Arts (part 2) - What's Opera, Doc?

 

Walkure/Wikpedia.com

My first big exposure to classical music was through the Saturday morning cartoons.

There was a good reason for this. Classical music was in the public domain. No copyright. No royalties. No problem.

A classic among the Looney Tune/Meerie Melonies cartoon series (which ran for 80 years) is the 1957 short morality tale...

What's Opera, Doc?

The long running feud between Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd continues in the setting of Richard Wagner's Die Walküre.

Part 1

https://youtu.be/iIbQX_eJuII

Part 2

https://youtu.be/ZVjI9x-DU3E

Part 3

https://youtu.be/JRVOJKxYdcI

"In 1992, the Library of Congress deemed it "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant", and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry, the first cartoon short film to receive such honors." 
(reference: What's Opera, Doc?) 

Looney Tunes meets Opera.

Best cartoon ever!

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Photo:  Walkure/Wikpedia.com

Culture 101 (part 10) - Summertime! x 3

Summer field in Belgium

Three faces of Summer

1. The scientific face

Yes, summer solstice officially begins June 21, 2013 in the northern hemisphere.  [reference:  First Day of Summer 2013 Solstice Dates Times Photos]

And for my science loving friends, the reasons for the seasons are well explained in the video clip below:




Now, wasn't that intellectual?

2.  The Romantic and Poetic face:

Solomon knew something about romance and the change of seasons when he penned this -

¹¹ See! The winter is past;
    the rains are over and gone.
¹² Flowers appear on the earth;
    the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
    is heard in our land.
¹³ The fig tree forms its early fruit;
    the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
    my beautiful one, come with me.”

from Song of Solomon 2 (NIV)

3.  The artsy and cultural face

In 1935, what the History Channel calls the first great American opera, Porgy and Bess, premiered on Broadway.  [reference: Porgy and Bess, the first great American opera, premieres on Broadway — History.com This Day in History — 10/10/1935]

One of the memorable numbers from the opera is Summertime, as sung below in  this clip:




Lyrics are here: PORGY AND BESS SUMMERTIME LYRICS


The Mind, Body, and Soul -

Enjoy these three facets of summer!

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Previous posts in the Culture 101 series:

Culture 101 (part 1) - Reagan's Challenge (2012)

Culture 101 (part 2) - Easter Eucatastrophe (2012)

Culture 101 (part 3) - Paul Revere's Ride (2012)

Culture 101 (part 4) - Gold Diggers and the Great Depression (2012)

Culture 101 (part 5) - Blue Bloods and 9/11 (2012)

Culture 101 (part 6) - Gilligan's Island and Breast Cancer Awareness (2012)

Culture 101 (part 7) - Band of Brothers  (2013)

Culture 101 (part 8) - Snow White (2013)

Culture 101 (part 9) - Father Knows Best (2013)

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Photo from:  Wikipedia - Field Hamois Belgium