birthday! + drive-by post + stuff + ilu <3333333333

[janie_tangerine]

Hiii everyone!! :D

First thing: happy (probably belated) birthday to haldoor!!! Sorry for the lateness but I spent today on a boat and they didn't offer any free wi-fi servince. *headdesk* I hope you had an absolutely lovely day and if you want to prompt me please feel free to do so! :D (PS: that other stuff I owe you is probably getting sent to you when I'm actually back in Rome, but it should be soon.) If not, I'll just see to put on priority list your luau request while I catch up with what I'm missing. ;) Happy birthday again! :D

--

Also aw, people, thanks so much for the birthday wishes. ♥ They most definitely made my day, especially since nothing else really happened during said day, and I ♥ you all to pieces. <333 I should have answered all the comments/messages by now, I just hope my lame connection didn't make me miss anything. If I did, smack me. ;)

--

Other random stuff:

- I'm back in Rome tomorrow. I plan to catch up for good then because for now I've been online stealing wi-fi from my other grandparents' place and I've barely managed to check one day of FL. I hope I manage, at least.

- I have three other luau fics ready to post, along with the help_chile one. Therefore, sorry in advance for spamming the hell out of you tomorrow evening my time.

- My birthday was mostly uneventful, but I had excellent alcohol and excellent food, therefore I'm chalking it as a win. My grandmother's place didn't sadly get any better, but in three days I'm leaving again for another three days of opera so I'm just looking forward to that. Then I'm back for good. \o/

- I have a bunch of book recs, but that'll be for my next serious post. Ten days with sporadic internet make me productive I guess? Anyway, it's 1 AM and I should probably wake up early-ish tomorrow, therefore I'll be heading to bed after I finish answering comments. I'm so behind, ew. *waves*

Comments

[ciaimpala.livejournal.com]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

So sorry this is belated!!!! *birthday hugs*

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

Belated is always good. ;) Thank you!! :DDD <3

[snowweisz.livejournal.com]

OOOOMG HAPPY BDAY! I WAS GONNA POST YOU SOME BDAY PRESENT THING, BUT THEN MY INTERNET WAS A BITCH AND GOT ALL CUT OFF AND THEY HAD TO SEND A GUY TO FIX IT YESTERDAY IN LIKE, THE AFTERNOON, BUT OF COURSE BY THEN I HAD FORGOTTEN.

BUT IM ME WHEN YOU GET BACK HOME AND I SHALL GIVE YOU IT OMG I HOPE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT LOLOLOL

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

EEEE THANK YOUU! :D AND THAT'S NO PROBLEM REALLY, THE THOUGHT IS WHAT COUNTS. ;) AND I'M HOME NOW, AND WILL BE UNTIL THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW. EXCIIITING. ;)

[itsjustc.livejournal.com]

A big happy (Jacob and Boone belated) birthday

*hugs*

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

Thank you so very much! :D *hugs back* <3

[kljoyce.livejournal.com]

whaaa now i'm wondering if i said happy bday!!! LOL if i did not here it is <3<3<3

ooo i LOVE opera =D
ttyl =))!

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

Your taste gets even more excellent with every comment. ;) ;) yay opera! :D and ha, thank youuu! :DDD <333

[kljoyce.livejournal.com]

=DDDDD! omg i LOOOVE old stuff like Monteverdi and Wagner's Ring cycle and some Verdi !!!!! Tell me your fav arias sometime <3<3 i have no opera loving friends D: !!!!!

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

OPERA FRIENDS ARE AWESOME! And well, I'm a good Italian person and I like opera way too much. ;) and while me and Wagner don't have that much of a relationship I totally love Monteverdi and Verdi, too. (Hint: when I went to see La Traviata I started crying in the middle of the second act. Errr. But I also like Otello and Falstaff a lot, if we're talking Verdi.) My favorite is Mozart *is biased* and I never managed to decide which one of his is my favorite, lol. Then I like Rossini a lot, too (and he's the one I'm actually going to see). Re specific arias.. oh dear this comment would be LONG. I'm actually more for singers rather than arias, since some of my favorites can get regularly butchered if they get the wrong tenor. XD

[kljoyce.livejournal.com]

OMGGGG AMADEUS ICON <3

ok I will reply better later BUT HAD TO SAY:

I LOVE Don Giovanni. LOVE

L
O
V
E

best ever opera. But I like Carmen to tbh. They tie as my casual opera favs. LOLL And I love singers tooooooo, like:
-that woman who does the end of the marriage of figaro, act iv, she sings the best part of 'ah tutti contenti'

But I love Renée Fleming and Kathleen Battle obvs and Mahler, his epic Earth lieder thing, and so MUCH MORE LOL

aaaah i love Mozart operas!!!!!! Also I like Glenn Gould. And Evgeny Kissin. And M. Pollini. <3 Oh and Die Zauberflöte.

