♫Mike♫

I've always liked Goethe, I'm a big fan of Faust and Werther and I shall soon be reading Iphigenia auf Tauris

But recently I read that he called Victor Hugo's novel "The Hunchback of Notre dame" the worst novel ever written.

Why would he say that?

It actually made me lose a lot of respect for him, Hugo is a great writer, I would think that Goethe would of recognize that

When you say to professor or your parents or even a career advisor that you want to be a musician

They only laugh at you.

People tend to think of musicians now as singers in pop music, but that is not always the case.

Guys like Ligeti, Penderecki, Boulez make money from commissioned pieces.

These pieces are usually large orchestral pieces.

But what about sonatas? What about a simple little trio?

Do these guys have agents? What exactly happens?

I went to the opera yesterday,

and like always Im the youngest guy there.

But it came to me

"Why is it that so many of these upper class bourgeoise middle aged couples love Verdi so much?"

You see I noticed their favorites are

Mozart

Beethoven

Verdi

and Puccini

Occasionally you get one of those really really extravagant ladies from Long Island with all the jewelry who say they love Chopin

and let's not forget the old pseudo intellectual professor who claims he loves to listen to Bach when he writes

hahahaha.

Im just messing around, Im sorry if I offended anybody.

But honestly though

Among upper class americans (preferably residing in the north east or south florida)

what composers do you think they prefer?

All I could come up with was 60 bucks, and I bought my ticket pretty late (I'm seeing Figaro)

I got Balcony box 6, seat 1

I never sat in a box before, I know it is partial view.

But is it gonna really that bad?

My only other option was the vile family circle. And the first few rows were all taken, so the only ones available were all the way back in the nosebleeds.

How exactly is this partial view?

Would I not be fully invited to see the gorgeous wedding Figaro and Susanna is gonna have?

thats all you hear!

I want to be immortal

When Im older they will have the technology

2050 we would have the technology

Im scared of death

I want to live forever

I never want to die

not even after trillions and trillions and trillions of centuries.

Why do most people think this way?

Why do most people on earth in the 21st century think this way?

It's sad if you think about it,

he was a big start in Italy in his youth and then he had to go work in some miserable daycare, died in poverty and then nobody cared about his music until the 20th century...

Yet Handel and Telemann remained favorites!

Why did poor Vivaldi fail to become an inspiration in the classical and romantic era?

I once met Lang Lang in 2012

but the reason Im asking this is because a friend of mine sent me a picture of him with Andre Rieu (Who I would kill to meet)

This made me spark up the question

Have you ever met a famous conductor or performer?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/12/arts/music/a-dig...

Why are they doing this?

Yes, I understand that the cost of the actual set design and hydraulics and this and that really made took a bite out of the budget and that's why they're doing this.

But do you think in the near future

live musicians will be a thing of the past?

Why is America so capitalistic, that it takes away not only jobs but the one of the key components of Opera and music performances in general?

So I have a very good opportunity to go to Berlin in July, and I decided to take it

I'll be staying there for a week and a half

Katharina, Nike, Gottfried and Eva live in Germany and I would like to see if I can manage

to slide my way through their social circle.

Are there any particular PUBLIC events that they go to?

I speak a little german, but I'm sure they know a little english and what not.

Some of them are publicists, that means that they will most likely be handling things in public events, right?

What can I do so that me and my brother can get into their social circle?

Ever watch one of those old Noir films?

and it had that slow moving, dramatic sort of music in the background?

I'm looking for something like Schoenberg's Transfigured Night

or Ravel's Introduction and Allegro for Harp, flute, Clarinet, and String quartet

you know? that modern eerie dramatic noir feel?

Don't give me big bombastic pieces.

Think of something that would work with a mellow drama, or a domestic tragedy..

Thanks in advance!

I feel like America after World War 1 and before The Beatles

had the greatest culture in it's history. It was the golden age of american music, visual arts, theater, movies and of course writers!

Will we ever have a time like that again?

Is there any country at all nowadays who has a flourishing culture?

France has had flourishing cultures every other moment in history, are they up to something now?

England? Italy? Russia?

Will this time not be remembered for any certain cultures?

What are we even doing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22MejzV3Umc

It looks too much! It looks overblown!

What do you think?

Is this how operas get money now?

It goes something like

A piece of music sounds better and more natural when it is at 432 hertz

The standard frequency nowadays is 440.

But back in the day they might of made it 432, who knows?

I know not a lot of people here are physicists or whatever, but can anybody provide me with more

information on this!

here, listen to this version of Mozart's requiem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU2OZMRi15w

which is tuned to 432

I noticed that you always have these young pseudo-intellectuals say how much they love Shakespeare, Dante, Euripedes, or how much they love Picasso or Dali

But when it comes to music of the past

They don't know anything, they listen to contemporary pop music yet find beauty in classic literature and visual art

"Oh wow, that painting is so pretty! I love the colors!"

"I love Midsummer! It's so interesting!"

But when do you ever hear?

"Oh I love Chopin's nocturnes!" or "wow, Verdi's operas are brilliant!"

Never.

Why is that?

Why is it that all these pseudo-intellectuals say they love Monet and Picasso and everybody else

but can't find themselves to sit down and listen to a symphony?

Did they go around slapping posters onto walls?

Was it word of mouth?

was there promotional tie-ins with other companies?

How were they advertised?

I'm asking this because I realized how theater can't really be made into trailer... know what I mean?

How are plays advertised now?

Usually through radio, TV, and big banners in Duffy square.

But what about back then?

Leonard Bernstein vs John Williams

I know they are different, but these are two mighty composers in American music

I think Leonard Bernstein is better

but don't judge Williams just on Star Wars and Indiana Jones, he has done other stuff!

Here it is

The set, costumes and special effects of an opera can make an opera good when the music is poor

Do you think that's true?

I know opera is all about music, but it can't be all about the music, right?

Sometimes I am a attracted to special effects and costumes and set pieces that I can endure the music.

What do you think?

They need to understand that just because a composer is not known for being an opera compps doesnt mean his operas are bad

Puccini, Verdi, Mozart, Rossini, Bizet,etc...

Im tired of that

Why dont they do

Korsakov

Haydn

Donizetti

Prokofiev

Rameau

lully

Etc...

I am writing a musical for the stage

The script is almost done and the music is mostly composed but still needs notation.

I have done revisions and am always seeing what I could improve.

But once the thing is complete

I plan on going door to door, theater to theater trying to find a place

who would accept it and finance it

(It doesn't even require that much money)

What should I do?

Sometimes I look at it and think "nobody will accept this" or "This is a total flop"

Granted, it's not a piece for everyone, It's very "Classical" both the music and the story, and the dialogue as well. (Think English theater of the 1700s)

But what can I say!? I'm an old soul!

What should I do, both artistically and business wise to get this show on the road and make it good?