It was not a singing teacher, nor an opera director nor even a family member who discovered the extraordinary vocal talent of the Sicilian-born Giuseppe …
Maria Callas: She brought opera into the modern age
In 2023, the one and only Maria Callas would have turned one hundred: To this day, musicologists, opera critics and fans alike struggle to classify …
Ken Adam: The Touch of Utopia
Without his work, the first James Bond films would have been no more than “average spy thrillers,”: Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels provided the basis …
Ingrid Bergman: She created her own image (2.)
Continued from part one “I created my own image because I refused to change my name and my hairstyle,” Ingrid Bergman said in a 1972 …
Ingrid Bergman: It all started with photography (1.)
Part one “German was my second mother tongue,” Ingrid Bergman once wrote in her memoirs, looking back on her early experiences in front of the …
Swiss Bündnerfleisch: History and production of the Grisons delicacy
In many regions, one is used to beef or pork products being smoked in order to preserve them for as long as possible: However, this …
Hopscotch with Walter Matthau: Between Oktoberfest and opera arias
Hopscotch (1980) is an example of a film that combines elements of a comedy and a spy movie: The film is based on the novel …
Bresaola: Speciality from Valtellina with Swiss roots
At first glance, it is often mixed up with the Swiss Bündnerfleisch, a traditional Swiss beef ham from the canton of Grisons: But Bresaola has …
Spencer Tracy: Right to the limits of acting
One of his teachers reportedly once said to Spencer Tracy that he was “born to be a jurist”: In the end, the role of a …
Curt Goetz: The timeless, reflective humour
“Anyone who knew how to die with humor would have reached the highest level of culture,“ [Original quote: “Wer mit Humor zu sterben verstünde, hätte …