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

OMG YOU KNOW WHO KATHLEEN BATTLE IS ILU SHE'S MY FAVORITE FEMALE SINGER EVER. (And Mahler = awesome. And I had totally forgotten Beethoven, but put Fidelio in my bunch too.) If you actually know who Frank Lopardo is then you're my hero, lol. ;) Also Renee Fleming is amaziiing. *loves* lol I was listening to a Cosi fan tutte where she' sings today in the car, now that's coincidences.. XD

AMADEUS = ♥

Also ha. Don Giovanni + Zauberflote (sorry for the horrible spelling but I don't have the german umlaut on this keyboard and I have zero idea of how to produce it) = my two favorites ever. Probably. From him, at least. Also I've seen Pollini live twice. And he's so out of this world seriously. And having a conversation about this stuff is making me feel so giddy, you don't even know. XD <3

[kljoyce.livejournal.com]

well i do like Lopardo bb =DDD BUT Enrico Caruso can't be beat. Or Placido Domingo for a modern dude. And I love Cecilia Bartoli!!!!! HAHAHA You can't be more excited than me!!

Now I'm gonna randomly message you like: do u know this song form 1678????????!!

LOLLL!!!!!!!! <3<3

And I love Amadeus too. I saw the play once.

ACTUALLY STOP
I CAN'T TALK TO YOU
YOU BASTARD YOU'VE SEEN POLLINI LIVE

F UUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!

LOL <3 He's my HERO BITCH
IHU!!!!!

I love Josquin des Prez too. And Rachmoninoff. Did you see that movie about the pianist who plays his stuff and has a breakdown? Or see the Pianist? I read the book/saw movie etc.
Music
IS MY LIFE
LOL!

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

.. just that you know who is he makes me glee. I mean, I <3 him but if I talk about the guy to someone who isn't my mother everyone is like 'WHO'? XD and guuuh Domingo *dies* (tho if we want to go with not modern dudes I'll take Di Stefano. For moderns I like Juan Diego Florez a lot, too, but hey, I'm partial to the tenor. Most times. Then all the others I'm partial to the baritone. XD) And awww Cecilia Bartoli is SO good!

Also ha, totally feel free too. I'm fairly well-versed with stuff from seventeenth century onwards. XD

EEEEE SORRY BUT HE PLAYS EVERY YEAR AT SOME GREAT VENUE HERE IN ROME WHERE I ACTUALLY HAVE DISCOUNTS AND STUFF so ha,I kind of lucked out there. He's so great.

The breakdown movie is Shine, right? If it's that one then yes. And I loved it. The Pianist is my favorite of the two though. Er, I started crying in the middle of that one, too, but let's just state that I get emotional easily. *hides* I have the book somewhere but I didn't read it. I'll get to that someday. ;) <3 also ha, yeah, totally agreeing with the last statement. God it feels so awesome to discuss this.

[kljoyce.livejournal.com]

I love Shostakovich (sp?) Jazz Suite No. 1: 3.Foxtrot and Jazz Suite No.2: 6. Waltz II

Also I love Maurice Jarré, ie. Lawrence of Arabia score and Doctor Zhivago score =D

And Orlando de Lassus. And Fauré's Requiem. LOVE IT Did you see the Broken Flowers modern hip movie that had some Fauré in it??

... And since childhood and my first opera story book I've been weirdly
obsessed with Fauré's Pelleas et Melisande, like the Sicilienne piece etc!!

What about Christmas music??? I LOVE it, especially really old songs.

And Boccherini's classic String Quartet in E I love too. And Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 'new world' -- the first 30 secs esp.

OMGGGG WHAT
ABOUT
ANNE SOFIE VON OTTER???

