a small miracle occurs: As months of frost and biting winds begin to relent the first green shoots of spring begin to emerge from the ground.  is a fitting metaphor for a different kind of miracle—namely the one portrayed in Alessandro Stradella’s oratorio Ester which received its own unearthing with a stellar Chicago premiere by the Haymarket Opera Company Friday evening at Gannon Hall on DePaul University’s campus The oratorio retells the Biblical story that is the basis for the springtime Jewish holiday of Purim marries the Persian king Ahasuerus (Assuero) inflamed by the resistance of Esther’s cousin Mordecai (Mardocheo) launches a plot to eradicate the Jewish people.  Mordecai implores Esther to use her privileged position to plead Ahasuerus’ mercy Despite her fears of defying palace custom and revealing her Jewish identity to her husband she summons the courage to confront the king spares Esther’s people and condemns Haman for his wickedness his music has not enjoyed the same fortune of preservation as have some of his contemporaries only six have survived and what remains is fragmented other than that the libretto was supplied by Stradella’s patron and that it was likely premiered prior to 1677 in Rome The extant manuscript similarly leaves many gaps: the instrumental ritornellos that serve as the work’s connective tissue as well as the string parts for 19 of the work’s 22 arias Haymarket’s advocacy remained entirely undiminished. The work’s themes of bravery in the face of harmful intent resonate deeply in 2025 so it’s no great surprise that this 350-year-old oratorio though scarcely performed and having languished in obscurity for nearly three centuries Missing instrumental parts were substituted with convincing realizations by harpsichordist Jory Vinikour and between each of the five cast members to the continuo ensemble Stradella’s score is affectively mercurial demanding flexibility and virtuosity from each of its singers Ester’s vivid arias are alternately introspective and extroverted by turns surveying a character’s rumination with elegant lyricism or declaring resolute intent with difficult melismatic sequences potent performances tinged with masterful subtlety Bass-baritone Christian Pursell capably portrayed Aman’s cartoonish villainy resonant voice and beautiful diction that underlined the character’s declarations of violence his committed physicality lent a modicum of humor to the character to soften the impact of his stentorian vocal delivery.  Emily Birsan embodied Speranza Celesta with a radiance commensurate with her role The soprano demonstrated effortless agility in the spiraling melismata of her arias in Part 1 richly hued soprano flashed colors of mournfulness and righteous fury in reflecting on the plight of the Jewish people soprano Kimberly McCord traced the through-line of the protagonist’s transformation with poise and conviction voluminous tone and sumptuous phrasing throughout Part 1 she demonstrated her technical range in the early stanzas of Part 2 with soaring musical leaps to her upper tessitura to underscore Ester’s defiance who served the dual role of narrator Testo and King Assuero each sang with polish and refinement.  Under the spirited direction of cellist and artistic director Craig Trompeter the nimble continuo ensemble amplified the drama of the oratorio’s climax and underscored the denouement of Aman’s pitiful undoing with rumbling tones.  Haymarket Opera Company’s season continues June 27–July 1 with performances of Leonardo Vinci’s Artaserse at Jarvis Opera Hall. haymarketopera.org Posted in Performances Posted Mar 30, 2025 at 6:37 pm by Charles Kimberly McCord is one of the best sopranos in the Chicago area in decades a rarity in this era of generic sounding sopranos of technical ability Her voice gains in richness and amplitude as it rises Christopher Pursell is another wonderful singer with a fabulous voice capable of precision in coloratura passage work And the low notes demanded for the role held no trepidation from him Posted Apr 04, 2025 at 10:28 am by Ruth Grant My husband and I attended the oratorio and were also struck by the quality of the singers and the musicians XHTML: You can use these tags: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong> Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Concerto Italiano/Alessandrini (Naive)The 17th Stradella is little-known today but his music – and his colourful life – are well worth exploring brilliantly executedThis article is more than 10 months oldConcerto Italiano/Alessandrini (Naive)The 17th Stradella is little-known today Alessandro Stradella packed so much incident into his colourful short life that it’s hard to imagine how he found the time to compose more than 300 works – including oratorios He had already survived one assassination attempt in Turin before his multiple affairs finally caught up with him in Genoa possibly murdered by the brothers of a woman he had seduced Album cover … Stradella: MottettiIn his lifetime Stradella was much admired; he was credited with inventing the form of the concerto grosso and Handel borrowed from his works in his Israel in Egypt and much of it remains unrecorded: only one of the five motets that Rinaldo Alessandrini and his Concerto Italiano singers and instrumentalists include in their selection has appeared previously on disc come from a collection of 17 contained in manuscripts held in archives in Modena though when most of them were composed and for what occasions remains unknown are showpieces of almost operatic brilliance and intensity sung with fabulous clarity and precision by Gabriele Lombardi and Sonia Tedla The motets that begin and end the sequence As Alessandrini suggests in his sleeve notes they seem intended for performance in a theatre rather than as part of a liturgy These vocal numbers are interspersed with a couple of Stradella’s string symphonias performed with just as much flair and stylishness as everything else on this brilliantly executed disc This article includes content hosted on embed.music.apple.com We ask for your permission before anything is loaded as the provider may be using cookies and other technologies Stream it on Apple Music (above) or on Spotify Discover the world's largest classical music catalogue with Presto Music If you are a library, university or other organisation that would be interested in an institutional subscription to Gramophone please click here for further information Pietro Antonio Locatelli: Concerto grosso in F minor Op.1 No.8; Alessandro Stradella: Ah troppo e ver, Sonata di viole 'Concerto-concerto grosso' Arcangelo Corelli: Concerto Grosso in G minor Op.6 No 8 'Fatto per las Nottle di Natale'; Rachel Redmond John Butt; Wigmore HallReviewed 23 December 2024 The premiere of a fascinating new Caroline Shaw piece that explodes Thomas Hardy's Darkling Thrush at the centre of a concert that placed the Shepherds and Winter at the centre of a wonderfully engaging and imaginative programme.  Stradella seems to be having something of a moment, and we caught another of his Christmas cantatas, Si apra al riso ogni labro at Wigmore Hall on Saturday performed by the English Concert [see my review] The Dunedin Consort's concert featured a cantata which uses concerto grosso-like forces in the accompaniment solo trio of two violins and cello against ripieno ensemble but more fascinatingly they also included Stradella's Sonata di viole 'Concerto-concerto grosso' which uses these same forces without the vocal accompaniment to create what is regarded as the first concerto grosso This form would go on to have enormous influence and Corelli's Opus 6 would cast a long shadow Caroline Shaw's work also crossed our path recently as the Kyan Quartet played her Valencia and Entr'acte at Conway Hall earlier this month [see my review] The Holdfast was written for the Dunedin Consort (a co-commission with Wigmore Hall) and Shaw uses the same instrumental forces as the Stradella cantata plus the same soloists centred around text taken from Hardy's The Darkling Thrush seven years after the publication of Corelli's posthumous Opus 6 concertos Locatelli adds a viola to the solo mix in the concertino group but otherwise sticks to Corelli's structure he really relished what he could create with his juxtaposition and combination of solo quartet and ensemble troppo e ver is intriguing in many ways Whilst it does present the story of the Shepherds journeying to Bethlehem to see the Christ Child it also includes a role for Lucifer who worrits away at the effect the birth of the Christ Child will have after an opening sinfonia which moved between vivid vigour things were interrupted by Ashley Riches' wonderfully dramatic and bad tempered Lucifer complete with a brisk aria full of fascinating textures and vividly dark-voiced recitative the scene ending with a chorus of furies where Stradella seemed to delight in the complex textures he could create with four solo voices and his concerto gross instrumental ensemble the story telling was done by giving the various characters an aria and recitative Joanna Songi a hauntingly expressive Virgin Mary Rachel Redmond a simple Shepherd singing to harp accompaniment The whole ending with a richly textured Coro full of vigorous joy his Sonata di viole 'Concerto-concerto grosso' which proved to be a lovely sequence beginning with a lively call and response between soli and ripieni something rather more galant and ending with a lovely triple-time movement Caroline Shaw's The Holdfast takes Thomas Hardy's The Darkling Thrush but inserts into it three of her own texts to create a five-movement work with a pleasing element of symmetry that becomes a meditation on the themes from Hardy's poem Shaw amplifies these via the idea of Lichens where a holdfast is the structure that attaches the lichen to its support but then there is the idea of holding fast to your beliefs Largely the voices were written for as a vocal ensemble with the five singers standing at the back of the stage behind the ensemble Shaw seems to have relished the array of textures and timbres she could create using the period instruments and the work was full of contrasts between the smooth vocalism and the sharp timbres of plucked strings then there was the vividly strong harpsichord sounds and the aetherial harmonics on gut strings A strong opening gesture seemed to settled to nothing leading to a setting of Hardy's poem that gave the words primacy Shaw's rather traditional vocal writing being moulded by quirky details and contrasted with the vivid instrumental writing then an evocation of the Lichens via their names linked musically and textually to the first with the music linking back to the opening movement Yet at the moment Hardy's words refer to the way the thrush 'Had chosen thus to fling his soul/Upon the growing gloom' the whole texture exploded only gradually returning to the opening as Hardy talks about 'Some blessed Hope.' The result was a fascinating and intriguing one of those pieces that really needs a second hearing.  Still a miracle of imagination and expressivity the way he relishes the textures of his solo group against the ripieni in the slow opening the sustained solo violins against the vividly urgent strings in the Allegro the more intimate moments where trio sonata textures predominate the stylish dance movement and of course the final pastoral I noticed too the drone effects which almost suggested the musette and I wondered whether that was a thing with 17th century Italian shepherds The blog is free, but I'd be delighted if you were to show your appreciation by buying me a coffee. ‘Fisarmonica’ is the Italian word for accordion – the group’s name means ‘Friends of the Accordion’ – and this sparkling set of pieces pays homage to the accordion’s Italian heritage: the town of Stradella in Italy has a long history as an accordion-making centre. Formed in Brisbane in 2021, Fisarmonica Amici already has a dedicated following and a growing slate of performance engagements. The stradella piano accordion, says composer Alexander Voltz, is an instrument that is tarnished by ‘an enduring and gravely erroneous stereotype: that it is merely a light instrument, capable only of comedic gimmicks and vaudeville acts.’ In fact, its unique range of colours and registers makes it as flexible and multifaceted as a grand pipe organ – yet also portable and intimate. Multiply that extraordinary potential threefold, with a trio of accordions played by Australia’s finest virtuosi – internationally acclaimed Nerida Farmer, local Queensland favourite John Cave, and music director and accordion virtuoso and scholar Bradley Voltz – and the result is simply brilliant: an intricate interweaving of melodies, harmonies and timbres evoking a broad landscape of musical emotion.  Bradley Voltz, Nerida Farmer & John Cave (stradella piano accordions) The 35 billion mansion owned by Chairman Hive Bang Si-hyuk in LA avoided catastrophic wildfires. According to the music industry on the 21st, the ultra-luxury mention owned by Chairman Bang on Bel Air Stradella Road, the richest town in Los Angeles, California, escaped the fire that engulfed L.A. Chairman Bang's mansion was located right near the L.A. wildfire-affected area, but it was confirmed that there was no special damage. In 2022, Bang bought a luxury mansion worth $26.4 million (about KRW 36.5 billion) on Bel Air Stradella Road in Buchon, L.A., a 20-minute drive from Beverly Hills. Built in 2017 by architect Marc Rios with a three-story floor space of about 1020 square meters, the house has more than nine bathrooms, gyms, Infinity Pool, sauna and massage facilities in six rooms. Bel-Air, completed in 2017, is also famous for its pop stars Justin Bieber, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, and Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. Chairman Bang reportedly purchased the mansion for the purpose of producing music and expanding the local music network. With at least 27 people killed in a wildfire in Los Angeles County on the 7th, the economic damage is estimated to be more than 200 trillion won. The area devoured by the LA fire is about 145㎢, 50 times the area of Yeouido (2.9㎢). The total number of buildings damaged was estimated at 12,000 units. Hollywood stars Anthony Hopkins, Mel Gibson, John Goodman, Miles Teller, Paris Hilton, Friggs, Billy Crystal, Adam Brody, and Milo Ventimiglia were among those who lost their homes in the wildfires. Former major leaguer Park Chan-ho's Beverly Hills mansion was also reportedly burned down. ※ This service is provided by machine translation tool, NAVER papago. The beauty of the stradella piano accordionThe stradella piano accordion is misunderstood says Brisbane composer and music writer Alexander Voltz who  intends to change that with his latest work Earlier this year ABC Classic released a recording of my Stradella Suite six-movement suite for stradella piano accordion trio that it had commissioned as part of the ABC’s 2022 Composer Commissioning Fund To the best of my knowledge this is a notable work in that it is Australia’s first serious art music composition for such an ensemble The stradella piano accordion achieved prominence during the 20th century through the individual prodigious talents of Guido Diero there was such interest in the instrument that established bands and orchestras grew from accordion schools duet and small group performances featured in concerts devoted solely to the accordion the Italian émigré and accordion virtuoso Osvaldo Mazzei (1913-2017) had by 1962 developed a successful teaching studio in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley from which an orchestra of 80 accordionists had formed Yet this is an instrument tarnished by an enduring and gravely erroneous stereotype – that it is merely a light instrument capable only of comedic gimmicks and vaudeville acts often misinterpreted as harmonically limiting unable to support atonal or chromatic writing styles My experience has been that the stradella instrument affords great artistic reward Furnished with its fixed yet unique buttonboard and its registers of varying timbres it is best likened to a handheld pipe organ There can be no doubt that this view has influenced Stradella Suite Like the pipe organ or a mixed-voice chorus the accordion trio offers the composer a myriad of musical possibilities within a framework of concrete parameters it is best explored and solved alongside those who are its specialists I was fortunate to consult with Fisarmonica Amici’s Nerida Farmer John Cave and (my father) Bradley Voltz during Stradella Suite’s composition and to refer to dad’s doctorate on accordion practice Their insights increased the work’s quality and their pioneering virtuosity then brought these six movements to life I am convinced that there is not another ensemble in Australia that could have achieved what they did (although I am happy to be proved otherwise) An introduction and epilogue bookend three dances: Grande Valse a polka; as well as a more introspective penultimate movement Poema and Epilogo are more concert-like in conception whereas the three dances are (perhaps somewhat ironically) comic and light each suited to stand-alone radio broadcast For while each movement expands upon preconceived notions of what is idiomatic for stradella accordion Stradella Suite does not ultimately reject these notions but it is a waltz constructed from a fresh approach to stradella accordion writing The same could be said of Vacanza Cubana as a tango and Toorak Trot as a polka Stradella Suite succeeds as a work that is accessible for traditional and curious audiences alike to completely depart from an accordionistic style – and that is not at all to say that much distance cannot first be traversed before such a departure even begins to resemble completion – seems ill-advisable The accordion most succeeds when music’s foundational pitch parameters of melody harmony and counterpoint are embraced and expanded upon that more composers will begin writing for the stradella piano accordion This is an instrument that maintains the serious concert-hall appeal that propelled it to popular heights during the 20th century It is an instrument of both musicianship and virtuosity and it is an instrument that deserves its renaissance Subscribe for updatesAlexander Voltz is a composer and founding music editor of Quadrant He is the winner of the symphonic category of the 2024 George Enescu International Competition in Bucharest snd.click/Stradella InDaily Queensland acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work and live and recognise their continuing connection to land Terms and Conditions. About InDaily Opera Lafayette and Heartbeat Opera presented Stradella’s “La Susanna” Monday night at the Kennedy Center Opera Lafayette is closing its season with one of the strongest productions it has ever mounted The company’s staging of Alessandro Stradella’s oratorio