Longest Thread Ever 4.0

[JL25and3]

Aren't you glad you asked?

Trish has given me plenty of ridicule about this in the past. And once I've endured her ridicule, the rest of you are a bunch of pussycats.

[Mr Coffee]

Der Ring des Nibelungen, Richard Wagner's epic "music drama" consisting of four operas. Tonight I have 2-1/2 hours of Das Rheingold, which is barely a warm-up. Then 5 hours of Die Walküre on Saturday (an 11 AM matinee, which pisses me off), 5-1/2 hours of Siegfried on Monday, and finally 6 hours of Götterdämmerung next Thursday. Yes, I admit, it requires a certain...peculiarity on my part to want to do that. But I'm not the only one - the place will be packed.

"I love the smell of soul-crushing boredom in the morning."

[JL25and3]

"I love the smell of soul-crushing boredom in the morning."

Hey, that's nothing. Last Friday I went to see "Gatz" at the Public Theater. It consists of an actor playing an office worker who reads/recites the entire text of The Great Gatsby, with some of his co-workers joining in to act out some of the other roles. It's 8 hours long, including intermissions. I loved it.

[fredgmuggs]

It sure is. That's in Die Walküre (The Valkyrie). It's Wagner's #1 hit single with a bullet (or a spear)

There are plenty of moments of bliss, just no action. Die Walküre basically has one moment of action, though it's a damn fine moment. It also has incest between twins, but that doesn't take place on stage, thank goodness. The last 40 minutes or so consists of two characters, father and daughter, standing on stage singing to each other, without actually doing anything other than breaking each others' hearts, and their own. It may not be action-packed, but I think it's wrenchingly beautiful.

The whole thing is really a family drama, and it's the characters that hook me as much as anything else. There's a central character who is, essentially, a middle-aged man who discovers that his life - and his great, grandiose plans for it - just aren't working out the way he thought it would, and he has to face his limitations and be humbled by them. Now there's a character I can identify with.

The character you can identify with. Wagner the man, probably not so much.

[Mr Coffee]

Hey, that's nothing. Last Friday I went to see "Gatz" at the Public Theater. It consists of an actor playing an office worker who reads/recites the entire text of The Great Gatsby, with some of his co-workers joining in to act out some of the other roles. It's 8 hours long, including intermissions. I loved it.

You're only saying you liked it to appear quirky and eccentric. It's attention-whorey and pretentious, like the people who go to art galleries to see a showing of blank canvases and pretend to think it's amazing.

[JL25and3]

The character you can identify with. Wagner the man, probably not so much.

Yeah, I didn't mention the evil, scheming, gold-grubbing Jew dwarf characters. That Wagner was a sweetheart.

[fredgmuggs]

Yeah, I didn't mention the evil, scheming, gold-grubbing Jew dwarf characters. That Wagner was a sweetheart.

Nazis seem to like him well enough. (I guess I can't get past that with Wagner.... that and the fact my father played Wagner constantly and by the time I was 5 years old I was sick of hearing Wagner)

[JL25and3]

You're only saying you liked it to appear quirky and eccentric. It's attention-whorey and pretentious, like the people who go to art galleries to see a showing of blank canvases and pretend to think it's amazing.

I have no problem appearing quirky and eccentric without that. I didn't say I liked it, I said I loved it, and I said it because I really did. I meant no offense to you in saying so, and don't know why you find it necessary to be an insulting, judgmental dickhead about it.

[Mr Coffee]

I have no problem appearing quirky and eccentric without that. I didn't say I liked it, I said I loved it, and I said it because I really did. I meant no offense to you in saying so, and don't know why you find it necessary to be an insulting, judgmental dickhead about it.

I took no offense, apparently unlike yourself.

I was giving you my non-professional diagnosis.

No charge.

Trish has given me plenty of ridicule about this in the past. And once I've endured her ridicule, the rest of you are a bunch of pussycats.

Achievement unlocked.

[fredgmuggs]

You're only saying you liked it to appear quirky and eccentric. It's attention-whorey and pretentious, like the people who go to art galleries to see a showing of blank canvases and pretend to think it's amazing.

Wagner is one of the giants of opera. He's not to my taste but there's no denying his greatness as a musician and the throng of people who adore his music.


I've told this story before - my dad was crazy about Wagner. He would play the complete Ring Cycle on the record player and at the moment of the last note he would go to the record player and lift the tone arm from the record before the last note ended. Now that's quirky.

[Mr Coffee]

Wagner is one of the giants of opera. He's not to my taste but there's no denying his greatness as a musician and the throng of people who adore his music.


I've told this story before - my dad was crazy about Wagner. He would play the complete Ring Cycle on the record player and at the moment of the last note he would go to the record player and lift the tone arm from the record before the last note ended. Now that's quirky.

I was talking about that other thing-- and it was only because I picked up the gauntlet John apparently forgot he threw down.

[JL25and3]

I took no offense, apparently unlike yourself.

I was giving you my non-professional diagnosis.

No charge.



Achievement unlocked.

Occasionally, insulting judgmental dickhead pussycats.

Seriously, I'm not suggesting anyone else go see it. It's one of my favorite books ever, and the play illuminated it in ways I'd never imagined before, in terms of the writing and, most especially, the character. I've been thinking about it ever since. Just because you can't imagine liking it doesn't mean other people must be faking it.

[Bub]

Aren't you glad you asked?

Our band plays a lot of Wagner...it's usually fun to play and challenging. I'll bet John didn't know his friends called him Dick Wagner though.

[Mr Coffee]

Occasionally, insulting judgmental dickhead pussycats.

Seriously, I'm not suggesting anyone else go see it. It's one of my favorite books ever, and the play illuminated it in ways I'd never imagined before, in terms of the writing and, most especially, the character. I've been thinking about it ever since. Just because you can't imagine liking it doesn't mean other people must be faking it.

Seriously-- whatever makes you happy.

I was just trying to get under your skin because you said it wouldn't happen.

I stand knee-deep in the ocean fishing for hours at a time in the rain in the middle of the night-- I don't judge anyone.

[Bub]

Come to think of it, despite our concert tomorrow night being mostly a 1920 program, we're playing Wagner's Lohengrin.

[fredgmuggs]

Come to think of it, despite our concert tomorrow night being mostly a 1920 program, we're playing Wagner's Lohengrin.

The only Wagner piece I play is the Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin. (Although I try to "suggest" other alternatives)

[JL25and3]

Our band plays a lot of Wagner...it's usually fun to play and challenging. I'll bet John didn't know his friends called him Dick Wagner though.

I think a lot of people called him much worse than that.

[Trish]

Yep, Trish, it's dragons-and-fairies week again.

Pee before you leave.

[JL25and3]

Pee before you leave.

Or bring a jar with me.

[Soriambi]

I'm judging both of you and you're both strange. (You too, Trish).

[JL25and3]

I'm judging both of you and you're both strange. (You too, Trish).

Says the asexual, disembodied entity.

[Soriambi]

Says the asexual, disembodied entity.

Who better to judge?

[YankeePride1967]

T-minus 31 minutes until my weekend begins!

[YankeePride1967]

and I'm out!

[Jersey Yankee]

I still think they should get a second opinion on that one.

Here's yer certified licensed pro: Dr Quack: