ZAIA press photo from the Hand to Hand act. Cirque Du Soleil in Macau (SAR) China.
Las Vegas developer reshapes Macau
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/12/16/macau.casino.comeback/index.html
CNN interview with Sheldon Adelson, chairman of the Las Vegas Sands; home to Cirque Du Soleil’s ZAIA show. We will have more news regarding Adelson and Cirque within the next month or so.
China Bans Individuals from Registering Websites
I really could not believe this news. I read it several times to make sure I was not misunderstanding it. Since I run many websites I had contemplated running a Chinese network hosted in China – and I’m so glad now that I didn’t do that. What a waste it would have been.
In short: China will be reviewing all personal Chinese websites for content; will ban any website they think has bad content (porn, anti-government, dissidents, etc.); and anyone registering a new domain will have to present business papers.
Continue reading “China Bans Individuals from Registering Websites”
Conrad Askland French Horn 1982
What a trip. Someone posted this photo on Facebook. I think it’s 1982 at Interlake High School (Bellevue, WA) at a Symphonic Band concert. I am the third French Horn player from the right. I graduated the following year in 1983 first chair. So I think I was 15 years old in this photo. Leo Dodd was the music director for bands and jazz ensembles. He is a legend.
After this I went to Pacific Lutheran University, gave up French Horn, and focused on piano, voice and composition.
Rowan Atkinson – Interview with Elton John 1991
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl0HqlbX7dc
Rowan Atkinson interviews Elton John at Hysteria 3 (1991)
This was a little obscure, but in conversation with a clown he mentioned this interview so I looked it up. I thought it was very entertaining.
Leonard Bernstein Mass
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdCYPh36TTg
Leonard Bernstein: MASS – GloriaTibi – John Cashmore as Celebrant
Germany 2009
I had a friend recently remind me of the Bernstein Mass so I’ve been listening to it. There are many more clips on YouTube of the different movements. Here is more information on the instrumentation, movements and performance:
General Midi Patch List
Patch list for General Midi sounds.
| Piano | Chromatic Percussion | Organ |
| 1.Acoustic Grand Piano 2.Bright Acoustic Piano 3.Electric Grand Piano 4.Honky-tonk Piano 5.Electric Piano 1 6.Electric Piano 2 7.Harpsicord 8.Clavi |
9.Celesta 10.Glockenspiel 11.Music Box 12.Vibraphone 13.Marimba 14.Xylophone 15.Tubular Bells 16.Dulcimer |
17.Drawbar Organ 18.Percussive Organ 19.Rock Organ 20.Church Organ 21.Reed Organ 22.Accordion 23.Harmonica 24.Tango Accordion |
| Guitar | Brass | Strings |
| 25.Acoustic Guitar (nylon) 26.Acoustic Guitar (steel) 27.Electric Guitar (jazz) 28.Electric Guitar (clean) 29.Electric Guitar (muted) 30.Overdriven Guitar 31.Distortion Guitar 32.Guitar Harmonics |
33.Acoustic Bass 34.Electric Bass (finger) 35.Electric Bass (pick) 36.Fretless Bass 37.Slap Bass 1 38.Slap Bass 2 39.Synth Bass 1 40.Synth Bass 2 |
41.Violin 42.Viola 43.Cello 44.Contrabass 45.Tremolo Strings 46.Pizzicato Strings 47.Orchestral Harp 48.Timpani |
| Ensemble | Brass | Reed |
| 49.String Ensemble 1 50.String Ensemble 2 51.Synth Strings 1 52.Synth Strings 2 53.Choir Aahs 54.Voice Oohs 55.Synth Voice 56.Orchestra Hit |
57.Trumpet 58.Trombone 59.Tuba 60.Muted Trumpet 61.French Horn 62.Brass Section 63.Synth Brass 1 64.Synth Brass 2 |
65.Soprano Sax 66.Alto Sax 67.Tenor Sax 68.Baritone Sax 69.Oboe 70.English Horn 71.Bassoon 72.Clarinet |
| Pipe | Synth Lead | Synth |
| 73.Piccolo 74.Flute 75.Recorder 76.Pan Flute 77.Blown Bottle 78.Shakuhachi 79.Whistle 80.Ocarina |
81.Lead 1 (square) 82.Lead 2 (sawtooth) 83.Lead 3 (calliope) 84.Lead 4 (chiff) 85.Lead 5 (charang) 86.Lead 6 (voice) 87.Lead 7 (fifths) 88.Lead 8 (bass+lead) |
89.Pad 1 (new age) 90.Pad 2 (warm) 91.Pad 3 (polysynth) 92.Pad 4 (choir) 93.Pad 5 (bowed) 94.Pad 6 (metallic) 95.Pad 7 (halo) 96.Pad 8 (sweep) |
| Synth Effects | Ethnic | Percussive |
| 97.FX 1 (rain) 98.FX 2 (soundtrack) 99.FX 3 (crystal) 100.FX 4 (atmosphere) 101.FX 5 (brightness) 102.FX 6 (goblins) 103.FX 7 (echoes) 104.FX 8 (sci-fi) |
105.Sitar 106.Banjo 107.Shamisen 108.Koto 109.Kalimba 110.Bagpipe 111.Fiddle 112.Shanai |
113.Tinkle Bell 114.Agogo 115.Steel Drums 116.Woodblock 117.Taiko Drum 118.Melodic Tom 119.Synth Drum 120.Reverse Cymbal |
| Sound Effects | ||
| 121.Guitar Fret Noise 122.Breath Noise 123.Seashore 124.Bird Tweet 125.Telephone Ring 126.Helicopter 127.Applause 128.Gunshot |
Jacques Brel – Ne Me Quitte Pas
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfegOxTCuOQ
Such a beautiful song by Jacques Brel (recorded in 1959). Here is an English translation.
Jacques Romain Georges Brel (8 April 1929–9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer-songwriter. Brel composed and recorded his songs almost exclusively in French. The quality and style of his lyrics are highly regarded by many leading critics of popular music.
Brel’s songs are not especially well known in the English-speaking world except in translation and through the interpretations of other singers, most famously Scott Walker and Judy Collins. In French-speaking countries, Brel is also remembered as an actor and director. Jacques Brel has sold over 25 million records worldwide, including over 12 million albums and singles in France and Belgium.
Ne Me Quitte Pas (If you go away)
If you go away on this summer’s day,
Then you might as well take the sun away
All the birds that flew in the summer sky
When our love was new and our hearts were high
When the day was young and the nights were long
And the moon stood still for the night bird’s song
If you go away, if you go away, if you go away.
Les Mis Keyboard Patches
Keyboard synth patches for early productions of Les Miserables using Yamaha DX7’s.
Patch Lists:
ZAIA – Aomen TV
Cirque Du Soleil ZAIA on Aomen TV – Macau, China
*Note – Some people from outside Asia have told me the video doesn’t stream well which is too bad. This video is a nice overview of the show with some artist interviews.
ZAIA – 重访梦幻剧团
ZAIA是太阳剧团特地为澳门度身量做的大型汇演，内容是有关一个小女孩在太空发生的故事，自2008年开始，已经演出超过400场。现在请跟着我们走进ZAIA的後台，了解他们鲜为人知的故事，和看看他们自首演以来，经过甚麽样的改变。如此大型的世界级演出又是如何制作出来的呢？很高兴有请到ZAIA的艺术总监和其中两位演员跟我们分享他们在ZAIA的经历。