Michael Good

For our Super Bowl counterprogramming, we went to Philharmonia Baroque's concert of Handel's Dixit Dominus and Rameau's La guirlande. Both were wonderfully performed under Nicholas McGegan's direction. It was good to see several familiar faces in the chorus. They were spectacular in the Handel.

Lucie Stern has its limitations for performers. But perhaps the biggest issues for audiences are lack of parking, lack of mass transit, and being isolated from restaurants and shops. How would a new Cubberley venue fix any of that?

I'm all for new and improved performing arts venues in my neighborhood. But why slight Lucie Stern and the Mountain View CPA as having "little architectural or aesthetic appeal?" MVCPA always puts a smile on my face as I walk there. Lucie Stern is a simple, historic WPA-era venue.

Is remote work OK?

Just why does the Bruch deserve its place in the repertoire? I'm now 0-for-2 in live performances. For me it's nowhere near as compelling as any of the other popular concertos. On the other hand, I love The Planets and this performance was great.

Dame Prue Leith is leaving The Great British Bake Off after nine seasons. Thanks for bringing such joy to us in these shows, and best of luck in your continuing new adventures! www.channel4.com/press/news/p...

I was lucky that David was in the Bay Area when I started working on MusicXML, so I didn't have to travel to meet him. That was 26 years ago. Humdrum was the second source for MusicXML after Walter Hewlett's MuseData. My B.S. advisor Barry Vercoe steered me to them, and he died 10 days after David.

Do they still get NEA grants, I wonder?

To mark the expiration of my noncompete agreement, here's a new blog post summarizing the three years since my last blog post! michaelgood.info/2026/01/the-...

YouTube video by Mary Chapin Carpenter Girl And Her Dog - Mary Chapin Carpenter

2025 was a banner year for albums from my favorite female singer-songwriters, including Sarah McLachlan, Suzanne Vega, Dar Williams, Molly Tuttle, I'm With Her, and Taylor Swift. But my favorite of the year was Mary Chapin Carpenter's "Personal History." My favorite song: youtu.be/SkuUeI7nQXA?...

These aren't last year's Sharks, though.

I'm all for those two albums! Molly Tuttle's dad taught / teaches music next door to where we have our opera rehearsals.

It's great to see Cabrillo Festival on this list, represented by my favorite program of the past season. Thanks!

RIP Rob and Michele Reiner. Thanks to Rob for all the great gifts you gave us both behind and in front of the camera. If anybody has a video or transcript of Rob's interview with John King on @cnn.com in the early morning of November 8, 2000, could you please share? It was dark comedy in real time.

I can’t readily find it in theaters near me either, I guess it’s going to streaming soon. This is a film of the Broadway production. Linklater is doing the “real” movie. But he’s filming it in real time like Boyhood so it won’t be done for 20 years or so. I wish Gerwig was making it instead.

RIP Gordon Goodwin and Jubilant Sykes.

Thanks Iva for running this fun series. I have so much new-to-me music to check out now!

YouTube video by Molly Tuttle Molly Tuttle - Everything Burns (Official Visualizer)

Day 30: Everything #LyricsPrompt #LyricsPrompt2025

Molly Tuttle
Everything Burns

youtu.be/ug9suAGHCuk?...

Do you know any stories of people trying to get him to do an opera libretto or musical theater book? Surely folks must have tried.

Wow, I can only imagine seeing Arcadia at 15! I saw it at 55 and it's still one of my favorite plays ever.

Oh no! RIP Tom Stoppard. Arcadia is one of my favorite plays ever. I made sure to see Leopoldstadt on Broadway. But there are so many plays of his I haven't seen yet.

YouTube video by Release - Topic Hashish

Day 29: Medicine #LyricsPrompt #LyricsPrompt2025

Hair Tribe
Hashish

Many of the drugs listed at the end were marketed as medicines.

youtu.be/uzustUS9zIE?...

YouTube video by Prince - Topic Push

Day 28: Step #LyricsPrompt #LyricsPrompt2025

Prince and the New Power Generation
Push

"Step one, step onto the dance floor"

youtu.be/OBHmb5h1_Xk?...

YouTube video by The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones – Undercover (Of the Night) (Official Lyric Video)

Day 27: Cover #LyricsPrompt #LyricsPrompt2025

The Rolling Stones
Undercover (Of the Night)

youtu.be/4zctpDmVGjI?...

YouTube video by John Mellencamp - Topic Minutes To Memories

Day 26: Minute #LyricsPrompt #LyricsPrompt2025

John Mellencamp
Minutes to Memories

youtu.be/bTK1W5dIljw?...

I love EBTG's Amplified Heart album. It helped me through my Dad's 12-hour brain surgery and recovery. (He did well, he'll be turning 101 soon!) The whole album is suffused with loss and fear of loss, which really resonated. Thanks @traceythorn.bsky.social and Ben Watt for all the music!

YouTube video by EBTGVEVO Everything But The Girl - Missing (Official Music Video)

Day 25: Ahead #LyricsPrompt #LyricsPrompt2025

Everything But The Girl
Missing

"Could you be dead?
You always were two steps ahead"

youtu.be/U56Ns66Qrb8?...

YouTube video by Eagles Eagles - One Of These Nights (Official Audio)

Day 24: Fever #LyricsPrompt #LyricsPrompt2025

Eagles
One of These Nights

"The full moon is calling, the fever is high
And the wicked wind whispers and moans"

youtu.be/dkb811y4fkI?...

YouTube video by Melissa Etheridge - Topic Royal Station 4/16

Day 23: Train #LyricsPrompt #LyricsPrompt2025

Melissa Etheridge
Royal Station 4/16

youtu.be/B1ZIfUG7uZY?...

Thanks! I was wondering why it reminded you of detective stories or Scotland. I didn't get as far as the book titles. 😀