Comments for sursumcorda.salemsattic.com/post/7-quick-takes-friday-1

Comment #2602

2011-10-09T21:48:59Z

Yep, we did get to hear that one, and they did a fine job. Also from Verdi: La forza del destino: overture, Il Trovtore: Vedi! le fosche notturne spoglie (Anvil Chorus), Rigoletto: Questa o quella, Falstaff: E sogno? O realta?, Don Carlo: Spuntato ecce il di d'esultanza and Dio, che nell'alma infondere, and La Traviata: Si ridesta in ciel l'aurora, Ah fors'e lui... Sempre libera, and Libamo ne' lieti calici.

Puccini: Edgar, Prelude to Act 1, and Questo amor, vergogna mia, Madama Butterfly: Humming Chorus, Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro, Tosca: E lucevan le stelle, Vissi d'arte, and Va, Tosca! (Te Deum), Manon Lescaut: Intermezzo, and Turandot: Nessun dorma.

(That should give you an idea. There may be mistakes in my hasty transcription of the program -- spell check is no help searching for typos here!

Not being much of an opera buff, many of these were new to me, but I can't say they weren't crowd pleasers. The OPO does a pretty good job of pleasing the audience with old favorite and pleasing the orchestra with music they haven't played a million times.

Comment #2601

2011-10-09T18:12:30Z

Did the OPO give in to popular demand and perform the lovely Nabucco slave chorus or did they avoid the crowd-pleasers for more artsy fare?

Comment #2600

2011-10-08T15:40:42Z

The Teaching Company Great Music course is only great for those with excellent hearing. It's the only Teaching company course I ever gave up on partway through - out of frustration at listening to the same bit of tape over and over again to try to hear what he said I was supposed to hear and never managing to hear it at all.

Comment #2599

2011-10-08T13:01:04Z

I just noticed yesterday that my library is offering another freebie. I knew they offered Ancestry (drawback is that I have to go to the library for that). They also offer Mango and Little Pim which would allow me to learn a foreign language from home.

Now I notice that they offer something called Universal Class. I really don't know much about it, but it looks like you can take on on-line classes in pretty much any subject for free. I think they have a demo class that you can try out. Note that it is free for me because my library is paying for a library subscription. Otherwise I think you have to pay for the classes. It's worth checking out your library to see what kind of services they offer!

We have a bunch of Great Courses that I picked up cheap at library book sales. So far we have watched....zero. I think they are probably a bit dry for the boys at this point. Maybe some of the art ones would be more interesting.

Comment #2598

2011-10-08T11:14:57Z

thanks for the tip - and the recommendation! i will also look into the great music course. so many to choose from! so little time!

Comment #2597

2011-10-08T00:22:59Z

Liz -- Not on the videos alone, I'm sure, nor would you want to. (I've seen enough of your approach to know that.) But they'd be a great supplement. They have some high school courses, and most if not all of their other courses would be suitable for high school students, I think. Janet highly recommends their How to Listen to and Understand Great Music for music history. (I do, also, but her degree from Eastman lends a bit more authority to the recommendation.) We've found everything Bob Greenberg has taught to be great. My only caveat is that the courses are designed to keep high school and college students interested, and we know what keeps teenage boys glued to the lecture ... frankly I got tired of hearing about the composers' sex lives.

I thought of recommending The Everyday Guide to Wine to you after reading one of your recent posts. We loved it.

Get on their mailing list, and you'll be flooded with hard-to-resist catalogs. You do know never to buy a course that's not on sale, right? All their courses go on sale at least once a year. The regular prices will make your eyes roll back into your head, but the sale prices are reasonable.

Comment #2596

2011-10-07T23:58:41Z

my dad was telling me about a course he's been watching from the Great Courses. i love pouring through their catalog. fortunately, i think the Carnegie has some of their series. i just might have to take the plunge. is it possible to do a homeschoo high school curriculum on just Great Courses videos?