Lady Luck is a Fickle Bitch!

Really, she is.  After smiling all evening on Eli Manning and the New York Giants, she gave one last smile before turning her back on them completely.  On a night when Tony Romo and the Cowboys did everything in their power to loose the game, 3 turnovers added to stupid penalties and dropped passes, Lady Luck for the 24th time smiled down on Tony Romo and blessed the Cowboys with a most improbable victory before 93,579 fans and a nationwide television audience on Sunday Night Football.  Trailing by 13 points at 26-13 with 8 minutes to play Romo and the Cowboys scored 14 points in the final 5 minutes to pull out an amazing victory, 27-26.

The final score shown in the photo above was a classic Romo to Witten 11 yard slant to the goal line where Jason Witten refused to be denied, waltzing into the End Zone for the winning TD.  This sent a heretofore rather despondent crowd into a delirious frenzy of celebration which could be heard for miles around the stadium in Arlington.  Even with the roof closed!  What a way to start the defense of the NFC Crown returned to the Cowboys last year after so many years without.  I hope all the games are not this much of a nail biter, but as they say "...on any given Sunday..." anything can happen.

The Cowboys schedule is OK except for a killer December, 3 road games to cold weather cities with outdoor stadiums,  Green Bay, Washington and of all places, fucking Buffalo two days after Christmas.  This is in addition to hosting the Jets and closing the season at home against the Redskins.  Could this be the Cowboys year? Only the passage of time will tell, but hopes springs eternal.  Especially when that fickle bitch, Lady Luck, decides to smile in your direction.

Your Monday with Mozart once again features the beautiful and talented Anne-Sophie Mutter and her frequent collaborator, Lambert Orkis, as we join them for disc 3 of their recording of all of Mozart's Sonatas for Piano and Violin.  Today's play list includes the Sonata for Piano and Violin in C, K.296; the Sonata for Piano and Violin in E flat, K.380; the Sonata for Piano and Violin in F, "für Anfänger", K.547 and the Sonata for Piano and Violin in D, K.306.  To complete your Monday with Mozart, join Martha Argerich and Daniel Barenboim over on my tumblr for their performance of Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianosin D Major, K448 recorded live at the Philharmonie in Berlin just last year.

Finally for Monday, we have our weekly indulgence in our mutual underwear fetish with this delicious collection of yummy dudes decked out in their sexiest skivvies found in this edition of Monday's Undies posted down below.  Then over on my tumblr, Your Hottie of the Day! is 'Scruffy and Sculpted'.  That too is a delicious combination, makes my tongue hard just thinking about it... but I digress, lol.  Thanks for the visit, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Ready for the Weekend

Thursday was busy as usual, although I did train a new girl last night so that maybe I might get next Thursday off (let's hope!).  Thursdays will still be busy because of payday etc., but it would be nice not to have to throw that extra shift in there on top of everything else.  As a result of yesterday's activities, I have been a lazy slug this morning, generally meandering through the morning more or less aimlessly.  I am so ready for the Weekend, luckily I could be a little lazy as I had already selected the Music and the Men for today's post as part of my furiously busy Thursday. 

It has been a good music morning on the radio too with an bit of an operatic bent.  VCR played orchestrations from Puccini's Madama Butterfly earlier and have now moved on to Bizet's Carmen Suite Number 1.  My selections are not so operatic in nature but wonderfully melodic none the less...

Posted down below is Daniel Barenboim's marvelous recording of the complete Lieder ohne Worte (Songs Without Words), Opus 30 by Felix Mendelssohn.  It is a wonderful 2 hour soundtrack digitally remastered for your listening pleasure.  Then over on my tumblr I have a terriffc live performance by Anne-Sophie Mutter of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E Minor, Opus 64 accompanied by the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig under the baton of Kurt Masur.  

As always on Friday, I like to feed your fertile imaginations with a bits of firm flesh and rippling muscles to get you in the weekend  state of mind.  You will find a virtual banquet of Fantasy Fuel posted down below.  And one of my favorite fantasy fucks of all time is your Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr as Andrew Stetson sizzles from the page.  Thanks for the visit, have a Fabulous Weekend.  Be sure to join me for the Sunday Morning Concert to round out the Weekend.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Sunday Morning Concert (Ok So I'm a Little Late)

However, as I said yesterday, better late than never.That being said, let's get on with the show, shall we?  I have 3 Fabulous Live Performances to share with you today featuring the works of three great Composers, Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig von Beethoven and Franz Schubert.  

In the play list posted below, we join renowned Cellist Yo Yo Ma in concert with friends for two fabulous performances.  First up is the 1986  performance of Brahms Double Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra recorded in Suntory Hall, Tokyo.  Yo Yo Ma is joined by Isaac Stern as the Violin Soloist and  Kazuyoshi Akiyama conducts the NHK Symphony Orchestra.  Fast forward about 9 years and we join Yo You Ma for Beethoven's Triple Concerto for Violin Cello, Piano and Orchestra along with Itzhak Perlman as the Violin Soloist and Daniel Barenboim who conducts the unnamed orchestra from the Piano.

Meanwhile over on my tumblr, you may join Yo Yo Ma accompanied by Rudolf Firkušný on Piano for their 1992 Tokyo Performance in Suntory Hall of Franz Schubert's Arpeggione Sonata for Cello and Piano.  

Finally, the weekend would not be complete without a little lasciviousness on display, which I of course will duly provide you forthwith.  Posted down below is a sizzling selection so sultry studs who are Naked or Nearly So! awaiting your cruise and peruse.  Then over on my tumblr, the Hottie of the Day! is full of 'Blond Ambition'.  Thanks for sharing part of your weekend with me, see you tomorrow as we begin another week of Music Men & More!  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Decisions, Decisions!

