I am a huge supporter of gay rights, and not just because my parents are lesbians. I was that way even before they told me at sixteen. It's the one thing that would make me put someone else's life before mine, and that would make me get involved in any sort of activism. I say this, both as an introduction to myself, and because I want to make it clear that I post this video out of genuine interest and fascination, not to insult anyone. I have noticed the same things mentioned there, but I wasn't sure if it was a modern phenomenon or not. When I listen to people such as Ivor novello, Noel Coward, Clifton Webb, Fred Astair, etc. I don't hear any traces of "gayness" in their voices. There may be some visually, but being blind, I can't say one way or the other. Obviously, they lived in times in which they had to hide their sexual preferences, but just hearing them speak, I would never suspect anything by their voices, tones, or pronunciation. Yet I can almost always tell with modern men. Coward might possibly give something away, if I listened hard enough. It's true that they were men of the theatre, not common men on the street, but one good thing about their time is that elocution, grammar, etc. were still taught in school, so even streight men sounded wonderful then! Today, almost everyone's speech, except that of gay men and seniors, annoys me, but that's another topic for another time.

youtube.com/watch?v=SF7KCsvcw2…

#gay #gaymen #homosexuals #pronunciation #science #speaking #speech #voices

This is something I wrote on Dreamwidth in September. I think some of you may find it interesting. I myself am beginning to study all of this, as I am fascinated by the singing methods and knowledge of the time. It is a bit difficult doing it being blind and unable to read music, but fortunately, there are ways around that. My perfect pitch and good memory for lyrics also helps.

Below, you will find various links related to theory, harmony and counterpoint, and a comparison of older and modern methods of teaching and singing. While this relates to choirs and opera, it also relates to the theatre, particularly operettas and such.

Studying Music: Part I
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/205…

My one criterion was that the methods and books used had to be from the time of Ivor Novello, preferably from his youth (born 1893). If I were to start in the early nineteenth century, which is where most of my preferred non-musical educational material is from, I would miss extremely important developments in classical music. Starting at the birth of his mother, Clara Novello Davies, in 1861, would be fine. However, since her own book, which I am using as my main text and guide, was written in 1928, I went with that of her son. In the following sections, you will find the books I am using. One thing I have not included, though it was a huge influence in Ivor's own writing style, was theatrical music, such as that found in operettas and Edwardian musical comedies. That is such a large topic for discussion that I feel it deserves its own separate post, as does Ivor's music, since it's an interesting blend of all of the above. But this is well outside the scope of traditional musical study.

In the next entry, we will delve into vocal training and why the singers of Novello's time sound so wonderful.

Studying Music: Part II
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/205…

Finally, since I mentioned the exercises, here they are, for anyone who wants to try them. Note that these are the Preliminaries and Breathlock Physicals, not the vocal exercises. But I have provided the link to her book as well, for those who may wish to go further.

Clara's Exercises
dandylover1.dreamwidth.org/205…
#books #choir #ClaraNovelloDavies #counterpoint #exercises #harmony #history #IvorNovello #music #musictheory #opera #operetta #singing #studying #vocaltraining #voicetraining #theater #theatre

""Noël Coward is at the center of everything theatrical in Britain," Quinn explained. "He knew everyone," she said, "but also was influenced by everyone and influenced everyone—he played such a key cultural role." Yet, despite this extraordinary impact Coward had on the theatre world, and while there are many Coward enthusiasts today, "much of our scholarly attention has been focused on the main figures in American musical theatre, or focused on people from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s generation onward. ..."

nypl.org/blog/2022/02/14/new-f…

I learned about Noel Coward through my interest in Clifton Webb, who was friends with him. Then, I learned about Ivor Novello through Noel Coward! Now, I'm learning about even more people through the three of them! With their humour and wit, Web ad Coward both remind me of Beau Brummell. Maybe, that's why I enjoy them so much, but Webb and Brummell were both proper gentlemen, whereas in private, Coward could use obscenities that would make a sailor blush. What really stands out to me about Coward is that, unlike Novello, he was neither classically trained nor well-educated. Everything he did was his own.

Anyway, this is a bit old, but I do wonder what new research has been done since then. I recently saw a wonderful documentary, called Mad About The Boy, which told the story of Noel Coward, and best of all, contained interviews of people who knew him. As for me, I'm not really much for modern theatre. I start in the Regency (I've seen a few earlier plays, too), enjoy the great operettas and Gilbert and Sullivan, and then, this lovely lot of characters. The singing today just can't compare, unless you go to the opera, and many of the storylines leave much to be desired. I would love to be proven wrong. I would also love to find performances of the old shows that aren't modernized in language and plot!

