Nicholas Spanos: "Desires" poetry Cavafy

[MmeFigaro]

sorry a correction: i like of course if a black acts Hamlet, the blond price of Danemark... And a small answer to "suoidolem" who thinks that he cannot understand the pains of a woman who gives birth to a child, better than a woman. i am also a woman but i don´t know how it pains... I have no children. But I am a human beeing and I can feel what a woman, a men, a gay, a black, an comunist, an arab, a christian, a criminal or a holy feels... Its a soul in me who teaches me that.

[suoidolem]

@MmeFigaro It is sometimes better to leave egos behind and accept things as they are (facts), not as we'd like them to be (perceptions). Any actor can perform Hamlet in a play. The fact is, though, that Hamlet WAS a blond prince of Danemark. For some reason unknown to us, God made Danish people blond in their majority. Then came Shakespeare, an Englishman, and put words into his Hamlet's mouth that any man might have uttered. That is great art. (TB. cont.)

[suoidolem]

@MmeFigaro Shakespeare was no blond prince. But he was a theater genius. I'm saying, it takes a genius to bridge the discrimination Nature shows over us all. We're all different; each perceives things in a unique way no other can 100% comprehend. There is, of course, sympathy: trying to imagine how one must feel, but it's still our own fantasy. However, sb who's lost an arm will bond easier to sb else with the same disability, without any words involved. Life's a mystery words can't describe.

[MmeFigaro]

I didn´t want to answer because this theme is for me over. But I explain myself better, because I see you don´t want understand me. For me it is banal that a christian sing Bach, a gay is countertenor and writes music to Kavafis, that a black sings Otello etc etc. For me is wonderfull if a black acts otello, a gay sings with bass voice, a woman sings tchaikovsky (actually he never did coming out so dont speak about him), a christian sings arabic poetry ect. have a nice day

[serenaluce]

@MmeFigaro Mamma mia, obviously I just replied to your comment and butted in your private communication with suiodolem which has nothing to do with this video. Actually I have no children either but there's such a thing as compassion and ability to put yourself in somebody else's shoes. I don't care either who sings and what music and never chose my favourites or friends based on skin and eye colour. And I can speak about anybody I like. If you don't know much about Chaikovsky I do...

[arpeggio1358]

@serenaluce I can only agree completely with you in all of your posts on this video. The voice and the singing are the only things that matter for a singer. Black, white, gay, straight are all irrelevant. I feel sorry for people who cannot realize this.

[serenaluce]

@arpeggio1358 Thanks for your reply:-). I completely agree with you too. Straight or gay male or female singer is irrelevant for singing, all art. You and me are straight women. I perfectly understand the image. It's all in the head of the listener and I get the message in the my way. What, straight people can't feel what sensual delight is? It's discrimination of straight people! We should fight for our rights then! LOL If Mr Spanos composes music on Rilke or Karyotakis I'll be happy to listen!

[serenaluce]

@arpeggio1358 I'd also like to add here that really only VOICE and INTERPRETATION matters on musical videos instead of IMAGINING other stuff. If a male artist sings music on a presumably gay poet's lyric means nothing. If a woman composes a song on Sappho's poem doesn't make her lesbian herself. Other female locals of the island of Lesbon are not ALL lesbians if SHE was from there! Artists who sing Chaikovsky's operas are NOT all gays and lesbians themselves. Isn't it better just enjoy MUSIC?!

[arpeggio1358]

@serenaluce You're so right. The voice and interpretation are what count. Who cares about the sexual orientation of the composer or singer...or instrumentalist or conductor for that matter.

[serenaluce]

@arpeggio1358 And even a person who might turn pages ot the score for the musicians at recital for that matter:-)... And even some people in the audience or on the street of the city where the concert takes place for that matter:-)...

[serenaluce]

@MmeFigaro Geniuses' life is always surrounded by mysteries and gossips. Oscar Wilde didn't confess either that he is gay but even rumours can make life a nightmare. He was accused of sodomy and sent to penal servitude though his "crime" wasn't proved. He died at 46. You can imagine that his life wasn't that easy. Chaikovsky was considered gay though he married a woman. There's an official version that he died of cholera but he was buried in an open coffin against common practice. How come?...

[serenaluce]

@MmeFigaro According to unofficial version certain circles didn't like that he was gay and got rid of him. He died at 53. As suiodolem says "gays" feel it in their flesh"... Actually it's so banal to talk again and again about gay culture on countertenors' videos though it's just a singing technique. If you want to be original you could right something like that on bass's videos, e.g. on Gremin's aria "Lubvi vse vozrasty pokorny"... Why is it not gay culture then?...

[MmeFigaro]

I don't understand any words... if this is a lied, i think the text has to be clearer. But congratulations about the music. It's rare that singers are also composers. Very nice music.Although I feel it very banal that a countertenor writes music for poems of Kavafis. Gay culture?Britten writes on gay themes, jews on jewish, americans on jazz and the world is nationalist? Art belongs the hole humanity, it unifies us. Perhaps hecan write music for poems of Rilke or Karyotakis next time?

[suoidolem]

@MmeFigaro I don't comment on other comments; yet in your comment, I find a couple of excellent reasons. First, I assume that you are able to understand Greek, if you say that you don't understand ONE word! I am Greek and I can hear everything. Second, I can't believe you're assuming that all countertenors have to be gay! Even if it were so, who would better understand a gay poet's sensation than another gay artist? You talk about unification thru art and yet you yourself discriminate!! Please!

