Latest news with #Viennese
Sunday World
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Angela Scanlon says Strictly Come Dancing left her in more pain than childbirth
The TV presenter came sixth in the dance competiton back in 2023. TV Presenter Angela Scanlon has said that participating in Strictly Come Dancing left her in more pain than childbirth. The 41-year-old took part in the BBC series back in 2023 alongside pro-dancer Carlos Gu. 'I've had two children without pain relief and would do that ten times over in a day than have raw, bleeding blisters,' she told Vicki Pattison on their podcast Get A Grip. Angela Scanlon News in 90 Seconds - May 30th 'You have to put the goddamn shoes on and do a Viennese waltz – my heels have never had so much action. 'You put a plaster on and, because you're sweating like a donkey, it falls off. You put socks on with your ballroom shoe, and you're still rub-a-dubbing. 'You're raw,' she added. Scanlon has two daughters, Ruby (7) and Marnie (3) with husband Rory Horgan. The couple married in 2014, and welcomed their first child four years later. Her youngest daughter was born just one year before she signed up to take part in dance competition. Angela placed sixth, with Coronation Street actor Ellie Leach going on to win the glitterball trophy. The Ratoath native began presenting her new podcast Get A Grip with Geordie Shore star Vicki Pattinson, earlier this month. Get A Grip is hosted by Angela Scanlon and Vicky Pattison (Amanda Akokhia/PA) "Female camaraderie in the face of the ridiculous was the catalyst for our new podcast,' Scanlon said of the venture. 'We wanted to create a fun and empowering space where we can unpick the good, the bad and the bizarre happenings in the world each week as we move through our own lives loudly, unashamedly and maybe a little unhinged.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What did Beethoven really look like? Scientists think they finally know — and he was a bit of a grouch
Turns out Beethoven didn't just sound intense — he looked it, too. Nearly 200 years after Ludwig van Beethoven's death, scientists say they've finally pieced together what the famously moody maestro actually looked like — and let's just say he wouldn't exactly be mistaken for a people person, originally reported by the Daily Mail. 'I found the face somewhat intimidating,' admitted Cicero Moraes, a Brazilian graphics expert who used 19th-century skull photos, facial modeling, and AI to reconstruct the furrowed countenance of classical music's original bad boy. The first-of-its-kind digital render shows the German composer just as he's often been depicted in oil paintings: scowling and brooding. 'He was indeed irritable, untidy, clumsy, rude, and misanthropic,' British conductor Mark Wigglesworth said in a blog post — though he added, 'Beethoven could be witty, caring, mischievous, generous, and kind.' So what turned the artist formerly known as Ludwig into such a legendary grouch? Experts say it may have been as much biology as biography. In 2023, a groundbreaking DNA study published in Current Biology cracked open the medical mystery of Beethoven's tumultuous life — and painful death at age 56. Researchers sequenced his genome using five strands of his preserved hair and determined he likely died from liver failure caused by chronic alcohol consumption, combined with hepatitis B and a genetic predisposition for liver disease. Reportedly, the beloved composer began suffering bouts of jaundice in 1821, a symptom of liver disease, and had progressive hearing loss that left him completely deaf by his mid-40s. 'Most people who do genetic testing for fun, including myself, will find that there is nothing wrong with them,' lead researcher Tristan Begg said. 'But in this study we had fascinating results in every branch we looked at, from disease risk to the family tree.' Indeed, Beethoven's tangled roots may have been more than musical — the study also suggested a child may have been born from an affair in his family line. As if that weren't enough, bones believed to be fragments of Beethoven's skull — long stashed in a tin marked 'Beethoven' by the descendant of a Viennese doctor — were recently donated to the Medical University of Vienna by California businessman Paul Kaufmann. 'It is extremely emotional to me to return the fragments where they belong, back to where Beethoven is buried,' Kaufmann told CNN in 2023. Moraes reconstructed Beethoven's famously intense visage — aided by old skull images and tissue-thickness data — and reinforced by a death mask made while the composer still had a pulse. 'I academically explored his genius, revealing what made him an icon of Western music,' Moraes said of his 2025 study. 'I analyzed his revolutionary creativity, resilience in composing despite deafness, intense focus, problem-solving ability, and tireless productivity, despite a challenging personality.'