After burning the candle completely out at both ends yesterday, I pretty much napped the morning away today after coming home from work.  Now that I am awake, I have no clue what's going on in the world outside my little bubble.  That's OK, sometimes it's all I can do just to keep up with my own shit much less the world.  At any rate, it is a brilliantly sunny day and I am torn between lazing at the pool and shopping therapy.  Maybe I should do a little of both, eh?  First things first however, as I am sure you have come expecting beautiful Music and gorgeous Guys to accompany all my pithy commentary.  And I have some good stuff lined up for you today.  

Let's start with the Music which today features the works of Johannes Brahms, one of the famous "3 B's" of Classical Music along with Bach and Beethoven.  In addition to being a prolific Composer, Brahms traveled extensively and used his travels to inspire his compositions.  His works are a staple of any orchestra's repertoire and he remains as popular today as at any in his lifetime.  Here in these pages today, the man who is seemingly everywhere in Classical Music today, Daniel Barenboim performs Brahms' Piano Concerto Number 1 in D Minor, Opus 15 with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra under their legendary Conductor Sergiu Celibidache.  This performance was recorded live at the Stadthalle Erlangen in 1991.  While over on my tumblr I have another wonderful live performance featuring Brahms' Double Concerto for Violin and Cello in A Minor, Opus 102.  That performance is by the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Christoph Poppen, Conducting. The Soloists are Julia Fischer on Violin and Daniel Müller-Schott on Cello. 

For a visual enhancement to your aural pleasure, since this is Tuesday, you get a mixed bag of Random Hotness that is sizzling with sultry sexiness which you will find posted down below.  Over on my tumblr, your Hottie of the Day! is a surfer who is definitely 'Sex on a Stick'!  Thanks for the visit, now I have to decide between shopping and swimming or both.  Decisions, decisions, a (rude euphemism)'s work is never done, lol.  Anyway, you guys have a fabulous day, and we will check in with you tomorrow with this week's  episode of New Adventures in Good Music.  See you then.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

From Random Thoughts to Random Hotness

It has not been a productive day on my part.  I have drifted in and out of nappiness and generally lazed about.  Other than finally successfully getting all the ducks in a row so that my Bluetooth headset for my cell phone is now also paired with my computer as an alternate audio listening device. I like the headset, it leaves my hands free and does not interfere with whatever work I am doing at the time.  It also allows me to hear my music and still carry on a conversation in normal tones.  Definitely a plus in my line of work, 'cause someone always wants to talk.  You can usually count on one of the following to want to waste your time with bs conversations:  drunks, the stupid (or stupidly impaired), the fugly and the insane.  

Working the night shift you get a little of each from time to time.  Like last night, early in the shift my buddy calls me, he's all drunk and maudlin for which I had no time.  I passed him to his girl friend but he managed to piss her off also.  Then a few moments later, a long time customer who has a 'slight' problem with alcohol came in to, you guessed it, buy alcohol.  He starts talkin to me about how he has been making bad decisions of late and having suicidal thoughts.  He said "I don't have anyone else I can talk to about this, so I came to talk to you".  Gee, thanks for the pressure, I am a convenience store clerk, not a psychiatrist.  I spent a few moments with him, but I had customers and could not leave the register.  I know I am easy to talk to but, geez!!

Anyway, so I have been just messing about and not doing much. I did however line up some Music and a some Men to round out the day's entertainment segment. The music comes to us via the pen of Max Bruch with his Violin Concerto Number 1 in G Minor, Opus 26 posted down below.  That footage is a live concert featuring Sergey Khachatryan as the Soloist with the Orchestre de Paris, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda.  Over on my tumblr, join Jackie and Daniel for their 1968 performance with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra of Bruch's Cello Cocnerto 'Kol Nidrei', Opus 47.  Jackie and Daniel are of course Jacqueline du Pre and Daniel Barenboim. 

Then to add bounty to the beauty, this week's edition of Random Hotness crosses the spectrum of young men, most incredibly handsome, rock hard bodied and totally 'my next future ex husband' fantasy worthy.  While over on my tumblr, your Hottie of the Day! will show you 'No Mercy' when it comes to inspiring a lascivious thought process.  Thanks for hanging around til I got here, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

TGIF In Spades...

... Can I get two margaritas and a fucking AMEN!  I am so glad this week is over save for one more truck night.  I am looking forward to the weekend, it should actually be sunny and nice for the first time in a month, so maybe I will get out and wash the car and do something outdoorsy.  Who knows, I may just hide at the house and ignore the world, lol.  I will have to come up with a couple of fabulous live performances for your Saturday Evening Concerts, but that is always a pleasant task much akin to 'forcing myself' to examine hundreds of photos of sexy men in order select just a few for display.  Such is the life of the blogger, research is what distinguishes a great post from the mundane.  Sometimes I achieve the ideal, and sometimes I don't.  But I always try.  So lets show off a little research, shall we?  

Czech Composer Antonin Dvorak spent 3 years in America from 1892 to 1895 as the director of the National Conservatory of Music in New York City.  He began at a then-staggering $15,000 annual salary, almost unheard of for a Musician or Composer of his times.  The conservatory was unique in that it was open to female students as well as male and also black students as well as white.  Definitely unusual for the times.  While in America, Dvorak composed some of his most recognizable and popular works.  He was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic in 1893 to compose his 9th Symphony "From the New World" which debuted to tumultuous applause and remains popular today.  You will find a wonderful performance of "From the New World" by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Sergiu Celibidache recorded live at the Munich Phiharmonie in 1991 posted down below.  

Dvorak wrote several other works of note while in America including String Quartet in F (the "American"), and the String Quintet in E-flat, as well as a Sonatina for violin and piano.  Of particular note in the winter of 1894-1895, Dvořák wrote his Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104, B. 191, which he completed in February 1895.  His Cello Concerto is a star among the standards of the Cello repertoire, with performances around the world to this day.  You will find Jacqueline Du Pre's performance of Dvorak' masterpiece with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the baton of her then husband Daniel Barenboim, recorded in 1971 over on my tumblr.   

