Tutto è tranquillo e placido

Call me MG. She/her. 30s. US. Librarian. “Of course I shouldn’t tell you this, but she advocates dirty books.” On AO3 as emjee.

[emjee]

Okay opéra people of tumblr, I have a question that I’ve had since I first saw The Merry Widow at the age of 18:

Where did the “Ja das studium der Weiber ist schwer” reprise sung by the women (as “Ja das studium der Männer”) come from and why can’t I find any info on it even though I saw it performed live (Harnick English translation, USA late 2010s) and recorded (Zürich Opernhaus 2004, German)? Why does it never get recorded on CD?

Relatedly, why are there approximately 900 versions of the book in English? I’m not talking translations, I mean versions that feel like full rewrites. Wherefore does it not just get translated directly with a couple localized jokes? do I have to write a textual history of the thing myself? Is anyone else as obsessed with this question?

[on-whereabouts-lane]

narrator: but he was very much in danger

[wanderthewood]

The view from Side Pike to Blea Tarn - Lake District, England by Mehcee

[yorksnapshots]

Walled Rose Garden at Sewerby Hall, East Yorkshire, England.

[wigfucker]

[thejagermeister]

the curse of local theatre is that a show can change you forever and there is no recording of it anywhere at all and after a few years all you have are scattered memories and the knowledge that you were different before.

[birdplushie]

i think it's funny when a character is almost exclusively referred to by their last name by other people and this carries over into their internal monologue when someone writes from their pov. not even on a first name basis with herself

[princesssarisa]

Like in Shakespeare's Merry Wives of Windsor, when Master Ford is horrified by the news of his wife Alice's (alleged) plan to cheat on him with Falstaff, and exclaims "Is this a dream? Do I sleep? Master Ford, awake! Awake, Master Ford!" To himself, when he's alone.

(He also does this in Verdi's opera Falstaff, which is based on the play.)

It's especially funny because Shakespeare did give him a first name. At one point Alice calls him "sweet Frank," so I assume his name must be Francis. Francis Ford. But no one else calls him that, not even himself.

[parmandil]

INCREDIBLE combination of vibes

[madonnamadeofasphalt]

Kinda sad how these days they don't have the villains sing a whole song about how much they love the concept of slander.

[princesssarisa]

#best part is he doesn't even get to actually do any slander after all that

[makingtrouble]

It's my cat's birthday (anniversary of me getting him) so I told him the story of his life while petting him real good

Highlights include:

For your first two years (when you were small) you lived in a foster home with people who raised you into a very polite young man. Two is like you plus me, that's what two is.

Some people adopted you before me and they called you Timmy (which is a stupid name) and they returned your ass almost immediately because you were so annoying at that age.

Like think about how annoying you are right now at seven years old, but way worse.

I'm better than them though, I don't call you Timmy and I wore earplugs to bed for three years because you love to scream at bedtime. Earplugs are like when I roll over and go back to sleep even when you are yelling so so so loud.

I got you at a time in my life when I was really sick (being sick is like when I'm up late because I'm throwing up and you are a very handsome good boy who sits with me) and they had to put me asleep for a procedure. A procedure is like what happened to you when they put you asleep and took your balls away.

Now you've lived with me for five years. Five is like the number of toe beans on one of your feet. When I clip your nails five is when we're halfway done. But we're hopefully not even halfway done with how long we get to be together. I'm gonna have to figure out new ways to help you count.

[makingtrouble]

Actually I've decided this is a poem

[huariqueje]

The Red Awning - Antonio Barahona

Spanish , b. 1984 -

Oil on panel , 120 x 180 cm.

[fandom-man]

[top-cheese]

[badassindistress]

I was at my favorite secondhand fabric shop today and found probably four metres of white and blue striped mid weight cotton, which feels like it’s begging to be something from the 18th century! I’ve made petticoats, shirts, and shifts before but I’m a bit stymied about where to go from here since the only corset I have is an 1880s pair and the idea of drafting my own stays terrifies me (no sewing machine). If you have any ideas I’d love to hear them, but I also just wanted to share fabric good fortune!

Blue and white stripes sound lovely for an 18th century dress! It won't be enough for a full robe á la française, but you could get a delightful polonaise out of it.

Handsewing stays sounds a like a challenge, but I can help with the drafting at least. Both for myself, my sister and my friends with wildly varying bodytypes, I've had great success using Mariah Pattie's circular pattern making method.

Here's her video and my additional explanation.

You just get your bust and waist measurements and the distance in between and then you set it out as a part of a circle. It's a pattern automatically shaped like a cone and it works so well for 18th century bodices and stays.

For the straps or neckline, I like to go off the chemise or shift I intend to wear under it.

I hope this helps, cheering you on!

[emjee]

Yayyy this is so helpful! Thank you! I have also just remember that I work at a library and the library lends sewing machines, so there’s that problem solved. I do love a polonaise and I shall absolutely be in touch for your opinions about boning!

[emjee]

We’re not gonna talk about how many time I’ve watched the Zurich Die lustige witwe in the last week or so but suffice to say the way Rod Gilfry cries “HANNA” when she says she’ll lose her money if she remarries (so he can marry her without guilt) lives in my head rent free

[emjee]

Speaking of Gilfry actually I just watched the Nozze production conducted by Gardiner and he is so unbelievably good as Il Conte. Young. Hot. Evil. Sounds fantastic. Stellar grovel on Contessa perdono. ALSO Terfel and Hagley are there being delightful (even though I have no idea what they thought they were doing with Hagley’s hair. The staging overall is just okay and that is also how I feel about the Contessa but overall it was a marvelous time).

[emjee]

We’re not gonna talk about how many time I’ve watched the Zurich Die lustige witwe in the last week or so but suffice to say the way Rod Gilfry cries “HANNA” when she says she’ll lose her money if she remarries (so he can marry her without guilt) lives in my head rent free

[anthropomorphisms]

Lev Tokmakov (1928-2010)