Konstantin Somov

 A wonderful Russian artist and a great article on 'Gay Influence' a huge, wonderful and informative site that I follow. Click the link below to find out about this gay artist whose paintings are now valued in the millions. He had a fascinating life and mixed with the brilliant and the beautiful.

Gay Influence: Konstantin Somov:

Imagine

Yes the world could be a better place without the political and religious right. It could be better without the hatred brought about by the misconception that  we are better than others. It could be better if we wanted no more than what was a fair share and no more. It would be better if we considered life as the most important thing we should honour and value. I am not better than you. I do not know what is best for you. My values are not the rule by which you must lead your life. Morality comes not from some magic on high, it comes from respect. I do not hide behind what some other person claims comes from a god. I do not hide behind a flag. I do not hide behind my money. I do not hide behind my race, my height , my sex, my love, my age, my clothes, my century, my school, or anything that is mine. I do not hide at all and I do not make excuses. I exist and so do you. There is one beautiful world that is home to us all. That is enough for us to share. I am not preaching. I am just contemplating.
Our stunning planet is worth saving. Imagine it saved.

Beautiful horizons from the space station.

Just Imagine

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace

You, you may say 
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world

You, you may say 
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will live as one

No Heaven

No Hell

 No Countries

 No Possessions

No Religions

'Just Love'

Bare your body for peace and justice.

Baring Witness to the Occupy Movement 

http://www.baringwitness.org/

My page on Human Rights 

ttp://pepisymposium.blogspot.com.au/2010/09/human-rights.html

Farnace

Max Emanuel Cencic in Antonio Vivaldi's Opera Farnace from the Strasbourg Opera House recorded 30 May 2012.  - 2 hours 47 minutes.

Farnace - Max Emanuel Cencic 
Tamiri - Ruxandra Donose
Berenice - Mary Ellen Nesi 
Selinda - Carol Garcia 
Gilade - Vivica Genaux
Aquilio - Emiliano Gonzalez Toro 
Pompeo - Juan Sancho   

Viviadi's Il Farnace in a version that Vivaldi prepared specially for the city of Ferrara in 1737-38 after its success in Venice. This is not only the first time the Ferrara version of Farnace has been recorded, but also the first time it has been heard, as the planned performances of 1738 were cancelled due to the local failure of the Vivaldi opera that preceded it, Siroe. Farnace was never staged again anywhere, and the only surviving trace of its music is in the form of an incomplete score carefully notated and preserved by Vivaldi in his personal collection. It is the only remaining opera of Vivaldi never to have been performed since the composer's time, and, unlike all the others, has remained unrecorded until now. The chances are that Vivaldi never completed this Farance. However, with the reconstruction of the third act by Diego Fasolis and Frédéric Delaméa, this album presents a rare opportunity to discover a work bursting with riches, the last fruit of Vivaldi's unprecedented operatic output. In this recording, the cast is led by the brilliant countertenor Max Emanuel Cencic in the title role with the support of conductor Diego Fasolis and the famed I Barocchisti ensemble.

 The opera tells the story of Pharnaces II; according to the uses of the time there is no historical accuracy since the fate of Pharnaces is quite different from the one in history books.

The Plot  :- Farnace, King of Pontus, has been defeated, and to avoid their falling into the hands of the enemy, he commands his wife, Tamiri, to kill their son and then herself. Tamiri's mother, Berenice, hates Farnace and is in cahoots with Pompey, the Roman victor, to kill him. Selinda, Farnace's sister, is taken captive by the Roman Aquilius, who falls in love with her, as does Berenice's Captain, Gilades. Selinda plays them off one another in an attempt to save her brother. Somehow, it ends happily and everyone is spared.

I bought the CD of this performance because I collect everything by the astounding Max Emanuel Cencic, but hopefully a wonderful BluRay version will be released with English Subtitles (there are none above).
A concert by Max Cencic with some brilliant singing from Handel to Donizetti

The Doctors Who

When I was at school I watched Doctor Who. When I worked I discussed Doctor Who episodes each morning with the guys and gals at the office. Now that I am so much bloody older I am still addicted to Doctor Who. Yes I have been following it for around 50 years and will continue to do so. At this stage I have 146 Dr Who DVD's and all of the two spin off's Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures. I think that is great. You may not, but then again you would not be on this page if you did not like Doctor Who.

