The winds excited the air. You knew an adventure was about to happen for this teenager. That was a "good" day. The weather front came through, and we hid in the basement. My Mom was out shopping in the Country Club Plaza with a good friend. We wondered how they were doing near the center of town. We listened to the radio for weather updates while the war of weather carried on above us. We were all safe. It was a "good" day.
I think my best days are the ones with a balance of structure and accomplishment. They seem to end with a positive outlook. They are days that a sense of peace pervades the deeds and actions.
Today is a good day as most are. We remember the bad days maybe because they get fewer in number as we progress into our better days. It is just a suggestion. Yet, even a gray day can be 'good' when compared to a black day.
I like my house to face east to brighten my day. A "good" day is usually brighter, yet there have been some stormy days that were "good" as in different. I remember a "good" day when we lived in Kansas City and the tornado threats were present, but the clouds were awesome columns with lightening passing through clear blue sky. The winds excited the air. You knew an adventure was about to happen for this teenager. That was a "good" day. The weather front came through, and we hid in the basement. My Mom was out shopping in the Country Club Plaza with a good friend. We wondered how they were doing near the center of town. We listened to the radio for weather updates while the war of weather carried on above us. We were all safe. It was a "good" day.
20060926
Russian Easter Overture
There is a setting and mode in the Russian Easter Overture that always seems attractive to me. I am not sure if it is the lushness of the strings and horns, the playfulness of the woodwinds, or and etheral quality, yet it seems to foster a strong sense of mystery and fantasy in my thinking. I often use music to incite creative thought and projects. This piece continues to provide a strong connection with any creative muse I may have watching over me. Artists using music in the creative process is not unusual. I am glad there is the opportunity to use music to generate my drawings because it helps alot. When I am not particularily creative, music can jump start the creative process better than other stimuli.
Design for Reference
Wikipedia has been interesting me lately. Even time I do research I seem to end up there. I guess that is an endorsement. It does not hurt Wikipedia that they seem to be at the top of the search pile.
INITIVM III deadline
For all you artists, composers, and writers, the deadline for submissions to "The Tree" is 31 December 2006.
Whether you are considering the tree is to be used as a metaphor or the real thing, your creativity is encouraged.
Whether you are considering the tree is to be used as a metaphor or the real thing, your creativity is encouraged.
20060827
Archiving
In the latest effort to narrow down INITIVM's TM format for INITIVM III, it is amazing the number of archival containers are out there to used. I am sort of finding it mind bending. It is fasinating to understand the design of the technology of preservation. History International Channel was showing how the Persians archived through the use a stone and gold. We, today, still want to make sure that creations still have there usefulness for a long time. We try to imitate Creation in so many ways, but change toward entropy is always a problem. As archiving may be a solution, archiving needs help and support from an enlightened society to survive completely.
20060731
Quiet is underrated
God created quiet for a reason, but I cannot tell you exactly why. I can say that what quiet does for me as a creative individual is concentrate my thought process and increase my focus.
Quiet can be a relative thing depending on the place you are. I am sitting here listening to a combination of the landscape maintenance crew and the air conditioning. While this is not ideal, it is better than the television. We all have our own perceptions of quiet.
Those perceptions give some people peace when the television is turned on and they are on the phone. Other people find the library more to there liking. Finding quiet in the outdoors and away from the city can be easy.
Many of us have enjoyed an afternoon under a tree with just the wind in the leaves. Yet, nature can provide its own levels of quiet and noise depending on your mood. Thunder, ocean waves, and water falls provide levels of quiet and noise some of us find peaceful.
As of late, quiet seems to be underrated. As we become more urbanized, we are used to increased stress on our ear. Some people prefer that level of sound as they are accustomed to it. Yet, I find it hard to concentrate on God with so many stimuli reaching my ears. When I want to gain a clearer picture of God, I tend to find it helps me to shut the urban sounds out. Their proximity calls my attention away from my relationship to God. God's presence is omnipresent and subtle. Quiet brings God's presence forth to nurture my relationship. Quiet renews me.
