Antoni Matteo Garcia

Beethoven’s Fidelio Starring Sally Matthews Review

Beethoven’s Fidelio Starring Sally Matthews Review

October 29, 2023 in Blogs

Sally Matthews, a lyric soprano renowned for both her lyric and coloratura work predominantly in Mozart, tackles Beethoven’s iconic heroine who is a paradigm for unconditionally conjugal love, justice for the innocent, and liberty from oppression. Please enjoy my review and let me know your opinions as well.

https://youtu.be/zKiHyhFKLqs

Verdi’s Aida Starring Eve-Maud Hubeaux Review

Verdi’s Aida Starring Eve-Maud Hubeaux Review

October 28, 2023 in Blogs

Eve-Maud Hubeaux tackled the elegantly voluptuous yet emotionally temperamental Amneris from Verdi’s Aida at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Please enjoy my review and let me know your opinions as well.
Mozart’s Idomeneo Starring Saimir Pirgu Review

Mozart’s Idomeneo Starring Saimir Pirgu Review

October 27, 2023 in Blogs

From his beginnings as a light lyric tenor to his current tenures in challenging leading tenor roles, Saimir Pirgu tackles Idomeneo the Cretan King torn between his regal duty and filial bond with his son Idamante. Please enjoy my review and let me know your opinions as well.

Mozart’s Così fan Tutte at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin Review

Mozart’s Così fan Tutte at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin Review

October 25, 2023 in Blogs

A host of young singers make their mark at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin in the third Mozart opera that had Lorenzo da Ponte collaborating as his librettist. Please enjoy my review and let me know your opinions as well.

https://youtu.be/NoCUHhZw2wk

Verdi’s Aida Starring Teresa Romano Review

Verdi’s Aida Starring Teresa Romano Review

October 24, 2023 in Blogs

Teresa Romano came to the rescue in a role she has sung for many years, from her initial tenure as a spinto/dramatic soprano to her current engagements as a mezzo-soprano. Please enjoy my review and let me know your opinions as well.

https://youtu.be/bguGulZrjls

 

Bizet’s Carmen Starring David Butt Philip Review

Bizet’s Carmen Starring David Butt Philip Review

October 23, 2023 in Blogs

He built himself up from his lyrical beginnings and is now treading toward the steelier spinto/dramatic tenor repertory evidenced by one of his tenures as Don José. This review is also dedicated to my mother who was celebrating her birthday. Enjoy my review and let me know your opinions as well.
https://youtu.be/GBGoZ799VWw

My Interview Snippet from Strauss’s Arabella’s Deutsche Oper Berlin Premiere

My Interview Snippet from Strauss’s Arabella’s Deutsche Oper Berlin Premiere

October 21, 2023 in Blogs

Hello, everybody. I know I am seven months too late to share this with you, but I want to share with you my first and, so far, only participation in the audience’s first impressions of the premiere of Richard Strauss’s Arabella at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, which happened on March 18, 2023. You will find my appearance from 01:42 to 01:45 where I stated, in German, “The best performer for me was Elena Tsallagova as Zdenka” from an interview conducted by Anatoly Rudnev. That was just one of the many unapologetically genuine sentiments I had before creating my long-form vlog-style review on my channel of that same opera where I went into great detail as to why Ms. Tsallagova as Zdenka stood head and shoulders above the rest of the cast. There was no irony, let alone cynicism, to be found in those sentiments about Ms. Tsallagova’s vocally precise performance as Arabella’s tomboyish younger sister Zdenka. Therefore, I was grateful to have received the opportunity to be interviewed.

I also want to dedicate this to my mother who is celebrating her birthday today. She has inspired me to observe my passion for opera and for good singing with a critically conscientious eye and ear. Additionally, my maternal grandmother was my rock in appreciating opera since my earliest childhood and helping me become the online reviewer that I am proud to be today, thanks to all of the vocal and instrumental concerts we attended together. Together, my mother and my maternal grandmother also gave me the boost I needed as a singer by recommending voice teachers who looked after my voice well during my adolescent years and also aided me in not only appreciating opera but also making me understand both the vocal demands of specific roles and the librettos put to life by the composers’ music.

On behalf of everybody at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, I wish my mother the most prosperous birthday ever. And, to everybody at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, please provide my dear mother with the best wishes you can ever give to her with your fine artistic value and, of course, thank you so much for your undying support for me as an online reviewer. Lots of love and music to you all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8bop6XVw1k

Verdi’s Aida Starring Clémentine Margaine Review

Verdi’s Aida Starring Clémentine Margaine Review

October 20, 2023 in Blogs

Clémentine Margaine, with her increasing forays into the dramatic mezzo-soprano repertoire, rises up to the challenge to tackle one of Verdi’s most iconic mezzo-soprano princesses. Enjoy my review and let me know your opinions as well.

https://youtu.be/UbCYLWbzu-0

Bizet’s Carmen Starring Aigul Akhmetshina Review

Bizet’s Carmen Starring Aigul Akhmetshina Review

October 18, 2023 in Blogs

Aigul Akhmetshina, a promising young mezzo-soprano with an exciting future ahead of her, tackles one of her signature roles at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Please enjoy my review and let me know your opinions as well.

https://youtu.be/rpDs-LKf7Ko

Verdi’s Aida at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Review

Verdi’s Aida at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Review

October 17, 2023 in Blogs

Dramatic coloratura soprano Marina Rebeka tackles her role debut head-on as Aida, accompanied by a cavalcade of fellow star singers, in Calixto Bieito’s garish and messy production. Please enjoy my review and let me know your opinions as well.

https://youtu.be/qh5gvUNPanQ

Strauss’s Elektra Starring Waltraud Meier Review

Strauss’s Elektra Starring Waltraud Meier Review

October 14, 2023 in Blogs

Waltraud Meier’s second to the last hurrah as Klytämnestra, the beautiful yet guilt-ridden Queen of Mycenae, was in full swing tonight. Enjoy my review, and please enjoy Frau Meier’s final hurrah to the operatic stage on October 20. https://youtu.be/PWe78F-Hyws

Ferocious Jungle Muscle Rampage

Ferocious Jungle Muscle Rampage

October 12, 2023 in Uncategorized

This piece of George of the Jungle, Basuli, Tarzan, and Maugli is dedicated to everybody who finds the idea of having George of the Jungle, Basuli, Tarzan, and Maugli be the handsome, musclebound, virile jungle warrior brothers that they are absolutely fascinating. Sit back, relax, and soak in Basuli’s and Tarzan’s signature bloody virility combined with George and Maugli acting as the referees to their favorite brothers’ gory yet glorious combat all in the nude.

Basuli and Tarzan are back and are more bruised and bloodied than ever before, given their penchant for having no-holds-barred, animalistic, feral combat matches that can make the UFC, Pride FC, WWE, Bellator, and various Vale Tudo companies blush with envy and make their matches appear more like feel-good Hallmark television movies in comparison to the brutality that these two jungle warrior brothers have to offer. Besides, Basuli’s and Tarzan’s brutally hardcore fighting style combines Pankration, Vale Tudo, Kapu Kuialua, Mixed Martial Arts, Luta Livre, Hardcore Wrestling, and Hardcore Boxing which not only includes various punches, joint locks, and submission holds but also has biting with the fangs and slashing with the claws just like the lions, tigers, leopards, and panthers they emulate. To say that Basuli’s and Tarzan’s training sessions are brutal is the understatement of the millennium, as they are lethal and ferocious. Their dear older brother George and sweet younger brother Maugli can attest to that. All that I have said thus far only trivializes the glorious brutality occurring. So, I shall give the floor to them.

An ornamented cave arena and gym resounds with the grunts and roars of two naked male jungle warrior brothers, Basuli and Tarzan. Two other naked male jungle warriors partake in the bloody battle, with George of the Jungle and Maugli being the referees and commentators. Basuli and Tarzan roll around the ground beating each other up to bruised and bloody pulps. Basuli showers Tarzan’s face, eyes, cheeks, temples, and mouth with ground and pounds using punches, elbow slashes, downward elbows, hammer fists, and double axe handles. After enduring virulent bashings to the entire face, Tarzan counters Basuli’s ground and pounds with an uppercut to his chin, thus making him fall backward and Tarzan rise upwards. Tarzan then gains the upper hand by going on top of Basuli to shower him with ground and pounds consisting of double axe handles, hammer fists, downward elbows, elbow slashes, and punches to his face. Basuli stops another one of Tarzan’s punches and grabs his nape. Tarzan does the same, as both of them stand up and proceed to punch each other all over their bloodied and bruised faces just like what Don Frye and Yoshihiro Takayama accomplished in their 2002 Pride FC match. Even their punches shower the cave with blood.

