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!

And Then The Phone Rang...

I think I made it to Friday.  Let me check that Thursday is ACTUALLY  over...  Last we spoke I was saying my Pay Day was to be jam packed with activity.  Boy was it ever.  I thought it would never end.  I had made good progress through my list. So much so, I eliminated the last errand as it had become unnecessary.   I was winding down getting ready to head off to some much deserved rest.  And then the phone rang...

It was my boss of course saying some waste-oid had called in for some flimsy excuse or another (For a waste-oid, almost any one will do!) and wanting me to cover the shift.  I did it of course, but by the time I did get around to getting that much needed rest, it was nigh onto 10 PM.  As a result, both my body clock and my schedule are kinda whacked today.  No matter, after truck night, I have the weekend off and all will be OK!  Luckily as I began my process to put this post together, a beautiful thing popped up in my You Tube Subscriptions In Box.  I would thus like to share it with you now.  

Today's Musical Moment is the first recording ever released of the Sonata for Cello and Piano by Dimitri Shostakovich.  The recording is by the Moscow Radio House from 1959 and features the Composer himself at the Piano and Mstislav Rostropovich as the Cellist.   It is a monaural recording, yet the mystery of Shostakovich and the rich masterful tones of Rostropovich ring out  in this marvelous classic recording.  Fast forward a few years and you will find this performance of the Shostakovich Cello Concerto Number 1 by  Eugene Ormandy and The Philadelphia Orchestra with  Yo Yo Ma as the Soloist to be equally intriguing.  You may hear that recording over on my tumblr.  

Then Friday would not be Friday with just a bit of Fantasy Fuel which you will find posted down below.  There is also the Hottie of the Day! who wants to take you on a Picnic in the Park over on my tumblr.  Thanks for the visit, stop in tomorrow for another Fabulous Live Saturday Evening Concert, see you then.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Trilogia Romana

The 3 works of the Trilogia Romana (Roman Trilogy) by Ottorino Respighi.  Today's performance of the Pini di Roma and Fontane di Roma is by the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal under the baton of Charles Dutoit.  The final piece Feste Romane is performed by The Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of  Riccardo Muti.  Over on my tumblr you may hear a beautiful performance of Respighi's Concerto Gregoriana for Violin and Orchestra by Andrea Cappeletti accompanied by The Philharmonia Orchestra Conducted by Matthias Bamert.  While you are there, be sure to check out Caleb Kastroll, Your Hottie of the Day!  Thanks for the visit, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy

#jesuischarlie

In the aftermath of yesterday's terrorist attack in Paris, the world has responded.  Most of the world showing solidarity with those murdered at Charlie Hebdo.  Twitter exploded with the hash tag #jesuischarlie (I Am Charlie) and cartoonists from around the globe posted their responses on the Internet.  A Couple of my favorites are below:

This was the announcement posted at the Newseum:

You may check out more of these excellent art works by clicking here.  Americablog.com has more coverage including photos of the massive demonstrations across Paris last night, tweets and cartoons showing solidarity with the journalists and policemen at Charlie Hebdo.  Best tweet (including photos) that illustrates the French People's response came from Stephane Celerier:

“They wanted to bring France to its knees. They brought it to its feet.”

By far the worst response to this tragedy was not by an Islamic group, no for one this ridiculous you have to look to the right wing nut commentators over at Fox News.  I cannot even describe the comment made by Fox News 'personality' Erick Erickson in which he declared that "the terrorists won in Atlanta" after right-wing media falsely claimed that Atlanta's anti-gay fire chief was terminated for his religious beliefs.  An excerpt from his statement is below, read it if you have the stomach for it:  

A publisher published something that offended. It mocked, it offended, and it showed the fallacy of a religion. It angered.

So the terrorists decided they needed to publicly destroy and ruin the publisher in a way that would not only make that destruction a public spectacle, but do it so spectacularly that others would think twice before publishing or saying anything similar.

The terrorist wants to sow fear. The destruction of an individual is not just meant to be a tool of vengeance, but a tool of instruction. It shows others what will happen to them if they dare do the same. It is generates self-regulating peer pressure. Others, fearing the fall out, will being to self-police and self-regulate. They will silence others on behalf of the terrorists. Out of fear, they will drive the ideas from the public square and society will make them off limits.
[...]
So they demanded the Mayor of Atlanta fire the Chief of the Fire Department for daring to write that his first duty was to "glory God" and that any sex outside of heterosexual marriage was a sin.

