Tag Archives: five ways

“I Ain’t Got Nobody”, Five Ways

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Blowhard, Esq.

Blowhard, Esq. writes:

Posted in Music | Tagged bing crosby, Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, David Lee Roth, Emmett Miller, five ways, Merle Haggard | 6 Comments

Australian Hot Chocolate, Five Ways

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: There might be more obvious candidates for the title of quintessentially Australian drink. VB, Penfold’s Grange, Bundy, Sullivan’s Cove. But it cannot be denied that hot chocolate is big business here. Not “cocoa”, either, but real, serious, … Continue reading →

Posted in Food and health, Personal reflections | Tagged Australia, chocolate, five ways, koko black, max brenner, oliver brown, san churro | 3 Comments

Five Books About The Opera Business

Posted on September 13, 2015 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: The Toughest Show On Earth: My Rise And Reign At the Metropolitan Opera Joseph Volpe and Charles Michener Volpe was the Met’s General Manager from 1990 to 2006. In retrospect his tenure may have been conservative, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Music | Tagged books, five ways, Opera | Leave a comment

Manon Lescaut, Five Ways

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: She done him so, so wrong. L’Histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut is a scandalous novella written in 1731 by Abbé Antoine François Prévost. Frequently banned and censored, it’s the story of a bourgeois … Continue reading →

Posted in Books Publishing and Writing, Movies, Music, Sex | Tagged abbe prevost, anna netrebko, beverly sills, catherine deneuve, five ways, jean aurel, jules massenet, manon 70, manon lescaut, new york city opera, Opera, puccini, roberto alagna, sylvie guillem | 3 Comments

Anita Cerquetti, Five Ways

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: She never got the press or fame of Maria Callas, whom she famously replaced in a Rome Norma in 1958. She only made two official recordings, both for Decca: an aria recital and a complete La Gioconda. She … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Performers | Tagged aida, andrea chenier, anita cerquetti, five ways, la wally, norma, Opera, soprano, Tom Hanks, un ballo in maschera | 2 Comments

“It Ain’t Necessarily So”, Five Ways

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: It ain’t necessarily so It ain’t necessarily so The things that you’re liable To read in the Bible, It ain’t necessarily so. Li’l David was small, but oh my! Li’l David was small, but oh my! He … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Performers, Philosophy and Religion | Tagged Aretha Franklin, bronski beat, cher, five ways, George Gershwin, it ain't necessarily so, Miles Davis, paul robeson, porgy and bess, sammy davis jr | 1 Comment

Unexpected Celebrity Perfumes, Five Ways

Posted on September 13, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: Every celebrity has their own fragrance nowadays. And frankly, those of us who appreciate the art of perfumery generally don’t think much of star-hyped scents: the lion’s share of their budget tends to go toward packaging and … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Performers, Shopping, The Good Life, Women men and fashion | Tagged alan cumming, fabio luisi, five ways, fragrance, klaus kinski, Perfumes and Scents, pope pius ix, rossy de palma | 3 Comments

Carlo Bergonzi, Five Ways

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: There aren’t many singers who have epitomized the true meaning of bel canto better than Carlo Bergonzi. It literally means “beautiful singing”, and refers to the style or school that emphasizes vocal beauty and line above other … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Performers | Tagged carlo bergonzi, five ways, Opera | 3 Comments

Habanera, Five Ways

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: Peut-être jamais, peut-être demain. Mais pas aujourd’hui, c’est certain! (Maybe never, maybe tomorrow, But for sure, not today.) Who knew a descending chromatic scale could be so sexy? Carmen’s entrance aria “L’amour est un oiseau rebelle”, better … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Performers | Tagged bizet, carmen, Dorothy Dandridge, Elina Garanca, five ways, habanera, Maria Callas, muppets, Opera, Svetlana Zakharova | 6 Comments

Pizza, Five Ways

Posted on April 23, 2014 by Eddie Pensier

Eddie Pensier writes: The best pizza in the world, as everybody knows, no longer exists. It is the pizza of your childhood*. That first magical bite sets the flavor, which you spend the rest of your life attempting to recapture. … Continue reading →