George: Wow, Basuli and Tarzan are really engaged in their epic fight. Don’t you think so, Little Brother Maugli?

Maugli: You got it, Big Brother George. Look at them go.

George: Let’s join in the action, Little Brother.

Maugli: All right, Big Brother.

George and Maugli approach Basuli and Tarzan and are splattered with blood, as the latter pair are unleashing punch after punch at each other. George tries to grab Basuli by bearhugging him, while Maugli tries to grab Tarzan by locking him in a rear naked chokehold, only to have them knocked down by Basuli’s and Tarzan’s back fists to their chests. George and Maugli fall to the ground. Basuli rams Tarzan to the wall and proceeds to launch a huge array of knee strikes to his abdomen and flanks, shin kicks to his shins, elbow strikes to his pecs, low kicks to his legs and insteps, and punches all over his body, all while Tarzan is flexing his biceps. Tarzan counters all of Basuli’s attacks by slashing him in the chest with his sharp claws, rams him to the wall, and delivers a huge barrage of uppercuts to his chin, double axe handles to his sides, flanks, and abdomen, liver punches, gut punches, knee strikes to his pecs and abdomen, and more punches to the body, as Basuli flexes his biceps. Basuli retorts by charging at Tarzan with a spine-crushing bearhug and squeezes him really tightly, thus making the cave resound with cracks.

Basuli: Are you going to cry, dear brother?

Tarzan: My beloved brother….NO!

Tarzan bashes Basuli’s head with a double axe handle, as both of them fall down to the ground. He then continues with a series of double axe handles all over Basuli’s body and even flips him over to deliver more double axe handles. Basuli heel kicks Tarzan to his flank and mounts him, thus doing the same procedure of double axe handles all over his body, both front and back, before standing back up. Tarzan regains consciousness, snarls like a wild lion, and charges at Basuli with voracious bites to his calves and thighs. Basuli unleashes a huge wailing roar which makes George and Maugli arise from their previous blows. As retaliation, Basuli slashes Tarzan’s entire body with his claws, gives him a leg sweep, and bites his calves, thighs, and flanks with his fangs. Tarzan lets out a viciously earthquaking roar, slashes Basuli’s entire body with his claws, and bites his shoulders, neck, biceps, and flanks. Just as Tarzan sinks his fangs into Basuli’s body, Basuli also sinks his fangs to Tarzan’s shoulders, biceps, neck, and flanks. After sinking their bloody fangs into each other, both Basuli and Tarzan grin wickedly at each other.

Basuli: The taste of your blood invigorates me, Younger Brother. Shall we proceed with the destruction?

Tarzan: Big Brother, I have not begun to savor how appetizing your blood is. And to answer your question, let’s go.

Basuli and Tarzan emit low cackles, approach each other closely, choke each other, and give each other headbutts, thus making each other have concussions on their foreheads. As if that were not enough pain to endure, Basuli and Tarzan continue to pummel each other with more punches, slashes, bites, knee strikes, and headbutts to the face, nose, cheeks, chin, chest, arms, abdomen, and flanks. They even continue with bearhugs, Full Nelsons, rear naked chokeholds, and tracheal grip chokes. When Basuli gives Tarzan a piledriver, Tarzan returns the favor by lifting Basuli up, dropping him to the ground with a thud, and launching a body slam on top of him. Basuli does not relent and stands up to deliver Tarzan a heel hook, a sharpshooter, and a camel clutch. Tarzan escapes from Basuli’s camel clutch by rolling on top of him to choke him out before Basuli lands a hammer fist to his right oblique. Basuli and Tarzan arise from the ground. Despite all the bruises, slash marks, fang marks, and bloodied wounds gushing from their bodies, Basuli and Tarzan deliver extremely tight bearhugs to each other.

George: They’re at it again.

Maugli: I say we stop them now.

George and Maugli: Let’s go!

George and Maugli charge at Basuli and Tarzan with powerful roars. George sinks his fangs on Basuli’s neck, while Maugli does the same to Tarzan. Basuli and Tarzan emit loud, resounding roars, as they let go of each other. They glare sharply at the jungle men who bit them and growl at them. George flexes his biceps at Basuli, while Maugli flexes his biceps at Tarzan, to show that neither George nor Maugli is afraid of Basuli and Tarzan.