La Susanna is a memorable collaboration with Heartbeat Opera innovative little company based in New York heard Monday evening in the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater was a marvel both musically and dramatically The story is from an episode in the childhood of the prophet Daniel included in that book of the Bible but later discarded by some editors as apocryphal models of rectitude on the outside but consumed by lust on the inside spy on a young wife as she bathes in a stream They try to coerce her to have sex with them threatening to give testimony that they saw her meeting a lover in the stream Who would ever accuse such powerful men of lying the year before he was mysteriously murdered in the streets of Genoa (Stories about Stradella’s seduction of women leading to his death are historical legend according to scholar Carolyn Gianturco.) Although most of the story is told by a narrator which the staging by Heartbeat Opera’s co-artistic director Ethan Heard uses to its advantage The conceit is that the performance is an academic lecture with the Testo presented as a professor of art history and gender studies the role is given to the extraordinary contralto Sara Couden who displayed a brazen chest voice and buttery legato phrasing in the role Although Stradella created the work for an all-male cast this casting change created a new feminist approach to the work Soprano Lucía Martín Cartón was a delight in the title role singing with a translucent tone in Susanna’s first aria “Quanto invidio il vostro stato,” accompanied simply by theorbo and single cello on hypnotic ground bass pattern splashing silvery pieces of paper like water (costume design by Beth Goldenberg) Martín Cartón ably negotiated the faster running part of “Zeffireti che spiegate,” with faultless intonation and ease of dynamic control and breath support She was no less striking in the prison scene now in an orange jumpsuit in the second part coaxing plangent melodic lines from the ciaconna “Da chi spero aita Lucía Martín Cartón performed the title role in Stradella’s “La Susanna.” Photo: Louis Forget Bass-baritone Paul Max Tipton and tenor Patrick Kilbride were aptly smarmy and repellent as the two judges. Hearn’s direction was stylized, freezing them in exaggerated gestures between movements, often seeming to imitate famous paintings of the subject by Artemisia Gentileschi and many others as toward the end of his aria “Voglio amare e che sara.” The weak link in the cast was soprano Ariana Douglas featured as the Testo’s graduate student assistant in the first part she yelled “Stop!” during the trial and then took the part of the boy prophet Daniel music directors of Opera Lafayette and Cantata Profana playing the score’s two treble parts on dueling violins The continuo part was shared in inventive combinations among harpsichord Stradella’s score is notated essentially in trio sonata format although one occasionally missed the use of recorders or other paired instruments on the top parts heard on some recordings Heard’s program note made explicit connections between his staging and recent events like Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination hearings the production was less heavy-handed than his explication featuring large statues of a priest with a cross and a helmeted soldier (scenic design by Reid Thompson) Heard pulled no punches in the bathing scene as the two judges groped and leered at Susanna where bright strobe lights glared harshly on the voiceless Susanna It was that rare occasion where artistic past and political present mingled in a way both uncomfortable and thought-provoking La Susanna runs from May 2 to May 5 at BAM Fisher in New York. operalafayette.org; 212-634-9388  Subscribe via RSS 2021 – Alberto Bettiol transformed the stage into his Flanders including a very strong Cavagna who already imagined himself at the finish Well done Bettiol for breaking the boredom of the day A stage on the wave cable between the important crests of the day before and the day after fought right at the beginning and then off: in front playing and behind walking or little more Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" © Cyclinside - all rights reserved - Reproduction of photographs and texts for more than 10 percent is prohibited It is mandatory to indicate the link to the page © Cyclinside - all rights reserved - Reproduction of photographs and texts for more than 10 percent is prohibited One of the most innovative and exciting composers of the 17th century with hundreds of musical works to his name Alessandro Stradella (1639-1682) led a rambunctious life encompassing TWO assassination attempts an abduction… and a lot of brilliant music Here, Frank Cottrell Boyce ‒ the award winning writer whose work includes 24 Hour Party People and Millions ‒ reveals how his fascination with the composer's life led to him write the new Radio 4 drama: How to Flee From Sorrow... I first came across Stradella when I heard my friend, the musicologist Alberto Sanna playing his violin sonatas at Hope University Alberto showed me Stradella’s letters which were full of exactly the kind of things that drive any freelance mad nowadays ‒ deadlines Stradella sucked up to potential employers well-ordered music was a life bursting with ambition and starved of security In trying to keep control of his music, Stradella lost control of his life. I’m really drawn to stories like this. It’s why I’ve written films about Jacqueline Du Pré for instance and Tony Wilson (24 Hour Party People). Doesn’t this go the heart of why we love music? The way it seems to pull timeless beauty and order out of our brief, chaotic lives... So Alberto had the idea of creating a new context He was one of the most innovative and exciting composers of the 17th century. There are over 300 works attributed to him. He invented the concerto grosso He was also the first person to try to live as a freelance composer without a patron or the backing of the church.It didn’t go well In Rome for instance, he and his friend, Lonati (the famous hunchbacked violinist) conned a nobleman into marrying a local prostitute In Venice Stradella tried to earn a living from teaching but then abducted his prettiest pupil ‒ Agnese van Uffele Sadly she was the niece of the Doge of Venice The scandal almost plunged Venice into war It also led to some paid ruffians stabbing Stradella and leaving him for dead outside the church of San Carlo Borromeo Stradella survived the first assassination attempt and fled to Genoa He must have made just as many enemies there as he did in Venice He was stabbed to death in the Piazza Banchi His life was so full of colour and drama that there are two operas and a novel about him In one of the operas (by Friedrich von Flotow) Stradella’s would-be assassins are so moved by his music that they repent and refuse to kill him The most touching page among the papers that Alberto showed me was Stradella’s will which reveals how little he had to show for a lifetime of brilliant a spare pair of buckles for his shoes and a spare jacket with cuffs Stradella was always on the run but the person he could never escape from was his greatest enemy Music was the frequency that connected him to the World We’ve tried to reflect that in the play by making Alberto’s violin into Stradella’s inner voice When we hear Stradella’s inmost thoughts I hope this means that the play uses music in a really unusual way that it’s a genuine collaboration between words and music between the actors and Alberto - who was playing live in the studio while they were being recorded Frank Cottrell Boyce is the screenwriter Winner of the 2004 Carnegie Medal and the 2012 Guardian Prize He also wrote the script for the Olympics 2012 opening ceremony Listen to the How to Flee from Sorrow, starring Trystan Gravelle and Ralf Little. Entertaining drama about the real life antics of the 17th Century Italian composer Alessandro Stradella, starring Trystan Gravelle and written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce. Listen to great drama and readings. A collection of bestsellers, the latest dramas, great comedians and award-winning tales from new writers. Italy 17 November 2020 - CEVA Logistics Italia and Emmelibri (Messaggerie Group) have renewed their partnership to provide logistics services for another 12 years The new contract provides for the launch of a jointly owned business named C&M Book Logistics SrL - aimed at developing an innovative book logistics and distribution centre in Italy through the project CEVA Logistics and Emmelibri have been collaborating since the 1990s CEVA Logistics has been in charge of the physical handling of the products distributed by Messaggerie Libri through the logistics hub independent Italian distributor of publishing materials; its reputation has been based reliability and constant commitment to improving the quality of service leaders in their respective fields of activity have been working on this ambitious and far-sighted project with the aim of creating one of the most modern and avant-garde logistics warehouses in Europe whose equal partners are CEVA Logistics Italia (a fully-owned subsidiary of the CMA CGM Group a world leader in shipping and logistics.) and Emmelibri (a company 100% controlled by Messaggerie Italiane) The Chairman and CEO of the new company will be Christophe Boustouller - CEO of CEVA Logistics Italia while the Vice Chairman will be Renato Salvetti - CEO of Messaggerie