Well, dear readers, one more day and then it’s two weeks of relaxation save for planning the February Kritzerland show. I’m so ready for my two weeks, I can’t even tell you, and yet I just told you so I told a fib (bif, spelled backwards). As I sit here writing these here notes I am taking a break from listening to the usual suspects and instead listening to an unusual suspect – the marvelously marvelous Nino Rota, a wonderful CD of his ballet version of La Strada, his concerto for strings, and a suite from The Leopard, conducted by Ricardo Muti. I love most of Mr. Rota’s film scores and his classical works are really terrific. I also listened to another terrific Rachmaninov second, this conducted by William Weller in a set of all three symphonies on that Decca Eloquence line that has such beautiful remasterings. I have to say there is an embarrassment of riches for this symphony in terms of performances and I haven’t uploaded one yet that I don’t really think is terrific. Each have different things to say about the music but they’re all lush and beautiful – some recorded better than others, some lengthier than others, but oh that music just puts me away. I’ve got a few more coming. But the big surprise for me was Weller’s performance of Rachmaninov’s first symphony. The story of that symphony is of legend – it was a disaster and it put Rachmaninov into a funk that went on for three years during which he did not compose anything, and he didn’t write his second symphony until twelve years later. After its premiere, the first symphony was not performed again during his lifetime. But it came back, as all things do. Ormandy championed and recorded it in stereo and it’s an excellent recording. It’s got none of the incredible melodic power of the second or even the third, but it grows on me each time I hear it. I only knew the Ormandy version until about three weeks ago, when I heard the Previn, which I didn’t like as much as the Ormandy. But Weller does a great job with it and it made me really appreciate the symphony in a way I haven’t before. I have a couple of other firsts coming and I’ll be curious to hear the, but I’d be surprised if the Weller doesn’t end up being my favorite. His version of the third symphony is also excellent, but I prefer the Ormandy, which is how I fell in love with it – it also has that Philadelphia sound. But I have several other really well thought of thirds coming – the Previn didn’t really do it for me either, which surprised me.
But enough about listening. Yesterday was a nice little day. I’m just about done casting the Kritzerland show and starting to think about the song selection. I got seven hours of sleep, did the usual morning things, and then I moseyed on over to Doug Haverty’s for a little meeting with Kay Cole to look through some old photos she found. They included some shots of her as a five-year-old in ballet class, and some really fun shots from the original production of Bye Bye Birdie, the tour of The Music Man (she played both Gracie Shinn and Amaryllis with Forrest Tucker), a great photo of her and Christopher Walken (then Ronnie Walken) in Best Foot Forward, shots from Roar of the Greasepaint and Stop the World, Hair, I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road, and a few other things. I’d also found a great publicity shot of her and Forrest Tucker from The Music Man. It will be a wonderful booklet filled with photos.
Then I picked up some packages, then went and had a Cobb salad and a bagel for my meal o’ the day. One of my regular servers gave me a red velvet cupcake as a post-birthday gift – very sweet and, of course, I ate it all up. Then I came home and uploaded stuff and listened, answered e-mails, printed orders, after which I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched the first half of Fences, directed by and starring Denzel Washington, doing the role he did in the Broadway revival. I like the writing a lot, and Mr. Washington is always good, but if you compare and contrast the famous “like you” speech from the original production and the revival (both are available to watch on You Tube) you will see the difference in performances and why James Earl Jones is so much more compelling. In fact, in the scene from the revival, the rather dumb audience is laughing hilariously throughout a speech that simply is not funny. Certainly Mr. Jones gets not a snicker let alone a laugh. In the film, I have no idea if it gets laughs from the movie audience – I’d hope not. Anyway, I’ll finish it up tonight probably.
After that, I just listened to music, as usual.
Today, I have a lunch with a film music collector, and I may even have a dinner, although I’m hoping that can happen on the weekend, which is easier for me. I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, begin choosing numbers for the kids show, and do whatever else needs doing.
Tomorrow, I have a lunch with dear reader Jeanne, and then after that I stop all work save for planning the Kritzerland show.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s all break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s all dance the Hora and the Charleston, because today is the birthday of our very own dear reader ChasSmith. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own dear reader ChasSmith. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN DEAR READER CHASSMITH!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, have a lunch, hopefully pick up packages, choose songs, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite CD or LP listening experiences this year? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to be winding down and looking up to two weeks of relaxation.