Well, dear readers, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but today is the final day of November. How did that happen? And that means that tomorrow is a brand new month that I like to call December, and, of course, it is my fervent hope and prayer that December will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful. Other than that, I’m sitting here like so much fish, listening to a noisy symphony by Erwin Schulhoff, his third. I like his music very much, but the third is a bit difficult. His other two symphonies are very nice, and his concertos are wonderful, yet another not very well-known composer. Now, I’ve got it into my head that I should direct an opera, most specifically Hansel and Gretel. I’ve now seen two full productions and enough of the travesty that is Peter Jones to know I could do better. Watching the second full production, this one in German, but directed by Frank Corsaro with sets and costumes by Maurice Sendak, I was struck by how weird his choices were and how unnecessary they were. I also found it weird to have the witch played by a tenor in drag but with no fun to be had anywhere. Rosalind Elias in the Met production was fun and scary and everything she should be, as is Christa Ludwig on the Eichhorn recording. The Sendak sets and costumes are fun for a while, but there’s no magic and there should be magic. The cast is okay but not stellar. Sometimes Corsaro hits on a good idea, like some staging in the overture, but it’s so ham-fisted and terrible – I would let the overture play for a minute or two – I would have no front curtain and have just black – a void – and about two minutes in I’d start bringing the set in, almost choreographed, along with some folks doing stuff, and ending at the end of the overture, with the interior of the house assembling itself. Can someone get me an opera company so I can do it? Schulhoff’s third symphony, I have to assume, is a wartime symphony – it reeks of wartime. Well, I read about it just now – it’s certainly a political symphony and very bombastic, written in 1935. Sadly, Schulhoff is another talented composer that the Nazis took care of – he died in a concentration camp. But the music lives on, thankfully, and most of it is very enjoyable – and I guess there are three other symphonies I haven’t heard, the fourth, fifth, and sixth. There’s a surprising amount of Schulhoff on CD. And that’s about it for the first paragraph, I should think.
Yesterday was a day, I guess we’re safe in saying that. I got just about eight hours of sleep. Once up, I did the usual things – answer e-mails, attend to things, and then I moseyed on over to the mail place to pick up a couple of packages, one of which was a very thoughtful early birthday present from dear reader Jeanne – the first season of a TV show I’ve never heard of that she likes very much, so that will be some fun watching. I came home, had a 30% coupon for Postmates, but stuck to my guns and made two tuna sandwiches on two bagels – they were very good. After that, I finally did some more work on project two, so that was fun and nice to get back to. After that, I sat on my couch like so much fish and watched that German Hansel and Gretel production – I dozed off for a while both during and after.
Then I made a Marie Callender’s frozen dinner to get the calorie count up – I’m sure it went up all right – to about 1200, but that’s fine. It was a cheesy chicken, rice, and broccoli bowl and it was pretty okay. Then I listened to music for a while, got another chart to proof, which I did, sent the correction for it, then heard it sung and that’s another one done. When she finishes the one I sent her last night, there will be three left, I think, so that’s not so bad. I also did some work on the Kritzerland show, and then it was onto Schulhoff.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, but no later than noon o’clock and if I actually get to bed by two, maybe earlier. Once up, I will relax, go over the script, then shave and shower, eat something light, hopefully pick up some packages and an important envelope, then I’ll do the thing I’ll do, then come home and probably have something else to eat.
Tomorrow is, of course, a new month, and I’m thinking it will be a busy one. If the important envelope arrived, then I’ll do some banking, then once that’s done, it’s the Kritzerland show, project two, charts, and tons of other stuff all during the week. I want to get as much stuff out of the way as I can, because the following week is the big lead up to the December Kritzerland show, which is on December 13, and also, it’s my birthday week, although I don’t think I’ll be celebrating with anyone, obviously. But we’ll have us a big partay right here, I think, with cake and onions and scallions and tomatoes and potatoes and perhaps some 1000-Island dressing. Yes, I will be a new age and all I have to say about that is yikes. Here is the flyer for the December Kritzerland show, so mark your calendars and we really want you to watch it as it’s happening – so much fun when you’re all there and commenting up a storm.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, relax, eat something light, shave and shower, hopefully pick up packages and an important envelope, do the thing, and then come home, eat again, and watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: If you’re watching any of the plethora of high-profile movies and series on all the millions of platforms, which ones have you enjoyed the most. They all look like carbon copies to me, but I’m interested to hear your opinions. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, as we try to remember the end of November and the beginning of December.