#CliftonWeb #IvorNovello #NoelCoward #theater #theatre

I have a wonderful tribute video, called The Romantic World of Ivor Novello that I found on Youtube.

youtube.com/watch?v=NGOuLWM083…

It is hosted by Vanessa Lee, and along with the performances of his songs, there are interviews with his original singers, though they do not sing or act in this one. Anyway, aside from that wonderful surprise, there are two very interesting parts. The first is heard during the introduction. It consists of the voice of Novello himself. The second is a story told by Vanessa part-way through the performance. She mentioned a recording of Glamorous Night for the BBC, during which she and the other actors performed, but Ivor was at home, having pre-recordied his own material. Aside from being extremely entertaining, this anecdote gives several very important clues. First, this was done during the run of King's Rhapsody, putting the date between 1949 and his death in 1951. Secondly, not only was their dialogue, but it was made in two recordings (presumably, they recorded the actors performing live as well). Thirdly, this was on the radio, which, given the time, is to be expected.

My questions are two-fold.
1. Where did that introduction by Novello come from? I know the BBC had a horrible habbit of destroying things, but this was made in 1979, so I highly doubt they would have done so after that point, given his fame and the fact that he died in 1951.
2. Does the radio production of Glamorous Night exist, either in full or in part, and if so, where is it? Did anyone, by chance, record it? Some shows have actually been saved via reel-to-reel recordings made by listeners. If this does exist, it would be one of the most important discoveries in Novellian research, since it would be the closest we could come today to actually hearing the singing, and more importantly, the speaking performances of him and his original cast, minus Mary Ellis who had already left to do other things by this point. Other than the tiny clips on records, the only thing that even comes close is the other tribute I posted a few days ago, which I later learned contained several scenes from plays, along with music, again, by the originals!

youtube.com/watch?v=etB7t_ETqS…

If anyone knows of other recordings of his plays with dialogue, even modern ones, please let me know. They are extremely rare.

#BBC #GlamorousNight #IvorNovello #radio #theatre #VanessaLee

(This is a companion piece to my dating post, but here, I am strictly seeking friends. Therefore, the beginning will look similar.)
Hello. I live in New Jersey and am forty years old. Some of my interests include studying dandyism, nineteenth-century grammar, Received Pronunciation, and the Regency. I like coffees, teas, and nasal snuffs, and enjoy cooking, reading British literature, watching nature and historical documentaries, gardening, crafts, and playing cards and dice. I like Baroque through Classical and a bit of early Romantic music. I love theatre (especially Regency plays, English and Viennese operettas, and Edwardian musical comedies). I prefer antique menswear and accessories (no feminine clothing). I love wit, wordplay, and dry humour without vulgarity. I am happily childfree and am not religious. I respect those who are, as long as they don't try to convert me or base their lives around it. I also have no time for mind games, drama, or political correctness/sugar coating. I have been totally blind since I was two months old, due to Retinopathy of Prematurity.

I am seeking friends, either online or off, though offline would be ideal, so we can meet and do things together. I don't care about your sex or sexual orientation, but I would prefer friends no younger than twenty-one. I tend to get along with those who are older than I, since we usually have more in common, but it's not a requirement. I am blind, but it's not the focal point of my life. Still, it does mean that I can't drive. I really don't have any understanding of chronic illness, anxiety, depression, loneliness, etc. so if you need someone who could help you through that on a personal level, I'm not the one you're seeking. I also have no children and tend to avoid them, though I am polite when meeting them. I love cats, so if you have any, I would love to meet them or hear about them. I also enjoy hearing about cooking or gardening adventures, antiques, etc. and I love learning about interesting lives. If we do meet, I need to get to know you a bit first.

For those who would like to know more about me, this is my journal. Anyone can read or comment, whether or not he is a member.

dandylover1.dreamwidth.org

#friendship #friends #fun #men #NewJersey #women

Georgiana Brummell

2024-11-16 02:39:41

I wanted to add tags such as cards, classical music, fashion, gardening, Regency, theatre, etc. but I don't want to abuse them, because while I am seeking a man who likes these things, my post isn't really about them. Perhaps, a veteran Friendica or Fediverse user could instruct me in this.