Letters from Michael E. Gerber - E-myth Mastery
Highlights (in no particular order)
Customer perception & behavior
Purchasing decision are based on
- 1/3 price (want to pay less)
- 1/3 market (pay at market price)
- 1/3 emotionally gratification (don't mind paying more), needs attention or absolute precision or the best
Choice of words used
- "good" a value buyer - value for money
- "better" a comparative buyer - lots of choices
- "the best" a Experimental buyer - cannot talk about price to them, else to them is hard sell
Common agreement
- if you are the best, you are not the cheapest
- if you are the fastest, you are not the cheapest
Therefore 2/3 of shopper don't mind paying more for more,
so marketeers need to explain, need to differentiate (USP)
Personality type
- Interpersonal : wants more attention
- Introvert buyer : wants straight to the point
- Objective buyer : appreciates "system & technology"
Market reseach
- Customer Service
- Lead conversion
- Lead generation
Product Market Grid
Create table for product grid
Product line vs market segments
Put in Sales revenue & Sales % of each segment/product line
Then companies will be able to identify segments which need more attention, or to be eliminated
True Entreprenuer Starts business by
- carefully research market to know what is needed, and by whom
- even if market is saturated, he will be able to find the 9 psychographic profiles
Marketing is about
- learn something about your customer, name, tel, address, DOB, sex,email,professional, history - demographic
- Social (Extraverted or Interpersonal), Tactile (Hands on or objective), or Creative (Inventive or Introverted)
- knowing your client's professional history will help to target specifically 1/9 of population, to max efficiency
- Customer Questionaire: script prepared to enable any employee to call existing customer,t ell them "we are updating our customer information" and ask for missing pieces of the puzzle, most importantly email addresses and professioal histories.
Success lies in fulfilling each customer precisely as promised in the USP. This fulfilment is magnified by develpoing an intimate relationship with each customer
Success in Lead generation
1) Develpo a customer database, well defined
2) plan out ritual of contact
Basics of a Business Plan - it should contain,
1) who are you, what kind of biz do you want to build
2) What do you want the money for
3) how much do you need
4) how will you pay it back
5 step
a) The company story - 1 page
b) the current opportunity - 2 pages
c) the budget & the payback - 2 page
d) supporting documentation - 3 pages
Imagine if a friend wants to visit your business, what would you show him?
Culture & Identity
- professional & learning environment
- system driven rather than personality driven
- e.g. look, dress, personalities, standards,essense, values are to be perpetuated too
- when is a question is ask e.g what is the image of your personal trainer? - we need one consistent answer from all PTs
- define our purpose, what we do, how we make ppl feel, pride, how we raise the bar etc
High Performance Environment
- Primary work is strategising
- Secondary work is of the business
Spend 20% to 100% purely on strategic work
4 steps to the journey of creating High Performance Environment
1) Integrate the vision
2) Build the Structure
3) train and provide the tools
4) Quantify and evaluate
This HPE makes the game worth playing for all. Engage ppl fully and they are able to use their potentially fully to reach higher levels of personal and professional competence, with each new challenges. This is the best way to keep everyone in the game.
Model monthly meeting - Make it a ritual, corporate culture: result- there will only be implemented actions rather than unresolves issues on your desk. This is a way of Perpetual and institutionalised self improvement.
Time : <1 hr, only 4 agenda, 15 min each
Each employee to stand up 1 min to answer the following question:
1) what is the best improvement you notice this past month?
2) What issue/idea of yours doen not appear in the master plan?
3) What issue/idea on the master plan do you consider our top priority?
4) What action plan will you pledge to write during the next 30 days?
- eventually everyone will appreciate that we need to prioritise
Everyone to write one action plan per month, forever.
- eventually all processes will be well documented
- and the next step would be to improve existing action plans
The Job of business owner are :
- to listen (not to dictate or dominate)
- to support
- to inspire
- to provide employee with whatever they need to get their well docuemnted and well defined task accomplished
USP - Unique Selling Proposition
Study customer to get precise profile to target.
Be courageous and target just that profile.
Communicate your message succinctly and boldly.
Examples
NationsRent - "No Sweat"
Put in USP is everything, from business cards, adverts, fax, email. Every employee mentions the USP, tel calls etc
Precision cost money and takes time.
Everytime we promise more than just one and exactly one primary fulfilment promise, we are contradicting ourselves.
Like how can you be the best and at the same time the lowest in price? Or you will need to be really good at segmenting the market.
Nokia - Connecting people : aim at Extoverted/performance buyer
Hertz rent a car - Exactly : aim at Objective/Experimental buyers
Use adjectives that best describes the folks you satisfy best, all the time, everytime, most profitably.
Cashflow Forecasting
It is the key system in keeping companies out of trouble. It is vital tool to turnaround companies.
It should include projected cash inflow and outflow
Accounting
Separate fix costs such as rental and salary from variable cost such as direct materials and labour.
Positioning statement
Customer make buying decision in the first 6 seconds - after looking at the position statement, USP.
3 sentence format
10 The key anxiety experienced by your customer or industry
2) the anxiety relief your product or service promises to provide
3) The fulfilment system describing the "total experience"
90% of advertisement conform to the above. e.g.
1) look at the dirt on the T-shirt : Frustration
2) Now he has the clean shirt after washing with Tide : relief
3) Because of Tide's amazing new ingredient : the name & the magic potion
Position statement need to be every where just like the USP: email, newsletter etc
Prototyping Franchise System
Deveolop a computer file, outlining the entire operational manual then meet each month on perpetual basis to decide on what document to be created in the following month.
1) Create a basic outline
2) list of action plan to accompany and expand that outline
If a team member has an issue he will bring it to the leader, and meet every week to resolve it.
Each action plan implemented will be a system in place, allowing the manager to have more time to work on the business.
Eceryday's work should be outline in the operational manual.
One system a week, will give 52 system and in 5 years 300 systems in place.