Finally for Friday is a little visual inspiration for us all.  This week's edition of Fantasy Fuel is chock full of sublime sexiness which should feed any erotic fantasy in which you might care to indulge. Cruise down the page and lose yourself in your reverie.  When you surface for air, head over to my tumblr for one more little indulgence in Fantasy Fuel with your Hottie of the Day! who is "Ripped and Stripped!'.  Thanks for the visit, be sure to tune in for tomorrow's concerts.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Saturday Evening Concert

Welcome to the Weekend and your Saturday Evening Concert.  I have a couple of terrific classic live performance recordings lined up for you tonight.  The concerts, both here in these pages and over on my tumblr, offer excellent interpretations of the Music of my favorite Russian Gay Icon & Composer, Pyotr Tchaikovsky.  Tonigh's performances feature all star casts, the recordings of which I am sure will last forever. 

Down below you will find Tchaikovsky's Piano Trio, Opus 50, the recording of which comes from a 9 CD box set featuring the artistic talents of Pinchas Zuckerman on Violin, Daniel Barenboim on Piano and the late Jacqueline Du Pre on Cello.  The Amazon.com Editorial Review reads:

"In the main, the youthful Beethoven chamber music collaborations between Daniel Barenboim, Pinchas Zuckerman, and the late Jacqueline du Pré are characterized by broad, liberally fluctuating tempos, ripeness of tone, and a tendency to place expression ahead of stylistic considerations. Zuckerman's sweet vibrato, for instance, seems misplaced in Beethoven's terse, combative syntax (the earlier trios and violin sonatas, for example). Likewise, du Pré's throbbing solo lines impose a late-Romantic patina on the music that some listeners will find more appropriate to Arensky or Glazunov. More often than not, Daniel Barenboim's piano provides the decisive voice, by way of setting tempos and effecting transitions.

While the leaner, more economically expressive Abegg Trio (Tacet) and Vienna Piano Trio (Nimbus) Beethoven Trio offerings better reflect the composer's headlong brio and nervous energy, the Barenboim-Zuckerman-Du Pré team oozes sheer musicality and involvement in every bar. For this reason, one might well prefer Zuckerman and Barenboim's overwrought rapport in the Violin Sonatas to the violinist's tighter RCA remakes with Marc Neikrug at the piano. Du Pré's tragic illness prevented her and Barenboim from tackling the Cello Sonatas in the studio. Happily, their exciting, communicative live 1970 Edinburgh Festival traversals (plus the variation sets) were broadcast by the BBC and captured in excellent sound. So was a touchingly indulgent Tchaikovsky Trio preserved from one of Du Pré's final concerts, included as both a bonus and a memento. Tully Potter's excellent booklet notes give equal time to music and artists, and rightly discuss the performances in the context of their time. It's good to have these recordings gathered in a budget-priced, space-saving box. --Jed Distler"

While over on my tumblr you may join the legendary figures of Arturo Toscanini and Vladimir Horowitz along with the NBC Symphony Orchestra for their 1943 performance of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto Number 1 in B Flat Major recorded live at Carnegie Hall.  

Then to top off the evening with more beauty to behold in all its glory is this week's edition of  Naked of Nearly So posted down below.  Cruise on down and you will find it chock full of sizzling studs all of whom are hale and hearty, while some are even horny!  Then over on my tumblr, Marco Scott, Your Hottie of the Day! will make you want to dive right in and suck him right up, dammitall!  Thanks for sharing a part of your Weekend with me, see you again on Monday for another week of Music, Men & More!  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Busy, Busy, Beethoven & Boys

Well, hasn't this week just flown by.  The older I get the faster the time seems to fly.  Either that or I am just incredibly busy.  I did manage to catch some rest last night after  a rather long day of chores, errands, hunting, gathering, sharing and caring.  My busy schedule continues this morning.  Next up is the dreaded laundry chore.  It only takes a couple of hours, but I have to go out to do it, so I find it hard to multi task when this chore comes up.  It has to be done though, that or I go to work tonight bare ass naked.  That might not necessarily be a bad thing, but a Friday truck night is not the venue to have my dangly bits dangling about unprotected, if you catch my drift.  At any rate, busy or not, there is still time for the Music and the Men.

We continue our ersatz Violin Week and our exploration of the great Concerti and Sonatas written for this most versatile and expressive instrument.  Today we feature the Music of Ludwig von Beethoven, who like Sibelius, Dvorak and Tchaikovsky, wrote only one Violin Concerto (in D Major, Opus 61).  However, Beethoven also wrote 10 Violin Sonatas as well.  As for his Violin Concerto, it is posted down below featuring a classic 1977 recording of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under a young Daniel Barenboim's baton with Pinchas Zukerman as the Violin Soloist.  Over on my tumblr, Anne-Sophie Mutter and Lambert Orkis beautifully perform Beethoven's Violin Sonata Number 9, Opus 47 "Kreutzer" recorded live at the Theatre des Champs-Elysee in Paris. 

Before I head off to begin yet again another busy day, I had better fulfill my passionate 'obligation' to share some Man Art with you.  As this is Friday, it is time for some Fantasy Fuel to kick start the Weekend which you will find posted just below this post.  Then today's Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr, besides being a really cute Ginger Snap, begs you to ask the question, "A Penny for your Thoughts...".  Now I gotta go get things done, be sure to tune in tomorrow for another Fabulous Liver Performance on the Saturday Evening Concert.  Thanks for stopping in, until next time as always, Enjoy!

Hump Day

Truck night last night damn near kicked my ass.  I worked from 9:30 PM to 8 AM this morning checking in and putting away 5 separate deliveries after midnight.  As a result, when I go home this morning, it is I who felt like he was the humpee in a rough sex scene.  After a short chill period, I began preparing for this post, gathering the Music and the Men, before succumbing to the irresistible  urge to nap.  Upon arising, events have conspired to preclude my arrival in these pages until now.  However, I do have Marvelous Music from 2 different composers as well as some Super Sexy Studs Splashing about to keep you entertained.  