Libri The mission of the new Company will be to manage the existing City of Books site and also to oversee the extensive two year investment programme turning it into an automated site The new contract provides City of Books to be entirely dedicated to the Company's logistics needs the extended 80,000 sqm will house one of the most modern automation systems in Europe - which will be installed by the Austrian company TGW Construction work will take almost two years and the plant will be operational at the beginning of 2023  "We are pleased to announce the birth of the new company 'C&M Book Logistics' in partnership with CEVA Logistics Italia for the development in Italy of a new era in the physical distribution of books at a national level" VP and Managing Director Messaggerie Italiane and CEO Emmelibri "Among the most important objectives of this partnership we worked on with Roberto Miglio Managing Director of Holding Messaggerie Italiane was the entry of the Messaggerie Group into a strategic sector such as logistics and consequently the search for innovation in the distribution field which has always been at the heart of our activities In order to face the challenges of the future and the important investments in automation necessary for the competition of the future we consider the partner CEVA Logistics Italia the best choice for the long years of partnership and the international dimension" CEO of CEVA Logistics Italia "I am very proud and satisfied with this agreement with Emmelibri This partnership marks the beginning of a new chapter for us but also for all publishing logistics - a dynamic competitive and increasingly research and innovation-driven sector Thanks to this new partnership - supported by our parent company CMA CGM - we will be able to face the challenges of the future by combining our expertise and know-how with a new perspective which looks to tomorrow by working on today" "I want to thank MELI for having accompanied us over the past ten years as a true partner and for having decided to join us for the next 12 years in this new project A special thanks also goes to the whole team at CEVA Logistics Italia and to the workers of the La Città del Libro to whom I am happy to be able to give a long-term future horizon" The operation was followed by the legal team of Andersen Italia - led by Andrea De Vecchi and Andrea di Castri - and the Long Terms Partners/OC&C Strategy Company as far as financial aspects are concerned a world reference in third-party logistics provides and operates transportation and supply-chain solutions for large or medium size national and multinational companies CEVA Logistics offers a broad range of services in both Contract Logistics and Freight Management thanks to 78,000 employees operating over 1,000 facilities in more than 160 countries CEVA Logistics’ experienced specialists focus on seamlessly designing end-to-end customized solutions to meet the complex and rapidly evolving supply chain needs whatever the business sector CEVA Logistics is part of the CMA CGM Group The project is the firm's first foray into the Los Angeles residential schene.  The client wanted a contemporary style for their residence so the architects stripped down the structure to its bare bones and erased all traces of its original Spanish influences.  the house features a minimalist aesthetic and is orientated towards the open views beyond the grounds of the property.  the structure turns its back to the main road.  the architects designed the space with a nod to Californian Modernism Warm and natural material tones throughout offset the large expanses of glazing A generous staircase leads up to the top floor The project was a contemporary reintepretation of an existing 1970s residence The client requested a modern home that would be more in line with the region’s renowned modernist styles; yet the original structure was awash with Spanish references stripping down the existing decor and ornamentation and keeping just the structural bare bones – its timber skeleton From there, they rebuilt it with Californian Modernism in mind and in particular, references to the famous Case Study Houses programme of the 1940s The internal gutting and reconfiguration also significantly increased the internal surface of the home giving the architects the opportunity to redirect its vistas the house turns its back slightly to the street and main entrance pathway while opening up towards the LA skyline panorama beyond the rear of the plot Richly landscaped outdoor spaces roll out from the house seamlessly connecting inside and outside with paved terraces The ground floor features all the main living spaces including open-plan kitchen and dining spaces and several living rooms – such as formal and informal lounges and meeting rooms – that spill out to the al fresco sitting and entertainment area modern staircase leads up to the top floor which houses several private family and guest rooms such as the bedrooms with en suite bathrooms and walk-in wardrobes. The basement is reserved for the spa and gym while also including facilities and staff areas Combining all the mod-cons for contemporary living while offering a modernist feel rooted in the region’s architectural history Cosy family spaces and luxurious interiors are not forgotten but it’s immersion in the surrounding landscape is impressive with open terraces offering residents views of the full Los Angeles cityscape from Downtown to the mountains beyond Century City escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox For more information visit the website of SAOTA Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper* She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006 visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas Ellie has also taken part in judging panels such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022) TrendingResidentialLos AngelesABuyer revealed for Trevor Noah’s Bel-Air mansionSouth Korean billionaire Bang Si-Hyuk paid $1M less than ask The mystery buyer who acquired the Bel-Air mansion formerly owned by comedian Trevor Noah in March 2022 was unmasked a music impresario ranked as one of South Korea’s wealthiest businesspeople was confirmed as buying the 11,400-square feet mansion according to Dirt.com Forbes estimated Bang Si-Hyuk’s fortune at $2.9 billion Noah’s former manse on Stradella Road was acquired for about $26.4 million Noah bought the home in 2020 for $29 million The home was designed by noted architect Mark Rios who runs self-named Los Angeles architectural firm Rios He is well known for designing Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles as well as the redesign of downtown’s Music Center Rios’ design of the mansion on Stradella Road was featured in a 2017 issue of Architectural Digest SIGN UPAmenities for Noah’s former house include an infinity pool a Japanese-style spa and an open-air pavilion for dinner parties Other interesting notes include the home’s separate wine room with a door leading to a hidden elevator Located less than a minute’s drive from notorious mega mansion project The One Stradella Road is the address for a number of pricey spec developments cannabis entrepreneur Ori Bytton put on the market a $38 million mansion located at 1055 Stradella Road Neighboring homes on the market include a 10,400-square-foot mansion at 1211 Stradella Drive Another neighbor at 1035 Stradella Road is currently on the market for $28 million TrendingPopularLos AngelesAFacing federal charges Woodbridge Group finds buyer for $44M Bel Air lotThe developer needs court approval for the sale Facing sweeping legal action by the Securities and Exchange Commission following its bankruptcy Woodbridge Group of Companies is seeking approval for the sale of an empty lot in Bel Air for $44 million The Los Angeles-based real estate developer and its affiliated debtors have filed a motion in federal bankruptcy court requesting approval for the transaction The firm acquired the lot at 800 Stradella Road for $36 million The buyer of the 1.89-acre lot is an LLC named Elite Investment Management Group the firm agreed to put down $1.32 million as an initial deposit with the remaining $42.7 million to be paid as a single down payment Woodbridge paid Hard Rock Cafe founder Peter Morton $36 million for the vacant lot in January 2017, property records show. (Morton spent $110 million for a home in Malibu earlier this year Woodbridge released stylish new renderings for the vacant site as it had done with many of its other developments It listed the home with Tyrone McKillen of Hilton & Hyland for $45 million Tomer Fridman of Compass brokered the most recent deal Robert Shapiro, the former chief executive of Woodbridge, was accused of running a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme on investors late last year His firm filed for bankruptcy amid the SEC investigation the now-bankrupt real estate developer solicited top brokers in the city to help unload its entire L.A three properties were reportedly already in escrow for over $10 million The company still holds the iconic Owlwood Estate, formerly owned by Sonny and Cher It listed Owlood for twice its purchase price — $180 million — in July 2017 EYRC has renovated the property according to the owner’s wishes who grew up in the existing 1969 single-story house and imagined its remodelling and the addition of a second floor as a project she wanted to undertake with her elderly parents the main design intent