U.S. Electile Dementia paralytica 2020

[kladner]

Originally Posted by Batalov

Size does matter for the most beautiful voice.
(And the lyrics probably match someone's spirits at this point.)
Full bodied ladies really can sing.

That one certainly can. That aria puts the color in coloratura. It is a monster, and Ms Damrau really has it under strict control. I know of another soprano gives an outstanding performance. Unfortunately, I can't immediately name her. Ms Damrau delivers a stunning performance with her expressive control of those F6 notes. It does help to see her intimidating dramatic presentation, along with the music.

I have heard the suggestion that the Queen of the Night represents the Catholic church; and the monks and their high priest represent the Free Masons.
I am certain that the real-time monster hunkered down in the White House is feeling the wrath of hell in his bones, and lashing out at everyone and everything.

Many scholars also acknowledge an influence of Freemasonry.[b]

This opera has some of the highest and lowest notes between the Queen and Sarastro, the high priest. I learned and sang one of his arias, "O Isis und Osiris" when a freshman in college.

The vocal ranges of two of the original singers for whom Mozart tailored his music have posed challenges for many singers who have since recreated their roles. Both arias of the Queen of the Night, "O zittre nicht, mein lieber Sohn" and "Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" require high F6, rare in opera. At the low end, the part of Sarastro, premiered by Franz Xaver Gerl, includes a conspicuous F2 in a few locations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magic_Flute
EDIT:

I hear people talking about him spending more time in Ossining.

We can hope, though he would be sent to a Club Fed*, were it not for the likely "resign and get pardoned by the Fly Boy" gambit. I'll bet that #45 is not the only family or staff member angling for a Federal Plenary Indulgence.
* This assume that he actually gets charged. Obama's "look forward not backward" dictum continued the culture of impunity that was on display in the Iran Contra affair. I am sure others can provide other examples.

[Nick]

...have posed challenges for many singers who have since recreated their roles...

Meryl Streep's rendition in her role as Florence Foster Jenkins is priceless!

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by Uncwilly

I hear people talking about him spending more time in Ossining.

[W.C. Fields voice] Ah, yes, a pleasant trip up the river would be just the thing... He can get re-acquainted with old friends...[/W.C. Fields voice]

The State of New York is indeed on his case. Decades too late IMO, but better late than never I guess.

The Sing Sing retirement facility is an excellent choice, since Presidential pardon power does not apply to offenses against individual States.

We'll see what the Supremes do with the Manhattan District Attorney's subpoena for his (and his corporation's) tax returns. In October it was upheld by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by kladner

I remember the arias in the "Masonic Opera" having some very high notes, but never looked up the score. Hmm. F6? (Looks up notation).

Let's see here, I know the treble clef. The notes on the lines, bottom to top, EGBDF, Every Good Boy Does Fine. Just about the only mnemonic that works for me. The notes between the lines of the treble clef, bottom to top, are FACE. The "A" in FACE is the A above Middle C (440 Hz, tuning fork frequency).

OK, the F in "Fine" at the top of the treble clef is F5. The "F" an octave above that is F6. Good grief. The "A" just above the treble clef is a good high note, but F6 is 2/3 of an octave higher.

[kladner]

Originally Posted by Nick

Meryl Streep's rendition in her role as Florence Foster Jenkins is priceless!

I have not heard Streep's version. Somewhere in basement storage is the F. F. Jenkins LP my Dad bought: "The Glory (????) of the Human Voice". One of the real marvels of her recordings is that the accompanist manages to stay on track with her key changes. She could not carry a tune in a bucket, mostly because her voice just couldn't get there.

[Brian-E]

Originally Posted by kladner

I have not heard Streep's version. Somewhere in basement storage is the F. F. Jenkins LP my Dad bought: "The Glory (????) of the Human Voice". One of the real marvels of her recordings is that the accompanist manages to stay on track with her key changes. She could not carry a tune in a bucket, mostly because her voice just couldn't get there.

