Shades of Gray

AION, my love: CN

2009-06-25T15:45:32Z

So i've finally decided to start seeing someone new.

I mean, how can i not, i've been secretly lusting after him from afar from more than a year back?

Before i know it, we've already gone on 2 dates...

Maybe i'll be a total slut and do a sleepover this weekend.

So now the most important question is... Do i want to date an american or european?

Shine: Finale (Alla breve)

2009-05-15T17:59:18Z

So it made my knees a little weak and i got a little breathless too. twice. If i had to sit through another 36mins of that dull, dreary first half again, i would gladly do so.

No surprise, i just had to listen to it all over again as soon as i got home. And here's the list. Idlebanter, feel free to augment my collection:

1. Martha Argerich
2. Van Cliburn
3. Vladimar Horowitz (1951)
4. Byron Janis
5. Vladimar Horowitz (1930)
6. Vladimar Ashkenazy (1963)
7. Boris Berezovski
8. Evgeny Kissin
9. Sergei Rachmaninov
10. Jean-Yves Thibaudet
11. Earl Wild
12. Lang Lang (Live At The Proms)
13. Jean-Yves Thibaudet
14. Mikhail Pletnev
15. Nikolai Lugansky
16. Lazar Berman
17. Lilya Zilberstein
18. Jean Philippe Collard
19. Alexis Weissenberg
20. Grigory Sokolov
21. Arcadi Volodos
22. Jonathan Oshry
23. Stephen Hough (Live, 2003)
24. Emil Gilels (1955)
25. Victor Merzhanov (1956)
26. Dimitris Sgouros
27. Idil Biret (Live)
28. Andrei Gavrilov

The,Single.Best.Perfomance.In.Idol.Season.8.

2009-05-06T10:16:25Z

I know, right. Who isn't reeling from that one? The level of flat and off key moments was just Unbelievable. He's in the top 4?! Who the Floody hell doopi doop doops in the middle of a rock song?! LOL.

Sterling example of something that's so painfully excruciating it's amazing!

Those last 3 notes? man... cats in heat are more musical.

ryanfoster @ 2009-04-28T00:09:00

2009-04-27T16:10:30Z

LOL.

ryanfoster @ 2009-04-11T13:19:00

2009-04-11T05:21:16Z

Me: after 2.5 hours of japanese cooking videos on youtube, i feel that i've become an expert in japanesee cuisine.

E: yeah, and after listening to all those ladies sing, shouldn't that make you a soprano too?

Me: ..........

ryanfoster @ 2009-03-28T01:39:00

2009-03-27T18:36:09Z

I met up with Joelyn just 2 days back. We live pretty nearby to each other and it used to be that we would hang out together after school and do delinquent things together. Stuff like, sitting in some quiet corner somewhere near the mall, talking, laughing, smoking, snaking, shopping for cheap finds and generally anything that doesn't require us to go home till the sun sets.

Good times. I remember once, when we pulled an all-nighter at K's place together with Bitch and we somehow, i don't know why, all squeezed into a single bed and ended up listening to Depache Mode.

But that was only during school days, we kinda lost touch after graduation. Lost touch until last week, that is. It was one of those surreal things; you hear your name, look across the cafe table and suddenly recognise an old friend. Almost a hallmark moment maybe, if you take away all the squealing and gushing. We did what everyone else would have done, we exchanged numbers and promised to call, except that this time we actually did. I guess i wasn't the only one who remembered the good times.

Not surprisingly, there was quite a bit to catch up on. And of course, we started talking about the good old days. Joelyn has always prided herself on her good memory, therefore it was a little unexpected that i should be the one who filled in most of the gaps. And she said something that made me pause a little, She mentioned that i've always been a little bit of a recluse even in school, and that maybe i remember those details better because i've had a lesser amount of people coming and going in my life.

