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December 10, 2020:

VAS IZ DAS, FISH? AN OPERA

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, The Birds is coming.  No, not the Hitchcock film, but the Walter Braunfels opera entitled Die Vogel aka The Birds.  This recording was part of the Entartete Musik series on Decca, an incredible series – I have many of them and am always trying to figure out exactly how many releases there actually were.  I gather that this opera is generally thought of as a masterpiece and while I don’t know enough about opera to know how to apply that term, what I can tell you is that it’s stunning music – lush, tonal, occasionally Korngoldian in sound, and this performance, conducted by Lothar Zagrosek is fantastic.  The cast is great, the band is great, and I now must see a performance to see how it all plays and thanks to the LA Opera and a Blu-ray, I’ll be able to.  It’s just coming to its conclusion as I write these here notes.  It’s not the only opera I heard yesterday – I also was entranced by Richard Strauss’s Adriadne and Naxos, with Jessye Norman, conducted by Kurt Masur, also on Decca.  Very enjoyable, with typical Strauss lush orchestrations and well performed and in excellent sound.  There was another opera experience, but we’ll get to that later, oh, yes, we’ll get to that later.  Otherwise, I’m relaxing and thinking about writing an opera entitled, What Is It, Fish? written for a countertenor since the role will require someone to be behind a counter.  The libretto, based on a tale written by an unknown Jewish purveyor of naughty French postcards, which actually featured Albanian women doing naughty things in Peru – such derelict activities such as smoking cigars whilst wearing an unlaced corset and showing bare legs – well, you can imagine he was quite popular with these postcards.  This, Moishe Lowenstein’s only libretto came into my possession via eBay, when I just happened to be searching naughty French postcards of Albanian women doing naughty things in Peru – you can imagine my delight in obtaining this.  Of course, his original title in Yiddish was Vas Iz Das, Fish? Which was apparently some sort of sequel to Ist Das Nicht Ein Schintzelbank.  In any case, I’ll be writing this opera in Yiddish, then that will be translated to Hungarian and re-translated from the Hungarian back into English.  I’m very excited and I also have no clew as to what the HELL I’m talking about.

Yesterday was a nice day after the birthday day.  I got nine hours of sleep, answered a lot of e-mails, made a little adjustment in one orchestrated track, then picked up some packages, came home, and made the Regina meat ball pizza.

It wasn’t quite as good as the pepperoni, but I still enjoyed it.  I’m wondering if I’ll like the sausage better.  But I won’t know that until Friday when I have it, as I have other plans for today’s meal.  I ate the pizza up, and then I did a little Kritzerland show work, and then I went right to working on project two and got some good progress done on that one.  I don’t know if it’s any good, but it’s interesting and certainly fun to work on.  I had a few telephonic conversations, then I got the last of the charts to proof, did so, did a few fixes on it, so all the basic charts are done for Richard Allen.  I think he’s orchestrated five of the ten so far, or maybe it’s four and he’s about to finish the fifth.  Then, at some point in the early evening, I sat on my couch like so much fish.

Last night, I had the misfortune to watch the Glyndebourne production of Leos Janacek’s opera, The Cunning Little Vixen.  This was part of the box set of three operas that had that horrid production of Hansel and Gretel.  Well, the opera itself has wonderful music and seems like it might be fun, but this production was yet another example of a “director” with a “vision,” trying to make everything dark and ugly, and using every tired trick in the musical theater book of today to do so – from the moody and too dark lighting, to the stage effects, to the ugly set, to having it look like Sweeney Todd (complete with a throat-slitting and pouring blood), having the title character pee on someone’s head (I kid you not – obviously not real pee but a device with water, but still – why?), I mean, one thing after another, including animal characters having sex – at what point, I wonder, does someone stand up and say just do the damn opera, trust the damn material.  I shut it off after act one.  I’d like to see a normal production and there’s supposedly an excellent one conducted by Charles Mackerras and supervised by Nicholas Hytner.  I also sampled a little of a new opera of Pinocchio – again with a set from hunger and strictly from todaysville – and music that I wouldn’t exactly call tuneful.  And yet, the audience bravos like crazy.  I shut that thing off after ten minutes.

I then watched a bit of Juliet of the Spirits, but I really just don’t care for it much – I’ve never, in fact, gotten all the way through it, but I suppose I’ll try.  I also really don’t like the transfer, color-wise – it’s nothing like the original dye transfer Technicolor prints – this veers between dull yellow and dull pink.  I don’t really understand it.  I also checked out Satyircon and Roma, but they’re simpy retreads of older and not-attractive transfers.  Then it was on to Amarcord – that restoration looks pretty great and I rather enjoy the film.

After that, I relaxed, ate the cupcake in a jar that the Darling Daughter provided in the Birthday in a Box box and it was a nice treat, and then it was time to write these here notes.

Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll work on project two, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ve already decided it will be Casa Vega for food, so I’ll call that order in as I’m leaving the mail place and stop and pick it up, then I’ll come home and eat it, do some Kritzerland show work, and then I’ll watch, listen, and relax.

Tomorrow is more of the same, Saturday the Group Rep premieres the Christmas playlets and I’ll have the link for those who’d like to see it for ten bucks and then attend the Zoom after party, which I’m sure will be fun of a sort.  Then Sunday is our annual Kritzerland holiday show, which I’m hoping will be a lot of fun – I’ll have those links here on Sunday and please do try and watch it live with us so you can comment as the show goes along.  Our holiday shows are always a favorite for the cast and what a cast we have.  And no one will pee on anyone’s head, I promise.

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, work on project two, hopefully pick up some packages, eat, do some Kritzerland show work, and then watch, listen, and relax.  Today’s topic of discussion: It occurs to me we really can’t do best of theater or best movies lists this year, due to the crazy times we’re living in, but what have been your favorite TV shows and films shown on TV and other outlets like Amazon Prime, Netflix, and whatever the HELL else is out there, and what have been your favorite online events, cabaret and musical theater-wise?  Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, ready to write my new opera, Vas Iz Das, Fish?

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