Renee Fleming

This is from Marta, Act 2: Last Rose of Summer, 1847.  It's beautiful.  "Letzte Rose (The Last Rose of Summer)" (Qui sola vergin rosa) (Harriet, later with Lyonel). 

There are 8 notable pieces from the opera, Marta.

Noted arias, duets, ensembles

• "Ach! so fromm, ach! so traut (M'apparì tutt'amor," (Lyonel)  "Ah! so pious, ah! so daring (M'apparì tutt'amor)" (Lyonel)
• "Blickt sein Aug" (Harriet and Lyonel).  "Behold his eye."
• "Lasst mich euch fragen (Porter-Lied)" Drinking Song (Plunkett)
• "Letzte Rose (The Last Rose of Summer)" (Qui sola vergin rosa) (Harriet, later with Lyonel)
• "Mag der Himmel Euch vergeben" (Lyonel's Prayer)
• "Schlafe wohl! Und mag Dich reuen" (Good Night Quartet)
• "Was soll ich dazu sagen?" (Spinning-Wheel Quartet)
• "Povero Lionello... Il mio Lionel" (Added by Flotow for baritone Graziani's Plunkett, solely in the Italian version)

O, Holy Night.  Probably the best version I've heard of it.

The Plaza Church on Main Street across from the Plaza and Olvera Street, 1925

 

Circa 1925 The Plaza Church on Main Street across from the Plaza and Olvera Street.  Behind the streetcar is the Hotel Pacific, the office of Philip Morici & Company, "Agencia Italiana," and the grocery store of Giovanni Piume, who also made wine (Piuma Road in Malibu was named for him.)  The area north of the Plaza was at this time an Italian neighborhood.

What impressed me about this photo is the caption that says that the area north of the Plaza was at this time an Italian neighborhood and that got me to thinking about the different Italian businesses over there, like Little Joe's, San Antonio Winery, and the the Italian neighborhoods over by Lincoln High School.  I had an Italian lunch one time with Dad at the San Antonio Winery.  The tables were decorated with checkered red-and-white cloth, and a candle in a Chianti bottle.  Dean Martin's "That's Amore" was playing, and I got to enjoy an exclusive hour with my father, one of the few members of the family who enjoyed talking about the past to give me a glimpse of his times, as he put it, the best days.

HIGHWAY 101 AT LEWIS ROAD IN CAMARILLO

Highway 101 @ Lewis Road in Camarillo, ca 1950.

Image / Highway 101--Camarillo Eucalyptus Tunnel

I will never forget the feeling as a kid driving along the 101 through and along the row of eucalyptus how comforting they were to me, like a row of sentries protecting our way.

Tom Donovan Texaco Station @ Sunset and Figueroa

 

This might be the best shot of that intersection at Figueroa and Sunset in Los Angeles.  That gas station, I believe, is a Gilmore Gasol, where Tom Donovan's old Texaco station used to be in the 1960s.

Caption reads, "(1924)  View looking east toward the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Figueroa Street.  A Gilmore service station can be seen on the NE corner.  The Orsini Apartment Complex is now situated at this site."

Note the street-level Silverwoodsbill board on the east side of the Gilmore Gasol property.  Silverwoods is where Dad used to shop for clothes in their store on Lake Avenue in Pasadena.  

An interesting note about Gilmore Service stations.  

Built in 1935, this Art Deco gas station was designed by R.J. Kadow, and was one of the original service stations for the Gilmore Oil Company. The Gilmore family is a longtime Los Angeles institution, having acquired the Rancho La Brea in the mid 19th century. In the early 20th century, oil discoveries on Gilmore land brought about a new fortune in petroleum. The Gilmore family went on to establish Farmer’s Market (HCM #543), which was built alongside the original Gilmore Adobe. They also established the Gilmore Bank, built Gilmore Field for the Hollywood Stars, a minor league baseball team, and also sponsored midget race cars on a small race track. Both the field and the racetrack were later replaced by CBS Television Central. The Gilmore Station itself remained with the company until its merger with Mobile Oil in the 1940s. The station was later leased by Texaco, and today serves as a hand-car-wash facility and movie set.

Downtown 101 Freeway

 

Thank you to Arturo Salazar @ Freeways of Los Angeles, 1953.

Mark Lawrence points out that the LA County Hall of Justice in the foreground [built in 1925 is unmistakable]; the Federal Building and Courthouse are in the background.

Called "The Slot"?

Thanks to Arturo Salazar, whose caption reads, 

1962 - Looking westerly over Santa Ana Fwy (US-101) at Alameda St near Union Station (right). Civic center buildings are prominent in center-right background (Water & Power Assoc photo).

At that time, US-101 changed its name to Hollywood Fwy at Spring St. Today most consider that name change occurring at the Harbor Fwy/Arroyo Seco Pkwy (CA-110) four level interchange.

Taix French Restaurant (left center) closed this location on Commercial St in 1964 and is now located on Sunset Blvd in Echo Park.

1960, Thank you to Classic Hollywood/Los Angeles/SFV.  No caption on this pic.  That's too bad.  Westbound lanes on the Hollywood 101 Freeway, 1960.  

1973, Santa Ana Freeway towards the Hill Street overpass.  Thank you to Mel-v VC.

1963, Hollywood Freeway.  Thank you to Historic Los Angeles.

By 1963, the Hollywood Freeway was a symbol of Los Angeles’ embrace of modern infrastructure and the automobile era. Stretching through the city, it connected downtown to Hollywood and beyond, reducing travel times for commuters and visitors. The freeway was lined with landmarks and offered glimpses of the surrounding hills and iconic skyline. While traffic occasionally slowed, the freedom of the open road symbolized the city’s growth and ambition. The Hollywood Freeway became an essential part of LA’s identity, representing its sprawling, car-centric culture.

Songs 1st Week of December 2023

Heard a few really good songs last few days and I wanted to collect them here.  Wished I could have shared these with people.

Rihanna's "Stay," 2013.  So Rihanna is Barbadian and sings the song with Mikky Ekko from Nashville.  Okay. 

Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years," 2011  

Clannad's "I Will Find You," 1993.  

The Cranberries "Linger," 1993 from their debut album, "Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?"

Blue Christmas Bob Dorough and Miles Davis

 

The first time I heard the song was probably 2005, 2006 and I absolutely loved it.  And I had been trying to find a recording of it since.  It's just that the radio announcer, probably Chuck Niles, on KKJZ, 88.1 in Long Beach pronounced the guy's name as Devereaux, or at least that's what I heard.  I didn't hear Bob Dorough.  Anyway, finally found it after all these years.  

White Sox Ball Park, 1939

White Sox Ball Park in Boyle Heights (1939).  Want a larger photo, go to the original source.  The ballpark, at least from the outside, reminds me of Wrigley Field in Souh LA.

I loved this shot because it captures those years the way that I had imagined them.  I mean back in the '60s, I used to go Rams games with my dad and cousin and before the game we'd be in the parking lot holding a small tailgate party, eating burritos and guzzling pop from Pedro's on Del Mar in San Gabriel.  

Review of Duarte, June 19, 2022

Some pics of Immaculate Conception.