It does sort of make sense. It's also made me think if maybe i've been hiding a little too much. I do remember enjoying quite a bit when i used to go out in a group with people i know and some other people i don't. I didn't talk all that much, but still it was pretty fun to hear all the things being said and not said.

Just random thoughts really. But random thoughts can sometimes produce some startling results.

where goes the young indian girl?

2009-03-23T15:30:34Z

oh my... i've never heard the bell song sung by 2 sopranos before.

Both french, both equally fearless and both captured here at their peaks. dessay's crystalline voice coupled with vidal's honeyed tone is like a wet dream come true. And finally, how often is it that we can find 2 sopranos who can sing up to G6?

G6! Live! Together!

...the voice as an instrument.

2009-03-11T15:30:23Z

Now this, is what i call a coloratura.

Gorgeous trills, diamond like clarity, lightning fast staccati and that mindblowing penultimate high note...

I think i just had an orgasm.

ryanfoster @ 2009-02-22T20:22:00

2009-02-22T12:44:42Z

B: Make sure you get the Chase Hunter one.

Me: You're serious?!

B: Yah... why not? Better yet, get me the Ken Ryker!

Me: WTF?! He's like bloody 9 inches!

B: Nice!

And after googling, i realised i've actually actually shortchanged Mr Ryker by 2 inches. Which is scary because i don't think even my forearm is 11 inches long.

Great, just part with USD59.95 and you're all set to fist yourself.

ryanfoster @ 2009-01-28T00:45:00

2009-01-27T17:20:43Z

Cousin: Why do you need 23 versions of the same piece of music?

Me: Because it's nice?

Cousin: I think you have some unhealthy obsessive compulsive thing going on.

Me: We are called completists.

Cousin: You say it like it's a good thing.

Me: And you disapprove because i molest toddlers and rob the needy in the process of collecting music i like?

Cousin: I think you need to get laid.

Me: WTF?!?!?!??!?!?!?!

...Papa don't preach

2008-11-15T19:15:45Z

My mom is giving me weird looks because i'm trying so hard to hold back my laughter. Absolutely hilarious.

opera buffa indeed =)

.I.A.M.R.

2008-10-01T17:02:54Z

Please don't let it be with me.

I hope you're referring to someone else.

... are you?

ryanfoster @ 2008-05-23T00:58:00

2008-05-22T17:06:21Z

I don't feel any different.

Nor did i expect to.

I held up my side of the bargain. Baby steps you say, and i can't remember the last time i blew out candles.

Do you want me to get used to that again?

ryanfoster @ 2008-05-19T00:57:00

2008-05-18T17:40:25Z

It's been a crazy few months.

Looks like things are gonna get even crazier this week too.

My shitty job trumps yours :P

ryanfoster @ 2007-12-15T12:34:00

2007-12-15T04:36:26Z

my weekends:

... wickedly good.

2007-11-14T08:30:38Z

I've read the book and the recent episode of Ugly Betty made me wish i'd been able to watch the musical too.

Wicked is the retelling of the events and story of The Wizard of Oz, this time from the point of view of the witches, in particular the wicked witch of the west Elphaba and the good witch Glinda of the north. Although in this case, Elphaba wasn't so much wicked as misunderstood and a victim of situations and circumstance and glinda more self centered and vain than kind. Concepts of good and evil are also explored in the book though in shades of grey rather than the usual black and whites.

Maybe it'd be the next musical to hit our shores:

my sweet name?

2007-11-02T11:24:17Z

Oh anna... not every song is a tragic love song. you are singing a homage to the goddess, not swearing vengeance on the girl who stole your boyfriend. pretending to be swayed by the music and throwing some loud notes here and there does not mean you can ignore the trills and butcher the cabaletta.

you were good in the lyric roles and have such a dark, ravishing voice too.

maybe you should take some lessons from a real coloratura:

... still on figaro

2007-10-06T07:29:45Z

Weepy yearning countesses we've heard many. How about an angry one? A countess devastated and raging at her husband's infidelity.