Quiet can be a relative thing depending on the place you are. I am sitting here listening to a combination of the landscape maintenance crew and the air conditioning. While this is not ideal, it is better than the television. We all have our own perceptions of quiet.
Those perceptions give some people peace when the television is turned on and they are on the phone. Other people find the library more to there liking. Finding quiet in the outdoors and away from the city can be easy.
Many of us have enjoyed an afternoon under a tree with just the wind in the leaves. Yet, nature can provide its own levels of quiet and noise depending on your mood. Thunder, ocean waves, and water falls provide levels of quiet and noise some of us find peaceful.
As of late, quiet seems to be underrated. As we become more urbanized, we are used to increased stress on our ear. Some people prefer that level of sound as they are accustomed to it. Yet, I find it hard to concentrate on God with so many stimuli reaching my ears. When I want to gain a clearer picture of God, I tend to find it helps me to shut the urban sounds out. Their proximity calls my attention away from my relationship to God. God's presence is omnipresent and subtle. Quiet brings God's presence forth to nurture my relationship. Quiet renews me.
INITIVM is accepting submissions
If you having a new work you want published, please locate INITIVM's guidelines for submittal at www.initivm.com. We welcome all with a creative spirit.
20060727
The Kitchen Garden
If you have not done a kitchen garden, you have missed a fulfilling experience. I have a very small one off my dining room on the balcany facing east. the container garden has been a real learning experience even for a horticulturist like myself. The California sun always is a factor no matter what side of the building you are on. Then, you cannot forget to tend to the watering. I am still wondering how earthworms and caterpillars find there way into and onto the plants. But I enjoy the best produce since I grew it myself!
INITIVM.COM
For those that feel creative, you are welcome to provide a submission to INITIVM III to V. Just go to the web site to find out more.
20060622
Conceptual Intregrity
This is an admitted pet peeve. A project is dreamed up with a name attached to the project. The name of the project is the one word or phase that sums up the project. So when the name does not match the design, what gives?
Some of the most problematic names are those given by marketing people not doing their research. Let us say you want to describe your housing project as "Oak Glen". Does it have an "oak" or "glen" as part of the project? More on this later....
Some of the most problematic names are those given by marketing people not doing their research. Let us say you want to describe your housing project as "Oak Glen". Does it have an "oak" or "glen" as part of the project? More on this later....
20060617
20060614
The Design of Having Nothing to Say
I had the opportunity to view a Discovery Channel program the other day. What should have been a half hour to and hour program was stretched into 2 hours so no one would miss the commercials that seemed to interrupt the program every 12 minutes. After being beaten down by all the commercials, I was wondering what real content was left. The story was appropriate, the facts were there, and there was some discussion on the future. Yet, I had the feeling I was ripped off the the editing overlapped so much that a moron could not miss the train of thought. What is it with editors that they have to repeat the same facts over and over like I didn't get it the first time? This spongy form of documentary produces alot of nothing but sensationalism. It is boring. It is not surprising that products like TIVO are popular. But even then I am not sure that removing the commercials would improve the content with editing always drifting back and forth in time. Discovery should just tell the story.
20060612
A Review of Grendel
Well the world premiere of Grendel at Los Angeles Opera was a technical wonder, beautifully costumed, and richly orchestrated. Watching this opera was enjoyable for all the action of the stage and actors. Unfortunately, the plot seemed disconnected in places and empathy for the actors was not developed. Arias, while there, were not memorable or melodic. Several I spoke with said the plot did not resonant after seeing the production.
The weakness of modern opera lately seems to be focused on spectacle like Grendel's destruction of the King's Hall, and there is a loss of character development that speaks when the drama or comedy does not draw the audience into the workings of the main characters. When Nicholas and Alexandria made a debut in Los Angeles, opportunities to play up the love and character of the Czar and his wife were missed. A child aria for the son was also a missed opportunity.
