Well, dear readers, this week is flying by, like a gazelle extolling the virtues of litmus paper. What ARE the virtues of litmus paper, anyway? Chemistry? Yeah, chemistry. What am I, Sky Masterson all of a sudden? I have been listening to a 7-CD set of the music of Wagner. Not daddykins, no, not Richard, but his beleaguered boy Siegfried. These seven discs are comprised of overtures, a symphony, tone poems, and concertos. Well, old Siegfried is a chip off the older Richard. His music is absolutely wonderful and yet, until this set, his loving family had done everything they could to keep their boy’s music out of the public eye – or ear. They apparently felt there was room for only one legacy in their screwed-up family and that was daddykins. Now, I like daddykins’ music okay – it’s a bit ponderous, but there are obviously very nice works that have stood the test of time, and some are to my liking more than others. Mommykins was apparently a monster, from what I’ve read. A Nazi sympathizer and a horror to her son. It’s a wonder Siegfried was able to create, but I’m here to tell you, his music is terrific – of course, you hear shades of daddykins, which is only natural, but you also hear some Mahler and he and Mr. Korngold aren’t worlds apart at times – some of this music is very Korngoldian and would have been at home in any number of motion pictures of the silver screen.
This set is from the adventurous CPO label, who has set right any number of wrongs, neglected composer-wise – it is my favorite classical label now that Lyrita really doesn’t do much anymore. I have discovered tons of worthwhile music from CPO. It’s beautifully produced and played, and in excellent sound, which is typical of this label. If you search, you can find reasonably-priced copies of the box set – VERY reasonable if you REALLY search. Anyway, I’m on the sixth CD and it’s just been very pleasurable listening. Hopefully mommykins is rotting in hell, where she belongs, for making her son’s life such a negative thing.
Yesterday, I got about six-and-a-half hours of sleep, got up, answered e-mails, had a telephonic conversation, and did some work at the piano, recorded the latest, and sent it off where it needed to go. Then I went and picked up a package and no mail, then went to my local pizza place that I like and got three slices of pepperoni pizza – 900 calories – came home, ate them up, whilst having some e-mail volleys. Then I dove into this seven-CD set whilst I did work on the computer. From time to time, I’d walk into the living room to admire the Sundays and Cybele poster – so lovely.
At some point in the evening, I went to Gelson’s to get a little salad from their salad bar, just as a low-cal snack. I noticed they now sell an Impossible Meatloaf, that looks nothing like meat and an awful lot like loaf made of plants. The Impossible part must be that I would not go near such a thing, let alone eat it. I came home and dressed my salad (white tie and tails), then ate it. It was good.
I continued to listen to music, just because I could, read up on the history of dear Siegfried and his ever-lovin’ mommykins, had more telephonic calls, and relaxed.
Today, I have many things that need doing, I’ll eat something light, hopefully pick up some packages, work at the piano, work on the computer, write some intros for the What If thing, and continue my search for a Banjo. We do have a fallback option, which was actually suggested here, although we’d already pondered it. Which is that Barry Pearl could do it for the first four weeks and I could take over for the last two weeks – or find someone else who could. I don’t relish the thought of doing it, frankly, but I’ve played it twice before so I’m sure the dialogue is in my brain somewhere. We shall see. Then, at some point, I’ll relax and probably watch something.
The rest of the week is meetings and meals, working at the piano, and doing whatever else needs doing, which is puh-lenty. I’m trying to be a good boy, food-wise – we’ll see how that goes.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do things that need doing, eat, hopefully pick up packages, work at the piano, work on the computer, write, search for Banjo, and then relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What do you think of the various vegetarian attempts to be like meat products? Have you had good ones? I’m told the Impossible burger does NOT taste anything like meat, but people like to convince themselves of anything. Well, let’s hear about it here, shall we. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, whilst I ponder my excessive use of the words mommykins and daddykins.