It was hardly rock ‘n’ roll, but Paul McCartney’s debut into the world of ballet with an orchestral score and tale of love set in a royal undersea court premiered at a packed house at the New York City Ballet last Thursday.
But the work McCartney created — Ocean’s Kingdom — with the company’s ballet master-in-chief Peter Martins, who choreographed the work and admitted in media interviews the crowd was there for McCartney rather than the hour-long ballet itself, was met with a mixed response in one early review posted last Friday.
Britain’s The Telegraph said the music “certainly wasn’t an embarrassment. A sparse string interlude was moving in its delicacy,” but, noting McCartney had a hand in the story and choreography, the review added “As the lights dimmed and the dancing started, it was clear that the performance was ballet for beginners.”
Photo: AFP照片：法新社
The former Beatle took more of a role in the ballet than most composers. He worked on the love story about an ocean dwelling princess called Honorata as well as the set, costumes by his daughter, and elements of the choreography. The production was budgeted at around US$800,000 (NT$24.4 million). (Reuters)
保羅‧麥卡尼一反先前的搖滾風，這回獻上他為芭蕾舞劇譜曲的處女作，這部作品有管弦樂配樂，描述海底皇宮內的一段愛情故事。該舞劇上週四在擠滿觀眾座無虛席的劇院內，由紐約市立芭蕾舞團首演。
麥卡尼與該團首席芭蕾總監彼得‧馬丁斯一同創作芭蕾舞劇《海洋王國》，而為該劇編舞的馬丁斯則在媒體訪問時坦言，廣大群眾是慕麥卡尼之名而來，而非為了看這一小時的芭蕾。但在上週五率先刊登出的一篇報章評論，則對該作品反應不一。
英國《電訊報》寫道，該音樂「確實沒有使人難堪之處。弦樂微弱的間奏，唱出其柔美優雅。」但評論因發現麥卡尼在劇情以及編舞上都軋了一腳，所以補充道：「當燈光漸暗、舞者正準備開始跳舞時，顯然舞蹈動作是初學者跳的芭蕾。」
這位前披頭四成員，在舞劇製作過程中所扮演的角色，比大多數舞蹈配樂作曲家，是有過之而無不及。他不僅參與編寫海洋公主歐諾拉塔的愛情故事，也對場景、其女兒所設計的服裝，以及編舞的元素加入個人意見。該劇製作耗資大約八十萬美元（約新台幣兩千四百四十萬元）。
（路透／翻譯：林亞蒂）
Earthquakes are among the most terrifying natural disasters, generating massive tremors and destructive forces as Earth’s crust shudders. These tremors not only lead to the collapse of buildings but can also trigger secondary disasters, such as tsunamis and fires. However, we can mitigate the impact on lives and property by mastering earthquake response techniques. The DCH three-step strategy, recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is crucial during an earthquake. “D” stands for “drop.” You should immediately drop to the ground, using your hands and knees to support yourself. This position prevents you from falling and
A: The newest twist in “Friends” star Matthew Perry’s sudden death is shocking. B: Didn’t he die from a ketamine overdose last year? A: But the police say his death could be a conspiracy. B: Wow, what happened? A: Five suspects have been charged for intentionally supplying him with large amounts of ketamine for personal gain. A: 《六人行》男星馬修派瑞之死大逆轉真令人震驚！ B: 他去年不是因吸毒過量致死嗎？ A: 但警方說他的死可能是個陰謀。 B: 發生了什麼事？ A: 警方已起訴5名嫌犯，他們故意提供大量「K他命」給他，以謀取暴利。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
A: What’s even more horrible is that the five suspects who purposely supplied ketamine to actor Matthew Perry were all his “friends.” B: Who exactly are the five suspects? A: They include Matthew’s two doctors, a broker, a drug dealer, and even his live-in assistant. B: Those scumbags should go to jail. A: Yeah, one of the doctors may be sentenced to up to 120 years in prison. A: 更可怕的是，提供男星馬修派瑞「K他命」的5人全是他的「朋友」。 B: 嫌犯是誰啊？ A: 其中包括他的2位醫生、1位仲介、1位毒販、甚至他的同居助理！ B: 那些人渣真該去坐牢。 A: 對啊，其中1位醫生可能面臨120年徒刑。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
It’s widely recognized that there are far more right-handed people than left-handed people in the world. Being right-handed simply means preferring to use one’s right hand for tasks that involve only one hand, such as writing and eating. But have you ever wondered about the possible reasons behind the global dominance of the right hand over the left? As with many complex biological questions, multiple factors appear to be at play. First, one reason seems to be genetics. __1__ Therefore, the global dominance of right-handedness is something that has been passed down through many generations of humans. Next,
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