was to add some space but more importantly to better connect the interiors to the outdoors and capitalize on the property’s expansive views undertaken by the firm’s partner and residential studio director the renovation retains the original footprint of the ground floor full-height sliding doors open the house up to the view providing framed vistas of stone canyon reservoir to the back an artfully restrained color and material palette keeps the architecture focused on the surrounding views ‘this house is an exercise in restraint: modest materials and simple sculptural forms create a stage for the occupants that connects to nature and frames the spectacular view,’ explains takashi yanai a stained white oak staircase on the ground floor makes a bold visual statement at the entrance and divides public spaces from the more private; including a home office comprises two additional bedrooms along with a second living area and a large master suite that provide access to a roof deck and overlook the reservoir to the north and hollywood hills to the east a large window in the master bath provides views all the way to the ocean architect: EYRC AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker TrendingLos AngelesABritish entrepreneur Howard Shore buys Bel Air spec manse for $39M a British entrepreneur who founded Shore Capital Group has purchased a Bel Air spec mansion for $39 million The sellers of the 14,200-square-foot Paul McClean-designed  property on Stradella Road were Jonathan Adler and Joe Englanoff according to a source familiar with the deal who was not actively involved The duo bought the property for $5.1 million in 2012 with the intention of developing the estate The result of their efforts — a seven-bedroom,11-bathroom contemporary — was completed in 2014 The home has an open floor plan and features collapsible glass walls a 3,300-square-foot lawn and a 90-foot infinity pool The most recent listing price for the property was $48 million though it went on and off the market for roughly two years with asks as high as $55 million ($3,873 a foot) Shore’s deal comes out to about $2,746 a foot SIGN UPThe long list of brokers and brokerages on the deal reads like a Who’s Who of residential real estate The property was marketed by Ben Bacal of Rodeo Realty; Brandon Williams and Rayni Williams of Hilton & Hyland; Mauricio Umansky of the Agency; and Jade Mills of Coldwell Banker Fred Bernstein of Westside Estate Agency represented Shore The gated mansion, set back by a guarded driveway, is deep in celebrity territory. Celebrities with properties in proximity to the house include Jennifer Aniston and Clint Eastwood. Margie Perenchio, the producer and ex-wife of billionaire Jerry Perenchio, also lives nearby. Up the street is Nile Niami’s spec home The listing video for the property was elaborate two young siblings fake being sick to have a day of luxurious fun on the massive property and steal their parents’ Ferrari from its garage The estate’s dramatic views of the city are flamboyantly showcased mega-mansion developer Nile Niami set out to build "the most expensive house in the urban world." What he came up with is "the One," an outrageous 105,000-square-foot spec mansion perched on a five-acre parcel in Bel-Air with panoramic views of the plebs below Its rumored $340 million price tag matches its magnitude although it falls short of the $500 million Niami had reportedly hoped to reel in for the property the One stretches a full quarter-mile down Stradella Road but the list of amenities is really something (grab a snack; we'll be here for a minute) and includes: 42 bathrooms a 30-car garage with two car-display turntables a 200-cap “philanthropy wing" for charity galas with floating pods overlooking Los Angeles a 10,000-square-foot sky deck with a putting green and a gallery with custom-curated artworks by Creative Art Partners So, who exactly is in the market for a $340,000 house with a parking garage and a whole-ass wing for "galas"? As GQ explained back in 2015 buyers of "homes" of this magnitude typically "live on other continents and visit these properties for only a week or two each year using them mainly as places to park their wealth." "To be able to say that the biggest and the most expensive house in the world is here that will be really good for L.A.," but not everyone has agreed which is set to be demolished once it's sold the One's protracted construction timeline and outsize footprint riled neighbors inspiring them to form an association and raise $750,000 to enact stricter limits on home sizes Sold yet? The home hasn't been listed but will be handled by Branden and Rayni Williams of the Beverly Hills Estates along with Compass real estate's Aaron Kirman Stay up to date with everything you need to know about L.A. by following us on Facebook and Instagram. Thelma Golden will celebrate Lauren Halsey and U.K.-based singer Griff will take the stage featured A-list designers and Otis College standouts who earned scholarships for innovation in Fashion Design lawyers say Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe showed injuries consistent with a dog attack and plan to present a case against Chloe a German Shepherd who was re-homed by the owner's of the house where the cop's body was found in a snowbank Magazine’s takeaways on five notable topics from President Donald Trump’s first 100 days of his second term consumers are stocking up on household items and bites from THEBlvd and Hinoki & the Bird TrendingResidentialLos AngelesAReality TV star Paul Nassif’s Bel-Air mansion sells at auctionEstate subject of a bold sales pitch for a deal before ULA deadline AAABy Andrew AschResearch by Christian BautistaJun 23 3:30 PMThe Bel-Air mansion at 1035 Stradella Road entered the luxury market with a bang — from reality TV show stars to an audacious $1 million sales pitch — but it eventually sold with little fanfare in an auction for $18.4 million almost half the amount of its original asking price a star of plastic surgery reality television show “Botched.” When it entered the market in March 2021 The home traded June 14 through the auction run by Sotheby’s Concierge Auction for $18.4 million Nassif’s mansion was listed by some of the Los Angeles market’s top luxury agents such as Mauricio Umansky of The Agency The Altman Brothers affiliated with Douglas Elliman and Tomer Fridman of Compass Josh Altman and Jade Mills made an audacious pitch by offering a $1 million bonus for a buyer’s agent who could close a deal before the April 1 deadline for the ULA transfer tax The pitch made waves when it was posted on social media SIGN UPSources familiar with the deal said that Nassif was interested in moving forward with other projects and considered an auction the fastest vehicle to close a deal on the mansion The approximately 12,000-square-foot mansion situated on more than an acre of land was a proverbial passion project for Nassif with every modern amenity you could desire,’ he said in a statement  issued by The Agency before the auction The home was purchased by Watkins Realty & Investments An email and a call to the brokerage requesting comment was not returned An auction sale is not unknown in the enclave around Nassif’s mansion Neighbors include megamansion The One and 777 Sarbonne both of which were sold under the gavel by Sotheby’s Concierge Auction in 2022 Though many details about his career as a composer remain sketchy the circumstances of his death at the age of 42 in Genoa perhaps because he was notoriously promiscuous and his murder was not the first attempt on his life more than 170 cantatas and six oratorios; the best known of his compositions date from the last five years of his life Exactly when and where Stradella composed his oratorio Santa Pelagia remains uncertain. It’s a curious piece, and the choice of a relatively obscure saint as its subject is typically unconventional. Pelagia of Antioch, or Pelagia the Harlot, was a fourth- or fifth-century “actress” in the Turkish city, who is supposed to have enraptured the bishop Nonnus with her charms was baptised and gave away all her worldly goods to become a hermit on the Mount of Olives where she died a few years later of starvation Agile … soprano Roberta Mameli who sings the title role of PelagiaUnsurprisingly Stradella seems far more interested in Pelagia’s life of luxury than in her subsequent conversion and martyrdom His oratorio turns the story into a tussle between worldly pleasures and religious discipline They are personified by two of the four soloists while the soprano takes the role of Pelagia and the tenor The 50-minute work contains 26 solo numbers all brief and half of them for Pelagia; otherwise there’s just one duet and a single “chorus of the worldly” and I wanna welcome you to 833 Stradella Road of the world-renowned architect, Mark Rios. The house is comprised of six bedrooms and 12 bathrooms. and one of the most exciting screening rooms in the city, and it's on the market for $29.5 million. It's so exciting, right when you hit the foyer. that are carried out, actually, to the pool. There's a sense of serenity and a minimalism, and you feel it right now when you walk into the house. This room is really how Mark Rios intended All these Fleetwood doors disappear into the walls so you feel you can just walk out and be part of nature. They absolutely blend into a seamless effect And the other things that I love about this room is so it reflects every little candlelight, lamplight