Process flow chart should be added in the action plan. Its good for communicating to team members and to improve the system. Some companies even put the fulfilment system in fax correspondance to their clients. It becomes a marketing tool of sort.
First response Letter
standardise letter you send out to a prospect who contacts your business.
Depends on preference of the prospect, can be snail mail, email or fax
- while acknowledging clients key frustration/anxiety
- then prescribe your anxiety relief
- describe your strenght
Have this letter ready, send out to all enquiries, from emails, seminars, exhibitions etc
Psychologist says, you have first 12 lines to make a sale (telephone is first 6 sec)
Therefore place the positioning statements first.
Standard Letter Format
1) One sentence, acknowledging why you are writing to them: "it was great meeting you at the convention last week" or Thank you for your letter, receive on October 15, requesting information about our product and services
2) positioning system, word for word
3) chance to brag about years on business, accpomplishments, awards and strenght
4) call to action " acctached is the a brochure about our company. I will call you next monday, oct 28 at 10am to foloow up and answer any questions you may have.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
SpaceShip Earth - Summary
Squeezed Version : Operating Manual For Spaceship EarthShare
author : Buckminister Fuller
1 - We can predict human's achievements in the next 25 yrs based on the the past achievements. We need to think comprehensively, as we humans have the weakness of clinging on a solution to a problem devised in times of need in the past, without improving or rethinking about it. Metaphorically, just like clinging onto a piano top to survive after the ship has sunk; and in the future all life boats were based on the design of a piano top, although piano top is not necessarily the best design as a lifesaver in the high seas.
2 - The origin of specialisation of humans (jobs) were closely tied to the human sociological hierachical nature (King & subject, Masters & servant), and colonisation. This is not a land planet with sea. The Earth is actually a planet with one vast ocean and some land masses. Those who first master the great ocean with good ships and navigation, ruled the world. These masters had the advantage of information especially about the distribution of resources. Therefore, they employ other humans to work and find solutions for them. Schools were deviced to train servants for these masters. Bucky called these masters as Great Pirates because they operated beyond the law, they set the new law, they even could influence the local customs. e.g. How the British ruled the empire just by controlling the local 'Kings'.
3 - WWI was the turn of event, when these old pirates was fighting a war they couldn't win without the help of the experts (scientist and other specialists). Thus signally the end of the Great Pirate era. But they had left a legacy of their way of econmic accounting, exchange rates, trade balance etc. And also the world concept then was influenced by Thomas Malthus who said humans multiply geometrically and resources by arithmetically. Darwinian's idea of survival of the fittest. This was where the idea of 'scarcity', 'not enough', 'world going into entropy' came about. Marxists' communism went the other extreme by proposing production workers are the most important. Modern science has found out that, the main reason for extinction is actually due to over specialisation. In other words, inflexible, cannot adapt to change.
4 - Why is the Earth a spaceship? It is spining, and travelling 60k/hr orbting the sun, and the solar system is orbiting the centre of the Milky way. It is a self contain system, with the Sun as the energy giving mother ship. By devine design, there isn't any instruction manual because this will force us to use our intellect, enabling us to find many ways to solve or antipate problems. Human child stays helpless longer than any other animal, and he needs to learn almost everthing around him. The total recources of the earth was big enough for humans to experiment and learn the general principal of nature / God.
5 - the resorces of the earth is liken to the egg yoke, providing humans nutrients to grow, before having a strong body and breaking out of the 'shell'. We have just broken the shell, and we will need to spread our wings of intellect or perish. The brain is physical, the mind is metaphysical. So far we are able to define the physical but has yet to comprehend fully the metaphysical. As both combined forms the total universe. Synergy - on its own the Sun giving energy to earth, and the moon causes tidal effect on the sea etc, but put all these elements together, we have the current life sustaining environment on Earth.
6 - We are essential to the regenerating evolution on earth. Just like all the other factors such as gravity, the sun & the moon. We are destine to help to improve the earth. Wealth is not money. And wealth cannot buy yesterday. Wealth is define the number of days we can survive forward, in simple terms. We have vast amount of income (wealth) receive from the Sun in the form of energy.
Law of conservation of energy, says energy cannot be destroyed, it just change to another form. Einsteins' E=MC^2 shows the relationship between Energy and matter (things). Energy actually can be converted to matter vice versa as proven by the atomic bomb. Therefore energy/matter cannot be increased or decreased. However metaphysical portion of wealth is ever incresing. Such as human experience and knowledge, can only increase and not decrease. To sum up, the physical wealth cannot be decreased, and the metaphysical wealth can only increase, it means that, every time we use our wealth it will only increase. Wealth is the product of progessive mastery of matter by mind. Hence all the current accounting system for wealth are based on anti-synergistic and does not reflect the true nature of wealth.
7 - Integral function - man is able to discover and use the general principles of the universe. Just like the same concept of leverage or cup. A cup instead of hands is better for holding water, and if made of ceramic, it also can hold hot water or caustic chemeicals. Our discoveries are accelerating at an accelerating rate.
8 - Regerative landscape - We as human are designed to take care of our Earth. We are all essentially the same, orignated from the same ancestors. As our ancestors migrated to various parts of the world, in breeding and the environment, cause our features and skin colours to be different. Population explosion is a myth, as we industrialise, people will have lesser babies and live longer.
Bucky urged planners, architects and engineers to take the initiatives, go to work and cooperate. there is muct to gain working in synergy than to working at the expense of the other. These are the synergistic rules that evolution is employing and trying to make clear to us. They are not man made laws. They are the infinitely accommodative laws of the intellectual integrity governing universe.
author : Buckminister Fuller
1 - We can predict human's achievements in the next 25 yrs based on the the past achievements. We need to think comprehensively, as we humans have the weakness of clinging on a solution to a problem devised in times of need in the past, without improving or rethinking about it. Metaphorically, just like clinging onto a piano top to survive after the ship has sunk; and in the future all life boats were based on the design of a piano top, although piano top is not necessarily the best design as a lifesaver in the high seas.
