Boston Globe: Glimpses of Fire, Passion at Symphony Hall. As I mentioned last night, Dwayne Croft’s cold was in evidence, and Jeremy Eichler mentions it, and is negative about Marcello Giordano’s performance as well. But he gives thumbs up to Yvonne Naef and practically glows about the TFC, giving the longest review mention (a full paragraph!) that we’ve had from the Globe in recent memory:

The hero of last night's outing was the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, which sang, from the outset, with unflagging energy, commitment, and focus. The expansive contours and sheer tonal force required for the score's massive climaxes were all present, but so were the delicacy and transparency necessary to bring across passages such as the beautifully tender prayer sung by the Trojan women at the outset of the second tableau of Act II.

Oh, and thanks to the angle the photographer took for the article photo, you can clearly see me. Look directly above Clayton Brainerd (the second standing soloist from the right) and I’m two rows up, with my mouth wide, wide open. Hey, it was a big scene.

And regarding the “rough-edged” comments about the work: we have three more performances, and history tells us that each one will be better and better.

Opening night is past. Les Troyens, Part I is a magnificent beast, and it has already bloodied the cast—poor Dwayne Croft had a cold the likes of which I’ve never heard from someone singing a part like that. I think we all breathed a sigh of relief at the end of the duet. All the soloists were magnificent, but the prize has to go to Yvonne Naef, or as I called her in my Facebook status “Yvonne Fricking Naef” in homage to John Moltz’s Jennifer Fricking Connolly. Her Cassandra is vulnerable, fierce, and fey, and easily the strongest presence on stage. A close second would have to be our women: hats off to Fanw and other women of the chorus, whose second act number is one of the great heart-seizing moments in Berlioz (or in all women’s chorus literature, for that matter).

I’ve been overwhelmed with the rehearsals, but now I can’t wait to sing it again. Good thing we repeat Part I three more times!

My friends and colleagues in the Suspicious Cheese Lords have been busy lately. This weekend they sang for Pope Benedict XVI (Yes, seriously.) at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center. The piece was a composition by George Cervantes, a setting of the Peace Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, making the occasion that much cooler. Plus Skip was interviewed on CNN about the performance. And the video is prime Skip. Full video of the performance (starts at around 18:30). and other activities at the center is available through the EWTN Global Catholic Network site.

Way to go, guys. I expect to hear about your official appointment as choir in residence at the Sistine Chapel any day now. (But maybe not an appointment to be a CNN correspondent! Boy, they cut Skip off pretty fast in that interview!)

My 2:42 mix is now posted at Art of the Mix. I decided to keep to the format of the original, and only included twelve songs.

I noticed, looking at Isis’s version, that some of her track lengths were different from mine—for instance, her version of “That Teenage Feeling” by Neko Case is 2:42, whereas mine is 2:43. A second’s difference is surprising—maybe it’s just the difference between buying the track digitally and ripping it. Or maybe different media players round differently, who knows.

I haven’t had a chance to take up Greg’s challenge and make a 4:33 mix yet. Who knows what that would turn out like? Very quiet, I expect.

Joshua Allen at The Morning News (via BoingBoing) writes about his deductive process of identifying the perfect pop song length, at two minutes and 42 seconds:

The scientists then dug up this song by a group that pretty much defines one-hit wonder: the La’s. The song is “There She Goes,” and is so flawless that it instantly made everything else the band did pointless. This ditty is two minutes and 42 seconds, and is all about songwriting economy....

What else is at 2:42? “Don’t Do Me Like That” by Tom Petty. “Divine Hammer” by the Breeders. “Helplessly Hoping” by Crosby, Stills & Nash. “Get Up” by R.E.M. “California Dreamin’” by the Mamas & the Papas. “This Charming Man” by the Smiths.

You need more proof? Jerk. Let’s look at Sgt. Pepper. “Lovely Rita” is two minutes, 42 seconds. It delivers that psychedelic vibe and a coda but then gets the hell out of your life.

Allen then lays down the challenge with a mixtape of twelve songs that clock in at exactly 2:42. Which sounds like a meme waiting to happen. Unfortunately my iTunes library is at home so I can’t try the experiment, but I’ll put it out there for the usual suspects. Can you top his mix?