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

ANNE SOFIE VON OTTER YES FOREVER TOO. She's so good oh my. (And with Renee Fleming in that record I mentioned above. XD) And word about Boccherini/Dvorak, too. I also like Saint-Saens a lot (damn, it isn't written like that, I hate my keyboard that lacks proper letters). Also I think Shostakovich is spelled like that? I need to check but I write it like that, too. XD and MM YES LAWRENCE OF ARABIA that was some great movie. And you mean the Broken Flowers by Jarmusch with Bill Murray? Because if it's that one yeah, I totally saw it and I loved it.

Re Christmas music, we don't have that much of a serious tradition here. I mean, I like most Christmas music in Latin when I get to listen to it, but mostly during Christmas you listen to children singing the same three songs which aren't anything worth calling good music so I might be lacking in that department.

[kljoyce.livejournal.com]

Yes I mean Broken Flowers <3<3 =DDD

OMG Me, my family, my bf and his family, we are all christmas fanatics!!! I LOOVE Christmas music like old carols:

Don in yon forest - Joan Baez's version, & there's a nice choir version on youtube
The seven rejoices of mary - Anon 4 I think
I wonder as I wander -Joan baez, sad song
Shepards in the field abiding - King's college choir, great melody, classic
Ave Maria - just Schubert I prefer, not the other melodies; I like instrumental as much as voice; Charlotte Church had a cute one; Domingo had a great one
Carol of the Bells - amazing

Good king wenceslas - love it, Crosby's is great
The first noel -- great great song, Cole's is great
The christmas song - Cole's is classic, love love
** Irish classic: Christmas in Killarney =DDD Crosby's is great. Amazing
and in that vein: Hawaii's Mele Kalikimaki [merry xmas] -- is a GREAT song that everyone knows despite the odd title, Crosby does it
White christmas- great, Crosby and Cole, classic [from a movie but stands alone]
The Little drummer boy - classic, great beat, Baez's is good but so is Crosby etc
I saw three ships on xmas day - amazing!!! light happy
Winter wonderland - try the Andrews Sisters, it's awesome and cute
Once in royal david's city -- amazing choir song, try it, it's English and awesome
Sleigh Ride - NYC style classic, amazing, try the Arthur Fiedler & the Boston pops version
o come o come emmanuel - v sad, baez but others too; for just bells at the start try Virgil Fox's version, which then goes to organ
The first nowell
Stille Nacht silent night - amazing, I love the Vienna Boy's choir
the light - peter paul and mary - great Jewish song that I find xmasy LOL right!!
I'll be home for christmas - Crosby definitely!!!!
God rest ye merry gentlemen - awesome classic I love, Ella Fitzgerald's is AMAZING
We three kings of Orient are - love it, amazing, Crosby and Cole of course are great
Here we come a-wassailing- really fun, great song
Carol of the bells - my almost ultimate favorite, amazing!!!!
In dulci jubilo - classic, happy joyous song [--Chorus & Orchestra Of The Choral Arts Society Of Washington's version, i like]

*** The cd 'The Carol Album: Seven Centuries Of Christmas Music' is great for old Medieval type songs like:
The Babe of Bethlehem (Ye nations all, on you I call)-- great!!! really intense beautiful song; Veni veni emm. [same as o come...]; 'Il est né, le divin enfant' is great, has a cute little playful beat; 'Nova! Nova!' is great, all big and pompous =); ***for a classic Med. song try Verbum Caro: Y la virgen, it just sounds so totally awesome and ancient in melody. As does 'O Jesulein Suss', w/ vocals. Another classic w/ ancient sounding melody [polyphony here is really nice i think] is Quem Pastores Laudavere.

**The cd 'A Classic Christmas' I find has the best instrumental songs ever. It has the classic Fantasia on Greensleves [super classic], and Vivaldi's winter pieces, and Angels we have heard on high, classic. Also it has the clasisc Rondeau from Mouret and Handel's Hallelujah from the Messiah [famous classical piece always used]

[kljoyce.livejournal.com]

Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole's collections are solid gold for old classics. Sinatra is ok, but those two beat everyone. Esp. Cole's 'O Holy Night' and O Tannenbaum. And Crosby's Do you hear what I hear?. And 'Have yourself a merry little christmas' is a super-classic oldie that is good by Crosby but amazing by Ella Fitzgerald <3<3 Doris Day has cute versions in the old timey style too. The Andrews Sisters are great for xmas too; their modern sisters are the Puppini Sisters, who are also great but don't have xmas yet idk.

