Tag Archives: Catherine Gayer

BEYOND / JENSEITS – Turning the Tables on the Therapist

Posted on April 24, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

Section XVI of the little night opera I composed for my mother Catherine Gayer with librettist and family friend Helga Krauss (catch up with all previous episodes via the opera’s homepage) takes the Woman back into therapy analyzing dreams. When … Continue reading →

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BEYOND / JENSEITS – On the Therapist’s Couch

Posted on April 5, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

At the beginning of Section XII of the little night opera “Beyond” AKA “Jenseits”, written for my mother Catherine Gayer (catch up on previous installments via the opera’s main page), the 1st Angel takes on the persona of the 4th … Continue reading →

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R.I.P. Aribert Reimann

Posted on March 24, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

Aribert Reimann with my mother, Catherine Gayer, at rehearsal in 1971 Two Thursdays ago my mother called me from Berlin. Normally we talk on Sundays, so I was curious what occasioned this call. “Aribert Reimann has died”, she told me, … Continue reading →

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BEYOND / JENSEITS – An Encounter with the Conductor

Posted on March 14, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

Above is a picture of myself, my mother Catherine Gayer and family friend Helga Krauss after the New York stage premiere of Beyond, the little night opera Helga and I wrote for my mother. This is Part 3 of sharing … Continue reading →

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BEYOND / JENSEITS – A Life in Review

Posted on March 6, 2024 by dannyashkenasi

Welcome to the second post about the little night opera “Jenseits” AKA “Beyond” I composed for my mother, Catherine Gayer. Helga Krauss wrote the libretto, which I translated into English. Read and listen to the first post here, and follow … Continue reading →

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Catherine Gayer on the Radio

Posted on October 3, 2023 by dannyashkenasi

The German radio station Deutschlandfunk has posted a 55 minute program interviewing the opera soprano Catherine Gayer, and playing excerpts from her fantastic 60+ year career, highlighting her work with contemporary music. Listen to it here. Oh, Catherine Gayer just … Continue reading →

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Love and Hope in Barcelona

Posted on September 30, 2023 by dannyashkenasi

“The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” wins Best Experimental Short Film at the Love and Hope International Film Festival in Beautiful Barcelona Above is a video of my acceptance speech upon winning Best Experimental Short Film at the … Continue reading →

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Rosenkavalier Remembrances and Ruminations

Posted on April 8, 2023 by dannyashkenasi

Childhood Anecdote and Queer Cornucopia Last Tuesday I attended “Der Rosenkavalier” for the first time. Or rather I attended all three acts of Richard Strauss’ opera “Der Rosenkavalier” for the first time. Family lore has it that I attended Act … Continue reading →

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3 Seconds of HELL

Posted on April 8, 2021 by dannyashkenasi

An Advance Mini Audio Peek at “The Pit and the Pendulum – a musicabre” “If there’s a hell, this is the music.” That was my mother’s succinct critique of the score of my short film “The Pit and the Pendulum … Continue reading →

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CHERRY BLOSSOMS AND TAIKO DRUMS

Posted on May 19, 2019 by dannyashkenasi

  Pink Splendor and Banging Dramatics on the Esplanade   The end of April the Brooklyn Botanic Garden holds the Sakura Matsuri Festival, scheduled to coincide with the spectacular blossoming of the cherry trees on the Garden’s Esplanade.  Nature holding … Continue reading →

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The “Grande Dame” is Back in the Opera

Posted on May 7, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

“You are like a circus-horse.  As soon as you hear the music, you start dancing.” That’s the loving joke my father used to make about my mother, most likely in German amongst their Berlin friends, since “Zirkuspferd” (circus-horse) is a … Continue reading →

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A Funeral – Ein Begräbnis

Posted on May 14, 2016 by dannyashkenasi

My father would have turned 82 today.   Friday, April 29 – Funeral Service in Stahnsdorf Cemetery

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GETTIN’ WITCHY WITH IT

Posted on June 25, 2015 by dannyashkenasi

Above is the first video I ever posted on YouTube, and easily the most visually fun of the ones I’ve posted so far: a demo recording of three songs from the musical “Witches” enhanced with 105 illustrations of witches past … Continue reading →

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