Planet OFSET

I will interpret Blondchen in a duet from Mozart Entführung aus dem Serail. It is a lovely duet, with charming passages and also very funny ones. I'm enjoying myself preparing it!

That will take place in the Bagneux Theatre Victor Hugo, on Wednesday 2009.03.11, 7 PM, European time. If you can't be there with me but want to get an idea and share my pleasure, you can still play this video (second half) and think about me.... Read Blondchen

It’s high time I blog something personal again for a change. I didn’t mention this before because of the kongoni release and I wanted the blog to be focused on that for a while, but if you don’t know yet - I’m in the middle of a divorce.
I am at this stage going through a series of very fluctuant emotions jumping from relief, through anger to sadness and everything in between on a regular basis.

What helped me through this was two things. Firstly the unwavering support of my friends - without your hugs I would be dead now guys, all of you - you know who you are. Secondly the true symbol of being single again: being able to crank up whatever music you want as loud as you want and not care about bothering anybody and letting it help you channel your emotions somewhere useful.
So today’s blog: the top ten songs that helped me survive (mostly be reminding me why I should be angry).

1. You give love a bad name: The bon jovi original works, the Atreyu death metal cover works better.
2. Tainted love: Manson version, the rest are just not angry enough.
3. Bound: A disturbed song, about why you shouldn’t let your partner try to change who you are… because you may as well die.
4. Criminal: Another disturbed song: about being hurt, and getting really angry about it.

   …Actually add about 4 more disturbed songs to this list, I won’t mention them all.

5. Closer: Nine Inch Nails, no don’t ask me why a song about the healing power of sex makes me feel better at this time.
6. The razors edge: ACDC, the perfect generic angry song, no matter what you’re angry at.
7. Bury me where I fall: 36 Crazy Fists. I don’t actually know exactly what this song is about, just a kind of roller-coaster ride through emotional metaphors, but it works.
8. Wait and bleed: Slipknot… if you don’t know why this is here, you don’t know the song.
9. Bat out of hell: Meat Loaf, one of the most intense balads ever written about the journey of the soul, and you gotta identify with a song that ends with the protagonist pondering through the moments of his own gruesome death.
10. Heart shaped box: Nirvanna. Because: hey wait, I got a real complaint.

Finally, I have a first sound recording.

That was last Saturday, for my parents' golden Wedding anniversary. In a church in Paris, with a beautiful 19th century organ by Cavaillé-Coll.

I sang the Agnus Dei from a mass by Poulenc.

The quality of the sound recording is very bad, but it is the only one I have. It has been made by a pocket video camera.

My singing is supposed to have been "pure and cristalline", and the organ was played quite well, by its entilted organist Christophe Simon. So I just leave it to your imagination ..

Thanks to Kozlika, I have spent this last vacation day listening to some concerts at Verbier festival.

The well-know pianist Martha Argerich managed to gather a small group of top musicians and offered a splendid concert on the 28th of July. My 7 yrs old daughter loved the Scenes of Childhood (Schumann) and I must admit that was a really very very good interpretation. All the concert was very good, maybe except the Beethoven trio.

Now maybe you don't appreciate classical "lieder", but you are curious and you don't fear too much dark atmospheres, then you have to hear Thomas Quasthoff in recital, with Hélène Grimaud on Sunday 29 July. At least the Brahms. It is a wonderful experience, very true, very sensual.