SOLO-International Press Release: Keep Smoking, Quit Socialism, Mr. President!

June 24, 2009

President Benito Obamadinejad would be better advised to stop the fascist/socialist juggernaut he is driving rather than fret about falling off the wagon in his effort to quit smoking, says SOLO Principal Lindsay Perigo.

Just for Lady Slapper after her reaction to last night's gem. This is Hungarian Rhapsody #12, performed by Van Cliburn in Moscow, 1962. His fingers are nearly as dizzy as Lady S!

Value-swoon rating: 100/10:

Van Cliburn with this piece, originally for soprano and piano, set to a poem by Ferdinand Freiligrath:

Stanislav Richter with this 1831 Etude in honour of the "November Uprising" by Poles against Russia:

Kiri's in great voice at this Wellington concert a long time ago. The aria is 'In Quelle Trine Morbide' from Manon Lescaut:

This is from one of those "The Making Of ..." features, in this case the making of a CD of South Pacific. Mandy drove the stuffy orchestra mad with his perfectionism and attempts to get them to be as KASS as he was. The recording producer told him it was "all too much for them." Still, he got a good result here:

'Summertime' from Porgy and Bess by Gershwin—with grunt:

Artur Rubinstein plays Chopin's "Heroic Polonaise":

They can make love, do great food and wine, play rugby, blow up Greenpeace ships, write anthems and sing them ... pity about the rest:

Mikhail Pletnev in this astonishing performance of the third movement from Tchaikovsky's little-played Second Piano Concerto:

Evidently this was featured in Life Is Beautiful, in which case I've forgotten the scene.

"It would be unproductive, given the history of U.S.-Iran relations, for us to be seen to be meddling."—President Obama

"Neda died with her eyes open. Shame on those who live with their eyes shut."—John McCain

Six months ago Aaron Cruden was given the all-clear after a year-long battle with testicular cancer.

Today's selection is a combined effort by me and Jason. This overture is the first of several pieces written by Beethoven for Goethe's play about the Count of Egmont, who was beheaded by the Spanish for stirring up discontent with Spanish rule in the Netherlands. Jason says Bernstein's conducting here is just the right blend of "stiff aristocracy and individualism." :

Another stunner from Verdi's Requiem. Take your pick between Pavarotti and Carreras. I'm not going to say a word.

SOLO-International Press Release: What the President Should Say

Lindsay Perigo
June 21, 2009

My Fellow-Americans

As I speak to you tonight, there is hope that the most evil regime on the face of this earth is about to collapse.

The 2nd movement of this symphony is unbearably beautiful. This is Romantic music at its very best.

Majestic conclusion to Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony:

SOLO-International Press Release: Better Never than Late, Dubya!

June 19, 2009

Former President Bush's born-again conversion to free markets is so embarrassingly at odds with his own conduct in the White House that one rather wishes he'd keep it to himself, says SOLO Principal Lindsay Perigo.

Mexican tenor Francisco Araiza with this great melody from Rossini's Stabat Mater:

The Bach-Gounod Ave Maria (vocal melody by Gounod overlaid on Bach's Prelude in C). A music teacher of mine once told me Gounod's contribution was "the slop on the top." That was my introduction to stuffed-shirtery. Actually, it's a tightrope walk for the vocalist, especially the last Amen. Notice how even Juan loses it on the very last note:

SOLO-International Op-Ed: The Anti-American President, Pt. 3

Lindsay Perigo
June 17, 2009

And so it continues. Appeasement abroad, Marxism at home.