As we continue what for lack of a better title is Violin Week here at Nichevo, we explore two very different concerti that while being different, both offer many similarities as well.  Our composers today wrote but a singular Violin Concerto each and no accompanying Sonata.  Antonin Dvorak, born in 1841 and Jean Sibelius, born in 1865, both used traditional themes and folklore from their native lands which inspired their compositions.  Other than his Violin Concerto in D Minor, Opus 47, Sibelius composed 7 Symphonies using each successive work to further develop his own personal compositional style similarly to Beethoven before him.  His works continue to be performed frequently in the concert hall and are often recorded.  You will find his Violin Concerto with a live performance by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Daniel Barenboim with Maxim Vengerov as the Soloist recorded at the Kolner Philharmonie posted down below.  In addition to his Violin Concerto in A Minor, Opus 53,  Dvorak wrote 9 Symphonies.  Four of those, including one lost to the composer himself, were only discovered after his passing.  You will find his Violin Concerto over on my tumblr with a marvelous 1965 recording by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra featuring Isaac Stern as the Violin Soloist. 

Then for the aforementioned Super Sexy Studs Splashing about, check out this week's edition of Wet Wednesday down below.  There is also the Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr who shows us how to 'Shower in a Sea Shell'.  Thanks for sticking around, join me tomorrow as we celebrate Tchaikovsky's birthday with his Violin Concerto.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo

Today is the 5th of May, better know as Cinco de Mayo.  The date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, under the leadership of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín.  In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is sometimes mistaken to be Mexico's Independence Day—the most important national holiday in Mexico—which is celebrated on September 16 not today.  In the US among non Mexican  peoples, it is usually just an excuse to eat Mexican food and drink Cerveza mas Fine' to excess.  For me, it is truck night, so no celebrating and definitely no drinking.  Dammitall!!!

So we continue with our exploration of the Great Concerti amd Sonatas for the Violin today by featuring the Music of Johannes Brahms.  Brahm's wrote 1 Violin Concerto and 3 Violin Sonatas, all of which I have for you today between these pages and my tumblr.  Posted down below you will find the Violin Concerto in D Major, Opus 77 recorded live at the Konzerthaus in Vienna with the Vienna Philharmonic under the baton of Leonard Bernstein with Gidon Kremer as the Soloist.  Over on my tumblr, you will find the Violin Sonatas in G Major, A Major and D Minor performed beautifully by Itzhak Perlman and Daniel Barenboim.  This is also a live recording.  

For your daily dose of masculine pulchritude, there is this edition of Random Hotness posted down below.  And in celebration of Cinco de Mayo, tu Bombon del Dia! es Esculpida y Candente (your Hottie of the Day! is Sculpted and Sizzlin') over on my tumblr.  Thanks for the visit, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

The Grand Pianists IV

Welcome to day 4 of our celebration of The Grand Pianists.  It has been a fun week so far as we have examined the lives and music of Arthur Rubenstein, Vladimir Horowitz and Glenn Gould thus far.  Today promises to be no different as we take up the study of today's featured artist, Argentine born Daniel Barenboim.  For sure Daniel Barenboim is a Grand Pianist, but he is ever so much more than 'just a pianist' as today's film, Multiple Identities - Encounters with Daniel Barenboim, will detail.  Barenboim is everywhere it seems in Classical Music today, a concert as Soloist here, Conducting there, teaching everywhere.  If there is a Royalty in Classical Music, then Daniel Barenboim has the bluest of blood.  I have featured him many times in these pages and I expect that will continue for a long time to come. 

Barenboim is a man who wears man hats.  "Currently, he is general music director of La Scala in Milan,^[2] the Berlin State Opera, and the Staatskapelle Berlin.  He previously served as Music Director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris. Barenboim is also known for his work with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, a Seville-based orchestra of young Arab and Israeli musicians, and as a resolute critic of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.  He has received many awards and prizes, including an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire,^[3] France's Légion d'honneur both as a Commander and Grand Officier, the German Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz and Willy Brandt Award,^[4] and, together with the Palestinian-American scholar Edward Said, Spain's Prince of Asturias Concord Award.  He has won seven Grammy awards for his work and discography.  Barenboim holds citizenship of Argentina, Israel,^[11] Palestine,^[12] and Spain.  He lives in Berlin and is fluent in the Spanish, English, French, Italian, German, and Hebrew languages." (from Wikipedia)

Today's  documentary tracks the pianist-conductor Daniel Barenboim through Berlin, Chicago and Weimar up to his stage anniversary in Buenos Aires and ends up with his controversial performance of Wagner's 'Tristan and Isolde' in Jerusalem.  Barenboim's insistence that it is possible to be Jewish and to enjoy the music of an alleged anti-Semite was not a view shared by everyone in a land where feelings run high.  For five decades of performing on stage, Daniel Barenboim has been one of the leading musicians worldwide and one of the most influential intellectuals taking an active role not only in musical matters. 

Multiple Identities - Encounters with Daniel Barenboim shows the multi talented nature of the musician Barenboim, conducting both the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Staatskapelle Berlin as Music Director, performing as a soloist at the piano or just playing Tango in a Buenos Aires Night Club.  It shows him teaching young musicians and founding the Middle East Youth Orchestra consisting of Arab, Palestinian and Israeli-Jewish musicians.  Multiple Identities is a film about music, about music making and a celebration of a remarkable personality.  Featured Performers in the film are the Staatskapelle Berlin, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, Yo-Yo Ma, Pierre Boulez, Cecilia Bartoli, Waltraud Meier, Edward Said and so many more. 