2 - The origin of specialisation of humans (jobs) were closely tied to the human sociological hierachical nature (King & subject, Masters & servant), and colonisation. This is not a land planet with sea. The Earth is actually a planet with one vast ocean and some land masses. Those who first master the great ocean with good ships and navigation, ruled the world. These masters had the advantage of information especially about the distribution of resources. Therefore, they employ other humans to work and find solutions for them. Schools were deviced to train servants for these masters. Bucky called these masters as Great Pirates because they operated beyond the law, they set the new law, they even could influence the local customs. e.g. How the British ruled the empire just by controlling the local 'Kings'.
3 - WWI was the turn of event, when these old pirates was fighting a war they couldn't win without the help of the experts (scientist and other specialists). Thus signally the end of the Great Pirate era. But they had left a legacy of their way of econmic accounting, exchange rates, trade balance etc. And also the world concept then was influenced by Thomas Malthus who said humans multiply geometrically and resources by arithmetically. Darwinian's idea of survival of the fittest. This was where the idea of 'scarcity', 'not enough', 'world going into entropy' came about. Marxists' communism went the other extreme by proposing production workers are the most important. Modern science has found out that, the main reason for extinction is actually due to over specialisation. In other words, inflexible, cannot adapt to change.
4 - Why is the Earth a spaceship? It is spining, and travelling 60k/hr orbting the sun, and the solar system is orbiting the centre of the Milky way. It is a self contain system, with the Sun as the energy giving mother ship. By devine design, there isn't any instruction manual because this will force us to use our intellect, enabling us to find many ways to solve or antipate problems. Human child stays helpless longer than any other animal, and he needs to learn almost everthing around him. The total recources of the earth was big enough for humans to experiment and learn the general principal of nature / God.
5 - the resorces of the earth is liken to the egg yoke, providing humans nutrients to grow, before having a strong body and breaking out of the 'shell'. We have just broken the shell, and we will need to spread our wings of intellect or perish. The brain is physical, the mind is metaphysical. So far we are able to define the physical but has yet to comprehend fully the metaphysical. As both combined forms the total universe. Synergy - on its own the Sun giving energy to earth, and the moon causes tidal effect on the sea etc, but put all these elements together, we have the current life sustaining environment on Earth.
6 - We are essential to the regenerating evolution on earth. Just like all the other factors such as gravity, the sun & the moon. We are destine to help to improve the earth. Wealth is not money. And wealth cannot buy yesterday. Wealth is define the number of days we can survive forward, in simple terms. We have vast amount of income (wealth) receive from the Sun in the form of energy.
Law of conservation of energy, says energy cannot be destroyed, it just change to another form. Einsteins' E=MC^2 shows the relationship between Energy and matter (things). Energy actually can be converted to matter vice versa as proven by the atomic bomb. Therefore energy/matter cannot be increased or decreased. However metaphysical portion of wealth is ever incresing. Such as human experience and knowledge, can only increase and not decrease. To sum up, the physical wealth cannot be decreased, and the metaphysical wealth can only increase, it means that, every time we use our wealth it will only increase. Wealth is the product of progessive mastery of matter by mind. Hence all the current accounting system for wealth are based on anti-synergistic and does not reflect the true nature of wealth.
7 - Integral function - man is able to discover and use the general principles of the universe. Just like the same concept of leverage or cup. A cup instead of hands is better for holding water, and if made of ceramic, it also can hold hot water or caustic chemeicals. Our discoveries are accelerating at an accelerating rate.
8 - Regerative landscape - We as human are designed to take care of our Earth. We are all essentially the same, orignated from the same ancestors. As our ancestors migrated to various parts of the world, in breeding and the environment, cause our features and skin colours to be different. Population explosion is a myth, as we industrialise, people will have lesser babies and live longer.
Bucky urged planners, architects and engineers to take the initiatives, go to work and cooperate. there is muct to gain working in synergy than to working at the expense of the other. These are the synergistic rules that evolution is employing and trying to make clear to us. They are not man made laws. They are the infinitely accommodative laws of the intellectual integrity governing universe.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
About Aida
Aida, an Arabic female name meaning "visitor" or "returning") is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette (although there are scholars who argue that the scenario was really written by Temistocle Solera).It was first performed at the Khedivial Opera House in Cairo on December 24, 1871 under the baton of Giovanni Bottesini.
Overview: Aida, an Ethiopian princess, is captured and brought into slavery in Egypt. A military commander, Radames, struggles to choose between his love for her and his loyalty to the Pharaoh. To complicate the story further, Radames is loved by the Pharaoh's daughter Amneris, although he does not return her feelings.
Time:
Place: Ancient Egypt
Act 1
Scene 1: A hall in the King's palace; through the rear gate the pyramids and temples of Memphis
Ramfis, the high priest of Egypt tells Radames, the young warrior, that war with the Ethiopians seems inevitable, and Radames expresses the hope that he be chosen as the Egyptian commander.
Radames dreams both of gaining victory on the battle field and of Aida, the Ethiopian slave, with whom he is secretly in love (Radames: Se quel guerrier io fossi!...Celeste Aida - "Heavenly Aïda"). Aida, who is also secretly in love with Radames, is the captured daughter of the Ethiopian King Amonasro, but her Egyptian captors are unaware of her true identity. Her father has invaded Egypt to deliver her from servitude.
Amneris, the daughter of the Egyptian King enters the hall. She too loves Radames, but fears that his heart belongs to somebody else (Radames, Amneris: Quale insolita giola nel tuo sguardo - "In thy visage I trace").
Then Aida appears and, when Radames sees her, Amneris notices that he looks disturbed. She suspects that Aida could be her rival, but she is able to hide her jealousy and approaches her (Amneris, Aida, Radames: Vieni, o diletta, appressati / "In your looks I trace a joy unwanted").