The Doctor is around 900 to over a thousand years old, but no one including himself or the various writers really knows. There have been so many contradictory statements it is a mystery to anyone, including the Time Lord from Gallifrey who jumps back and forth from the beginning to the end of Time. 

The 1st Doctor

William Hartnell 1908 - 1975 (137 episodes) He was the oldest and the first Doctor, starting the role when he was 55.
The 2nd Doctor

Patrick Troughton 1920 - 1987 (128 episodes) who played the second Doctor spent a lot of time hugging the close friend and companion Jamie McCrimmon played by the lovely Frazer Hines (117 episodes) who looked oh so cute in a kilt. Patrick played in around 172 TV shows but I only remember his Doctor.

The 3rd Doctor

Jon Pertwee 1919 - 1996 -(130 episodes) A great Doctor, but although he made about 64 films etc. there was nothing that memorable.
The 4th Doctor

Tom Baker 1934 - (173 episodes) and Matthew Waterhouse (44 episodes) as the incredibly cute Adric. He may not, as some have said, have been the greatest of actors but he became an iconic figure in his own right. I have even met boys named after him i.e. Adric..

Tom Baker has popped up all over the place in mainly 72 TV roles including Little Britain, but my most memorable was in the Pier Paolo Pasolini 1972 masterpiece The Canterbury Tales.

The 5th Doctor

Peter Davison born Peter Moffett in 1951 ( 70 episodes) and Matthew Waterhouse who carried over as a companion to two doctors. Peter Davison's daughter Georgia Moffett played Doctor Who's Daughter in an episode with David Tennant whom she then married. As they say a Doctor's daughter played a Doctors daughter and became a Doctor's wife. Peter has had around 63 TV roles. He was well known for playing the vet Tristan Farnon in the huge TV series 'All Creatures Great and Small'

Peter Davison in another Sci-Fi series 'The Tomorrow People' in 1975. It was about a bunch of telepathic teens and made some years before he took on Doctor Who.
The 6th Doctor

Colin Baker born 1943 (35 episodes). Colin has played about 70 roles including appearances in Stephen Fry's 'Kingdom' and 'The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones'
The 7th Doctor

Sylvester McCoy born 1943 (42 episodes). On the end is a rehearsal for the regeneration into the 8th Doctor. Sylvester has appeared in56 titles and will be a Wizard in the new 'Hobbit' films'

The 8th Doctor

Paul McGann born 1959, had the distinction of being the longest current Doctor although he made only one appearance in a TV movie in 1996 before it was shelved by the Americans for almost ten years until the BBC got it back and the next Doctor took over. He has been in 74 titles and many of them are notable films and series.

The 9th Doctor
In 2005 The Doctor returned with a much bigger budget and wonderful cast and scripts. So many very great actors now wanted to be a part of the show.

Christopher Eccleston born 1964 with Tardis and kissing Captain Jack Harkness - John Barrowman

Christopher Eccleston and Naoko Mori as John and Yoko from the film 'Naked Lennon'. Naoko played Toshiko Sato in the Doctor Who spin-off "Torchwood'. Christopher has been in 59 films and TV shows and and won several awards including an Emmy.

 The 10th Doctor

Everyone kisses John Barrowman.

David Tennant born 1971 is a brilliant actor with several awards including a BAFTA under his belt and apart from all his Doctor Who episodes I have him in a dozen other DVD's including 'Hamlet, Bright Young Things, Casanova, The Chatterley Affair, Einstein and Eddington, Extras-The Special, Fright Night, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, L.A. Without a Map, The Quatermass Experiment, St Trinian's 2: The Legend of  Fritton's Gold and Taking over the Asylum'. If one need any assurance of his talent you should look at his impromptu frenetic audition for 'Taking Over Then Asylum' when he was 22 and it is on the DVD.

