Here's something you might be interested in.
A recent commercial has planted "Un bel di vedremo" into my head but I’m enjoying it. I’m not sure what this iconic aria has to do with a conversation between a smart phone and John Malkovich.
Of course, “un bel di” means “one fine day." Perhaps that’s it.
One fine day you too can sit alone, with no plans for the evening, and have your phone tell you a joke. One thing is for sure, Malkovich is painted up like a geisha in that commercial.
In case there’s any confusion, this music wasn’t written for the movie Fatal Attraction. It was written for the opera Madama Butterfly.
I’m not into writing descriptions of music, which can only be heard, but here’s a quick bit of context.
Cio Cio San (Butterfly) is awaiting the return of her American husband and father of her child. Her servant, Suzuki, despairs prompting Butterfly to sing "Un bel di" in an attempt to comfort both Suzuki and herself.
At the end of the show, Butterfly’s husband, Pinkerton, does return. He brings his American wife with him. Butterfly decides to take her life in order to retain a veneer of dignity and to ensure that Pinkerton takes their son with him. Butterfly thinks her son will have a better life with his father in America.
Butterfly’s farewell to her child is the most devastating scene in all of opera. Argue amongst yourselves if you must. As I re-watched this finale scene I decided that I want to stab Siri in the neck.
I’m concerned that there are some who enjoy the Malkovich commercial. To use a towering work of human passion in order to sell slick gadgets is vacuous behavior.
Is it that big a deal? Probably not — so long as we aren’t duped into thinking that buying a phone makes us cultured opera lovers. Even that isn’t a very big deal.
The big deal here is Butterfly. I suppose I should be grateful to the commercial for reminding me. I can’t wait to see it up in LA this fall.
The clips: I’ve included the clip immediately before "Un bel di" for those who want it. The soprano is Mirella Freni and this is from a 1970s movie version.
The clip of Butterfly’s farewell is from the Metropolitan Opera. This production created a sensation with the use of a puppet in place of a child. The soprano is Patricia Racette. She also sang Butterfly in San Diego that same season.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAug2yCuM4w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfUvzM64xro&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyw6qPKJiwU&feature=related
A recent commercial has planted "Un bel di vedremo" into my head but I’m enjoying it. I’m not sure what this iconic aria has to do with a conversation between a smart phone and John Malkovich.
Of course, “un bel di” means “one fine day." Perhaps that’s it.
One fine day you too can sit alone, with no plans for the evening, and have your phone tell you a joke. One thing is for sure, Malkovich is painted up like a geisha in that commercial.
In case there’s any confusion, this music wasn’t written for the movie Fatal Attraction. It was written for the opera Madama Butterfly.
I’m not into writing descriptions of music, which can only be heard, but here’s a quick bit of context.
Cio Cio San (Butterfly) is awaiting the return of her American husband and father of her child. Her servant, Suzuki, despairs prompting Butterfly to sing "Un bel di" in an attempt to comfort both Suzuki and herself.
At the end of the show, Butterfly’s husband, Pinkerton, does return. He brings his American wife with him. Butterfly decides to take her life in order to retain a veneer of dignity and to ensure that Pinkerton takes their son with him. Butterfly thinks her son will have a better life with his father in America.
Butterfly’s farewell to her child is the most devastating scene in all of opera. Argue amongst yourselves if you must. As I re-watched this finale scene I decided that I want to stab Siri in the neck.
I’m concerned that there are some who enjoy the Malkovich commercial. To use a towering work of human passion in order to sell slick gadgets is vacuous behavior.
Is it that big a deal? Probably not — so long as we aren’t duped into thinking that buying a phone makes us cultured opera lovers. Even that isn’t a very big deal.
The big deal here is Butterfly. I suppose I should be grateful to the commercial for reminding me. I can’t wait to see it up in LA this fall.
The clips: I’ve included the clip immediately before "Un bel di" for those who want it. The soprano is Mirella Freni and this is from a 1970s movie version.
The clip of Butterfly’s farewell is from the Metropolitan Opera. This production created a sensation with the use of a puppet in place of a child. The soprano is Patricia Racette. She also sang Butterfly in San Diego that same season.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAug2yCuM4w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfUvzM64xro&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyw6qPKJiwU&feature=related