Evil is played up in modern opera to give it an edge. Grendel is a spoiled brat. Rasputin is a social libertine. We laugh at Grendel's crude remarks.
But, a sense of goodness is not used as a counter balance. In Grendel, the heroes are witless or silent. Relationships fade in favor of selfishness and self focus. Ironically, the Grendels of the modern age are seen on the television news and the tawdry talk show circuit.
We miss the full range of emotion between two lovers; the king and queen of Grendel or the czar and czarina of Nicholas and Alexandra. The agony of self doubt and loathing of a dying child as Grendel or the czaravich would give us pause for reflection. Instead, we wonder if the characters have redeeming passions when the dance orgy in Grendel or the endless drama of darkness in Nicholas and Alexandra pervade scenes.
A good story needs the pull of two opposing worlds to allow the winds of change to move through the plot, inspire empathy, and deliver interest to the audience.
The weakness of modern opera lately seems to be focused on spectacle like Grendel's destruction of the King's Hall, and there is a loss of character development that speaks when the drama or comedy does not draw the audience into the workings of the main characters. When Nicholas and Alexandria made a debut in Los Angeles, opportunities to play up the love and character of the Czar and his wife were missed. A child aria for the son was also a missed opportunity.
Evil is played up in modern opera to give it an edge. Grendel is a spoiled brat. Rasputin is a social libertine. We laugh at Grendel's crude remarks.
But, a sense of goodness is not used as a counter balance. In Grendel, the heroes are witless or silent. Relationships fade in favor of selfishness and self focus. Ironically, the Grendels of the modern age are seen on the television news and the tawdry talk show circuit.
We miss the full range of emotion between two lovers; the king and queen of Grendel or the czar and czarina of Nicholas and Alexandra. The agony of self doubt and loathing of a dying child as Grendel or the czaravich would give us pause for reflection. Instead, we wonder if the characters have redeeming passions when the dance orgy in Grendel or the endless drama of darkness in Nicholas and Alexandra pervade scenes.
A good story needs the pull of two opposing worlds to allow the winds of change to move through the plot, inspire empathy, and deliver interest to the audience.
20060610
Designing a Home Owners Association
Well, it is 4am, and I am enjoying the 'elephants' upstairs above me listening to the heavy bass that is rattling the windows in my space below. This is the dubious joy of condominium living. You sort of want to explode at all the inconsideration, but no one seems to care anyway. So....., you keep it inside and make sure your serenity is in check.
Home Owner Associations are suppose to work because all the neighbors agree with the rules. But, when the owners have tenants, all bets are off. It is a degree of separation that allows the owner to forget that they still have a responsibility to the Association. The Association management should keep everyone informed as to the rules, but if the Association is too small, the management company has bigger fish to be responsible for and Association does not get any attention. I see a design flaw.
Home Owner Associations are suppose to work because all the neighbors agree with the rules. But, when the owners have tenants, all bets are off. It is a degree of separation that allows the owner to forget that they still have a responsibility to the Association. The Association management should keep everyone informed as to the rules, but if the Association is too small, the management company has bigger fish to be responsible for and Association does not get any attention. I see a design flaw.
20060607
2006.06.07
Design comes in different forms as it is organization. Last night it assumed a political form. Living in the second council district of Long Beach, we were able to elect a new member. With 11 candidates to choose from, it was a varied group. The voters chose the person with the most public service experience and the highest offices held. The system of government and organization or design of the politics set that person well above all the others providing a clear approval.
20060606
2006.06.06 - The First Day
I am a landscape architect and artist.
The firm I have is an extension of my creativity.
The comments here will relate to that firm and the projects I am working on.
For those that review this blog will be informed of the thought process behind the projects and show the projects once they are completed.
Thank you for your patronage.
The firm I have is an extension of my creativity.
The comments here will relate to that firm and the projects I am working on.
For those that review this blog will be informed of the thought process behind the projects and show the projects once they are completed.
Thank you for your patronage.
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