Refreshing! Good to know you don't need croony, sobby noises and exagerated notes to make an impact.

I'm all for interpolated high notes though! :P

... :)

2007-10-06T07:12:14Z

That i could still almost hear last wednesday's concert is a testament to its excellence. As is often the case with mozart, one needs a strong ensemble -rather than one strong lead- to shine. Memorable, and not just because we're opera-starved too. I wouldn't go so far to say that i can recall every minute detail but there were certainly quite a few highs.

I remember the uniformity of the lush sweeping viennese strings and the precision of the woodwind. I remember too being a little amazed at the memory of seiji ozawa, conducting without a score in front of him, and the orchestra responding in tandem to his deft and sprightly movements. And then, there were the soloists:

Michaela Selinger's exquisite and elegant phrasing paired with a melting honeyed tone must have made many a heart swoon that night. Hers was a charming and accurate portrayal of the fluster and hormonally driven boldness of youth. And judging by the swell of applause, she was clearly a crowd favourite.

Sussana was a suitably competent Ildiko Raimondi who gave a note perfect reading of the role. Her warmth and sensitivity fleshed out her character and i was thinking that perhaps a little more spunk and sass would have made her Sussana much more unforgettable. And maybe it was the acoustics but at where i was sitting, she sounded a tad underpowered in certain passages. (A note to self to follow idlebanter next time, imo his seat was worth more than a dollar a min)

The Countess however took some getting used to. I found Roxana Briban's voice to be slightly metallic and her approach a little verdian. Her high notes too tended to shrill a little although she warmed up a little in act 3 and act 4 and dazzled with some beautifully floated painis. Slightly disappointed she wasn't able to trill though, but i'm not that anal about that.

The Dusky voiced mezzo was a little distracting as every time she appeared, she kept me wondering how she might have sounded as amneris or eboli... and perhaps even as a bold, maneating dalila?

Lucas Pisaroni was very attractive and he cuts quite a dashing figure in his tux. He navigated through his role quite competently i thought and did managed to breathe life into his character.

The count was a little bland to me. Not jealous enough and certain not enough of a lascivious lecher to make me remember much about him.

No big names, but i'm fine with that. I think sometimes we might look forward so much to the big names that we might neglect the lesser known but equally fine singing offered by the supporting cast. So even though it wasn't star studded, i definitely think the performance entirely well deserving of the $1.40 per minute price tag.

And while it's true that having a set and props might provide a more complete experience, i believe that concert performances aren't so bad either. Then, you wouldn't be distracted by the scenery and clothes and will be able to commit fully to the singing. Sometimes i think that perhaps concert performances of an opera can be a greater test of a singer's musicianship. Afterall, in a concert, the notion of having of act with the voice is reinforced.

ryanfoster @ 2007-09-26T14:25:00

2007-09-26T06:27:02Z

Gosh! Stuck with an extra Cursed ticket for tonight's figaro!

Doesn't look like anyone else wants it... :(

.................o terra, addio

2007-09-06T13:10:17Z

I'm sure many people would be blogging about Pavarotti's passing. Both people who listen to opera and people who don't. Perhaps that's what marks a legend, that you are able to spread your fame so far beyond your field that people who have remained removed from it know of it. Not quite a tenor i enjoy listening to, but few can deny the purity, ease and beauty of his voice. And those ringing high notes...

With his passing, the opera world has lost 3 big names in just as many months. Beverly Sills on the 2nd of july, Regine Crespin 3 days later and now Pavarotti. It kinda makes me wonder who will be left to carry on the torch.

Will we, years down the road, speak of Renee Fleming as we do Renata Tebaldi? Will Gheorghiu and Damrau be mentioned alongside Kabaivanska and Sutherland? Will Diego Florez fill Gedda's shoes?

Maybe it's just the romanticism and glamour of the glittery post war years and knowing that i can never watch those big names perform in front of me. Perhaps that is why i felt a small sense of loss when i hear of the deaths, these singers who have sung their hearts / lungs out whenever i stand by my window late at night, looking out.