The King enters, along with the High Priest, Ramfis, and the whole palace court. A messenger announces that the Ethiopians, led by King Amonasro, are marching towards Thebes. The King declares war and also proclaims Radames to be the man chosen by the goddess Isis as leader of the army (The King, Messenger, Radames, Aida, Amneris, chorus: Alta cagion v'aduna / "Oh fate o'er Egypt looming").
Upon receiving the mandate from the King, Radames proceeds to the temple of Vulcan to take up the sacred arms (The King, Radames, Aida, Amneris, chorus: Su! del Nilo al sacro lido / "On! Of Nilus' sacred river, guard the shores").
Alone in the hall, Aida is torn between her love for her father, her country, and Radames. (Aida: Ritorna vincitor - "Return a conqueror").
Scene 2: Inside the Temple of Vulcan
Solemn ceremonies and dances by the priestesses take place (High Priestess, chorus, Radames: Possente Ftha...Tu che dal nulla - "O mighty Ptha.") followed by the installation of Radames to the office of commander-in-chief. (High Priestess, chorus, Radames: Immenso Ftha .. Mortal, diletto ai Numi / "O mighty one, guard and protect!"). All present in the temple pray for the victory of Egypt and protection for their warriors (Nume, custode e vindice/ "Hear us, O guardian deity").
Act 2
Scene 1: In Amneris chamber
Dances and music to celebrate Radames' victory take place (Chorus, Amneris: Chi mai fra gli inni e i plausi / "Our songs his glory praising"'). However, Amneris is still in doubt about Radames' love and wonders whether Aida is in love with the young warrior. She tries to forget her doubt, entertaining her worried heart with the dance of Moorish slaves (Chorus, Amneris: Vieni: sul crin ti piovano / "Come bind your flowing tresses").
When Aida enters the chamber, Amneris asks everyone to leave. By falsely telling Aida that Radames has died in the battle, she tricks her into professing her love for him. In grief, and shocked by the news, Aida confesses that her heart belongs to Radames eternally (Amneris, Aida: Fu la sorte dell' armi a' tuoi funesta / "The battle's outcome was cruel for your people...").
This confession fires Amneris with rage, and she plans on taking revenge on Aida. Ignoring Aida's pleadings, (Amneris, Aida, chorus: Su! del Nilo al sacro lido / "Up! at the sacred shores of the Nile") Amneris leaves her alone in the chamber.
Scene 2: The grand gate of the city of Thebes
Radames returns victorious and the troops march into the city (Chorus, Ramfis: Gloria all'Egitto, ad Iside / "Glory to Egypt, to Isis!"). The Egyptian king decrees that on this day the triumphant Radames may have anything he wishes.
The Ethiopian captives are rounded up and Amonasro appears among them. Aida immediately rushes to her father, but their true identities are still unknown to the Egyptians. Amonasro declares that the Ethiopian king (he himself) has been slain in battle.
Aida, Amonasro and the captured Ethiopians plead with the Egyptian King for mercy, but the Egyptians call for their death (Aida, Amneris, Radames, The King, Amonasro, chorus: Che veggo! .. Egli? .. Mio padre! .. Anch'io pugnai / "What do I see?.. Is it he? My father?").
As his reward from the King, Radames pleads with him to spare the lives of the prisoners and to set them free. Gratefully, the King of Egypt declares Radames to be his successor and to be his daughter's betrothed (Aida, Amneris, Radames, The King, Amonasro, chorus: O Re: pei sacri Numi! .. Gloria all'Egitto / "O King, by the sacred gods..."). Aida and Amonasro remain as hostages to ensure that the Ethiopians do not avenge their defeat.
Act 3
O patria mia
Marie Rappold singing "O patria mia" from Verdi's Aida (1916)
On the banks of the Nile, near the Temple of Isis
Prayers are said (Chorus, Ramfis, Amneris: O tu che sei d'Osiride / "O thou who to Osiris art...") on the eve of Amneris and Radames' wedding in the Temple of Isis. Outside, Aida waits to meet with Radames as they had planned (Aida: Qui Radames verra .. O patria mia / "Oh, my dear country!").
Amonasro appears and forces Aida to agree to find out the location of the Egyptian army from Radames (Aida, Amonasro: Ciel, mio padre! .. Rivedrai le foreste imbalsamate / "Once again shalt thou gaze."). When he arrives, Amonasro hides behind a rock and listens to their conversation.
Radames affirms that Aida is the person he will marry ( Pur ti riveggo, mio dolce Aida .. Nel fiero anelito ; Fuggiam gli ardori inospiti .. La, tra foreste vergini / "I see you again, my sweet Aida!" ), and Aida convinces him to flee to the desert with her.
In order to make their escape easier, Radames proposes that they use a safe route without any fear of discovery and he also reveals the location where his army has chosen to attack. Upon hearing this, Amonasro comes out of hiding and reveals his identity. Radames feels dishonored. At the same time Amneris and Ramfis leave the temple and, seeing Radames with their enemy, call the guards. Amonasro and Aida try to convince Radames to escape with them, but he refuses and surrenders to the imperial guards.
Act 4
Scene 1: A hall in the Temple of Justice. To one side is the door leading to Radames' prison cell
Amneris ( L'aborrita rivale a me sfuggia / "My hated rival has escaped me") desires to save Radames. She calls for the guard to bring him to her.
She asks Radames to deny the accusations, but Radames refuses. Certain that, as punishment, he will be condemned to death, Amneris implores him to defend himself, but Radames firmly refuses. He is relieved to know Aida is still alive and hopes she has reached her own country (Amneris, Radames: Gia i Sacerdoti adunasi / "Already the priests are assembling"). His decision hurts Amneris.
Radames' trial takes place offstage; he does not reply to Ramfis' accusations and is condemned to death, while Amneris, who remains onstage, pleads with the priests to show him mercy. As he is sentenced to be buried alive, Amneris curses the priests while Radames is taken away (Judgment scene, Amneris, Ramfis, and chorus: Ohime! .. morir mi sento / "Heavenly spirit, descend").