I really like for modern: Brenda Lee for Rockin around the xmas tree, and The Cheetah Girls' Xmas in California LOL [great song],

In terms of more Christmasy secular songs I love Amazing Grace by Hayley Westenra, a great take. And Santa's Beard by the Beach Boys is a really fun song, great melodic shifts imho. And Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Scene II valse, or waltz i should say i guess LOL! Is a favorite of mine , as is Scene IV. Andante; non troppo -- the great melody <3<3<3

AND His The Sleeping Beauty Valse (the final one) allegro. What a classic one <3<3 And the Nutcracker of course. Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet is a famous Xmas classic over here, of course the Dance of the knights being a huge classic. And Juliet as a young girl, the Dance of the mandolins, and Again in Juliet's bedroom and Juliet alone are all great. As is 'Dance of the girls with the lilies'. LOL I love ballet can you tell?!?!!?!?!? =D LOVE IT

And Fauré's requiem is also v xmasy. LOL I classify anything that's used at xmas as Christmas music haha! I really like Palestrina like the Chicago a cappella xmas cd. And I like Lammas Ladymass by the Anonymous 4. Great music. And JS Bach's Little suite/chorale is so classic. So is Handel's Water Music. LOL This all must seem non-xmasy to you but anyone here wouldn't know the song names but say "... is this xmas music???' LOL!!! =) We're oddballs here!

** My fav piece ever is the Sicilienne from Fauré's Pelleas et Melisande. I might have already gone on about it idk LOL!!! IT IS MY CURRENT OBSESSION OK!!!!!!!??!?! <3

LOL I'm a hardcore Catholic and I get soo into it =DDD <3<3<3!

and by the by I love the classic Faust 'O Dieu! Que de bijoux' <3<3 =DDD In a perf. I saw they forget the mirror so the Devil had to sneak on stage and 'magically' hand her the mirror ~ and she ~didn't see him~ LOLL!!! It was super funny!

And Carmen too omfg -- what great melodies!!!!! And I love Sarasate's fantasy on it!!!

And Angela Gheorghiu is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know she's a 'big ego' but idc!!! LOL =D

Right now I'm ttly getting into Verdi in a big way for me actually weird! Of course I like Come in quest'ora bruna -- w/ Angela too =)) Do you have any Schumann suggestions I'd like to get into him =)))??????

[kljoyce.livejournal.com]

Also from that Carol album 7 centuries etc also 'Glory to God on High' is great. As is the play, bouncy tone of 'Gabriel Fram Heven-King', yes I'm srs w/ spelling here. And this cd's take on 'The Coventry Carol' is ffffing amazing srsly best I've every heard.

A more bright, trumpet-y vocalish song is Gaudete!.A more 'round', circular singing polyphony song that's great Medieval-ly is 'Verbum Caro: In hac anni circulo'. And of course 'The Old year now away is fled' is a big classic. And a marching little band song that's fun is Branle De l'Officiel (Ding! Dong! Merrily On High).

And the one black gospel spiritual I include is By And By, Parts 1 & 2 by the Davis Sisters. A true classic.

And re modern songs, I have to add Auld Lang Syne by Relient K. And for a old fashioned bagpipe verson of the song, I like Princess Of Wale's Royal Regiment & Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Great bagpipe players.

[kljoyce.livejournal.com]

also from die Zauber. i love the whole 'der hölle rache kocht in meinem Herzen' song omfg!

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

I'm partial to the Papageno/Papagena duet myself but that one? That's totally out of this world, totally agreeing.

[kljoyce.livejournal.com]

DAMN WAIT
Have you seen the movie/book Il gattopardo The Leopard?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

THE SCORE IS FABULOUS SRSLY it's Muti at La Scala

WTFFFF by Nino Rota of course LOL god I love La dolce vita and his score for it

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

HELL YES I DID. Both of them. ;) I like La dolce vita better but that other one is amazing too! And mm. Muti. Yeah. *has classical music orgasms just thinking about it* XD

[kljoyce.livejournal.com]

mmm i LOVE La dolce. omg. But Il gattopardo is SOOO epic, it's like my fav film almost!! Like an Italian Casablanca - not in subject maybe but in ~epic stature =D

Prettay dance scene in Il G: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3srGUvIyOo&feature=related

that i am currently watching againnnn =D

[kljoyce.livejournal.com]

i love
Romance Op.11 in F minor by Dvorak !!!!!!!! eeeeeee

let me take some time and get back to you on xmas recs bb =DD

[kljoyce.livejournal.com]

Oh what about Argerich the piano player!!!!!!?!!?!?!? a woman. She's THE BEST at Rach. I Swear To God!!

