Happy Easter 2016

Festtage 2016; Los Angeles Philharmonic/ Dudamel review – Barenboim’s Easter parade

Both Elgar’s symphonies featured in Festtage 2016 – the “festival days” held in Berlin each Easter, hosted by Daniel Barenboim and his Staatskapelle orchestra – in a programme otherwise dominated by Gluck, Mahler and Wagner. The question “Why Elgar?” had a simple answer. For once, mercifully, it was nothing to do with themes or series or cycles or anniversaries. “Because the orchestra have fallen in love with him,” Barenboim told a press conference, with that unremitting candour which countenances no raised eyebrow or intake of breath. His own romance with the composer dates back to the 1960s. His world-class musicians are at last catching up. They “did” the Symphony No 2 last year, giving a sizzling account at, among other places, London’s Royal Festival Hall, having already released a disc.

Now they have leapt backwards to the First (just out on disc too). It’s easy to forget the longstanding Austro-German resistance to the English composer whose only wish was to be considered alongside Wagner and Brahms. The prejudice, as a programme note reminded us, was that Elgar wrote “more or less boring, old-fashioned oratorios” and pieces in an “overblown, hollow, unbearably imperial representative style”. Instead, Elgar’s music is multilayered, independent-spirited, instantly recognisable, a mix of the wild and the heartfelt, the frenzied and melodic, nowhere more so than in his Symphony No 1.

These fantastic Staatskapelle players proved the point wholeheartedly. With their noble, velvety strings, impeccable, burnished horns and brass and endlessly poetic woodwind, they shone radiant new light on this familiar work. Every detail was audible, sometimes startling. Elsewhere, paradoxically, it was the bigger picture that seemed to have changed shape: the first movement sounded almost exaggeratedly episodic, each musical idea a huge boulder interrupted by ravines of terrifying near silence, as if all was about to grind to a halt. But this slow, massive start laid the foundation for an account that gathered ever greater intensity and momentum. The lithe acoustic of the Philharmonie – available for use while the Staatskapelle’s sister orchestra, the Berlin Philharmonic, was away with Simon Rattle at the Easter festival in Baden-Baden – added to the gleam and freshness. The Staatskapelle and Barenboim have just announced a performance of that grandest of “old-fashioned oratorios”, The Dream of Gerontius. Soloists will be the world’s current top tenor, Jonas Kaufmann – who sounded not quite his absolute best in Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen the same evening, but still gave enormous pleasure – and the revered British mezzo Sarah Connolly. I can hear Elgar pleasurably turning in his grave in a little Worcestershire churchyard.

Jonas Kaufmann and Daniel Barenboim take a bow. Photograph: Thomas Bartilla

The opening event in this 20th anniversary Festtage was a first pre-Mozart opera for Barenboim, with Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice in the shorter, Italian version of 1762. Barenboim has long maintained a quizzical, if not sceptical, attitude towards period performance but his views have softened. While far from “authentic”, he embraced the transparent, lighter style, using small forces – only a dozen strings – and less vibrato. The result was visceral and convincing. The American countertenor Bejun Mehta commanded the stage as Orfeo, pure-toned and sympathetic. Anna Prohaska made the role of Euridice more engaging and less peevish than usual (Gluck’s version goes in for a good deal of “why won’t you look at me” petulance), with Nadine Sierra a fine, androgynous Amor.

For her last time in a role she has made her own, Waltraud Meier was still in outstanding form as Kundry

Jürgen Flimm’s staging suggested a fantasy in which the elusive Euridice was a figment of Orfeo’s dreams: a bridal gown without a bride, a torture-cum-mortuary rack on which he is the victim. Furies at the mouth of the underworld are like Ku Klux Klan knighthawks, the blessed spirits happy couples at a multiple wedding. Made “in cooperation with Frank Gehry Partners” (the 87-year-old architect had an early involvement then stepped back from the hands-on process), the designs concentrated less on interior world than world of interiors. The grave of Euridice is a chic empty room, a flickering gas fire indicating crematorium flames. The action then moves to a boutique hotel room, all white linen and minibar. Orpheus sprinkles ashes like black rose petals from his empty lute case. It looks beautiful and vacant. Gehry’s own fantasy only has lift-off in Elysium. Zigzags clutter the stage in a riot of colourful, free-form constructivism – a hallmark of his early buildings.

Barenboim being Barenboim, who clearly doesn’t like to be left with a free evening, he packed in another couple of little fillers: Parsifal (including intervals, six hours), which will now become an annual Festtage tradition, and Mahler’s Ninth (90 minutes). Mahler’s last completed symphony, performed by the Vienna Philharmonic, sounded earthy and rampant with its restless gallops and fugues and burlesques, snatches of melody made whole as each soloist – including the VPO’s stunning viola leader – passed the phrases between them. But the success of this work depends on the final-movement Adagio, which here culminated in a fittingly serene, tender lament.

New in 2015, when it was heavily booed, Dmitri Tcherniakov’s production and designs for Parsifal – his first Wagner outside Russia – could be characterised as the one with the beanies, bobble hats and hoodies, in which the hero is a backpacker, Klingsor an obsessive-compulsive sociopath and his Flowermaiden daughters virginal girls in frocks and white socks who, in his creepy thrall, can never grow up. It is all those things, but has moments of insight and revelation, and tosses up unanswerable questions about tribalism, cult and ritual – not issues to shy away from. The Staatskapelle, which is also the orchestra for the Staatsoper, drew maximum compassion and fervour from the orchestral writing. The cast was one of the best in memory, with René Pape formidable as the wise if inflexible (though not vocally) Gurnemanz, Wolfgang Koch a Christ-like Amfortas and, for her last time in a role she has made her own, Waltraud Meier, alluring, seductive, and still in outstanding form as Kundry. Andreas Schager has everything needed to sing the title role: golden voice, limitless vocal resources, volume when required but softness too, and a boyish, physical energy. He hasn’t worked much in the UK. Watch out for this star heldentenor.