[MmeFigaro]

@suoidolem I feel discriminate, if you say that I cannot understand deeply a poem of Kavafis if I am not gay! I can understand it, not because I am gay but because I have a sensual nature, temperament and sensuality is not a gender attitude but a charakter one. That's why I say that instead of Mr Spanos singing only gay poets like Kavafis or Hahn, he could very well sing Rilke or Karyotakis. Because they were exactly free and sensual natures, like Kavafis... Anyway thank you for your nice answer

[suoidolem]

@MmeFigaro The fact is that each one of us understands art their own way and cannot ever know how others do. BUT, if you're not gay, at least assume that it is much more likely that a gay person understands better another gay person. Don't feel discriminate; can a man understand a woman's birth labour pains? No. Nature itself discriminates greatly and that's the way it is. You don't know how a gay person feels and sees things related to sexuality unless you're gay. That's all I'm saying.

[suoidolem]

@MmeFigaro I am sure you can understand Kavafy - I just said that gays feel it in their own flesh.

BTW, I don't think Hahn was gay. Mr. Spanos has sung numerous poets and composers that were not gay. Why do you stick to Kavafy? Is it maybe because in our days, many other performers or composers, gay or not, have misused Kavafy's masterpieces in order to project their own vulgarity? Mr. Spanos at least treats the poet with the utmost respect. I know him personally and I can assure you of that.

[suoidolem]

@MmeFigaro Art belongs to the whole humanity indeed. But every individual expresses him/herself in their own unique way, either thru creation or thru appreciation of art. A gay poem can be perceived by all, but a gay reader will identify best with it, because of lived experience, just as jazz can speak to all, but for some people is a way of life. We are all different, thank God, and there's nothing BANAL about that ! :-))

[serenaluce]

@MmeFigaro Actually my Greek isn't that great yet as I'm only learning it but I UNDERSTAND EVERY WORD here as Nicholas Spanos is famous for his clear diction in ANY language and especially in his native language he can't have any accent at all. It's really rare that singers can compose such GREAT and original music.But what here and in this Cavafy's poem made you dwell so much about gay culture if you admit yourself that MUSIC unites us all?When you listen to Chaikovsky it's all you think about?

[MmeFigaro]

@MmeFigaro I did one mistake when I wrote my comment. Since I forgot that speaking about gay culture is a great taboo and somebody is so proud and so insicure about himself that they cannot accept opinions of other people. That was my opinion and i am not going to do a war to defend her, if you are not able to appreciate our differences. So for people of your level i answer: you are right, excuse me for my opinion.

p.s. I am greek.. and I don't understand the text, even I undestand his italian.

[serenaluce]

@MmeFigaro I supposed you wanted to reply to me. Actually I don't understand neigher your first comment or the last one. What are you talking about? For whom speaking about gay culture is taboo and who is proud of being gay? You are not going to defend HER? Are you in the right video? You mean a GAY WOMAN CULTURE? It's a countertenor Nicholas Spanos. If he sings Cavafy who you presume is gay don't mean the performer is gay too. Everbody sings Chaikovsky. Or only gays can feel sensual delight?!

[serenaluce]

@MmeFigaro I'm a straight but open minded woman. When I listen to Chaikovsky I don't think at all if he was gay or straight. It's MUSIC, great art. It inspires all kinds of emotions in me and in any normal person. It's MY culture too. If you commented Brokeback mountain I could understand why you mention gays, but still I wouldn't talk about "gay culture". It's a tragic love story of 2 people who happened to be gay. But it's visual art. When it's great classical musis what is GAY CULTURE?

[serenaluce]

@MmeFigaro It's very interesting: I'm not Greek but I understand every word Nicholas Spanos is singing here and in his Ap' tes ennia too. I even began to learn Greek imitating his pronounciation as it's so beautiful to me. How come? Perhaps it's just not your VOICE? It's not appealing to you?

[experimentalis]

πανέμορφο!

[PhillipLWilcher]

The atmosphere here seems so well suited to the climate of Cavafy's verse.

Beautifully set!

Memorable! Music is a vocal conception, of course. Thank you!

[serenaluce]

Now that I understand this Cavafy's poem in Greek it sounds even more exquisite and more magical to me! The music just cast a spell! Thank you.

[SuperNvt]

@serenaluce The God kissed Nicholas when he was born and gave him such angel voice!

[serenaluce]

@SuperNvt It what I keep saying too. Only God could give Spanos such a truely ANGELIC voice! Sorry, but I only don't feel comfortable to use this word about true artists as people abuse it all the time writing "he is an angel", "divine voice" about that promoted nonentity Philippe Jaroussky, a pop singer, only falsettist, who sacrifcies great art making musical parodies on true baroque and it's presented as true stuff.... But with Spanos all it's true that God kissed him when he was born!...

[idonperg]

velvet!!

[compeld2sing]

Great! (5*)

[cavafyinenglish]

Superb!

[brychar66]

Beautifully sung & played. Thank you Pavlos. My congratulations to Nicholas for a wonderful composition - Charles.

[Habrolissimo]

This was a special pleasure for me, as I've always loved Cavafy's poems. I was very pleased to find that Spanos can compose as well, and how beautifully he does it.

[serenaluce]

Exquisite, magical!

[mradaChris]

Very moving!  Enjoyed my listen.

chris

[sotevag]

It creates in our minds scenes of a past life, of a youth that never was and never will be ours to have! great atmosphere