The 11th Doctor

Matt Smith has played several great roles I have on DVD including the gay writer Christopher Isherwood (think Cabaret) in the wonderful film 'Christopher and His Kind' and the incestuous son in 'Womb'

The Extra Doctor

There were also a couple of movies with Peter Cushing as the Doctor battling the Daleks in 1965 and 1966.
A NEW MYSTERY TO BE REVEALED NOV 2013

Two Memorable Characters Who Will Be Remembered.
Nicholas Courtney

Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart played by Nicholas Courtney appeared in Doctor Who in 107 episodes between 1965 and 1989 and then again as a retired and knighted army officer in The Sarah Jane Adventures in 2008.
Elizabeth Sladen

Elizabeth Sladen played Sarah Jane Smith from 1973 to 1983 (81 episodes) and then returned to the Character in 4 episodes of Doctor Who from 2006 to 2010 and the Sarah Jane Adventures for 53 episodes from 2007 to 2011. She took on a constructed genius son Luke Smith played by Tommy knight (42 episodes)  who played as well in 3 episodes of Doctor Who in 2008 and 2010.

Now the 12th Doctor Peter Capaldi

Arty Allsorts

Leigh Bowery

Leigh Bowery (1961-1994) - The unique, extraordinary, Australian, performance artist, fashion diva and  star was the muse of the late painter Lucian Freud and friend of Boy George amongst many other outstanding things. Discover his life which was his art.

A must hear and see Useless Man - Music and Fashion Art Video

Below is Boy George channelling the late Leigh Bowery.

Igor Stravinsky

There have always been rumours of Russian composer Igor Stravinsky having an affair with Coco Chanel - both part of that circle that included Vaslav Nijinsky, Eric Satie, Jean Cocteau, Sergei Diaghilev and so many more. He did manage to Visit Australia in 1961 to conduct his own music and meet the obligatory Koala.

Percy Grainger

Australian genius composer and pianist who had an intense sexual imagination and involved himself in a bit of S&M. Flagellation.
A small clip of Grainger playing

Barry Humphries and Margaret Olley

The Late Margaret Olley (1923-2011) with Barry Humphries in front of an outstanding award winning portrait by William Dobell. (a bunch of famous Australians)

Boy and Villian

From an Australian theatre production I believe. Just a great photo.

Divine

Divine (1945-1988) born Harris Glenn Milstead as a young man, bearing a great resemblance to Leigh Bowrey (at top) and being simply heavenly Divine. I have 11 wonderful DVD's with this amazing actor, singer and personality who we love as Divine

I am a Pisces

Painting by Felix d'Eon who is a friend on Facebook and whose blog I also follow.
Lindsay Kemp and David Bowie

 David Bowie on stage with Lindsay Kemp. Years ago I entertained Lindsay Kemp, Jack Birkett, Francois Testory and the company at home. 

In Church

I attended a fine concert in my old cathedral St Stephen's recently and found a new cross hanging over the alter. I was surprised to see the Christ was a clean-shaven youth with a penis. I no longer belong to the Catholic Church because of their entrenched homophobia . Bigorty does not belong in what I see as a religion.

David Pereira

Stills for the stunningly beautiful and flexible David Pereira's new show in Berlin. A brilliant Spanish artist/performer I follow on Facebook etc. He is all over this blog.
Pepeyn

Pepeyn Langedijk wonderful large canvas photographer/artist from Holland.
Bertil Nilsson

Bertil Nilsson who was born in Sweden and lives and works in The UK. I have been adoring his photos for a while, particularly those of two of my Facebook friends, Eike von Stuckenbrok and David Pereira which are seen elsewhere on this blog.

also https://www.facebook.com/bertilnilssonphotography
Happy 50th to the Rolling Stones 
The Everlasting Performers.

Some of the pre censored photos from the film 'Performance ' and Jagger covered by Joe Dallesandro's crotch with bulge on the album cover taken by Andy Warhol for the Rolling Stone's album 'Sticky Fingers and Joe without the jeans.

Two Naked Models and a Photographer

From Bucephalus Alexander