Nicholas McGegan, New York Philharmonic and Soprano Christine Schafer in All-Handel Venue at Avery Fisher Hall

      

by Sam Juliano

     German Soprano Christine Schafer, an agile and articulate Handel interpreter dazzled an appreciative Avery Fisher Hall sell-out audience on Thursday evening with the rendering of arias from Giulio Cersare and Alcina in an all-Handel venue conducted by the esteemed Nicholas McGegan, guiding the New York Philhamonic.  Ms. Schafer left and returned to the stage eight times to acknowledge a boisterous throng, who were clearly enraptured by her pitch-perfect delivery and fortitude in bringing some of the most beautiful music ever written to the hallowed hamlet of Lincoln Center.  Three colorful bouquets were handed to Ms. Schafer, who gleamed with radiance, with Maestro McGegan beaming at her side.  Three second-half arias, “Di, cor mio” and “Ombre pallide” from Alcina and “Se pieta di me non senti” from Giulio Cesare were delivered with remarkable aplomb and precision, fully realizing the ethereal beauty of  baroque melodies.  Schafer is presently regarded as a world-famous Handel interpreter, and she recently recorded a CD with selections from Alcina, which is scheduled for release here next month.

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L’Avventura (no 42)

 

by Allan Fish

(Italy 1960 145m) DVD1/2 

Poor things abandoned by the sea

p  Amato Pennasilico  d  Michelangelo Antonioni  w  Michelangelo Antonioni, Elio Bartolini, Tonino Guerra  story  Michelangelo Antonioni  ph  Aldo Scavarda  ed  Eraldo da Roma  m  Giovanni Fusco  art  Piero Poletto

Monica Vitti (Claudia), Gabriele Ferzetti (Sandro), Léa Massari (Anna), Dominique Blanchar (Giulia), James Addams (Corrado), Renzo Ricci, Esmerelda Ruspoli, Lello Luttazzi, Dorothy de Poliolo, Giovanni Petrucci,

It is thus that a group of islands are described by one of the rich party who go there on an excursion.  These are no ordinary islands; silent, mysterious, desolate, volcanic, forbidding, marking time like the Old Man of Hoy.  On their ragged rocks men have walked for millennia.  Ruins are said to exist thereon.  Ancient vases are found and casually destroyed.  For this party of rich care not what they do or what gets damaged.  They have too much money to care and emotions can go hang themselves.

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