Dear Sir Christopher

[huinare]

You first got my attention in the early 2000s by portraying my future favorite literary character in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy--to that end, the snowballing effect of your acting on my life has been tremendous--,but what I will remember you most fondly for is your love of music and your contribution thereto. I am proud of you for pursuing this passion during the latter years of your life.

Comments

[huinare.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I really like the Faust pieces (the Otello one not as much, although I love the lyrics). I was definitely wondering about the bit with the diabolical laughter, as it sounds technically difficult and I think it's great. I read a translation of the libretto for Gounod's Faust a while back, but hadn't heard the music.

I did recognize the "Toreador" bit. It's from a more recent album he put out, and I don't think his voice was what it once was due to his health. I like people who can do totally corny things like that with passion (seemingly a fairly common metal trait, so small wonder he gravitated toward metal in later life...). The rest you mentioned are apparently from an older album which includes a couple from Der Ring des Nibelungen. Sadly I can't find those on youtube.

Here he's singing more opera I cannot identify, in 1970. =D

[zdenka]

Glad you liked those. There's a reason they say the devil has all the best tunes!

Yes, I like it when people are clearly having fun with their performance! Someone on another site linked to some of his metal stuff, and "The Bloody Verdict of Verdun" is just epic. Ooh, thanks for the link. I may have to investigate this.

He's clearly having fun there again -- it's great to see. The first one is Wagner, from The Flying Dutchman -- it's the Dutchman's introductory monologue about how he's damned and doomed. I don't know the second piece as well, but I believe it's the equivalent of Mephistopheles's serenade, only from Berlioz's opera La Damnation De Faust.

[huinare.livejournal.com]

"The Bloody Verdict of Verdun" is just epic.

Yesss. HE SHED THE BLOOD OF FOUR THOUSAND SAXON MEN.

Thanks for deploying your opera knowledge! Seems Lee was a fan of Mephistopheles. =D

[zdenka]

Yes! And the FLAAAMES.

Any time. :)

Mephistopheles has some really good music!