From: owner-ammf-digest@smoe.org (alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest) To: ammf-digest@smoe.org Subject: alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest V14 #6617 Reply-To: ammf@fruvous.com Sender: owner-ammf-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ammf-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest Friday, May 21 2021 Volume 14 : Number 6617 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Perfect Vision in 7-Seconds? Just Do THIS ["Bad eyes" Subject: Perfect Vision in 7-Seconds? Just Do THIS Perfect Vision in 7-Seconds? Just Do THIS http://eyecode.buzz/4fMbreZVPsQM56C1UZKZTe0jMPrEq26PDdAkolp4FUpFM-ci http://eyecode.buzz/3Xl87KIdCxyX-0YSYxWhMWTz48C-Gu8yrEZ-3QezHQuzru3O oint a musical director to build the company from scratch. He negotiated with Bruno Walter and Eugene Goossens, but neither of those conductors was willing to consider an opera company with no leading international stars. Webster appointed a little-known Austrian, Karl Rankl, to the post. Before the war, Rankl had acquired considerable experience in charge of opera companies in Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia. He accepted Webster's invitation to assemble and train the principals and chorus of a new opera company, alongside a permanent orchestra that would play in both operas and ballets. The new company made its debut in a joint presentation, together with the Sadler's Wells Ballet Company, of Purcell's The Fairy-Queen on 12 December 1946. The first production by the opera company alone was Carmen, on 14 January 1947. Reviews were favourable. The Times said: It revealed in Mr. Karl Rankl a musical director who knew how to conduct opera. It conceded the claims of theatrical production without sacrificing the music. It proved that contrary to expectation English can even now be sung so that the words are intelligible. It confirmed what we knew already about the quality of the chorus. head and shoulders image of a bald, clean-shaven man of middle age Erich Kleiber All the members of the cast for the production were from Britain or the Commonwealth.[n 3] Later in the season, one of England's few pre-war international opera stars, Eva Turner, appeared as Turandot. For the company's second season, eminent singers from continental Europe were recruited, including Ljuba Welitsch, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Paolo Silveri, Rudolf Schock and Set Svanholm. Other international stars who were willing to re-learn their roles in English for the company in its early years included Kirsten Flagstad and Hans Hotter for The Valkyrie. Nevertheless, even as early as 1948, the opera in English policy was weakening; the company was obliged to present some Wagner performances in German to recruit leading exponents of the main roles. At first Rankl conducted all the productions; he was dismayed when eminent guest conductors including Beecham, Clemens Krauss and Erich Kleiber were later invited for prestige productions.[n 4] By 1951 Rankl felt that he was no longer valued, and announced his resigna ------------------------------ End of alt.music.moxy-fruvous digest V14 #6617 **********************************************