The film won the Special Prize of the Jury (Vienna TV Awards 2002) and was directed by Paul Smaczny and Isabel Iturriagagoitia; Produced by EuroArts Music International, NHK, SFB/ARTE, Amythos Films.  The companion piece over on my tumblr today is the Piano Concerto Number 1 in D Minor by Johannes Brahms recorded live with Daniel as the Soloist and Zubin Mehta conducting the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

Cruising a collection of macho men who look absolutely edible in denim is one of the pure pleasures of a Thursday here at Nichevo.  You will find a men-u overflowing with delicious choices in this edition of Men In Jeans down below.  Your exceptionally fine desert will be found in the yummy Trevor Adams who is your Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.  Thanks for the visit, check back tomorrow as we examine the next and the up and coming generations of Grand Pianists!  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Grand Masters of the Cello IV

It has been a busy day for me already as is typical of a payday.  However I do have some great stuff lined up for you as we continue this week's series on the Grand Masters of the Cello.  Today's Grand Master is the only female among our Elite Musical Artists this week whose career was but a brief shining moment before Multiple Sclerosis stilled her voice.  Jacqueline du Pré was an English cellist. At a young age, she achieved enduring mainstream popularity unusual for a classical performer.  Despite her short career, she is regarded as one of the more uniquely talented cellists of the second half of the twentieth century.  Du Pré is most famous for her iconic recording of Elgar's Cello Concerto in E Minor, her interpretation of which has been described as "definitive" and "legendary".  

From an early age, du Pré was entering and winning local music competitions alongside her sister, flautist Hilary du Pré.  In 1959 she began appearing at children's and young musicians' concerts, including with fellow students at the Guildhall end-of-term concert in March, followed by an appearance on BBC Television, playing the Lalo Cello Concerto.  

She started studying with the renowned cellist William Pleeth at age ten, won the Gold Medal of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama at 15, and studied with Pablo Casals at a master class held in Zermatt, Switzerland, before being taught by both Paul Tortelier and Mstislav Rostropovich.  In 1961, she made her formal debut at the age of 16 at London’s Wigmore Hall. She followed that the next year with her debut at the Royal Festival Hall playing the Elgar Cello Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Rudolf Schwarz. She soon became an international soloist.

Raymond Ericson, reviewing a 1965 performance of the Elgar work for The Times, observed that ''Miss du Pre and the concerto seemed made for each other, because her playing was so completely imbued with the romantic spirit.  Her tone was sizable and beautifully burnished. Her technique was virtually flawless, whether she was playing the sweeping chords that open the concerto, sustaining a ravishing pianissimo tone, or keeping the fast repeated note figures in the scherzo going at an even pace.''

 

In 1966 she met Argentinian Pianist/Conductor Daniel Barenboim at the home of a mutual friend in December.  Instead of saying 'hello or good evening, they sat down and played the Brahms Cello Sonata in F Major.  They were immediately taken with each other and soon fell in love.  In 1967 Jackie followed Daniel to Israel just prior to the 6 Day War.  Daniel and Jackie gave a series of concerts prior to the war and a celebration concert afterwards.  It was a time of great joy for them, so Jackie converted to Judaism and they married during the victory celebrations.  

They became the celebrated couple in classical music circles, touring and concertizing with much success.  The first recordings the couple made together in 1967 were the Haydn C major and Boccherini cello concertos. “She had a capacity to imagine sound such as I never met in any other musician,” Barenboim has written. “She was really a child of nature—a musician of nature with an unerring instinct.” 

The effect on the British public of this impossibly romantic, classical-music soap opera was total—the relationship turned the two stars into the golden couple of the musical world of their day. When doctors diagnosed her with multiple sclerosis in 1972, a year after she had begun to lose feeling in her fingers at age 26, the public’s devastation and sorrow ran deep.  Her last public concerts took place in New York in February 1973, completing three of four scheduled performances of the Brahms Double Concerto with Pinchas Zukerman and Leonard Bernstein conducting the New York Philharmonic.  Isaac Stern stepped in to cover that last cancelled concert, performing Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto.  “My hands no longer worked,” she said in a 1978 interview. “I simply couldn’t feel the strings.”

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, in conjunction with the Jacqueline du Pré Research Fund, presented several benefit concerts for du Pré at Carnegie Hall.  Participants included violinist Pinchas Zukerman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, pianist Eugene Istomin, and several others.  In his review in the New York Times of a 1980 benefit concert, John Rockwell wrote: “The consistently high quality of these particular benefits can be traced to the close professional and social circle in which Miss du Pré and her husband move.  They know the best, and the best play at their benefits.”  

Miss du Pré died an untimely death at the age of 42  in 1987.  In her obituary, the Times noted that throughout her illness, du Pré remained sanguine about the future. “Nobody knows if I’ll ever regain mobility,” she had said in 1978. “It could be that next week I’ll find myself walking down the road. I believe in realistic optimism, but not wishful thinking.”  

The video presentation today was mostly filmed in 1967, then re edited with additional footage and commentary in 1982.  The film, Jacqueline du  Pré and the Elgar Concerto, is a terrific look at the life and music of Jackie.  It is obvious from the film that Daniel and Jackie were hopelessly in love with each other and their respective talents.  She was but a candle in the wind, but oh what a beautiful candle she was.  The film includes a full performance of the Elgar Cello Concerto with Barenboim conducting.  The companion piece for today over on my tumblr is the Suites for Solo Cello I & II by Johann Sebastian Bach recorded in 1962 when Jackie was just 17 and already a powerhouse in the world of classical music. 

** The New York Times, Wikipedia & All Things Strings all contributed to this post **

Then your visual edification will be enhanced when you cruise these Men In Jeans down below and the Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.   Tune in tomorrow to see who is our next Grand Master of the Cello.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Saturday Evening Concert

Welcome to the Weekend as we conclude our Basic Beethoven Blitz with your Saturday Evening Concert.  Between these pages and those of my tumblr, we have bombarded you all week with a fraction of the Best of Beethoven,  Many of the performances have featured Daniel Barenboim as either a performer or  a conductor or both.  For some reason Beethoven and Barenboim seem to have an affinity for each other.  Beethoven had a story to tell with his music and Barenboim is extraordinarily gifted in his interpretations of Beethoven's finest works.  Tonight's featured performances are excellent examples of Barenboim's expertise at interpretation.  