I never was one of those exacting purists. To me, opera should not always be taken that seriously. Sure, standards must be upheld but opera is entertainment after all. People may say that opera is art, but who's to say art should be serious and dreary all the time?

Pavarotti's death might have prompted me into this entry, but deep down, i'm a fat ladies' man. Tenors might be more renowned and noted in this age but they will never come close to challenging the place sopranos hold in my heart.

So with that, a tribute to the 3 who have passed on so recently and a toast to Joan Sutherland: thank you for bringing Pavarotti to our attention.

Pav without any facial hair and singing without a score! :P

.... macabre. just macabre.

2007-09-04T15:51:36Z

We were talking interior decor where money is no problem and Morri was supplying us with some vision of an all white (as usual) yawn fest with tacky patent leather or pleather complete with resorty white gauzy, floaty, chiffonish (as usual) drapes. Meng was going off the colour charts and detailing 3 colours for every room and reliable wendy was adamant on her polished cement floor and zen-like bedroom. Except ...

Wendy: I want a coffin in my bedroom.

Everyone: ..... WTF?!?!

Meng: To sleep in?! You are nuts!

Wendy: No, not to sleep in, i want it as a tv console. Not those new types, i want the really old chinese type from the vampire movies.

Everyone: ..... WTF?!?!?!?!??!

Wendy: Meng... you must come live with me, i'd be scared to live alone, especially with my coffin console.

Everyone: ....... WTF?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!

Meng: Then for goodness sake, don't use a coffin as your tv console.

Wendy: But it's so cool!

Everyone: .......... WTF?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-07-27T19:42:16Z

80 to 650 bloody bucks for VSO?!?!?!?!??!!!!!

WTF... and i thought renee was ridiculous!

Have decided not to go, until M told me seeing them once is never enough.

Dammit... $180 would be the reasonable choice.

That's a bloody dollar per minute.... Including Intermission!!!!!!!

WTF!!!!!!

... a piece of cake.

2007-07-19T17:49:38Z

So there we were at Spizza last night. Ms Aw ordered tiramisu and as usual... the topic diverted to my past attempts.

Meng: So when are we having another "Tiramisu Poison Fest" ?

Me: What... again? you all complain what too watery or what taste like ice cream. Don't want already la!

Bitch: (loyal as always) But our 2nd attempt at my place very nice what.

Meng: Mmm.. not bad lor.. the taste is there.

Bitch: Eh, yah.. come to think of it, maybe it's time for us to make tiramisu again.

Me: Serious?! >.<"

Ms Aw: Eh! Yah hor! Been like the longest time, like since secondary school that I last baked lor! I still remember my cream puffs are like, the best!"

Bitch: No lor! When i baked cream puffs, Mrs XX always asked me to bake extra so she can bring home.

Ms Aw: Please... cannot fight with mine!

Meng: Feeling la both of you! Why don't we all feeling and bake together?

Bitch: I don't have a convection oven! Ms Aw has right?

Me: Yah! her convection oven is only used for putting kopi hoon lor!

Meng: I have convention oven what!

Ms Aw: Eh!! Then we can all go to his house and make puff pastries!

Bitch: Don't mind. One fine day la...... Tomorrow la!!

Me: Shir.. you know how to bake also right?

Shir: i only know how to wash dishes......

All: ............................................................

Anyway, puff pastries somehow became a mango souffle birthday cake.

Too lazy to put up the montages and stole them from Meng's journal:P

ryanfoster @ 2007-07-08T04:09:00

2007-07-07T20:14:20Z

我这句语气原来好像你
不就是我们爱过的证据

那一段我们曾心贴着心

努力为你改变
却变不了预留的伏笔

曾一起走却走失那路口
感谢那是你牵过我的手
还能感受那温柔

...可惜不是你陪我到最后