George: Nothing personal, dear younger brothers.

Maugli: But you have some viewers, o amazing big brothers of mine.

Basuli and Tarzan glare sharply at the viewers, turn to each other with a grin, and emit a low cackle. George and Maugli also turn their attention to the viewers, flex their bloodied muscular bodies, and roar like huge lions.

George: We hope you like seeing our favorite brothers in the world have one of their signature epic beatdowns. It’s always inspiring to see powerful jungle warriors embrace their animal sides and have a go at each other. Besides, George always enjoys making sure that Basuli and Tarzan fight with strength and power because it makes George feel like a great big brother to my favorite younger brothers ever. Don’t you agree, Little Brother Maugli?

Maugli: Sure, Big Brother George, I always love seeing my beloved big brothers have their trademark beatdowns. They make me want to be as strong and fierce as they are when they unleash their attacks on each other. I also love being the referee because I get to learn a lot more from Basuli and Tarzan, and I agree with George that they are the best fighters in our family. I think George and I have enough to say. Let’s pass the floor to Basuli and Tarzan. Take it away, brothers.

Basuli and Tarzan: Thanks, George and Maugli.

Basuli: Now, dear viewers, relax. We won’t hurt you.

Tarzan: Just take a breather.

Basuli and Tarzan raise their powerful arms and flex their hugely bulging biceps while emitting a roar that is an amalgamation of a lion, tiger, and Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Basuli: Do you see all these bruises and wounds?

Tarzan: Do you see all the blood pouring out of us?

Basuli and Tarzan: Do we scare you?

Basuli and Tarzan grin and cackle wickedly.

Basuli: These are all part of what my dear brother and I endure everyday as ferocious jungle warriors.

Tarzan: And super hardcore beatdowns are the best way to be up to speed with much stronger opponents.

Basuli: Besides, giving Tarzan a huge deal of my powerful attacks makes me feel motivated and energetic.

Tarzan: Plus, I love unleashing my primal fury on Basuli because it makes me feel really excited, and I can’t get enough of it.

Basuli: If that’s not enough, and we hope you don’t tell our dear husband Hercules this, but being engaged in these bloody beatdowns is way better than having sex with our favorite demigod husband in the world.

Tarzan: You got that right, Basuli. Not all the passionate lovemaking we can give to Hercules is enough to quench our thirst for beating each other up.

Basuli and Tarzan: And we just love to crush each other!

Basuli and Tarzan do the crab version of the most muscular pose, while snarling and growling like big cats on the prowl.

George: George can attest to that.

Maugli: Same with me.

Basuli: Let’s face it. You would have to be very skilled, strong, and brave enough to take me and Tarzan down, let alone train with us. We never go easy on our opponents at all.

Tarzan: Your chances of survival are low if you’re not physically and mentally ready to fight us to the death.

George and Maugli: Just ask the many opponents Basuli and Tarzan have beaten up. Not a lot of them have made it out alive.

Basuli: So, if you have what it takes to challenge us big, musclebound, scary jungle warriors like me and Tarzan, we are both available for the challenge.

Tarzan: Trust us when we say that we never hold back at all.

Basuli: The only conditions are that lazy cowards are not allowed to train with us.

Tarzan: And that you have to come in our training grounds with a lot of steel in your body and spirit.

Basuli: Now, if you’ll excuse us. We need to take a nice healing bath.

Tarzan: We may feel damaged, but our muscles are still bulging. It’s just that we need to unwind.

George: George will join in giving my favorite younger brothers a nice healing massage.

Maugli: And I got some healing bath herbs that dad, Grandpa Usula, and Grandpa Kobe have just to cure my dearest big brothers of all their bruises and gashes.

Basuli and Tarzan: Until then, stay safe, and don’t get on our bad sides, everybody.

George and Maugli help Basuli and Tarzan out of the gym and head to the scented springs.

I hope you all enjoyed this, and I will see you in the next submission. Take care, stay safe, and remember to fight as ferally as possible like Basuli and Tarzan have, everybody.

George of the Jungle belongs to Jay Ward and Bill Scott.

Basuli and Tarzan from Tarzan belong to Disney and Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Maugli from The Adventures of Mowgli belongs to Rudyard Kipling, Roman Davydov, Leonid Belokurov, and Soyuzmultfilm.