Scene 2: The lower portion of the stage shows the vault in the Temple of Vulcan; the upper portion represents the temple itself
Aïda: La fatal pietra
The opening and close of Act IV, Scene II: ("La fatal pietra" and "Morir! Si pura e bella", with some cuts in the middle), sung by Nicola Zerola in 1909.
Radames has been taken into the lower floor of the temple and sealed up in a dark vault. Thinking that he is alone and hoping that Aida is in a safer place, he hears a sigh and then sees Aida. She has hidden herself in the vault in order to die with Radames. (Radames and Aida: La fatal pietra sovra me si chiuse. / "The fatal stone now closes over me.") They accept their terrible fate (Radames: Morir! Si pura e bella / "To die! So pure and lovely!") and bid farewell to earth and its sorrows.[8] Above the vault in the temple of Vulcan, Amneris weeps and prays to the goddess Isis. In the vault below, Aida dies in Radames' arms. (Chorus, Aida, Radames, Amneris: Immenso Ftha / "Almighty Ptha.")[9]
Adam Khoo's I am gifted so are you
One thing I like the most about Adam's presentation is his consistent high state.
Who is Turandot ?
Act 1
In front of the imperial palace
The original 1926 scene design for Act I.A Mandarin announces the law of the land ( Popolo di Pekino! - "Any man who desires to wed Turandot must first answer her three riddles. If he fails, he will be beheaded" ). The Prince of Persia has failed and is to be beheaded at moonrise. As the crowd surges towards the gates of the palace, the imperial guards brutally repulse them, a blind old man is pushed to the ground. His slave-girl, Liù, cries for help. A young man hears her cry and recognizes the old man as his long-lost father, Timur, the deposed king of Tartary. The young Prince of Tartary is overjoyed seeing his father alive but urges him not to speak his name because he fears the Chinese rulers who have conquered Tartary. Timur tells his son that of all his servants, only Liù has remained faithful to him. When the Prince asks her why, she tells him that once, long ago in the palace, he smiled upon her (The crowd, Liù, Prince of Tartary, Timur: Indietro, cani! ).
The moon rises, and the crowd's cries for blood turn into silence. The doomed Prince of Persia is led before the crowd on his way to execution. The young Prince is so handsome that the crowd and the Prince of Tartary are moved to compassion and call on Turandot to spare his life (The crowd, Prince of Tartary : O giovinetto! ). She appears, and with a single imperious gesture orders the execution to continue. The Prince of Tartary, who has never seen Turandot before, falls immediately in love. He cries out Turandot's name (three times) with joy, and the Prince of Persia echoes his final cry. The crowd screams in horror as the Prince of Persia is beheaded.
The Prince of Tartary is dazzled by Turandot's beauty. He is about to rush towards the gong and strike it three times— the symbolic gesture of whoever wishes to marry Turandot—when the ministers Ping, Pong, and Pang appear and urge him cynically ( Fermo, che fai? ) not to lose his head for Turandot but to go back to his own country. Timur urges his son to desist, and Liù, who is secretly in love with the Prince, pleads with him ( Signore, ascolta! - "My lord, listen!" ) not to attempt the riddles. Liù's words touch his heart. The Prince tells Liù to make exile more bearable and never to abandon his father if the Prince fails to answer the riddles ( Non piangere, Liù - "Don't cry, Liù" ) . The three ministers, Timur, and Liù try one last time to hold the Prince ( Ah! Per l'ultima volta! ) but he refuses to listen.
He calls Turandot's name three times, and each time Liù, Timur, and the ministers reply, "Death!", and the crowd gasp ("Ah!"). Rushing to the gong that hangs in front of the palace, he strikes it three times, declaring himself a suitor. From the palace balcony, Turandot accepts the challenge, as Ping, Pang, and Pong laugh at the prince's foolishness.
[edit] Act 2
Scene 1: A pavilion in the imperial palace. Before sunrise
Ping, Pang, and Pong lament their place as ministers, poring over palace documents and presiding over endless rituals. They prepare themselves for either a wedding or a funeral (Ping, Pang, Pong: Ola, Pang! ) . Ping suddenly longs for his country house in Honan, with its small lake surrounded by bamboo. Pong remembers his grove of forests near Tsiang, and Pang recalls his gardens near Kiu. The three share fond memories of life away from the palace (Ping, Pang, Pong: Ho una casa nell'Honan ) but are shaken back to the realities of Turandot's bloody reign. They continually accompany young men to death and recall their ghastly fate. As the palace trumpet sounds, the ministers ready themselves for another spectacle as they await the entrance of the Emperor.
Scene 2: The courtyard of the palace. Sunrise
The original 1926 scene design for Act II Scene II.The Emperor Altoum, father of Turandot, sits on his grand throne in his palace. He urges the Prince to withdraw his challenge but the Prince refuses (Altoum, the Prince: Un giuramento atroce ). Turandot enters and explains ( In questa reggia ) that her ancestress of millennia past, Princess Lo-u-Ling, reigned over her kingdom "in silence and joy, resisting the harsh domination of men" until she was ravished and murdered by an invading foreign prince. Lo-u-Ling now lives again in Turandot and out of revenge she has sworn never to let any man possess her. She warns the Prince to withdraw, but again he refuses. The Princess presents her first riddle ( Straniero, ascolta! ) "What is born each night and dies each dawn?" The Prince correctly replies, "Hope."
The Princess, unnerved, presents her second riddle ( Guizza al pari di fiamma ) "What flickers red and warm like a flame, but is not fire?" The Prince thinks for a moment before replying, "Blood". Turandot is shaken. The crowd cheers the Prince, provoking Turandot's anger. She presents her third riddle ( Gelo che ti da foco ) "What is like ice, but burns like fire?" As the prince thinks, Turandot taunts him. Suddenly he cries out victory and announces, "Turandot!"