Thanks for that!
Nick and I have had a most entertaining few minutes listening to that clip.
I can see that Meryl Streep was not exaggerating. She got Ms Foster Jenkins' talents down to a tee in the film.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by kladner

. One of the real marvels of her recordings is that the accompanist manages to stay on track with her key changes.

Yes, the accompanist is Cosmé McMoon, also interested in mathematics (not to mention bodybuilding).

[Xyzzy]

We dislike opera but we do like "symphonic metal".

Floor Jansen is our favorite singer in this genre.

Apparently "reaction" videos are a thing. We found some of the commentary interesting because we know nothing about singing.

https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...coach+reaction

The original video, in particular, from 7:45 to 9:30, especially 9:05 to 9:30, is fantastic:

[Dr Sardonicus]

At his first inaugural, George Washington was administered the oath of office by Robert R. Livingston, New York's highest judicial authority (Chancellor). The US Supreme Court did not yet exist.

John Quincy Adams took the oath of office with his hand on a book of law rather than a Bible.

In 1841, after William Henry Harrison died in office, John Tyler was administered the oath of office by William Cranch, Chief Judge of the U.S. Circuit Court of the D.C.

In 1850, William Cranch also administered the oath of office to Millard Fillmore, after Zachary Taylor died in office.

In 1853, Franklin Pierce chose to solemnly affirm (rather than swear), the oath of office, as allowed by the Constitution. As far as I was able to determine, he is as of yet the only president to have done so. (Curiously, the two presidents who were Quakers (Herbert Hoover and Richard Nixon) chose to solemnly swear the oath.)

In 1881, when James Garfield died from an assassin's bullet (and a major assist from the doctors), Chester Arthur took the oath of office twice -- once in his home, administered by New York Supreme court Judge John R. Brady, and again in Washington, D.C. administered by the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court

In 1901 Theodore Roosevelt didn't swear on any book because no Bible was available. The oath was administered by John Raymond Hazel Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of New York.

In 1963, Lyndon Johnson used a Roman Catholic missal because there was no Bible on Air Force One. The oath was administered by Dallas Federal District Judge Sarah T. Hughes. This was the first time the presidential oath of office was administered by a woman.

(In 1989, Dan Quayle was administered the vice-presidential oath of office by Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first time that oath had been administered by a woman.)

At his first inaugural, Barack Obama took the oath of office twice because the first time, in the public ceremony, Chief Justice Roberts said it wrong. In the second (private) ceremony, Roberts again administered the oath. Obama recited the oath correctly, but used no Bible.

With one exception, in every other inauguration I have been able to check, the presidential oath of office was administered by the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, and the president swore on a Bible.

The one exception is Calvin Coolidge, as described in an earlier post. When he succeeded to the presidency upon the death of Warren G. Harding, he swore on a Bible, but the oath was administered by his father, a notary public.

[Uncwilly]

Originally Posted by Dr Sardonicus

In 1963, Lyndon Johnson used a Roman Catholic missal because there was no Bible on Air Force One. The oath was administered by Dallas Federal District Judge Sarah T. Hughes. This was the first time the presidential oath of office was administered by a woman.

Robert Caro describes this in great detail in "The Passage of Power". Sarah Hughes was chosen specifically because her appoint had gotten blocked while he presided over the senate.

At his first inaugural, Barack Obama took the oath of office twice because the first time, in the public ceremony, Chief Justice Roberts said it wrong. In the second (private) ceremony, Roberts again administered the oath. Obama recited the oath correctly, but used no Bible.

During the first one he used 2 Bibles stacked. One was a family Bible and the other was Lincoln's Bible.

IIRC Washington placed his hand on the opened Bible.

[Uncwilly]

A little-known Trump appointee is in charge of handing transition r...
"The administrator of the General Services Administration has declined to sign paperwork officially starting the transition to the new administration."