New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
What did Beethoven really look like? Scientists think they finally know — and he was a bit of a grouch
Turns out Beethoven didn't just sound intense — he looked it, too. Nearly 200 years after Ludwig van Beethoven's death, scientists say they've finally pieced together what the famously moody maestro actually looked like — and let's just say he wouldn't exactly be mistaken for a people person, originally reported by the Daily Mail. 'I found the face somewhat intimidating,' admitted Cicero Moraes, a Brazilian graphics expert who used 19th-century skull photos, facial modeling, and AI to reconstruct the furrowed countenance of classical music's original bad boy. Advertisement The first-of-its-kind digital render shows the German composer just as he's often been depicted in oil paintings: scowling and brooding. 'He was indeed irritable, untidy, clumsy, rude, and misanthropic,' British conductor Mark Wigglesworth said in a blog post — though he added, 'Beethoven could be witty, caring, mischievous, generous, and kind.' So what turned the artist formerly known as Ludwig into such a legendary grouch? Experts say it may have been as much biology as biography. Advertisement 3 The groundbreaking digital mugshot shows the German maestro just like the paintings did — scowling, brooding, and looking like he just heard a wrong note. Credit: Cicero Moraes/Pen News In 2023, a groundbreaking DNA study published in Current Biology cracked open the medical mystery of Beethoven's tumultuous life — and painful death at age 56. Researchers sequenced his genome using five strands of his preserved hair and determined he likely died from liver failure caused by chronic alcohol consumption, combined with hepatitis B and a genetic predisposition for liver disease. Reportedly, the beloved composer began suffering bouts of jaundice in 1821, a symptom of liver disease, and had progressive hearing loss that left him completely deaf by his mid-40s. Advertisement 3 Was Beethoven born to brood? Scientists say his scowl may've been written in both his past — and his DNA. Getty Images 'Most people who do genetic testing for fun, including myself, will find that there is nothing wrong with them,' lead researcher Tristan Begg said. 'But in this study we had fascinating results in every branch we looked at, from disease risk to the family tree.' Indeed, Beethoven's tangled roots may have been more than musical — the study also suggested a child may have been born from an affair in his family line. Advertisement 3 In 2023, a blockbuster DNA study blew the lid off Beethoven's lifelong medical drama — and his booze-fueled death at 56. Bildagentur-online/Universal Images Group via Getty Images As if that weren't enough, bones believed to be fragments of Beethoven's skull — long stashed in a tin marked 'Beethoven' by the descendant of a Viennese doctor — were recently donated to the Medical University of Vienna by California businessman Paul Kaufmann. 'It is extremely emotional to me to return the fragments where they belong, back to where Beethoven is buried,' Kaufmann told CNN in 2023. Moraes reconstructed Beethoven's famously intense visage — aided by old skull images and tissue-thickness data — and reinforced by a death mask made while the composer still had a pulse. 'I academically explored his genius, revealing what made him an icon of Western music,' Moraes said of his 2025 study. 'I analyzed his revolutionary creativity, resilience in composing despite deafness, intense focus, problem-solving ability, and tireless productivity, despite a challenging personality.'
