Well, dear readers, I am sitting her like so much errant and truant fish, having been distracted by other things that were distractions that distracted me. So, now I am forced to write these here notes in a hurry for they are errant and truant due to distractions that were distracting. As I write these here notes, I am listening to Salome, an opera by Richard Strauss, as I’ve never actually heard a Richard Strauss opera and I must, as always, expand my musical lost horizons. This particular recording is very kooky – George Solti conducts and Birgit Nilsson stars as the titular Salome. The cover says Decca Soundstage – apparently heavily manipulated in the mixing room with lots of panning and other effects – it’s very strange, but I like things that dare to be different and this certainly is. Prior to that, I’d listened to two Schreker operas, both excellent – Flammen and Der Schatzgraber, both from his good period. I wasn’t thrilled with either recordings, technically, but the performances were, I suppose fine. They’re both live recordings and very distant-sounding with no orchestral detail at all – in Der Schatzgraber the orchestra may as well have stayed home. I continue to be amazed by the number of online streaming things by local folks that really are direct copies of what we do, in terms of the production values of some of our performances – it’s funny to see – well, funny in a way. And I was very surprised to find that a video I’d found on the Tube of You, Oscar Straus’s operetta, The Pearls of Cleopatra, in a rather wild and wooly and really creative and brilliantly choreographed production from earlier this year in Germany, which I’d saved after watching thirty minutes of it and loving it, is gone, taken down and the channel is MIA as well. I was going to share it with you dear readers yesterday. Maybe they’ll release it on Blu-ray or DVD – I hope so, or at least stream it again. The joke is, of course, that I could have grabbed it and saved it on the computer but who knew it would be gone in the snap of a finger.
Yesterday was an okay day, maybe better than okay for most of it. I got seven hours of sleep, answered e-mails, and did stuff that needed doing. There were no charts to proof, but there were a couple of tracks to listen to and adjust, so I did that. Then I moseyed on over to the mail place and picked up some packages, after which I came right home. I’d already decided on food, so all I had to do was press the “order” button. I tried a new soul food place called Sweet Blessings by Cyler. They had a fried chicken dinner – you could have a two-piece all-white (breast and wing) or a four-piece all-white (two breasts and wings), and I opted for the latter because I wasn’t sure one breast would be enough for my only meal. When it arrived forty minutes later, I realized that was a huge mistake, as the breasts and wings were very large. It also came with mac-and-cheese, corn, and a roll. I began with the first breast – one should always do one breast at a time, which is also the title of my next novel – and it was fantastic and totally filling. Then I ate the second breast and at that point I was full. I left the wings for later and ate the mac-and-cheese, which was great, and the corn, which had a nice kick to it. I couldn’t finish the corn, as I was now completely uncomfortable. I gave them a Yelp rave.
I listened to the two Schreker operas whilst doing some work on project two, then I had a long telephonic session with Richard Allen. I wrote a theme and variations for Doug’s playlet, and Richard notated it over the phone and got it all down, sent me a piano track, which was just right, so now he’ll do a few versions – fully orchestrated, we have the solo piano version, a smaller version with perhaps just a few instruments, and stuff like that. So, I should have those today and will get to Marshall Harvey, our editor. He’s busy getting everything ready for editing – I think he starts that on Friday or Saturday and it really shouldn’t take a huge amount of time given the nine-minute length of the piece. Then I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched Fellini’s heavily autobiographical film, I Vitelloni, which I haven’t seen all that much, but which I’ve always loved. And it’s just really a wonderful film – very episodic, but you can see his “style” really bloom in this film, which bridged The White Sheik and La Strada. The cast is perfection and the Rota score is also perfection. The transfer is similar to The White Sheik – when it’s good it’s very good, but the opticals are clearly replacements in every case and from later generation copies – they’re just not good, pulsing in and out of focus, but they come and go quickly and it’s really only in the second half of the film.
Then I skipped ahead to 8 1/2, because I wanted to see what the transfer looked like, as I really wasn’t happy with Criterion’s Blu-ray from eight years ago. Well, the entire transfer for this one is from the original camera negative and it looks splendidly splendid and really makes the brilliant photography sparkle and gleam. The film is wonderful – I got about forty-five minutes in, and I’ll finish it tonight, most likely.
After that, I nibbled on the wings, which I’d left out, and that was a mistake, I think, as I got a little nauseous. I’m okay now and hopefully I’ll stay that way. Then I listened to music and moved on to Salome, which despite the kooky recording, I must say I’m really enjoying. I was surprised that there was no overture or prelude music – Strauss just dives right in. The orchestrations are really good, though. And next up after that, is Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, also starring Birgit Nilsson, along with Christa Ludwig, with Karl Bohm conducting. I do love the orchestral excerpts from that opera, so I’m hoping I’ll enjoy the whole thing. Ms. Nilsson is quite good in Salome, I think.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll hopefully proof another chart, which I think will leave two, which I’d like to get done by Sunday so Richard can get everything orchestrated, I’ll hopefully get the little music cues for the playlet so I can get those to Marshall Harvey, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll eat something VERY calorie-friendly after my fried chicken pigfest, and then at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow and the weekend will all be project two, getting the rest of the charts done, hearing orchestrations, and most importantly getting everything ready for the December 13 Kritzerland show – this one has been a lot of work, but I’m hoping it will really be a fun way to start the holiday season.
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, do whatever needs doing, hopefully proof a chart, hopefully get music cues, hopefully pick up packages, eat something VERY calorie friendly, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: Going back to La Strada, what are your favorite films of Anthony Quinn, an actor I run hot and cold on, but who’s given some pretty great performances. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, still full from having one breast at a time.