depending on whether you believe the anecdote of Philip confessing on his death bed they did and that undoubtedly God punished him for it for his remaining life by making Elizabeth his arch nemesis
This is one of those things that is classed in my brain as "I am not sure I really care if this is true, it is such a good story that it is going straight into my headcanon." :D This is excellent and I had no idea it was even a possibility (I'd only known them as enemies) :D
in thirty years of marriage he remained faithful to her, and she adored him
Wait, is this a first? A member of the nobility who was faithful and non-abusive and without severe mental health issues? At least, I think this is the first one you guys have talked about... Also, that is a sweet (and heartbreaking) quote <3
This lady here makes a witty case on what's to like about John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland: Bonus: John Dudley, with a consideration for future historical novelists that was rare at the time, named two of his sons Ambrose and Guildford and one of his daughters Temperance, thereby doing his bit for the noble cause of variety in Tudor first names. Of course, he also named two of his sons Henry, two of his daughters Katherine, and one of his daughters Mary–but hey, nobody’s perfect.
Wouldn't have mattered whatever else he did, I read that and I AM A FAN. YOU GO JOHN DUDLEY. (I may have laughed out loud.)
I take this to mean you don't like the five act version best?
Er, Charles V is still in the four-act version, right? You would be correct I don't like the five-act version best, but that's because that extra act is a whole act without any baritones or basses (which is a long-winded way of saying: NO RODRIGO! and no Philip either!) and a big love duet, which I'm not usually particularly fond of in general. On the other hand, the original French version has Carlos and Philip duetting after Rodrigo's death (the duet which you may know Verdi cut and later turned into the Lacrimosa in his Requiem), which I'm extremely fond of :) although it doesn't always make it into the 5-act stagings!
(Sadly, I couldn't find a good video of the duet -- audio-only here (I believe this is the one you already own ;) ) -- the video for the first part is here and is lovely, it's not like I'm going to get tired of Jose van dam's voice while Alagna looks pretty over Hampson's dead Rodrigo, but they cut off right when the duet starts!)
(fun fact: the melody of that duet/the Lacrimosa, my best friend from college pointed out to me many years ago (and I have been unable to forget it), is the same as a minor-key version of the US rather bizarre children's song Little Bunny Foo Foo)(do not feel like you have to watch more than ten seconds of it, or really any of it at all, it really is bizarre, I'm just sharing my pain)
Lol, though, the Charles ex machina is SO WEIRD, much weirder than anything Schiller came up with! (Though I like the Rodrigo/Carlos/Charles trio in the second/first act very much. Yessss I am a total sucker for any kind of men's duet/trio, why do you ask??)
Dudleys, Verdi
This is one of those things that is classed in my brain as "I am not sure I really care if this is true, it is such a good story that it is going straight into my headcanon." :D This is excellent and I had no idea it was even a possibility (I'd only known them as enemies) :D
in thirty years of marriage he remained faithful to her, and she adored him
Wait, is this a first? A member of the nobility who was faithful and non-abusive and without severe mental health issues? At least, I think this is the first one you guys have talked about... Also, that is a sweet (and heartbreaking) quote <3
This lady here makes a witty case on what's to like about John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland:
Bonus: John Dudley, with a consideration for future historical novelists that was rare at the time, named two of his sons Ambrose and Guildford and one of his daughters Temperance, thereby doing his bit for the noble cause of variety in Tudor first names. Of course, he also named two of his sons Henry, two of his daughters Katherine, and one of his daughters Mary–but hey, nobody’s perfect.
Wouldn't have mattered whatever else he did, I read that and I AM A FAN. YOU GO JOHN DUDLEY. (I may have laughed out loud.)
I take this to mean you don't like the five act version best?
Er, Charles V is still in the four-act version, right? You would be correct I don't like the five-act version best, but that's because that extra act is a whole act without any baritones or basses (which is a long-winded way of saying: NO RODRIGO! and no Philip either!) and a big love duet, which I'm not usually particularly fond of in general. On the other hand, the original French version has Carlos and Philip duetting after Rodrigo's death (the duet which you may know Verdi cut and later turned into the Lacrimosa in his Requiem), which I'm extremely fond of :) although it doesn't always make it into the 5-act stagings!
(Sadly, I couldn't find a good video of the duet -- audio-only here (I believe this is the one you already own ;) ) -- the video for the first part is here and is lovely, it's not like I'm going to get tired of Jose van dam's voice while Alagna looks pretty over Hampson's dead Rodrigo, but they cut off right when the duet starts!)
(fun fact: the melody of that duet/the Lacrimosa, my best friend from college pointed out to me many years ago (and I have been unable to forget it), is the same as a minor-key version of the US rather bizarre children's song Little Bunny Foo Foo)(do not feel like you have to watch more than ten seconds of it, or really any of it at all, it really is bizarre, I'm just sharing my pain)
Lol, though, the Charles ex machina is SO WEIRD, much weirder than anything Schiller came up with! (Though I like the Rodrigo/Carlos/Charles trio in the second/first act very much. Yessss I am a total sucker for any kind of men's duet/trio, why do you ask??)