And the terrorists won in Atlanta.

Words fail me, I cannot believe someone this deluded would have a national platform to spout such drivel, deceit and denigration while calling it 'fair and balanced' reporting.  Islam is not the only religion to have radical nut jobs brainwashed by perverted dogma, we have plenty of examples right here in America.   Right off the top of my head comes Bryan Fischer, Tony Perkins, Porno Pete LaBarbera, Marco Rubio, Todd Starnes and Ted Cruze, all of whom use incendiary language and blatant prevarication to incite their followers to further discrimination and often times violence.  This to me is the antithesis of the pure message of most religions which are proponents of peace, love, compassion for your fellow man and communion with a higher power than ourselves.  While everyone has the rights to their own beliefs, those rights do not include the 'spreading of the faith' by coercion, intimidation , or violence.  As a writer I am sure many of my comments have caused consternation among the opponents of Equality, antiquated and deluded as they are, however I have yet to incite violence against them.  Violence is not the answer.  Actions done in Anger never accomplish their goal.  People United for Justice and Equality, that is an idea whose time has come, for aren't all of us 'charlie' in some way?

#jesuischarlie

Your Musical Moment for Thursday is a reprise of the 1960 recording of Piano Concert Number 2 in B Flat Major, Opus 83 by Johannes Brahms.  Rudolf Serkin is the Piano Soloist, Elsa Hilger is the Cello Soloist and they are accompanied in their performance by Teh Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of Eugene Ormandy.  Yo may also hear Anne-Sophie Mutter performing Brahms Violin Concerto in D Major, Opus 77 accompanied by Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic over on my tumblr.

To close out today's post I have this year's second collection of terrific torsos all decked out in denim with which to delight you.  This edition of Men in Jeans includes a couple of my favorite hotties Orlando Bloom and Marlon Teixeira along with lots of other lean and lithe young men so you may get your sizzle on.  Then there is the Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr who would like to take you on a Picnic in the Park.  Thanks for the visit, see you again on the morrow.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Marriage Comes to AZ

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has Excedrin Headache Number 88 this morning.  Despite her best efforts these last few years to demean and denigrate the LGBT citizens of Arizona and discriminate against them, she must now accept that Marriage Equality has arrived in Arizona.  U.S. District Judge John Sedwick (a George H.W. Bush appointee) has struck down Arizona's ban on gay marriage, declaring it "unconstitutional by virtue of the fact that they deny same-sex couples the equal protection of the law."  The pertinent paragraph from the ruling reads:

"The court has considered whether to stay this decision to allow defendants to appeal. It is clear, however, that an appeal to the Ninth Circuit would be futile. It is also clear—based on the Supreme Court’s denial of petitions for writs of certiorari filed in connection with several circuit court decisions which held that same-sex marriage must be recognized in Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin —that the High Court will turn a deaf ear on any request for relief from the Ninth Circuit’s decision. It is further ordered that defendants are hereby ordered to permanently cease enforcement of those provisions of Arizona law declared unconstitutional by this order. Finally, this court declines to stay the effect of this order."

Loving same sex couples may begin Marrying today as the ruling takes effect immediately,  You can read the entire ruling here.  Would that the rest of the cro-magnon/neanderthal politicians and religious wing nuts would come to the realization that there efforts are 'futile'.  The sooner the better.  

Your Musical Momanet for Friday features the Music of Robert Schumann.  Ricardo Muti conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra in this classic live performance of Schumann's Cello Concerto featuring Yo Yo Ma as the Soloist.  You may also hear Schumann's Piano Concerto in A Minor, Opus 54 with a performance by Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli accompanied by the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Sergiu Celibidache over on my tumblr.  

To get your weekend frame of mind in proper order, today's collection of Fantasy Fuel on display below the video should do the trick quite nicely.  Additional Fantasy Fuel can be found in Jason Brahm, Your Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.  Have a fabulous weekend and be sure to check out this week's Saturday at the Symphony Evening Concert featuring the Symphony Number 9 of Franz Schubert.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!