Scoop
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
NZSO Classical Hits Tour From Kerikeri To Blenheim Begins 31 May
Journey from the hall of the mountain king to the Viennese countryside with a selection of classical music's greatest hits performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in Wellington, Blenheim, Nelson, Manukau and Kerikeri from 31 May. Masterworks: Mozart, Beethoven & Haydn is part of the NZSO's annual Setting Up Camp tour, which includes daytime community performances and events in each centre where the orchestra plays. Led by NZSO Music Director Emeritus James Judd and featuring NZSO Concertmaster Vesa-Matti Leppänen as soloist for Mozart's exquisite Fifth Violin Concerto, Masterworks is an unmissable musical experience. The tour programme has been tailored for each centre. Along with Mozart's Violin Concerto, Wellington and Blenheim feature Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, including the instantly recognisable In the Hall of the Mountain King, Beethoven's beloved Sixth Symphony Pastoral and the world premiere of Kiwi composer Briar Prastiti's The Garden. The Manukau and Kerikeri concerts feature The Garden, Peer Gynt and Pastoral, along with Haydn's magnificent Symphony No. 100 Military. Nelson audiences will enjoy Military, Mozart's Fifth Violin Concerto and, as a special treat, Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio Overture. 'New Zealand is unrivalled in producing so much wonderful new music of all genres. Our programme includes The Garden by Briar Prastiti, a SOUNZ/Tarling Trust commission which establishes, alongside Grieg's Peer Gynt, an underlying presence of the natural world in our programme,' says Maestro Judd. 'Beethoven's love of nature inspired his Sixth Symphony, not merely at times as a vivid picture but more so representing the personal feelings we experience through the spirit of nature. 'Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5, written at the age of 19, features as soloist the superb Concertmaster of the NZSO, Vesa-Matti Leppänen. Listen out for the third movement of this concerto with its delights from Türkiye.' Beyond the concerts, Setting Up Camp daytime performances and events include, in Nelson (6 June) and Manukau (10 June), NZSO Relaxed Concerts which cater for neurodivergent people of all ages who may feel uncomfortable in a traditional concert environment. Schools' Concerts take place in Wellington (29 May), Manukau (11 June), Whangārei (12 June) and Kerikeri (13 June). Side-by-Side concerts, where local musicians perform alongside NZSO players, will be held in Nelson (7 June) and Whangārei (12 June). Tickets to Masterworks range from $17 to $48. For more information go to – conductor Emilia Hoving, piano Javier Perianes. Wellington (17 July), Christchurch (19 July).
Scoop
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
NZSO Classical Hits Tour From Kerikeri To Blenheim Begins 31 May
Journey from the hall of the mountain king to the Viennese countryside with a selection of classical music's greatest hits performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in Wellington, Blenheim, Nelson, Manukau and Kerikeri from 31 May. Masterworks: Mozart, Beethoven & Haydn is part of the NZSO's annual Setting Up Camp tour, which includes daytime community performances and events in each centre where the orchestra plays. Led by NZSO Music Director Emeritus James Judd and featuring NZSO Concertmaster Vesa-Matti Leppänen as soloist for Mozart's exquisite Fifth Violin Concerto, Masterworks is an unmissable musical experience. The tour programme has been tailored for each centre. Along with Mozart's Violin Concerto, Wellington and Blenheim feature Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, including the instantly recognisable In the Hall of the Mountain King, Beethoven's beloved Sixth Symphony Pastoral and the world premiere of Kiwi composer Briar Prastiti's The Garden. The Manukau and Kerikeri concerts feature The Garden, Peer Gynt and Pastoral, along with Haydn's magnificent Symphony No. 100 Military. Nelson audiences will enjoy Military, Mozart's Fifth Violin Concerto and, as a special treat, Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio Overture. 'New Zealand is unrivalled in producing so much wonderful new music of all genres. Our programme includes The Garden by Briar Prastiti, a SOUNZ/Tarling Trust commission which establishes, alongside Grieg's Peer Gynt, an underlying presence of the natural world in our programme,' says Maestro Judd. 'Beethoven's love of nature inspired his Sixth Symphony, not merely at times as a vivid picture but more so representing the personal feelings we experience through the spirit of nature. 'Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5, written at the age of 19, features as soloist the superb Concertmaster of the NZSO, Vesa-Matti Leppänen. Listen out for the third movement of this concerto with its delights from Türkiye.' Beyond the concerts, Setting Up Camp daytime performances and events include, in Nelson (6 June) and Manukau (10 June), NZSO Relaxed Concerts which cater for neurodivergent people of all ages who may feel uncomfortable in a traditional concert environment. Schools' Concerts take place in Wellington (29 May), Manukau (11 June), Whangārei (12 June) and Kerikeri (13 June). Side-by-Side concerts, where local musicians perform alongside NZSO players, will be held in Nelson (7 June) and Whangārei (12 June). Tickets to Masterworks range from $17 to $48. For more information go to COMING UP NYO Adventure: Rachmaninov & Strauss – conductor Adam Johnson, soprano Madison Horman. Wellington (5 July), Auckland (6 July). – conductor Emilia Hoving, piano Javier Perianes. Wellington (17 July), Christchurch (19 July).