The crowd cheers for the triumphant Prince. Turandot throws herself at her father's feet and pleads with him not to leave her to the Prince's mercy. The Emperor insists that an oath is sacred, and it is Turandot's duty to wed the Prince (Turandot, Altoum, the Prince: Figlio del cielo ). As she cries out in anger, the Prince stops her, saying that he has a proposal for her. "You do not know my name. Bring me my name before sunrise, and at sunrise, I will die" ( Tre enigmi m'hai proposto ). Turandot accepts. The Emperor declares that he hopes to call the Prince his son come sunrise.
[edit] Act 3
Scene 1: The palace gardens. Night
The original 1926 scene design for Act III Scene I.In the distance, heralds call out Turandot's command ( Cosi comanda Turandot—"This night, none shall sleep in Peking! The penalty for all will be death if the Prince's name is not discovered by morning" ). The Prince waits for dawn and anticipates his victory by singing "Nobody shall sleep!... Nobody shall sleep! Even you, O Princess" ( Nessun dorma ).
Ping, Pong, and Pang appear and offer the Prince women and riches if he will only give up Turandot ( Tu che guardi le stelle ), but he refuses. A group of soldiers then drag in Timur and Liù. They have been seen speaking to the Prince, so they must know his name. Turandot enters and orders Timur and Liù to speak. The Prince feigns ignorance, saying they know nothing. Liù declares that she alone knows the Prince's name, but she will not reveal it. Ping demands the Prince's name, and when she refuses, she is tortured. Turandot is clearly taken by Liù's resolve and asks her who put so much strength in her heart. Liù answers "Princess, Love!". Turandot demands that Ping tear the Prince's name from Liù, and he orders her to be tortured further. Liù counters Turandot ( Tu che di gel sei cinta - "You who are begirdled by ice" ), saying that she too shall learn love. Having spoken, Liù seizes a dagger from a soldier's belt and stabs herself. As she staggers towards the Prince and falls dead, the crowd screams for her to speak the Prince's name. Since Timur is blind, he must be told about Liù's death, and he cries out in anguish. Timur warns that the gods will be offended by this outrage, and the crowd is subdued with shame and fear. The grieving Timur and the crowd follow Liù's body as it is carried away. Everybody departs leaving the Prince and Turandot. He reproaches Turandot for her cruelty (The Prince, Turandot: Principessa di morte ) and then takes her in his arms and kisses her in spite of her resistance. Here Puccini's work ends. The remainder of the music was completed by Franco Alfano. [12]
The original 1926 scene design for Act III Scene II.The Prince tries to convince Turandot to love him. At first she is disgusted, but after he kisses her, she feels herself turning towards passion. She asks him to ask for nothing more and to leave, taking his mystery with him. The Prince however, reveals his name, "Calà f, son of Timur" and places his life in Turandot's hands. She can now destroy him if she wants (Turandot, Calà f: Del primo pianto ).
Scene 2: The courtyard of the palace. Dawn
Turandot and Calà f approach the Emperor's throne. She declares that she knows the Prince's name: "It is ... love!" ( Diecimila anni al nostro Imperatore! ). The crowd cheers and acclaims the two lovers ( O sole! Vita! Eternita ).
[edit] Critical response
Whilst long recognised as the most tonally adventurous of his operas,[13] Turandot has also been considered as at best a flawed masterpiece, and some critics have been unreservedly hostile. Thus Joseph Kerman states:
"Nobody would deny that dramatic potential can be found in this tale. Puccini, however, did not find it; his music does nothing to rationalize the legend or illuminate the characters...[14]" and he apparently considered the opera as a whole "depraved".
Some of this criticism is possibly due to the standard Alfano ending (Alfano II), in which Liù's death is followed almost immediately by Calaf's 'rough wooing' of Turandot, and the 'bombastic' end to the opera. The Berio version is considered to overcome some of these criticisms, but critics such as Tanner have failed to be wholly convinced by the new ending, noting that the criticism by the Puccini advocate Julian Budden still applies:
"Nothing in the text of the final duet suggests that Calaf's love for Turandot amounts to anything more than a physical obsession: nor can the ingenuities of Simoni and Adami's text for 'Del primo pianto' convince us that the Princess's submission is any less hormonal.[15]"
Ashbrook and Powers[5] consider it was an appreciation of this problem, which they state as an inadequate buildup for Turandot's change of heart combined with an overly successful treatment of the secondary character' (by which they mean Liù), which contributed to Puccini's inability to complete the opera.
In front of the imperial palace
The original 1926 scene design for Act I.A Mandarin announces the law of the land ( Popolo di Pekino! - "Any man who desires to wed Turandot must first answer her three riddles. If he fails, he will be beheaded" ). The Prince of Persia has failed and is to be beheaded at moonrise. As the crowd surges towards the gates of the palace, the imperial guards brutally repulse them, a blind old man is pushed to the ground. His slave-girl, Liù, cries for help. A young man hears her cry and recognizes the old man as his long-lost father, Timur, the deposed king of Tartary. The young Prince of Tartary is overjoyed seeing his father alive but urges him not to speak his name because he fears the Chinese rulers who have conquered Tartary. Timur tells his son that of all his servants, only Liù has remained faithful to him. When the Prince asks her why, she tells him that once, long ago in the palace, he smiled upon her (The crowd, Liù, Prince of Tartary, Timur: Indietro, cani! ).
The moon rises, and the crowd's cries for blood turn into silence. The doomed Prince of Persia is led before the crowd on his way to execution. The young Prince is so handsome that the crowd and the Prince of Tartary are moved to compassion and call on Turandot to spare his life (The crowd, Prince of Tartary : O giovinetto! ). She appears, and with a single imperious gesture orders the execution to continue. The Prince of Tartary, who has never seen Turandot before, falls immediately in love. He cries out Turandot's name (three times) with joy, and the Prince of Persia echoes his final cry. The crowd screams in horror as the Prince of Persia is beheaded.
