Announcements:
- May 20, 2009: Quick note: Some folks have asked what the text means on the seal. Here's your answer. "Sigismundus Bathori D[eo] G[ratias] Dux Transilvanie Wallach[iae]" = "Sigismond Bathory, by the grace of God, Prince of Transylvania and Wallachia". Sigismond appeared on coins and so became associated with the crest; he became Voivode and Prince in 1581.
- May 7, 2009: Nothing is new on the production front. Composition on the opera is going ahead. But where are all my enthusiastic supporters who promised to help fund this opera with a few pennies if need be? I have a file of thousands of emails from you. The libretto has been for sale for four months and only one copy has been sold. Get one from Lulu or one from me that's autographed (see January 10 below).
- May 7, 2009: Often I get requests for directions to the castle in Cachtice; the days of it being an isolated village are over. You can get there by bus directly into town or by train (to Visnové) after which it is a walk. If you want to see where it is, then use Google Earth or Google Maps with the satellite view (enter "Cachtice, Slovakia"). Google has updated its photos and they are now quite good. Here is a link to the overview image (the antenna shape is the castle overlooking Visnové on the top left, with Cachtice on the bottom right) and here is a link to a closeup image of the remains of the castle (the sheer cliff on the left and the gentle hill from Cachtice on the right).
- January 10, 2009: The monodrama libretto is done. Many of you have asked how to support the opera project, and I've always said "wait". Now there are two ways: Get a copy of the monodrama libretto (designed as a 40-page 6x9 book) from me or from Lulu.com. If you get an autographed copy from me (via PayPal), it's $18 postpaid in the U.S. ($5 additional outside the U.S.) From Lulu it's $14.60 plus their shipping rates. This is brand new, and my copies won't arrive until the end of January -- I'll acknowledge your order right away, and send you your autographed copy as soon as I have them in hand (don't forget to tell me what to write in it!). This is the official fundraising kickoff for Erzsébet: The Opera! And there's more, as the television commercial says: You can also bundle up a package deal with an autographed copy of my book from last year, Country Stores of Vermont. (Sorry to sound so commercial to all the loyal folks who have come to this site over the years, but it's now time to raise a minimum of $100,000 for this opera!)
- July 21, 2008: Here is a story about me. What did Zuzana say? I don't know -- but I did have a chance to check out the trailers for the new movie. It looks like they have done a good job -- but don't expect a U.S. release anytime soon, I'm told.
- October 17, 2007: Several people have emailed to ask me about the new films on Erzsébet. I haven't seen them, or any previews. Bathory, directed by Juraj Jakubisko, might be interesting, since it comes from the region. Anna Friel is playing Erzsébet instead of Famke Janssen, which to me is unfortunate. I think Janssen would be a spectacular Countess. I was contacted by the Jakubisko production team several years ago, but the score didn't work out -- probably because I wasn't living in Europe and couldn't properly pitch my skills to them. As far as the Julie Delpy film The Countess, I'm not sure. The cast looks good, but they're also likely to go all goth on it -- Delpy is a good actor, but I know little about her writing and directing skills, and she's credited with both, as well as the lead role. In any case, both films are pushed back to 2008.
- Find Past Announcements Here. Be sure to read them before emailing me -- thanks!
For more information (after you read the FAQ): contact me.
|