Gustavo Dudamel conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at the Barbican, with soloist Sergio Tiempo at the piano. Photograph: Keith Sheriff/Barbican

Back in London, the musical world laid bare a few of its connections: the Los Angeles Philharmonic, whose home is Gehry’s Disney Concert Hall, have had a residency at the Barbican with chief conductor Gustavo Dudamel. His last appearance here was in January when he conducted his mentor, Barenboim, in a Southbank concert to make the 60th anniversary of Barenboim’s London debut. I heard the first of three concerts last week, a rumbustious, nearly-all-American programme with UK premieres by John Williams and Andrew Norman – both making spectacular, shiny and sonorous use of the LA Phil’s extrovert qualities – and Copland’s Appalachian Spring. The highlight was the Piano Concerto No 1 by the Argentinian Alberto Ginastera (1916-83), played with thunderous and balletic flair by the Caracas-born pianist Sergio Tiempo. Why Ginastera? Check the dates. It’s his anniversary.

The next night members of the orchestra and Dudamel, with soloists Joanne Pearce Martin (piano), Andrew Bain (horn), James Babor (xylorimba) and Raynor Carroll (glockenspiel) were masterly and scintillating in Des canyons aux étoiles…, Messiaen’s monumental homage to God, birdsong and the canyons of Utah. Deborah O’Grady provided scenic visuals. In the past I’ve shown a lack of enthusiasm for pictures at a concert, generally preferring them at an exhibition. This was, however, thoughtfully if somewhat literally done. It was also easy to look away and see, in one’s mind’s eye, the images Messiaen’s music so eloquently evokes.

Star ratings (out of 5)
Festtage 2016 *****
Los Angeles Philharmonic/Dudamel ****

Hard-Boiled Easter Eggs Recipes: 10 Recipe Ideas For Leftover Eggs From Sunday Celebrations

The kids have already found and/or eaten most of the dozens of Easter eggs you hard-boiled, dyed and hid this year. But now you’ve got no idea of what to do with the leftovers.

Fret not! A crate full of eggs isn’t a bad thing. Hard-boiled eggs can be used to make tons of dishes, like deviled eggs, egg and potato salads and more. Unless your family is already tired of eating eggs, leftovers simply means you won’t have to cook as much for a few days.

You’ll save some money on the monthly grocery bill and reduce the tremendous amount of food that Americans waste annually, even if ever so slightly. Eating hard-boiled eggs usually involves the tedious task of peeling the shells.

Here’s a guide for hard boiling eggs without cracking them and allowing dye to soak into the flesh. Below, find 10 recipes for leftover eggs:
 
Colored eggs are stocked at the egg dye factory in Thannhausen, southern Germany, March 30, 2012. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/Karl-Josef HildenbrandD

1. Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are an Easter-time and Sunday dinner staple. But there are a lot of variations out on the original, ones that include bacon, spinach black olives and more. [Recipe via Food.com]
2. Pickled Eggs
This recipe takes some advance planning — five days to be exact. If you like the taste of pickles or vinegar, this is a great idea. [Recipe via Allrecipes.com]
3. Green Eggs And Ham
Even if your name is Sam, this recipe made famous by Dr. Suess is a perfect appetizer. [Recipe via Food.com]
4. Scrambled Hard-Boiled Eggs
This video walks you through how to combine hard-boiled eggs with scrambled ones. [Recipe via Gizmodo]
5. Soft-Boiled Eggs
Thinking about making eggs benedict? Try the soft-boiling method. [Recipe via TheKitchn.com]
6. Egg Salad
Give this curried take on the classic egg salad a try. It may spice up for your egg salad sandwich for Monday. [Recipe via RealSimple.com]
7. Cobb Salad
You can't go wrong with a good cobb salad. You’ve already got the hard-boiled eggs — now you'll need bacon, lettuce, tomato and blue cheese, among other ingredients. [Recipe via SimplyRecipes.com]
8. Strawberry Shortcake
Not convinced you can make a sweet treat out of hard-boiled eggs? Try this. [Recipe via Los Angeles Times]
9. Muffins
Think bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, but with hard-boiled eggs in a muffin tin. [Recipe via Yummly.com]
10. Breakfast Chili
Here's what you'll need: diced hard-boiled eggs, beans, sausage, bacon and cheese.  [Recipe via Los Angeles Times]

Happy Easter 2016: Best Bible Quotes, Passages, & Verses

The themes priests choose for Easter Sunday sermons can run the gamut. But they are typically pointing toward the death of Jesus Christ, his burial and resurrection. Several key Bible verses tell the story. The passages below are found in the King James (KJV) translation of the Holy Scriptures.

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” — John 11: 25-26

“And [Jesus was] declared to be the son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations.” — Romans 1: 4-5

“Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: But in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” — Romans 6: 8-11
 
Actor James Burke-Dunsmore performs the role of Jesus on the cross in “The Passion of Jesus” by the Wintershall Players on Good Friday to crowds in Trafalgar Square in central London, April 18, 2014. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/Ben Stansall

“That I may know [Christ], and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 3: 10-12

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” — 1 Peter 1: 3

“Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.” — Matthew 27: 50-53

“In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.” — Matthew 28: 1-10

“And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: He is risen; he is not here: Behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: There shall ye see him, as he said unto you. And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: Neither said they anything to any man; for they were afraid.” — Mark 16: 1-8

Keywords : Easter, Easter Quotes, What is Easter, Happy Easter 2016, Easter Sunday, Easter Jesus, Resurrection