Montezuma

Graun - Montezuma / Goritzki
$49.99
The line is very thin and very vague between a work of distinction and a work of mediocrity. An opera of distinction usually has arias and melodies that we as listeners tend to remember and repeat over and over in our heads and to each other. We arrange them, we play them, we love them, like the "Largo" (Ombra mai fu) from Handel's Serse, or the "Brindisi" from Verdi's La Traviata, or especially "L'amour est un oiseau rebel" from Bizet's Carmen. Operas of distinction normally have memorable and fascinating stories, strong character development, and show an effort to truly translate and interpret human emotion in in all its extremities and stylized aspects. Carl Heinrich Graun's 1755 opera Montezuma, written for the opening of the Berlin Opera on Unter der Linden, has no such qualities. Combining perhaps the most facile and fluffy aspects of Roccoco with the worst extremes of stylized and static Baroque opera, Montezuma is thoroughly boring and does not hold much distinction as a work. Orchestration is syrupy and the singing, although showing extensive training, is essentially restrained and bogged down, so to speak, by the music. For some reason, the opera was written for all high voices (much like J.A. Hasse's Cleofide, an opera that, which although superior in all respects, gets somewhat confusing in terms of voice recognition after a while), and instead of using countertenors in addition to female singers the producers have decided to opt for an all-female singing cast. .... The singers in Montezuma have very female timbres and therefore misinterpret the male roles. The sole exception to this fact is the singer who plays Fernando (sic) Cortes, the Spanish conquistador. The Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss plays with a pleasant professionalism and polish, but Johannes Goritzki's conducting does not seem to find anything particularly significant or earth-shaking in the music. Of course, that may not be his fault. The textual subjects of the arias tend to focus on the two extremes of stylized human emotion: love/bliss and hate/anger. However, Graun's music does not seem to display any recognition of the variety in emotion. Everything sounds the same, whether it be a cavatina sung by an anxious bride or an aria sung by a fierce conqueror who has just mercilessly killed thousands. The same orchestration, the same unremarkable melodies, the same tempi and nuances - they all seem to apply. One falls under the impression that Graun did not even understand the Italian text, or perhaps one had set the libretto to the music long after the latter was written. Which brings me to the subject of the text itself. Originally in French prose, the scenario and libretto were written by Frederick the Great of Prussia himself, and were then set in Italian verse by the court poet Tagliazucchi. Both the scenario and the verse are quite poorly concieved; notable shortcomings include the contrived poetic language, the total lack of any character development, and the addition of a rather ordinary and bloodless romance between Montezuma and the made-up character of "Eupaforice." Overall, the whole work is rather facile and mundane. However, one must also consider that Montezuma represents a crucial piece of operatic history, a transition period of sorts in which composers were moving award from the turgidity of the High Baroque style and more into the Empfindsamer stil, the precursor of what was to become the celebrated Classical Age, the age of Haydn and Mozart.

Halls of Montezuma
$14.98
I was looking for a rousing film featuring the Marines and found it in "Halls of Montezuma". Richard Widmark gives an unexpectedly balanced performance as the Lieutenant of a platoon making a landing on one of the island chains leading to Japan. In a flashback, Widmark is revealed to have been a former teacher who helped a student overcome a speech impediment to become his class' graduation orator and when that student subsequently joins his command, Widmark helps him overcome shellshock to find the courage to make the landing featured in the film. Widmark's despondency when that soldier is killed in action then becomes all the more poignant.

Instead of projecting pure machismo, Widmark's role allows him to show that intelligence and psychology had much to do with the war effort of the time. Particularly during the scene where Japanes PoW's are interrogated and when Widmark uses the partial results of the interrogation to determine the location of an enemy rocket battery.

There are fine battle scenes as well, both of the ground troops as well as excellent use of real Navy footage of support ships opening fire on the landing zone in an effort to soften it up for the Marines landing.

The shots of widely separated Marines striding through the front also reveals the homage that later films like "Full Metal Jacket" paid to films like "Halls of Montezuma".

I'd recommend this film as a good starter for anyone wishing to begin building their own World War II library.

Cortes and Montezuma (A New Directions classic)
$15.95
The Conquest of Mexico is a historical event, which is not fully understood yet. It was a huge crash of two completely different civilizations. These two different civilizations had two different visions of the world with completely no joint, what resulted in such strange course of the conquest of Mexico, which was not fully understood even for its participants. This sequence of events, which took place during the conquest of Mexico remained also not fully understood for the next generations.

This very short book, which contains many interesting details in such small volume can be regarded as a successful (at least very convincing) attempt of great past events interpretation.

Author, who relies on primary historical sources offers us a logic and consistent presentation and explanation of the conquest of Mexico.

Highly recommended book!

Montezuma ME300B 30-Inch by 15-Inch Steel Portable Toolbox, Black
$725.96
Unique tool box design keeps tools out where you can get at them fast and easy. Each box includes pegs for box end wrenches and sockets as well as slots for screwdrivers and ratchets. Side handles make moving easy. High-quality materials and construction, 16-gauge steel and fully welded seams. Rain-resistant boxes with no drawers to jam! Locking lids for added security. Powder-coat finish for durability. Limited lifetime warranty.