Here at Nichevo, Daniel Barenboim conducts the West--Eastern Divan Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall on 23 July 2012 for the BBC Proms in their performance of Beethoven's Symphony Number 5 in C Minor, Opus 61.  Whule over on my tumblr you may join Barenboim as the Piano Soloist and the Royal Danish Orchestra in their interpretation of Beethoven's Piano Concerto Number 3 in C Minor, Opus 37 under the baton of Michael Schønwandt.  

Now what is all this beautiful Music for if not to be enhanced with a few marvelous Men to gaze upon and appreciate, huh?  I think I have just the thing to appease your appetite for comely collections of hunks and hotties in this week's edition of Naked or Nearly So in the post down below and in the Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.  Thanks for sharing part of your Weekend with me, may it continue to be Fabulous.  We will once again gather on Monday for another week of Music, Men & More!  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Basic Beethoven Blitz, Part III

TGIF, Guys!  We have made it to Friday once again, Hoo-Fucking-Ray!  With just one more shift for most of us before another Fabulous weekend begins, I personally am ready for it.  I can't wait for truck night to be over so I can get my weekend started.  I am really liking the new schedule, I am getting more hours in fewer days with more time off.  How can I not like that?  When I get off at 3 AM, I don't have to be back until 11 PM on Monday which is just almost 3 days worth of time.  It's like I get a mini-vacation every weekend.  Sometimes it is almost too much time, but I will deal with it, lol.   On top of all that, I am making financial headway too.  So far I am really liking 2015.  Now if only SCOTUS will get off the schneid and declare Marriage Equality the Law of the Land Nationwide, then it will be a really great year! 

Now let's get on with Day 3 of our Basic Beethoven Blitz with the final series of concert recordings by Daniel Barenboim in his 1983-84 Sonata-thon.  Today's play list is as follows:

Piano Sonata No.24 in F♯ major, Op.78 ("A Thérèse")
Piano Sonata No.25 in G major, Op.79 ("Cuckoo")
Piano Sonata No.26 in E♭ major, Op.81a ("Les adieux")
Piano Sonata No.27 in E minor, Op.90
Piano Sonata No.28 in A major, Op.101
Piano Sonata No.29 in B♭ major, Op.106 ("Hammerklavier")
Piano Sonata No.30 in E major, Op.109
Piano Sonata No.31 in A♭ major, Op.110
Piano Sonata No.32 in C minor, Op.111

Continuing the BBB over on my tumblr, you may hear the Quintet for Oboe, 3 Horns and Bassoon in E flat major, Hess 19 with a wonderful performance by Jiri Mihule (Oboe), Bedrich Tylsar (French Horn), Zdenek Tylsar (French Horn), Rudolf Beranek (French Horn) and Frantisek Herman (Bassoon).  Recorded in May 1988 in Dobris Chateau, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic).  

Before you head over to my tumblr for the Quintet and a special Double Hottie of the Day!, treat yourselves to the delightfully delicious dudes in this week's edition of Fantasy Fuel down below.  Thanks for stopping in, see you tomorrow for the Saturday Evening Concert as we finish off our Basic Beethoven Blitz with a rousing live performance of Beethoven's Symphony Number 5 in C Minor, Opus 61.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Basic Beethoven Blitz, Part II

Whew!  After having worked all night, I have finished the payday chores and errands and have finally made it to the blog.  TG!  Did not think I was going to make it for a bit there.  I haven't worked a nap in yet, but hey, I'm here.  I get brownie points for that, don't I?  At any rate, now that I have arrived, let's see what we have on tap for today, shall we?

This is Day 2 of the Basic Beethoven Blitz as we join Daniel Barenboim in his 1983-84 Sonata-thon of the 32 Piano Sonatas in the order they were composed by Beethoven.  Today's play list is comprised of the following Sonatas:

Piano Sonata No.12 in A♭ major, Op.26 ("Funeral March")
Piano Sonata No.13 in E♭ major, Op.27/1 ("Quasi una fantasia")
Piano Sonata No.14 in C♯ minor, Op.27/2 ("Moonlight")
Piano Sonata No.15 in D major, Op.28 ("Pastoral")
Piano Sonata No.16 in G major, Op.31/1
Piano Sonata No.17 in D minor, Op.31/2 ("The Tempest")
Piano Sonata No.18 in E♭ major, Op.31/3 ("The Hunt")
Piano Sonata No.19 in G minor, Op.49/1 ("Leichte Sonata")
Piano Sonata No.20 in G major, Op.49/2 ("Leichte Sonata")
Piano Sonata No.21 in C major, Op.53 ("Waldstein")
Piano Sonata No.22 in F major, Op.54
Piano Sonata No.23 in F minor, Op.57 ("Appassionata")

You may join Daniel, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and Itzhak Perlman over on my tumblr for Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D Major, Opus 61 in a live performance as we continue the BBB over on my tumblr, also.  Before heading over there for the Blitz and the Hottie of the Day!, be sure to catch the Denim Delights in today's edition of Men In Jeans down below.  Thanks for hanging around until I arrived, have a terrific Thursday and we will see you here tomorrow.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Basic Beethoven Blitz

It is going to be exciting times here in the Metroplex for Classical Music Enthusiasts this weekend.  Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoon Miguel Harth-Bedoya and the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will be in concert in Bass Hall in downtown Fort Worth.  Here is the concert synopsis from the FWSO website:

"2013 Cliburn Gold Medalist Vadym Kholodenko makes his second appearance of the season to perform Prokofiev's boisterous final piano concerto. The FWSO opens the concert with Richard Strauss' virtuosic tone poem, Don Juan, and closes with Beethoven's awe-inspiring Fifth symphony, whose opening motif is now engrained in pop culture."