Another feature of this room is this recessed fireplace. but it's subtle in the stone, the light, and just is a beautiful appointment in the room. The room just transitions from dining to seating. So here we are in the family room kitchen, It's casual to sit and watch television. and they're actually throughout the house. that got a beautiful Jonathan Browning fixture. It's built around this California Oak. and it's a perfect transition to upstairs. The warm woods and the glass cutouts make it very special. And just down the hall is the primary bedroom. that it is just the appointed with cerused wood, Also, there's a very minimalistic fireplace which are absolutely sumptuous and lavish. with beautiful houses and you're looking This is one of the most unique elevators I've ever seen. It takes us to my most favorite spaces in the house. So I've just stepped into Mark's private wine cellar with gold leafed wallpaper covering the sides everywhere. We're also very close to the screening room, But this is another example of Mark's aesthetic to create something that's really never been done before, that is the finishing moment of this incredible house. watched a movie and then we've gone out on the terrace and there's a beautiful fire pit, and we've just watched the stars dance around us while we sipped champagne and had dessert. Again, it just reads with all of the beautiful fabrics And it just resonates with everything else we've seen. Here we are at the most stunning part of the house. steps away from the family room and kitchen. We're on the edge of this gorgeous 60 foot lap pool which changes colors depending on your mood. To the left is a seating area with a fire pit, which is really more of a wellness retreat. which has a beautiful soaking tub overlooking and all your famous neighbors like Elon Musk Just down the hallway from the Japanese wellness center is All of this makes for a very incredible experience So this is the crescendo moment of the house. We're standing in these exquisite gardens. There's 23 varieties of yellow blooming flowers. through this over half acre garden setting. It is really a beautiful spot for meditating, Thank you so much for coming to see 833 Stradella. the beautiful library at the top of the staircase And I got to show you my favorite California Oak tree And we're on the market for $29.5 million. I hope you'll come and see it yourselves. Just north of Beverly Boulevard in Historic Filipinotown a new small lot subdivision is in the home stretch The project, located at 137-141 N. Rampart Boulevard, was approved by the City of Los Angeles in 2018 for the construction of ten single-family dwellings The contemporary three-story structures are arranged in two rows centered on a shared driveway called Glassell Street City records list the project applicant as an entity affiliated with local real estate development firm Stradella Group which has previously built small lot housing projects at several sites in the City of Los Angeles The project site sits less than one mile east of the site of Belle on Bev, a large mixed-use project from Cityview which is also wrapping up construction Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn / Threads / Instagram Randolph’s foreign exchange student from the city known for its Ferrari and Lamborghini sports cars made the pitch in Randolph his own personal playground Thursday afternoon Stradi played a part in all but one of his team’s goals as the third-seeded Cardinals beat No 6 Frewsburg 7-2 in a Section VI Class C quarterfinal Stradi had a goal and an assist during a 3-1 opening 40 minutes before he added two more goals and two more assists in Randolph’s four-goal second half “We have many guys who can score on this team it was tough for us to score,” Randolph head coach David Pihlblad said “We have five or six guys out there at all times who can score and want to score 2 Maple Grove on Wednesday at Eden High School 7 Chautauqua Lake 2-0 in another quarterfinal Thursday afternoon they are solid across the board,” Pihlblad said of Maple Grove “We’ve watched a lot of film on them and we know what they are going to try to do and they know what we are going to try to do.” Randolph jumped on top 2-0 early against the Bears junior Griffin Nelson dribbled through a couple of Frewsburg defenders into the 6-yard box before taking a shot off Bears senior keeper Kenton Dahlin The rebound popped up in the air toward the far post where Cardinals senior Ryder Smith was waiting to put home his seventh goal of the season Stradi picked up his first point of the day in the 10th minute when he sent a ball into space near the top of Frewsburg’s 18-yard box which allowed junior Drew Hind an open look to tap the ball past Dahlin for his eighth goal of the season and a 2-0 lead “He’s kind of embraced that role as a leader out there,” Pihlblad said of Hind “Technically he might not be as good as Cooper (Freeman) or Diego but he works hit butt off all the time.” Frewsburg got back in the game less than two minutes later as senior Brendan Devereaux rolled a ball in front of the net that fellow senior Gavin Smith made a diving stab at to poke home before Cardinals keeper Dalsin Tallchief could make a play on it The second goal came on a slip,” first-year Frewsburg head coach Scott Seiberg said ” … We kept playing after that.” But Randolph regained its two-goal lead in the 21st minute as Freeman found an open Stradi open inside the top of the 18-yard box and the senior powered home his 23rd goal of the season “We got the lead and they got that first goal,” Pihlblad said “which made it really competitive for a while in the first half.” Stradi gave the Cardinals their first three-goal lead of the day when he was taken down in the box and then calmly converted his penalty kick just inside the post to Dahlin’s left in the 45th minute Senior Garrett Brink headed home a Devereaux corner kick in the 51st minute to pull Frewsburg back to within a pair of goals Stradi found Freeman open for a left-footed strike and his 35th goal of the season “I was proud of the effort,” Seiberg said “Everybody kept giving their 100% the whole game even though we gave up a few more goals than we wanted.” Hind put an exclamation mark on the game when he rose high above the Frewsburg defense to head home a Stradi corner kick in the 57th minute “He just does freaky things out there,” Pihlblad said of Hind It seemed like he rose up 2 feet above everybody else and put it right in the top corner.” Stradi completed his hat trick with his 25th goal of the season in the 68th minute when Freeman’s crafty pass sent him in alone and he deftly chipped the ball over Dahlin “It’s pretty tough when you have a bunch of guys who haven’t played soccer before and you play the No 12 team in the state in Class C in the playoffs,” Seiberg said I wish them all the best going forward.” While the Cardinals will be playing a higher-seeded opponent Wednesday Pihlblad doesn’t necessarily think that means there will be fewer goals scored “It’s just going to come down to the little things and who puts the ball in the back of the net,” Pihlblad said “I can see that being a pretty high-scoring game.” NOTES: Dahlin was credited with 12 saves and Tallchief recorded two it’s all their effort,” Seiberg said “I try to share my knowledge as much as I can to help them improve a little bit but it all came down to the boys and their attitudes.” BUSTI — Fredonia’s Sydnee Hoffman shot a 24 over five holes but Southwestern beat the Hillbillies 35-20 in .. Copyright © 2025 Ogden Newspapers of New York | https://www.post-journal.com | PO Box 3386 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Neighbors have complained that the home was a hotspot for “all-night ragers” Jeffrey Yohai, a real estate investor and Paul Manafort’s former son-in-law, has been ordered to stop using his Bel Air pad for parties Los Angeles County Superior Court judge Craig Karlan issued a temporary restraining order Tuesday barring Yohai from “advertising or promoting” his Stradella Road property as a “party house and from offering to rent it for such purposes.” The five-bedroom home had been available for rent on Airbnb for $1,299 a night and was marketed as a “private sanctuary” with “must see sunsets.” It looks like the listing has since been taken down, but when it was active, the description said that “events and parties are welcome,” according to the Bel-Air Association Bel Air residents say the home attracted partiers who hosted “all-night ragers” with guests who “clogged streets and blast[ed] music until the early mornings.” The restraining order gets pretty specific about the the things Yohai can’t do with the property that guests and residents are prohibited from “anything that is lit A company controlled by Yohai has owned the property since March 2016 then filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection nine months later Bankruptcy court records show that Manafort who briefly served as Donald Trump’s campaign manager loaned $2.7 million for the property; Manafort is listed as one of the creditors Unite Here Local 11, which represents hotel industry workers, is holding up the Stradella property as an example of how short-term rentals pose problems for residential neighborhoods. Some of its union members have picketed outside the home “This house is yet another glaring example of short-term rentals facilitating unlawful activities,” Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz, who