our intimacies
are reserved for
Puccini and Verdi
indelible orchestral
bones feel grand
passions of opera
crescendos that
tingle the spine
played with audible
fingers we recognize
time and again
but what do we know
of the poets who
paint upon notes
bringing scores
to their stories
with words speaking
triumphs and tragedies
giving emotional
substance to voices
we celebrate even
the more than the
greatest composers
pray tell what
did Caruso Luciano
or Sutherland sing
but for poetry laid
in the candlelit ink
of obscurity verses
transposing the
suffering human
condition to song
lyrics lifted from life
born in garrets
on writing desks
flowing from quills
of anonymous minds
Reblogged this on Gemini's Lament and commented:
Great poem.
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thank you for sharing my poem with your readers
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No problem. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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It is in the performance that grace and glory are revealed: we go first to hear a Sutherland, next to listen to a Verdi, and only at last to consider a Piave . . . Like the lieder Schubert traded with the butcher for a sandwich . . . first the meat, then the cheese, and finally the bread . . .
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perfectly stated
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I’ve always felt the strong relationship to music and poetry. Loved it. Spot on!
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thanks kindly, Tracy
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Wow! That was great and a bit freaky as I’d just finished writing about Maria Callas. Were you working my mind, Paul?
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our muses must have shared a drink – Callas was a powerhouse performer
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A fine reflection on times before ‘pop’ opera so called stars flooded the media and tainted perfection.
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at least I have the vinyls
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love “poets who / paint upon notes” – cheers, Richard
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thanks kindly
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Sensational! Great job! 🙂
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thank you very much
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I love Every Word. And I’ll probably get banned from comments, but I lost my virginity to opera (playing in the background)–don’t know what possessed me to tell you that tidbit….!
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oh oh – no comment
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Poetry and music are so united and they feed off of each other!
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I love that observation
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Well stated. Music, poetry and life as we see it. The performance often overshadows the creation and development of the story, but other artists can see and feel the deeper passion witnessed if they watch the composer/poet from the sidelines and/or have been in their shoes. Beautiful piece!
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greatly appreciate your thoughtful comments
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Reblogged this on OUR POETRY CORNER.
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thank you for sharing my poem with your readers
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My Dad loved the music you referred to, and he would have loved this. Thank you for causing me to think of him today.
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I’m touched by your comment, April
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Reblogged this on Poesy plus Polemics.
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I think there is a symbiotic link between music and poetry… can one truly exist without the other? I’m inclined to think not. This is a beautiful piece of poesy Paul… your words always delight me! Now I want to listen to some Opera! Cheers!
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you are thoughtful and kind
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*smiles* thanks Paul
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For some reason I have never been a huge fan of any opera except La Boheme. However, in my mind, music is poetry and poetry is music. Your words, even though they are regarding the silent poets behind the scenes, still ring true to my heart. I have a deep love of Baroque music in particular, and Classical music, in general, and when I hear Mozart, for example, my spirit may weep at the sorrow expressed in his notes, or soar as a clarinet takes the melody over from an oboe in a bridge built of notes. Lose one note and the bridge falls, add one note, and perfection is destroyed.
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I also appreciate the connection – and La Boheme happens to be my favorite
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I have listened to the operas of Mozart and Bach, and even though these are two of my favorite composers, their operas never really got me going. La Boheme is a tragic love story as so many are and I love the music and the words just seem organic when paired with it. The whole thing is like a living, breathing being. It is lovely…
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What do we know? We know “in part”, and sometimes we surmise, imagine a lot.
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wonderfully said
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Thank you.
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From the music rises spirit,
From the words the heart,
Performance bringing trinity
Perhaps it matters less who receives the credit as long as there is movement in the whole. Although, if I were the poet and the composer was getting all the kudos I’d probably be miffed!
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I hope they were, at least, well paid
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