But that is not all that is happening.  In a series of 3 concerts spaced throughout the day on Saturday at the Dallas City Performance Hall, there will be a Sonata-thon.  Stewart Goodyear will perform all 32 of Beethoven's Piano Sonatas between the 10 AM, 3 & 8 PM performances.  "Known for imagination, a graceful, elegant style and exquisite technique, Stewart Goodyear is an accomplished young artist whose career spans many genres—concerto soloist, chamber musician, recitalist and composer. Mr. Goodyear has performed with many of the major orchestras of the world...This very special engagement will find Mr. Goodyear performing a one-day cycle of the complete piano sonatas of Ludwig van Beethoven. The day will be broken up into three separate performances, Part 1: 10 a.m. – 1:40 p.m. - Sonatas No. 1 through 11, as well as 19 and 20, including Pathetique and the Grand Sonata, Part 2: 3:00 pm – 6:30 p.m. - Sonatas No. 12 through 23 (except 19 & 20) including the Moonlight, Pastoral, Tempest, Waldstein and Appassionata and Part 3: 8:00 p.m. – 10:50 p.m. - Sonatas No. 24 through 32, including Les Adieux and Hammerklavier."

While I cannot simulcast the concerts, I can do the next best thing and bring the music that we will be hearing to you.  So in the days leading up to this bounty of beautiful Beethoven being brought to us here in town, I will be doing a Basic Beethoven Blitz where I bombard you with boatloads of the best of Beethoven.  In 1983 and 84, Daniel Barenboim recorded the entire Sonata cycle in the order they were composed.  He later in 2005 performed this Sonata-thon in a series of concerts in Berlin.  The performances from the 80's are gathered in 3 videos which I will share with you over the next three days here at Nichevo while over on my tumblr I will be sharinig some of my favorites of Beethoven's other compositions as the week goes by.  

The play list for today goes like this:

Piano Sonata No.1 in F minor, Op.2/1
Piano Sonata No.2 in A major, Op.2/2
Piano Sonata No.3 in C major, Op.2/3
Piano Sonata No.4 in E♭ major, Op.7 ("Grand Sonata")
Piano Sonata No.5 in C minor, Op.10/1 ("Little Pathétique")
Piano Sonata No.6 in F major, Op.10/2
Piano Sonata No.7 in D major, Op.10/3
Piano Sonata No.8 in C minor, Op.13 ("Pathétique")
                          ** my favorite among his Piano sonatas
Piano Sonata No.9 in E major, Op.14/1
Piano Sonata No.10 in G major, Op.14/2
Piano Sonata No.11 in B♭ major, Op.22

While over on my tumblr, you may hear Quartet No. 1 in F Major,  Op. 18, No. 1 performed by the Afiara String Quartet (Live).  Then there has got to be some visual  inspiration to go along with all this beautiful music.  And I have that covered in spades with this Wet Wednesday collection down below and the Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.  Thanks for the visit, stay tuned for more Beethoven and more Men as the week goes on.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

The Beethoven Violin Concerto

Ludwig von Beethoven's only Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61, was written in 1806.  The work was premiered on 23 December 1806 in the Theater an der Wien in Vienna. Beethoven wrote the concerto for his colleague Franz Clement, a leading violinist of the day, who had earlier given him helpful advice on his opera Fidelio. The occasion was a benefit concert for Clement. However, the first printed edition (1808) was dedicated to Beethoven's friend Stephan von Breuning.

It is believed that Beethoven finished the solo part so late that Clement had to sight-read part of his performance.  Perhaps to express his annoyance, or to show what he could do when he had time to prepare, Clement is said to have interrupted the concerto between the first and second movements with a solo composition of his own, played on one string of the violin held upside down; however, other sources claim that he did play such a piece but only at the end of the program.

The premiere was not a success, and the concerto was little performed in the following decades.  The work was revived in 1844, well after Beethoven's death, with performances by the then 12-year-old violinist Joseph Joachim with the orchestra conducted by Felix Mendelssohn. Ever since, it has been one of the most important works of the violin concerto repertoire, and it is frequently performed and recorded today.  Today's performance is from 1977 and features Pinchas Zuckerman as your Violin Soloist accompanied by Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  

Then over on my tumblr is my Favorite among Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas, Number 8, Opus 13 “Pathetique”.  Master of all things Beethoven Daniel Barenboim breathes fresh life into the Pathetique Sonata. With a rare combination of artistic prowess and erudite knowledge, Barenboim demonstrates a deep understanding of this music that can be simultaneously appreciated on both a cerebral and sensual level.   Recorded Live in Berlin in a series of 2005  concerts at the Philharmonie. 

Don't forget about the Wet Wednesday Super Soaked Studs in the Post below or the Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.  Thanks for the visit, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Dvorak, Du Pre & Barenboim

Your Musical Moment for today features a Classic Recording of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Daniel Barenboim performing the Cello Concerto in B Minor, Opus 104 by Antonin Dvorak.  Jacqueline Du Pre  is your Cello Soloist.  Also, over on my tumblr, you may hear the 1949 recording of the Sate Symphony Orchestra of the USSR under Kirill Kondrashon performing Dvorak's Violin Concerto, Opus 53 with David Oistrakh as the Violin Soloist.  While you are over there, be sure to check out the Two for Tuesday Hotties of the Day!.  Thanks for the visit, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Football and Football

It is getting to be crunch time in the NFL with three regular season games remaining on the schedule.  All the playoff contenders have key divisional match ups in the remaining games.  Some teams like Arizona play every other team in their division which will of course settle any dust as afar as a Division Title is concerned.  The Dallas Cowboys are in the hunt for a spot with the best case scenario of win out, take the NFC East Division Title and enter the play offs as the number 3 seed in the NFC.  But all that is a a story for another day.  Today's story comes from that other football.  I am not sure if it is arrogance, ignorance or expedience but what we Americans call soccer, the rest of the world calls football.  Or futbol! or footy.   