reps the neighborhood, said in a statement. “From promoting illegal hotels which decimate the local housing market to creating new loopholes for the likes of Paul Manafort to exploit short term rental platforms are inextricable from shady financial dealings that harm communities in my district.” TrendingLos AngelesASpec home on site of Michael Bay’s former manse sells for $41MMichael Bay’s former home A Bel Air mansion on a site formerly owned by big-budget action movie producer and director Michael Bay has sold for $41 million The modernist manse originally designed by Jack Warner at 900 Stradella Road underwent a major renovation following Bay’s 2014 sale that nearly doubled its footprint from just under 8,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet Bay sold it in 2014 for just under $12 million SIGN UPThe house was built in 1976 but was “torn down to the studs,” leaving only the foundation to rebuild upon, said listing agent James Harris. It was redesigned to take maximum advantage of its 280-degree view, which stretches from Downtown to the Pacific Ocean nine-bathroom home — up from its original four bedrooms and four bathrooms — features a home theater wine room and floor-to-ceiling glass walls that frame a large backyard with an infinity pool The newly built portion of the home contains the movie theater and a “wellness center” featuring a gym Harris and David Parnes of the Agency were the listing agents, and Alexander Tarigo at Rodeo Realty represented the buyer. [LAT] — Dennis Lynch 833 Stradella was initially designed by Rios… for Rios there’s more than enough rooms for a fair few activities here; as well as more than enough room for every given resident to have their own space if they don’t happen to enjoy the company of whoever they cohabitate with It simply wouldn’t be LA with a little bit of that going around one of the most attractive aspects offered by 833 Stradella is how incredibly private it is an indulgently luxe safe haven “surrounded by lush landscaped gardens and tranquil scenes of nature”. Almost removed from the everyday in more than one sense.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-ArticlesPOS3'); }); Making ample use of glass to open the voluminous living room to a bit of natural lighting the breathtaking vantage point isn’t the only thing you can enjoy at this section of the property There’s also a 60-foot infinity pool which apparently serves as an “everchanging reflective art piece”. Accompanying this pool is a pavilion area specifically for entertaining – outdoor kitchen a formal dining room is the next stop on this tour – dramatically lit and tasteful down to the finishing touches. Case in point the hardwood floors have all been imported from Germany having undergone a specialised drying process in a kiln Onto the master suite – where the magic supposedly happens – one can expect a walk-in wardrobe and what appears to be a private balcony for an obligatory slice of the views googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-ArticlesPOS4'); }); As for the extraordinary number that’ll grant you complete ownership of 833 Stradella Find out more over at hiltonhyland.com.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-ArticlesPOS5'); }); Signup to the Boss Hunting Friday Newsletter the players brought Stradella’s Christmas Cantata and Charpentier’s intricate nativity score to life offered a rare opportunity to hear one of Stradella’s actual works on a seasonally apposite Christmas theme His Cantata for Most Holy Christmas begins with a substantial section presided over by Lucifer – here malevolently personified by bass-baritone Giles Underwood – who fulminates at the birth of Jesus and its spiritual implications Stradella’s melodically immediate score is characterised by a sensuousness of manner that typifies the Italian style of his period With soprano Cecilia Osmond an expressive Virgin Mary countertenor Owen Willetts a business-like St Joseph soprano Rebecca Outram doubling as the ethereal Angel and the reverent First Shepherd and tenor Nicholas Mulroy as the latter’s visionary second-in-command it brought the evening to a delightful close The first half was devoted to French as opposed to Italian music including another celebratory Christmas piece in the shape of the motet In Nativitatem Domini Nostri Jesu Christi by Marc-Antoine Charpentier Taking on the work’s two main solo parts with a little help from the other singers Underwood fleshed out the Biblical narrative while Osmond lightly sketched in the Angel who brings the good news to the shepherds the players of the English Concert made delectable sounds in bringing this intricate score – full of ingenuity and charm – back to life Mulroy and Underwood had joined together to deliver the solo parts in one of Charpentier’s settings of the Magnificat preceded by another rarity in the shape of an attractive trio sonata by the neglected figure of Jean-François Dandrieu Spitalfields Music Winter festival continues until 15 December Newcity Music by | February 29 “The unusual element in Stradella’s music is it is dangerous sounding,” says Haymarket Opera artistic director cellist and violist da gamba Craig Trompeter “The virtuosity is really pushed to the limits to a scary place where it’s kind of like watching a horror film We’re somehow fascinated by that as human beings Italian composer Alessandro Stradella (1639-1682) led such an unabashedly risqué life that his notorious escapades were the subject of no less than two nineteenth-century operas and a twentieth-century novel Often fleeing places where he had been employed to compose Stradella once escaped Rome over embezzlement of church funds Stradella’s flights were over scandalous affairs with noblewomen that would find himself at the mercy of enraged aristocratic families who would set out to kill him another finally succeeded—when a hired assassin stabbed him to death in a public square in Genoa when Stradella was forty-two years old “Stradella’s own life was so colorful that we forget that the music is fantastic,” says Trompeter I was reading a lot about oratorios a couple of years ago and I had this idea that we could start an oratorio series and Stradella’s ‘San Giovanni Battista’ [“St John the Baptist”] was a really significant piece in the history of oratorio to start it off I am told there are more copies of this piece than any other oratorio from the seventeenth century.” “San Giovanni Battista” was one of fourteen oratorios commissioned for the Holy Year of 1675 and was performed on Palm Sunday of that year Despite music-library copies of the piece—one ended up in the possession of Handel and is said to have influenced him—the work was largely unperformed the piece basically just disappeared until a recording was made with Maria Callas as Salome in 1949 with five singers pushed to extremes of vocal virtuosity and is very compact which has served as home base for Haymarket’s staged seventeenth- and eighteenth-century operas (although May performances of Cavelli’s “La Calisto” will be at the larger Athenaeum Theatre) the decision was made to present the oratorio series in churches Church of the Atonement is close to Rogers Park and is such a beautiful space but nobody except for the parishioners knows about it I hope maybe it will bring in some people to the church as well and the Chicago Temple is really good for that They have lots of exciting and interesting things musically speaking It’s an experiment but we hope it pays off and we can expose the company to new people.” Although there will be supertitles for the seventy-five-minute oratorio the process of not having to deal with the period-related costumes and scenery that have become Haymarket trademarks during its five seasons makes presenting an oratorio “less cumbersome” than presenting an opera But I think also it is good with pieces like this to ask the audience to go inward a little bit and not depend on the visual storytelling there will be the same careful attention to detail in the oratorio series that Haymarket’s audiences have come to expect with its operas the oratorios will be performed on period instruments employing performance practices of the day “We are a family of people who really care about this music You spend so much more time reading and thinking than typically you do as a musician because you’re trying to get to the essence of the music.” as was generally true of the eras of the works performed “I have such a great team that I don’t have to micromanage stuff there are some conductors that I like to play with I would rather have everybody in the orchestra trusting their own years of musical experience These people have been musicians their whole lives and they got into music because they felt passionate about it You’ve got all of this experience and passion the strength of the music making is relying on that “I spend a lot of time making our scores so that they are all on the same page ‘This is where we’re going with this phrase,’ I spend weeks putting that into the scores by hand so that when we sit down to play we can listen and respond to what we hear and I don’t have to spend a lot of time talking but we’re each responsible in a different way What were they trying to make it sound like?’ Then I have to think ‘Where can I go to read more about what they appreciated in music?’ There are lots of places to go and I spend a lot of my day going to these sources I missed that the first time.’ Or the first fifty times I’m trying to stimulate my own imagination but not to put my personal stamp on a piece so much as to find the piece itself March 4 at 5:45pm, Chicago Temple, 77 West Washington; March 5 at 5pm Church of the Atonement, 5749 North Kenmore; haymarketopera.org. TrendingPopularLos AngelesABel Air property that Woodbridge Group once bought from Hard Rock Cafe founder sells for $38MThe 82K sf lot was among many that Woodbridge was going to develop into luxury homes before federal authorities charged it in massive Ponzi scheme More than two years after Woodbridge Group of Companies filed for bankruptcy charged with operating a $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme the former luxury real estate developer’s properties are still being liquidated The latest is a prime development site at 800 Stradella Road in Bel Air which Hard Rock Cafe founder Peter Morton sold to Woodbridge in 2017 That 82,000-square-foot lot was just sold for $37.5 million The buyer is a Delaware-based LLC controlled by a New York-based trust from an entity controlled by Frederick Chin He was appointed last year to liquidate Woodbridge assets in order to pay back investors defrauded in the scheme The Stradella Road property was most recently listed with Hilton & Hyland’s Tyrone McKillen for $36 million Woodbridge paid Morton $36 million for the Stradella Road property in January 2017 It was one of many pricey residential properties that Woodbridge purchased before the Securities and Exchange Commission uncovered the fraud The firm released renderings of a spec home it planned to build there and listed the property shortly after that for $45 million according to a land-use consultant who has worked at the property SIGN UP“It’s been through all of its approvals at this point,” said the consultant “It went on a slow track because they were selling the property.” In June 2018, Woodbridge asked a federal bankruptcy court to allow a $44 million sale of the Stradella Road property Court records show the prospective buyer was Elite Investment Management Group a development company with an office on Wilshire Boulevard In the SEC’s suit against Woodbridge CEO Robert Shapiro it claimed he promised investors high returns on investments in mostly luxury spec homes But authorities said he actually moved their cash into accounts he controlled Authorities charged that Shapiro personally spent $21 million on private jets, at luxury country clubs, and other extravagances. He claimed no wrongdoing, but in November, agreed to pay a $120 million settlement for running the alleged fraud and others involved in the scheme will pay a total of $892 million to the SEC to compensate victims Woodbridge moved to offload its sizeable portfolio following the bankruptcy and in March 2018 was on the hunt for a broker to sell all of its Los Angeles properties At the time, that portfolio included the Owlwood and Mount Olympus estates Three properties were reportedly in escrow for a total of $10 million at the time Stradella Road might have a new owner, but the story isn’t over for Woodbridge. Charges continue to roll in. In December, 13 individuals were charged for selling bad Woodbridge securities to investors in Florida 404Page Not FoundLooks like we can't find this page TrendingLos AngelesAActor Harvey Korman’s Bel Air estate sells for $14M When funnyman Harvey Korman wasn’t busy entertaining moviegoers he was often hosting parties for his celebrity friends at his Bel Air home on Stradella Road But the estate of the late actor and his wife The Mediterranean-style property has been scooped up by a developer for $13.9 million or $1 million under its asking price of $14.9 million The estimated 6,600-square-foot home sits on more than two acres and has six bedrooms and six bathrooms the property has a gated motor court for up to 20 cars and a lighted tennis court The estate is less than two blocks away from developer Nile Niami’s $500 million spec home that’s currently under construction Listing details offer renderings by architect William Hefner that includes a more than 17,000-square-foot home with nine bedrooms and 12 bathrooms It’s unclear if the buyer will follow the proposed designs SIGN UPMarc Noah and Victoria Risko of Sotheby’s International Realty had the listing The brokers could not be reached for comment Korman’s wife told the Wall Street Journal in November 2016 that she was selling the home to move closer to her children and grandchild who starred in hit movies like “Blazing Saddles” and “High Anxiety,” rose to fame by playing outlandish characters on “The Carol Burnett Show.” The Emmy-winning actor died in May 2008 at 81 The six-bedroom, seven-bathroom house is now on sale for $11.4 million That price tag is about $3 million less than it was the last time she had it on the market But that arrangement seems to be over and the house is back up for grabs TrendingPopularLos AngelesAReal estate investor plans 16K sf mansion in Bel AirStradella Road home would be near Paul Manafort's infamous party house aging property on tony Stradella Road in Bel Air is looking for a drastic upgrade An individual named Mahshid Soleimani filed plans to build a three-story mansion that would span over 16,000 square feet of living space according to a document published with the Department of City Planning Amenities at the 1.4-acre property would include a five-car garage The 2,200-square-foot residence that currently exists at 1298 N Stradella Road would be demolished to make room for the new home One oak tree would also have to be relocated Soleimani acquired full ownership of the property from her ex-husband The deed transfer cites divorce as the reason for the transfer SIGN UPIt’s unclear when the pair first bought the property the Soleimanis invested in real estate properties around Los Angeles with their in-laws They co-owned a five-unit apartment building at 3741 Keystone Avenue and the Armacost West Condominiums at 1730 Armacost Avenue Both properties were the subject of a lawsuit filed in 2014 Stradella Road is home to a number of other mansions An infamous party house, now tied up in Robert Mueller’s Russia probe Convicted felon Paul Manafort invested in the property with his former son-in-law [attach id="639869" size="medium" align="right"]Tenor Alan Sciberras[/attach] Alan Sciberras is performing a series of sacred and operatic arias in a lunchtime concert at the Augustinian monastery in Valletta today The programme includes sacred works such as Mozart’s Ave Verum, Stradella’s Pietà Signore Rossini’s Cujus Animam and Adam’s The Holy City. The second part of the programme highlights excerpts from well-known operas such as Puccini’s Recondit Armonia from Tosca, Che Gelida Manina from La Bohème and Nessun Dorma from Turandot. He will also sing Verdi’s Dei miei bollenti spiriti from La Traviata Mascagni’s Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana and Verdi’s Preludio from La Traviata visitors have the opportunity to enjoy a free guided tour of the chambers of the monastery which are adorned with historical sacred ornaments Proceeds from the event will go to the restoration project of the Augustinian monastery The concert is taking place today at noon at the Augustinian monastery in Old Bakery Street Tickets may be obtained from the venue itself half an hour before the concert begins call 7968 0952 or send an e-mail to baroccomalta@gmail.com please register for free or log in to your account Upvote if you think more people should see this post As of January 21, HYBE Chairman Bang Si Hyuk's luxury mansion in the affluent Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles narrowly avoided damage from the devastating wildfires in California now being referred to as one of the most destructive in decades led to widespread evacuations in the region was among the areas issued evacuation orders due to the proximity of the flames According to The Hollywood Reporter on January 13 “Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s family evacuated to Las Vegas during the fire.” which erupted on January 7 along the western coastline of Los Angeles rapidly spread inland due to the notorious 'devil winds,' a term used for localized The fast-moving fire resulted in evacuation orders for parts of Bel-Air and other nearby areas Approximately 12,000 homes and buildings were reduced to ash leaving hundreds of thousands of people displaced The Associated Press noted that this fire was the most extensive urban blaze in California in 40 years The disaster affected numerous celebrities Notable figures such as former baseball star Park Chan Ho whose Beverly Hills residence was destroyed Bang Si Hyuk made headlines last year for acquiring a $26.4 million mansion on Stradella Road in Bel-Air through his personal real estate corporation 309-pyeong (approximately 10,900 square feet) property features six bedrooms The mansion is part of Bang’s broader efforts to expand HYBE’s presence in the U.S It also serves as a potential space for music production and networking complementing the Los Angeles office of HYBE America the devastating fire has left a significant mark on the Los Angeles area affecting countless residents and altering the landscape of this iconic region SEE ALSO: Song Ji Hyo's lingerie business sees sales increase as Ji Suk Jin shares his concerns and support Actress Park Bo Young’s Airport fashion shines ahead of Paris Fashion Week AKMU's Chanhyuk and fromis_9's Sae Rom break up after dating rumors in 2022