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Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:05 am
by Daskedusken

Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 1:59 pm
by Daskedusken
Bregenz Festival opens with hint of Hollywood glamour

Lake Constance, which borders on Germany, Austria and Switzerland, forms the spectacular backdrop to the annual Bregenz Festival, where a huge open-air stage has been built out on to the lake itself, reports the AFP.

A performance of Puccini's operatic thriller "Tosca" opened this year's festival, the 63rd edition, on Wednesday evening.

Austria's political elite -- President Heinz Fischer and Vice Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer -- were among the 7,000 spectators armed with blankets and cushions against the cold wind.

But the proceedings had even looked set to take on a touch of Hollywood glamour, too, after the so-called "Seebuehne" or stage-on-the-lake was used during filming of the new James Bond film "Quantum of Solace" earlier this year.

Rumour had it that 007 himself, British film actor Daniel Craig, was to have been in the opening night audience, but he failed to make an appearance in the end.

Nevertheless, apart from the wind, the weather played along and "Tosca" began just as the sun was setting, in dramatic red and purple, over Lake Constance.

The stage, dominated throughout by a huge eye, could arguably be one of the most spectacular "Tosca" sets ever made, complete with laser beams, state-of-the-art video projections and a wondrous stage technology that allows the gigantic 200-tonne eye and towering backdrop to slide and glide around silently and effortlessly.

There are some breath-taking moments, as when Cavaradossi, shot by a firing squad, plummets tens of metres into the waters of Lake Constance itself.

Tosca, too, sings the final act vertiginously atop the iris of the eye: one slip and the heroine could easily have been sent tumbling, too.

The problem with an open-air venue, and particularly one as spectacular as this, was that voices need to be amplified. Orchestra and conductor are hidden away in the security and warmth of the nearby Festspielhaus theatre, with their contribution piped into the stage's vast sound system, rendering impossible the interaction that is so vital to good opera performance.

In some of the more intimate moments, the orchestra -- the otherwise excellent Vienna Symphony Orchestra -- sounded tinny, while the singers' voices were miked too loudly.

American soprano, Catherine Naglestad, was a vocally impressive Tosca, particularly in her famous aria "Vissi d'arte." Her compatriot Andrew Richards was adequate as Cavaradossi, but clearly had difficulty higher up in the register.

Austrian bass-baritone Claudio Otelli was visually dashing as the evil Scarpia, but less interesting vocally.

It was only really US bass Sebastien Soules in the small role of Angelotti who made you sit up and want to hear more.

German maestro Ulf Schirmer conducted without much subtlety, but in a production such as this, it is the stage and the dramatic setting of Lake Constance itself that are the stars of the show, anyway.

Musically, the Bregenz Festival is set to become much more interesting on Thursday night with the premiere of the rarely-performed 12-tone opera "Karl V" by Austrian composer Ernst Krenek (1900-1991).

Labelled by Krenek himself -- whose music was blacklisted by the Nazis and who emigrated to the United States in 1938 -- as a "theatre piece with music", "Karl V" tells the life story of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, in the form of flashbacks. On his deathbed, the emperor makes his confession to a young monk, explaining his actions, his motives in an attempt to obtain absolution.

Directed by German director and actor Uwe Eric Laufenberg, the new production will be staged indoors in Bregenz's Festspielhaus theatre.

It will star German baritone Dietrich Henschel in the title role with German conductor Lothar Koenigs in the pit.

The Bregenz Festival runs until August 23.

http://www.mi6.co.uk/news/index.php?itemid=6530

Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 1:59 pm
by Daskedusken

Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 4:27 pm
by Ang
thanks for posting that Aragorn, interesting glimpse of the action; can't believe I have to wait until October to see it, hope it's up to Mark Forster's other films in terms of characters having a bit of depth and a good script but obviously with lots of action and adventure as well!

Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 4:44 pm
by Germangirl
Just back from a day at Comic Con and I'm happy to report that Sony has laid out a dynamite QOS display (first time Bond has ever had a presence). Floor to ceiling size posters, title swirling in lights, trailer and footage playing on a loop across three screens and, best of all, the Aston Martin DBS sitting front and center.

It's a sensation. There are so many people taking pictures of the car, you can barely get near it. The one-legged hottie from Grindhouse last year didn't pull in the geeks like this baby!

(Seems to me I suggested doing exactly this several years back in a thread. Well, it worked like I knew it would. You're welcome, Sony. )

Sony gal said they might be giving out posters on Sat. There was also some sort of a bluetooth interface to download QOS stuff into your phone, but we couldn't get it to work.

It was too mobbed for me to get good pics, but Athena007 was there on preview night when it was less crowed and got some excellent photos.

http://debrief.commanderbond.net/index. ... opic=48189

Image

Image

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Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 5:35 pm
by Daskedusken
Your welcome GG. Thanks the same to you for posting the article with the car pics. I want that car!!!!

Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 5:51 pm
by Germangirl
Aragorn wrote:Your welcome GG. Thanks the same to you for posting the article with the car pics. I want that car!!!!
I would think it interesting to make a poll for men and women:

Both sexes: What do you prefer to have? The MAN or the CAR?

I am not sure, what the outcome would be. Here, it would be clear win for Daniel but put that on a CBN or MI6 boards with lots of guys - guess, he would drown like a stone :lol: ...and it would be hard decission for some women too, I guess. ...and I admit, that car is a beauty, too.
Fast, exciting, sexy as hell, unpredictable, the real strength laying underneath the surface, makes you feel good, to live with it, you have to adapt to its characteristics - pretty much all what one can say of the man. But then, the car is missing the hot flesh and no lights can compare to those blue stars...

Seems, I am in a poetic mood, but tell you what - I like it :lol: Will go away soon enough... :wink:

Posted: Fri Jul 25, 2008 6:14 pm
by Daskedusken
Germangirl wrote:
Both sexes: What do you prefer to have? The MAN or the CAR?
I want to have both... :lol: :lol: :twisted: :twisted:

Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 6:28 am
by Germangirl
The second teaser poster for the upcoming James Bond film "Quantum of Solace" is now available to purchase online. The poster is available as either double or single sided and measures 24x36 inches (61x104cm). Now on display at theatres around the world, it is expected to be the last teaser before the final poster campaign this fall. Known as "Advance Teaser Style B", the poster a progression from just the shadow in the first teaser, now to the full image of Daniel Craig standing with his gun, poised for battle.

I'm ordering mine now.

Double-Sided Teaser Poster -
Buy Now (MovieMarket USA)
Buy Now (MovieMarket UK)


Single-Sided Teaser Poster
Buy Now (MovieMarket USA)
Buy Now (MovieMarket UK)

Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 12:22 pm
by SmittenDramaKitten
Aragorn wrote:Your welcome GG. Thanks the same to you for posting the article with the car pics. I want that car!!!!
On my wish list?

1. Daniel Craig.
2. A yacht.
3. A nice house in the country, probably Ireland.

Thanks for sharing GG! Tell me, in what city was this Comic Con thing?

Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 12:38 pm
by togal
NextBondGirl wrote:
Aragorn wrote:Your welcome GG. Thanks the same to you for posting the article with the car pics. I want that car!!!!
On my wish list?

1. Daniel Craig.
2. A yacht.
3. A nice house in the country, probably Ireland.

Thanks for sharing GG! Tell me, in what city was this Comic Con thing?
Comic Con is in San Diego California. My friend went this year. I hope she had the chance to see Gerard Butler as he was there promoting RocknRolla.

Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 2:04 pm
by Lu
wow, I can't believe the buzz for this movie already. It is going to be SO HUGE.

When CR came out, no one knew if it would be good or bad or awful. Now everyone knows that the 007 franchise is back on track and Daniel is a great Bond. They will be flocking to see this. Sony must just be pinching themselves now, that they got Daniel to sign on for the Bond role.

Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 1:35 pm
by Daskedusken
MK12 issue statement about work on `Quantum of Solace` title sequence

Design house MK12 have issued their first statement on their work for "Quantum of Solace". Last month, MI6 first revealed that the company had taken over from regular titles designer Daniel Kleinman, who had created the iconic sequences since 1995's "GoldenEye".

On their official site, MK12 said: "We're currently hard at work on the next James Bond film, “Quantum of Solace”, directed by Marc Forster, starring Daniel Craig and produced by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson."

"We're directing and designing the main title sequence and have just wrapped the 4-day shoot at Pinewood Studio's Stage D. The talent & crew were brilliant and we're really appreciative of all the hard work and determination everyone brought to the set. While we can't say much about it, we can say that we are very happy with what we shot and are now busy weaving it all together. The shoot was lensed by Simon Chaudoir."

"Also, we're in charge of developing, designing & animating the graphical interfaces throughout the film. Watch the trailer to spot a sample of our work."

"We're revisiting those same designs as a foundation for the cinematics in Activision's upcoming “Quantum of Solace” game, due out around the same time as the film. We're also designing the game's title sequence in collaboration with Zoic."

http://www.mi6.co.uk/news/index.php?itemid=6540

Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 12:23 pm
by Elvenstar
http://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/From- ... 4330147.jp

My fav part is of course this :wink:
"I can't give anything away about the storyline away but I can tell you it's going to be a great film," added the busy racing driver
but the latest rumour that Mathis will die in Bond's arms got me very upset :cry:

Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 1:57 pm
by bumblebee
Elvenstar wrote:http://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/From- ... 4330147.jp

My fav part is of course this :wink:
"I can't give anything away about the storyline away but I can tell you it's going to be a great film," added the busy racing driver
but the latest rumour that Mathis will die in Bond's arms got me very upset :cry:
Wasn't Mathis a snitch anyway. On Le Chiffre's pay roll?