Well, dear readers, there is beauty and there is beauty. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, there is beauty and there is beauty. I had occasion to watch the first part of the Paris Opera Ballet’s tribute to Jerome Robbins on Blu and Ray last night, specifically the Robbins ballet called In G major (in French – En Sol), whose music is Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major. I don’t really know from ballet all that much, but every time I see one I end up loving it. I certainly haven’t seen many of the classics, and I suppose I respond to more contemporary stagings, but this Robbins ballet from 1975, created for the New York City Ballet’s Ravel celebration, is so wonderful and so beautiful to watch and filled with Robbins’ genius in every step, every stage picture, and just the conception itself. When the Paris Opera Ballet premiered it just a few months after its New York Premiere, they had their own sets and costumes designed by Erte, and they were so great that the New York City Ballet then used them from that point on. I don’t know many greater pleasures than watching great dancers do great choreography and In G Major is just a wonderful and ravishing work and I shall watch it again many times. It doesn’t hurt that the Ravel concerto is a brilliant piece of music. Happily, there are three other Robbins ballets on this Blu and Ray, along with one other piece choreographed by one of his disciples.
Of course, I have never been a very good dancer, even though I’ve staged things and had to do some musical numbers on stage and on TV. So, I’m just so envious of those who are wonderful dancers, just as I am envious of people who can draw and paint well, something else I have no ability to do. In any case, I recommend this Blu and Ray of the Robbins tribute – it’s sheer heaven. While I’m on the subject, and going from the sublime to the much-less sublime, I also finished watching Panama Hattie, starring Miss Ann Southern, Mr. Red Skelton, Mr. Dan Daily, Miss Lena Horne, and the amazing Berry Brothers. It’s the usual MGM deal – throw out most of Cole Porter’s songs from the show, add one Porter standard, and then add several less than great songs written by much lesser folks than Mr. Porter. The result is a not so good movie musical, which is thankfully short. It has the weakest of plots, but so did the stage version, but that at least had an all-Porter score. But there are pleasures here, especially the two numbers featuring the Berry Brothers. I believe Miss Southern is dubbed. The movie on demand DVD-R has a nice transfer. I also watched a short film called Interregnum, about artist George Grosz, a short thirty-minute film comprised of his drawings between the two German wars, World War 1 and 2, narrated by Lotte Lenya, and with a musical score by Paul Glass. It was interesting, but not really that compelling.
Prior to all that watching, I’d had a good night’s sleep, I did a three-mile jog, and then I lunched with the Staitman clan – we went to the Kansas City Barbecue and it was, as always, great. I had the barbecue brisket of beef sandwich and some baked beans. They shared a full rack of baby back ribs, which they loved. It really is the best barbecue jernt in town. After that, I came home and finished writing the contextual commentary. I then e-mailed myself it and several other documents that I’ll put on the laptop. Then I did all my watching, and after that I made the event page for the next Kritzerland show, which takes about ninety minutes, due to having to check each person one wants to invite. It’s a big ol’ pain in the butt cheeks, frankly and yet something else Facebook has made completely difficult for no reason.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get a good night’s beauty sleep.
Today, I already have more to do than I wanted. I have to get up early to do a jog of some sort, then I have an appointment at the Apple Store to get the big boy computer fixed – that, of course, makes me very nervous, but it’s all backed up to the Time Machine hard drive. Hopefully whatever the fix is will be easy and not cause any problems whatsoever. Then I have to come right home, pack, and take another carpenter for a tour of the stuff that needs to be fixed at the home environment. I also have to write several checks and get them in the mail, and hopefully I’ll pick up some packages. The helper will come at some point and gather up invoices and get the keys to the house, which she’ll be watching whilst I am gone. I really want to be through with everything by three, if possible, so I can just relax until bedtime. I’m sure I’ll write the notes early and get to bed by nine.
Tomorrow, I will be picked up at five-fifteen in the morning and I’ll be driven to LAX, and from there I fly to Washington, DC. So, please send your strongest most excellent vibes and xylophones for a safe, secure, and on-time flight and good weather both going and then coming home. I’ll be meeting up with dear reader KevinH, and if any other dear readers can make it to Washington I’d love to see you and I do have evenings where I can sup or hang out. Most of the week will be working with the East Coast Singer, and then seeing a show she’s in, and then coming home to LA on Saturday.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, take the computer in, show a carpenter around, eat, pack, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite ballet experiences? What was the first ballet you ever saw? The most exciting? The worst? Let’s have loads of lovely postings shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I will do a pas de deux for one.