The Prince of Tartary is dazzled by Turandot's beauty. He is about to rush towards the gong and strike it three times— the symbolic gesture of whoever wishes to marry Turandot—when the ministers Ping, Pong, and Pang appear and urge him cynically ( Fermo, che fai? ) not to lose his head for Turandot but to go back to his own country. Timur urges his son to desist, and Liù, who is secretly in love with the Prince, pleads with him ( Signore, ascolta! - "My lord, listen!" ) not to attempt the riddles. Liù's words touch his heart. The Prince tells Liù to make exile more bearable and never to abandon his father if the Prince fails to answer the riddles ( Non piangere, Liù - "Don't cry, Liù" ) . The three ministers, Timur, and Liù try one last time to hold the Prince ( Ah! Per l'ultima volta! ) but he refuses to listen.
He calls Turandot's name three times, and each time Liù, Timur, and the ministers reply, "Death!", and the crowd gasp ("Ah!"). Rushing to the gong that hangs in front of the palace, he strikes it three times, declaring himself a suitor. From the palace balcony, Turandot accepts the challenge, as Ping, Pang, and Pong laugh at the prince's foolishness.
[edit] Act 2
Scene 1: A pavilion in the imperial palace. Before sunrise
Ping, Pang, and Pong lament their place as ministers, poring over palace documents and presiding over endless rituals. They prepare themselves for either a wedding or a funeral (Ping, Pang, Pong: Ola, Pang! ) . Ping suddenly longs for his country house in Honan, with its small lake surrounded by bamboo. Pong remembers his grove of forests near Tsiang, and Pang recalls his gardens near Kiu. The three share fond memories of life away from the palace (Ping, Pang, Pong: Ho una casa nell'Honan ) but are shaken back to the realities of Turandot's bloody reign. They continually accompany young men to death and recall their ghastly fate. As the palace trumpet sounds, the ministers ready themselves for another spectacle as they await the entrance of the Emperor.
Scene 2: The courtyard of the palace. Sunrise
The original 1926 scene design for Act II Scene II.The Emperor Altoum, father of Turandot, sits on his grand throne in his palace. He urges the Prince to withdraw his challenge but the Prince refuses (Altoum, the Prince: Un giuramento atroce ). Turandot enters and explains ( In questa reggia ) that her ancestress of millennia past, Princess Lo-u-Ling, reigned over her kingdom "in silence and joy, resisting the harsh domination of men" until she was ravished and murdered by an invading foreign prince. Lo-u-Ling now lives again in Turandot and out of revenge she has sworn never to let any man possess her. She warns the Prince to withdraw, but again he refuses. The Princess presents her first riddle ( Straniero, ascolta! ) "What is born each night and dies each dawn?" The Prince correctly replies, "Hope."
The Princess, unnerved, presents her second riddle ( Guizza al pari di fiamma ) "What flickers red and warm like a flame, but is not fire?" The Prince thinks for a moment before replying, "Blood". Turandot is shaken. The crowd cheers the Prince, provoking Turandot's anger. She presents her third riddle ( Gelo che ti da foco ) "What is like ice, but burns like fire?" As the prince thinks, Turandot taunts him. Suddenly he cries out victory and announces, "Turandot!"
The crowd cheers for the triumphant Prince. Turandot throws herself at her father's feet and pleads with him not to leave her to the Prince's mercy. The Emperor insists that an oath is sacred, and it is Turandot's duty to wed the Prince (Turandot, Altoum, the Prince: Figlio del cielo ). As she cries out in anger, the Prince stops her, saying that he has a proposal for her. "You do not know my name. Bring me my name before sunrise, and at sunrise, I will die" ( Tre enigmi m'hai proposto ). Turandot accepts. The Emperor declares that he hopes to call the Prince his son come sunrise.
[edit] Act 3
Scene 1: The palace gardens. Night
The original 1926 scene design for Act III Scene I.In the distance, heralds call out Turandot's command ( Cosi comanda Turandot—"This night, none shall sleep in Peking! The penalty for all will be death if the Prince's name is not discovered by morning" ). The Prince waits for dawn and anticipates his victory by singing "Nobody shall sleep!... Nobody shall sleep! Even you, O Princess" ( Nessun dorma ).
Ping, Pong, and Pang appear and offer the Prince women and riches if he will only give up Turandot ( Tu che guardi le stelle ), but he refuses. A group of soldiers then drag in Timur and Liù. They have been seen speaking to the Prince, so they must know his name. Turandot enters and orders Timur and Liù to speak. The Prince feigns ignorance, saying they know nothing. Liù declares that she alone knows the Prince's name, but she will not reveal it. Ping demands the Prince's name, and when she refuses, she is tortured. Turandot is clearly taken by Liù's resolve and asks her who put so much strength in her heart. Liù answers "Princess, Love!". Turandot demands that Ping tear the Prince's name from Liù, and he orders her to be tortured further. Liù counters Turandot ( Tu che di gel sei cinta - "You who are begirdled by ice" ), saying that she too shall learn love. Having spoken, Liù seizes a dagger from a soldier's belt and stabs herself. As she staggers towards the Prince and falls dead, the crowd screams for her to speak the Prince's name. Since Timur is blind, he must be told about Liù's death, and he cries out in anguish. Timur warns that the gods will be offended by this outrage, and the crowd is subdued with shame and fear. The grieving Timur and the crowd follow Liù's body as it is carried away. Everybody departs leaving the Prince and Turandot. He reproaches Turandot for her cruelty (The Prince, Turandot: Principessa di morte ) and then takes her in his arms and kisses her in spite of her resistance. Here Puccini's work ends. The remainder of the music was completed by Franco Alfano. [12]
The original 1926 scene design for Act III Scene II.The Prince tries to convince Turandot to love him. At first she is disgusted, but after he kisses her, she feels herself turning towards passion. She asks him to ask for nothing more and to leave, taking his mystery with him. The Prince however, reveals his name, "Calà f, son of Timur" and places his life in Turandot's hands. She can now destroy him if she wants (Turandot, Calà f: Del primo pianto ).