And I likethe Pa pap papapapapa song too =D hahaha!

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

... I saw her live, too. /hides/ now she's going to kill me XD (she wasn't playing Rachmaninoff though. But she still was amazing. Totally one of the best classical concerts I've attended.)

Eeeeh, it's just so adorable. And I'm always for the sidekick. ;)

[kljoyce.livejournal.com]

omg did i forget to say
I HATE UUUUUUUUU

D: WHYYYYY GOD

LOL!!! =DDDD argerich is my idol!!! =DDD

[catoasapun.livejournal.com]

Welcome back! *huggles*

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

Thaaaank you!!! *glomps*

[haldoor.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I had a lovely day doing very little but being spoiled with lovely food and gifts! Glad some good things happened on your day and I offer you *Massive HUGS* belatedly too! Don't worry about speed on anything, but I will watch out for those things! I won't ask for anything new from you because I know how busy you are, but I do appreciate the thought! (and I must just mention that I have a little something luau in the works for your request, which I hope you will like!)

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

Doing little and being spoiled sounds like the perfect birthday to me, y/y? ;) And thank you! <3333 and ha, yeah, watch out for that. I'm finishing, I swear. ;) And ha, good to know you do have that! I'm looking forward to it. And well, I wanted to do something for your luau request anyway so just keep your eyes open in the next couple of days. <3

[haldoor.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I should be posting yours soon too! I finished it yesterday and sent it straight off to beta! *more hugs*

[fosfomifira.livejournal.com]

Three days of opera sounds fantastic - I am so very jealous ;)

Have fun!

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

I'm so looking forward to it. (And one with the modern setting is apparently set in an insane asylum. I kind of really want to see that. XD)

Thank you! :D

Goddammit

[timey-wimey-kid.livejournal.com]

5 consecutive days of heavy tequila drinking made me read the email reminder as "Janie's birthday is coming up on 15th August" instead of 13th. ;___; Uhm.

Re: Goddammit

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

Oh, I WILL MOST TOTALLY ACCEPT THIS. :DDDD IT'S THE BEST BANNER I EVER GOT, TRUFAX. <33333 (also ha, tequila is totally an acceptable reason to read LJ's e-mails wrong if you ask me. ;) ) thank youuu! :DDDD

Re: Goddammit

[timey-wimey-kid.livejournal.com]

YAY I AM GLAD YOU LIKED YOUR BIRTHDAY BANNER :D

(LOL xDDDDDDDD )

[onlyechoes.livejournal.com]

Omg what I missed your birthday, happy belated birthday hon! ♥ Glad it was a good one in terms of drinks and food, haha. That's all you need to have a great birthday, to be honest.

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

Eheee, thank you and no problem! ♥ and ha, yes, food and alcohol totally makes up for any lack of anything else. And both were good. ;)

[elliotsmelliot.livejournal.com]

Welcome home! I look forward to your book recs.

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D That will happen tomorrow probably. <3 Crap, I read more in the last two weeks than in the previous month. *looks at Heidegger badly*

[space-dementia6.livejournal.com]

happy birthday. good drink and good food sounds like a perfect combination. i hope it was as good as you deserve.

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

Ee, thank you! :D and yeah, it was pretty nice. I can't complain. ;)

[inthekeyofd.livejournal.com]

three days of opera in ITALY, OMG PLEASE TAKE ME WITH YOU, PLEASE!!!!!

now I'm thinking that August is when I should go, florence, venice, rome...OPERA, I NEED THIS NOW, PLEASE.

even if I have to take it with me myself, I need Kiri Te Kanawa singing O Mio Babbino Caro while I throw open a window and let the sound float over the Arno...or any Italian landscape :)

[janie-tangerine.livejournal.com]

I'D LIKE IT! NEXT YEAR I NEED TO. ;) I'm so excited.

Also OHDEAR I LOVE KIRI TE KANAWA SO MUCH. She's so in my top three. <33 do it!!!