Yesterday, the radio opera was “Attila,” by Giuseppe Verdi – it’s a very early opera. The libretto was based on a play, which was pretty well made up out of whole cloth. Attila lived in the 5th century BCE and flourished from the mid 430s to the early 450s, so nobody has a clue what his life was really like (no one could possibly have done everything attributed to him in one lifetime. In the Volsunga saga [under the name of “Atli”], for instance, he becomes the second husband of Siegfried’s second wife – yes, that Siegfried – the tenor in Wagner’s Ring cycle.). It’s a mish-mash of stock drama, someone believed dead who isn’t, accusations of betrayal aimed at the woman who just wants to kill the enemy, grand gestures and the like. The only distinctive plot twist is Attila’s dream that an old man tells him to leave Rome alone or he is doomed, and then when he gets to Rome, Pope Leo turns out to be the old man in his dream, which of course scares the bejeebus out of him. The aforementioned woman ends up getting to kill him. It’s all very patriotic in the context of Italy in the 19th century under the Austrian Empire, and audiences loved it, but it’s seldom performed today. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find recordings of it, including three with Samuel Ramey (The powerhouse bass starting in the 80’s who was able to get it performed because he had such star clout.) And hey, it’s Verdi. If he ever wrote anything that wasn’t worth a listen, it’s news to me. This production, from the Opera Festival of Chicago, seems to fluctuate between the 4th and the 21st centuries visually, but it inspired 372 photos, including the curtain calls. It took me a while to get through them – but I did end up with a pretty clear mental picture of the action. Well, enjoy the spooky stuff (and humor) in the short takes. Now, I’m off to visit Virgil – amazingly with no detours – but I might still be later than usual getting back. I will post when I am.
Cartoon – 22 dEs
Short Takes –
The Root – Here Are The Boogie Men (And Women) Of Black History
Quote – Halloween is right around the corner. And while the traditional goblins, ghouls, and monsters are plenty scary, this spooky season, we’re introducing you to some real horror. Meet the boogie men of Black history, a.k.a the men (and women) whose policies and actions have haunted Black Americans throughout time. And yes, Ronald Reagan is on there!
Click through for full list and reasons. Sadly, Nathan Bedford Forrest is not on there. I find him creepier than anyone.
Wonkette (on Substack) – Make Me, Shub-Niggurath, Your House Speaker, Or Be Cast Into Death Beyond Death, Mortals.
Quote – LAUGH NOT, MORTAL! DO YOU HAVE A BETTER AND LESS-FATAL-TO-YOU IDEA? I THOUGHT NOT. ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE REPUBLICAN HOUSE CAUCUS, I UNDERSTAND I’M A FRESHMAN, AND THAT I ONLY OCCUPY THIS SEAT BECAUSE I CAST ITS DULY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVE INTO THE GAPING MAW OF MY OFFSPRING ITHAQUA THE WIND-WALKER TO SPEND AN ETERNITY DROWNING IN HIS BLACK ICHOR. SO YOU FEEL YOU DO NOT KNOW ME WELL ENOUGH TO ELECT ME TO SUCH AN IMPORTANT POSITION. AND ALSO YOU ARE COWERING IN TERROR. YOU ARE RIGHT TO COWER! FOR I AM SHUB-NIGGURATH, THE BLACK GOAT OF THE WOODS WITH A THOUSAND YOUNG, AND I HAVE ENOUGH TENTACLES TO SQUEEZE THE LIFE OF ALL 220 OF YOU OUT OF YOUR CORPOREAL BODIES AT THE SAME TIME. SORRY, I MEANT 219, SINCE ITHAQUA ATE WHATSHISNAME.
Click through for what I hope is H.P. Lovecraft inspired (I’d hate to think he thought of this all by himself) satire. I don’t think Shub-Niggurath is intending to shout – it’s just that the Elder Gods pre-date lower-case letters by millennia so she doesn’t know how to use them. I could be wrong. I do understand the urge to shout at Republicans.
Food For Thought
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