The Great Thill

Amazing what you can find on YouTube these days ... some fascinating footage of the great French tenor Georges Thill. First he's seen rehearsing an opera with Canteloube. It's not entirely clear which opera it is. The tessitura is high for him, given his lack of security above A-flat. Still, to catch a glimpse of him is amazing. He also is seen in a 1977 interview, describing (presumably) voice lessons with de Lucia, who advised him (if I'm following the French correctly) about how to open his mouth when he sang. Finally, a tantalizing snippet of Thill as Lohengrin.



YouTube - Georges Thill Rehearses With Canteloube

Ubu Roi

Those not acquainted with the riches of Ubu Web, the online archive of all things avant-garde, have a treat in store for them ... Wayne Koestenbaum has curated the summer edition of their "Featured Resources," and it includes some real gems. I would especially recommend Joseph Cornell's hypnotic film, Rose Hobart. (Also, readers should grab Wayne's new book, Hotel Theory, which uses the hotel as a locus for exploring its promise as a refuge and its reality as a soulless substitute for home, as well as themes of dualism and identity.) (And, needless to say, Wayne is a friend.)

U B U W E B