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May 29, 2021:

IMAGES

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, you know what I don’t think we’ve ever done in over nineteen years of these here daily notes? I don’t think we’ve ever begun with images – photos – eye candy. So, damn it all to HELL, isn’t it about time we did so? All right, then, here we go.

Aren’t those lovely images? They are, of course, from the check disc of Tonight’s the Night, a couple of the menus. Normally, when I look at menus, I order something, but these menus are something wholly other. Anyway, I’ve approved check disc two and off it goes for replication and we should have discs in two to three weeks. Very exciting. Of course, now that we led off with images, I don’t know where the HELL I am, notes-wise or any otherwise-wise. Let’s see. Well, I’m listening to Previn and Perlman (together again) do the Sibelius violin concerto. It’s quite lovely – not my favorite rendition, but I’m glad to have it and hear it, not necessarily in that order. And prior to that we had Previn doing the Goldmark Symphony one, which is a wonderful piece, we had a superb Ravel disc with a great performance of the warhorse Bolero. We had an Enigma Variations which, frankly, I found to be an enigma – I just did not care for it at all, but the other two pieces on the album, Vaughan Williams’ The Wasps Overture and Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis were superb performances. We also had a nice Mendelssohn fourth (and some overtures, we had a sprightly spring in your step Spring Symphony by Britten – although I must confess, I’ve never loved the Spring Symphony. And we had a Mahler fourth that I really enjoyed simply because it sounds like no other Mahler fourth I’ve ever heard and I’ve heard a ton – it just doesn’t have the Mahler sound world, but it sure was interesting and fun to hear, and then a superb Prokofiev disc with the Classical Symphony and symphony seven. I’m actually getting close to finishing this set.

I also watched a motion picture entitled The Red Shoes, which I haven’t viewed since it came out on Blu-ray, which must be going on almost a decade now. It’s such an interesting movie – beautiful to look at, melodramatic, incredible color, wonderful performances, and, of course, the ballet itself, which, of course, is pure cinema and has little to do with actual ballet. It’s funny – I saw the film in the mid-1950s (pretty certain it was in 1955) when it played a return engagement at the Lido Theater. And the ending was seared into my brain – I must have been all of seven years old. And poor Moira Shearing getting all torn up by a train was something I could barely look at, mostly because I’d been entranced by her in the film. But that’s all I remember from seeing it. I’ve often wondered what it played with. I think they could probably have the transfer look a bit better these days, but it still holds up pretty well, and the color (or colour) is really luscious.

Prior to that, I got about six hours of sleep, was up at ten, answered e-mails, and then went to the new storage place, found the two boxes I needed to find instantly, and left a bunch of Indiegogo perk stuff there to get shipped. I wasn’t there more than about five minutes. Then I drove back, stopping to deposit the residual that came yesterday. The Sherman Oaks BofA is open again, but I did the deposit in the ATM. Then I came home. I looked at the remaining Factor meals and immediately ordered a tri-salad from Art’s Deli, thanks to an eight-dollar off coupon. It arrived about forty minutes later and was really excellent. After that I did a few things on the computer, the check disc arrived, and the rest you know. And right now, Previn and Perlman (together again) are doing the Sinding Suite for Violin and Orchestra. I have no idea who this Sinding character was or is, but the piece is just lovely so perhaps I’ll see what else the guy has written.

Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll eat (maybe one last Factor meal, although they’re now four days old, so maybe not – maybe I’ll go dine in somewhere fun or go bring something back here), but the idea is that it’s a complete and unfettered ME day. And at some point I’ll watch, listen, and relax.

Tomorrow, I’ll relax until it’s show time and we do the last of our online shows. Please don’t book other stuff – we really want all you dear readers there and at the afterparty. We want a full house and lots of comments, we just do. Everyone works so hard on these and it’s really disheartening when they don’t get enough views. I’ll have the links in tomorrow’s notes, oh, yes, I’ll have the links in tomorrow’s notes. Then this upcoming week is planning the July Kritzerland show, shipping stuff, announcing two fun new titles either at the end of the week or the beginning of the next and a bunch of other stuff.

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 pick up some packages, eat, have a ME day, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films about ballet, opera, and the arts? And has there actually ever been a film about the opera world? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had images start off the notes.

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