Scene 2: The courtyard of the palace. Dawn
Turandot and Calà f approach the Emperor's throne. She declares that she knows the Prince's name: "It is ... love!" ( Diecimila anni al nostro Imperatore! ). The crowd cheers and acclaims the two lovers ( O sole! Vita! Eternita ).
[edit] Critical response
Whilst long recognised as the most tonally adventurous of his operas,[13] Turandot has also been considered as at best a flawed masterpiece, and some critics have been unreservedly hostile. Thus Joseph Kerman states:
"Nobody would deny that dramatic potential can be found in this tale. Puccini, however, did not find it; his music does nothing to rationalize the legend or illuminate the characters...[14]" and he apparently considered the opera as a whole "depraved".
Some of this criticism is possibly due to the standard Alfano ending (Alfano II), in which Liù's death is followed almost immediately by Calaf's 'rough wooing' of Turandot, and the 'bombastic' end to the opera. The Berio version is considered to overcome some of these criticisms, but critics such as Tanner have failed to be wholly convinced by the new ending, noting that the criticism by the Puccini advocate Julian Budden still applies:
"Nothing in the text of the final duet suggests that Calaf's love for Turandot amounts to anything more than a physical obsession: nor can the ingenuities of Simoni and Adami's text for 'Del primo pianto' convince us that the Princess's submission is any less hormonal.[15]"
Ashbrook and Powers[5] consider it was an appreciation of this problem, which they state as an inadequate buildup for Turandot's change of heart combined with an overly successful treatment of the secondary character' (by which they mean Liù), which contributed to Puccini's inability to complete the opera.
Nessun dorma
Pavarotti Last Performance "Nessun Dorma" @ Torino 2006
Nessun dorma
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Nessun Dorma)
Nessun dorma (English: None shall sleep tonight)[1] is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot,[2] and is one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, il principe ignoto (the unknown prince), who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot. However, any man who wishes to wed Turandot must first answer her three riddles. If he fails, he will be beheaded.
In the act before this aria, Calaf has correctly answered the three riddles put to all of Princess Turandot's prospective suitors. Nevertheless, she recoils at the thought of marriage to him. Calaf offers her another chance by challenging her to guess his name by dawn. (As he kneels before her, the Nessun dorma theme makes a first appearance, to his words, "Il mio nome non sai!") If she does so, she can execute him; but if she does not, she must marry him. The cruel and emotionally cold princess then decrees that none of her subjects is to sleep that night until his name is discovered. If they fail, all will be killed.
As the final act opens, it is now night. Calaf is alone in the moonlit palace gardens. In the distance, he hears Turandot's heralds proclaiming her command. His aria begins with an echo of their cry and a reflection on Princess Turandot:
Italian Text
Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma!
Tu pure, o, Principessa,
nella tua fredda stanza,
guardi le stelle
che tremano d'amore
e di speranza.
Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me,
il nome mio nessun saprà !
No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò
quando la luce splenderà !
Ed il mio bacio scioglierà il silenzio
che ti fa mia!
(Il nome suo nessun saprà !...
e noi dovrem, ahime, morir!)
Dilegua, o notte!
Tramontate, stelle!
Tramontate, stelle!
All'alba vincerò!
vincerò, vincerò!
English Translation of "Nessun Dorma"
Nobody shall sleep!...
Nobody shall sleep!
Even you, o Princess,
in your cold room,
watch the stars,
that tremble with love and with hope.
But my secret is hidden within me,
my name no one shall know...
No!...No!...
On your mouth I will tell it when the light shines.
And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine!...
(No one will know his name and we must, alas, die.)
Vanish, o night!
Set, stars! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!
Nessun dorma
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Nessun Dorma)
Nessun dorma (English: None shall sleep tonight)[1] is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot,[2] and is one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, il principe ignoto (the unknown prince), who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot. However, any man who wishes to wed Turandot must first answer her three riddles. If he fails, he will be beheaded.
In the act before this aria, Calaf has correctly answered the three riddles put to all of Princess Turandot's prospective suitors. Nevertheless, she recoils at the thought of marriage to him. Calaf offers her another chance by challenging her to guess his name by dawn. (As he kneels before her, the Nessun dorma theme makes a first appearance, to his words, "Il mio nome non sai!") If she does so, she can execute him; but if she does not, she must marry him. The cruel and emotionally cold princess then decrees that none of her subjects is to sleep that night until his name is discovered. If they fail, all will be killed.
As the final act opens, it is now night. Calaf is alone in the moonlit palace gardens. In the distance, he hears Turandot's heralds proclaiming her command. His aria begins with an echo of their cry and a reflection on Princess Turandot:
Italian Text
Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma!
Tu pure, o, Principessa,
nella tua fredda stanza,
guardi le stelle
che tremano d'amore
e di speranza.
Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me,
il nome mio nessun saprà !
No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò
quando la luce splenderà !
Ed il mio bacio scioglierà il silenzio
che ti fa mia!
(Il nome suo nessun saprà !...
e noi dovrem, ahime, morir!)
Dilegua, o notte!
Tramontate, stelle!
Tramontate, stelle!
All'alba vincerò!
vincerò, vincerò!
English Translation of "Nessun Dorma"
Nobody shall sleep!...
Nobody shall sleep!
Even you, o Princess,
in your cold room,
watch the stars,
that tremble with love and with hope.
But my secret is hidden within me,
my name no one shall know...
No!...No!...
On your mouth I will tell it when the light shines.
And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine!...
(No one will know his name and we must, alas, die.)
Vanish, o night!
Set, stars! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!
Mrs. Barbara Bush Speech at Loma Linda University's campus
She married a President and gave birth to another President. Let's hear what got to say about life and parenting.....
Three Best Gifts to children
1) best education
2) set a good example
3) give all your love to them
Three Best Gifts to children
1) best education
2) set a good example
3) give all your love to them
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address
Drawing from some of the most pivotal points in his life, Steve Jobs, chief executive officer and co-founder of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, urged graduates to pursue their dreams...
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