The big league of American soccer is the MLS which held its annual MLS Cup over the weekend pitting the LA Galaxy against the New England Revolution for the title.  The Galaxy is the home of Robbie Rogers, who with the retirement of Jason Collins from the NBA and the inexplicable shunning of Michael Sam in the NFL, is the only openly Gay Male Athlete in any of the 4 Major American Sports.  Rogers has blossomed since moving to play forward this season where he has become a leader both on and off the field.  Rogers is an integral part of the team chemistry that got the Galaxy to the MLS Cup.  I am happy to report that Rogers and the Galaxy rose to the occasion, going into overtime before  emerging with the 2-1 Victory and the 2014 MLS Cup.  

Robbie Rogers is also a photogenic media darling (see photo below) who has written his autobiography, Coming Out to Play, and is now embarked on a Victory/Book Promo tour around the country.  You can read Outsports review of  Coming Out to Play or and Excerpt from the book by clicking on either link.  You may also purchase Coming Out to Play on Amazon.com.  In one fell swoop, Rogers has braved the world of the out Gay athlete in a Major American sport and lived to tell the tale.  His story will long be an inspiration to LGBT kids everywhere, athlete or not, who can relate to his struggles before finally achieving the ultimate success on the field as the first of what is hoped to be many more to come.  This is not Rogers first time as the MLS Cup Rodeo, he won in 2008 with the Columbus Crew, but was still deeply closeted at the time.  This championship is so much sweeter because Robbie is living his truth, playing at the top of is game and is a champion in the highest level of his sport.  Not bad for 25, not bad at all.  Congratulations to the Galaxy and most especially to Robbie Rogers, a bright beacon of hope for all of us.

Your Musical Moment for this Tuesday which features the Emperor Concerto by Beethoven is dedicated to Robbie Rogers and the Galaxy because they are Kings of the American Soccer World.  Today's performance is by Daniel Barenboim in concert with The Royal Danmarks Radio Orchestra conducted by Michael Schønwandt.  Over on my tumblr, You may also hear universally acclaimed pianist Mitsuko Uchida plays the Beethoven Piano Concerto # 3 in C Minor with The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Mariss Jansons conducting. 

Finally for this Tuesday is a collection of muscular men with terrific tummies and taut tushes lying in wait  to lead you astray as you scroll down the page in this week's edition of Tuesday's Temptations.  Then I got today's Hottie of the Day! in my feeds courtesy of The Yummy of the Day!  He is One Real Hot Cup of Joe!, so I could not help sharing him with you over on my tumblr.  Thanks for the visit, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Feel Good Friday

Here we stand on the cusp of the weekend.  Most everyone is eager to get the work day over so thety may get on to whatever it is that is going to make them Feel Good on a Friday.  To get you a head start in the Feel Good department we turn to the world of sports for the inspiring story of one Max Lenox.  Max' life did not get off to a good start.  The circumstances of his birth in Philadelphia in 1992, was one of many in too many similar circumstances.  Born to a crack-addicted mother who had five children already with pus coming from his eyes and suffering from cocaine withdrawal.  When he was but one day old when his mother actually did the right thing and put Max up for adoption.  This is where his life took its first turn for the better. 

Max' story is also the story of a couple from North Carolina who desperately wanted to adopt a child.  It was an unlikely match, a black 'crack baby' and a white, financially stable  couple from conservative North Carolina.  Oh yeah, and the couple were two Gay Men in a long term relationship, Dave Lenox and Nathan Merrells.  The Nov 10 issue of Sports Illustrated profiles Max who is now a Senior at the US Military Academy at West Point where he is also the Captain of the Black Knights Basketball team.  This is his second year as Captain, not something that comes along very often at West Point.  The story of how Max, Dave and Nathan got from where they started to where they are today is compelling and inspiring.  It is also proof positive that having Gay parents does not equate with disaster, disease or the death of life as we know it.  The story is headed by a video overview of the story which I have posted below.  Take some time to head over to the SI site to read about Max's amazing journey to a much admired Army hoops captain for yourselves. 

Now, for me anyway, Feeling Good always includes the addition of beautiful Music to any scenario.  To that end I thought I would offer a Bit of Beethoven with arguably the most beautiful Piano Sonata ever written.  The Piano Sonata Number 14 in C Sharp Minor, Opus 27 No. 2 "Moonlight" is undoubtedly my most favorite of his Piano Sonatas  Today's performance is from the Complete Beethoven Piano Sonatas Nos 1-32 cycle recorded in 1983-84 by Daniel Barenboim.  Ranking right up there with "Moonlight" however is Beethoven's Piano Sonata Number 8, Opus 13 "Pathetique" which you may hear over on my tumblr.  I am especially enamored of Number 8's second movement which served as the theme song of a syndicated radio program on WRR from years ago called Adventures in Good Music.  I forget the gentleman's name with the mellifluous voice who hosted the program, however I learned so much about classical music from him listening from 7-9 Monday through Friday.  So both of these Sonatas really add to my Feel Good Friday!

As always on Friday, but especially for a Feel Good Friday, there must be visual as well as aural beauty For that, I have some spectacular portraits of a number of nubile nominees for examination and appreciation while deciding which one (or more) would be the ideal candidate(s) for your own personal Fantasy Fuel.  An intimate encounter with any of these sensuous souls would definitely leave me Feeling Good for sure.  For additional Fantasy Fuel head on over to my tumblr to check out Luis Ocasio who is your Hottie of the Day!  Luis gives a whole new meaning to 'languid lover' in his black and white portrait awaiting your perusal.  Thanks for sharing you Feel Good Friday with me, see you over the Weekend for the Saturday at the Symphony Evening Concert.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!