Monthly Archives: February 2020
The Corona Virus Epidemic
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 23rd February 2020The coronavirus epidemic has understandably caused much anxiety throughout the world. Uncertainty about what the new disease portends has wreaked havoc on the cruise ship industry and the airlines. The stock market which is always twitchy is still uncertain as to whether it should take a swan dive which is appropriate as COVID-19, as the…
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Prevention of Contrast Associated Acute Kidney Injury
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 18th February 2020Clinicians have been worrying about contrast induced nephropathy for decades. I’m referring to acute kidney injury caused by the infusion of iodinated agents used as part of imaging studies such CT scans. Over time it became standard practice to infuse fluid such as saline or sodium bicarbonate solution as a preventative agent. Patients thought to…
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Gianfranco Cècchele
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 12th February 2020Gianfranco Cècchele (1938-2018) was a noted tenor who was trained by Marcello Del Monaco, the younger brother of Mario. Accordingly he was a belter in the mold of his teacher’s older brother and other pupils of Marcello such as Amadeo Zambon profiled here in 2016. Thus it’s not surprising that he wanted to be a…
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A Few Random Bits
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 10th February 2020Michael Spyres made his long awaited Met debut this month. He appeared all of two times in the title role of Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust. Alas, he wasn’t in very good voice; at least from the evidence of last Saturday’s broadcast. He’s been singing the most taxing of roles all over the place and…
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Angel Blue
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 6th February 2020Angel Blue is a young (b 1984) American soprano who opened this season at the Met as Bess in Gershwin’s opera. Thus far she has sung 31 performances at the New York house all in La Bohème or Porgy and Bess. Oddly for such a gifted singer who is headed for the pinnacle of opera’s…
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Porgy and Bess in HD
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 1st February 2020The Met’s new production of Gershwin’s opera which opened its current season was telecast around the world today. Before getting to the performance, a few words about the opera. Though 80 years old, it is still under copyright as the Gershwin family has proved to be master manipulators of the relevant US law governing intellectual…
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