Well, dear readers, because she of the Evil Eye came a day early, I spent the entirety of yesterday thinking it was today, Saturday. I was very discombobulated, or, at the very least, discomnormanulated. But I think I finally have my head on straight (no mean feat), day-wise. But it was touch and go there for a while. And now, I am sitting here like so much fish listening to Mr. Previn do some nice Berlioz overtures. Prior to that, I’d taken a Previn break and listened to some Gabriel Pierne musique that was quite attractive, then a wonderful disc of music by Kodaly and Ippolitov-Ivanov, conducted by Rodzinski, one of his Westminster recordings in nice monophonic sound. Then Rodzinski doing the complete The Nutcracker, also on Westminster, and it may have been their first stereo record and it’s clear they hadn’t quite figured things out yet. The performance is excellent, but the balances are a bit off and the sound is a bit muddy. It really can’t hold a candle to the Mercury Living Presence stereo version by Dorati, which was recorded on 35mm magnetic film with incredible clarity and quality, and which has been remastered for CD with brilliant sound. That’s my benchmark recording of all I’ve heard. And then it was two terrific piano concertos – one by Hans Pfitzner and one by Walter Braunfels. I have a different recording of the Pfitzner that’s better than the one on this CD, but as far as I know, this is the only recording of the Braunfels. The Pfitzer is really good and the Braunfels, well, I just really like his music a whole lot. So, that was a very pleasurable CD.
Prior to that, I watched the first half of La Fille Mal Gardee, the brilliant ballet by Frederick Ashton, which I fell in love with a couple of weeks ago with the Royal Ballet DVD that dear reader elmore sent me. I thought it would be fun to watch it with the dancers for whom it was created and so far, it is, even though it’s filmed in a studio and is in black-and-white in a much too tight space and boring sets. But oh my, the dancing is fantastic. Nadia Nerina, David Blair, and Stanley Holden, all great, and the choreography is just so creative and clever, and that clog dance would be the envy of any Broadway choreographer. And you have music adapter John Lanchbery conducting. As primitive as the video is, it’s just so entertaining. And the two leads are breathtaking.
Then I watched about forty-five minutes of the MGM musical, Hit the Deck on Blu-ray. I got the disc when it came out but never watched it. I have a really vague memory that the only time I’ve seen this film was when it came out in 1955. I’ll have to look up which theater, but I’m guessing it was the Stadium, or maybe my parents took us to its first-run engagement. Otherwise, I haven’t seen it since. It’s not so good – Joe Pasternak wasn’t Arthur Freed, the script is silly, but it has some nice songs and numbers, and Debbie Reynolds, Ann Miller, and Jane Powell. The two leading men are total stiffs, however, in terms of the movies – Tony Martin and Vic Damone, both popular singers of the time. A young Russ Tamblyn is fun. I thought it was going to be a wretched transfer because the titles look terrible, but once we’re out of the opticals, it gets better – not great, but better. Early Eastman color of that year could be problematic. I’ll finish both up tonight.
Yesterday was a Friday that seemed like a Saturday. I actually woke up at six-thirty in the morning after only five hours of sleep, because I was, as it turns out, needlessly worrying about something. I wrote some e-mails about it, but in the end, all the worrying was for naught, so that was good. She of the Evil Eye showed up and I went right to Hugo’s and had a bacon and cheese omelet. I was able to stretch that out for ninety minutes, then I drove around a bit, then came home.
I answered e-mails and caught up, had a telephonic conversation with the author of the play I’m about to direct, and then it was time to get a much-needed haircut, which was much needed. I walked next door and got it and I now look well-coiffed and much better – sometimes it’s the little things that make one feel better. After that, I did a few things on the computer and was hoping to get the announcement stuff to approve, but it still hasn’t come, so probably tomorrow, unless it comes later tonight – this one’s a bit complicated as it involves four separate items and two of them have money-saving combos, so Doug has to create all those buttons and get the prices in and all that. I’ve got the eBlast ready to go, so that’s just the push of a button, thankfully.
Then I joined Robert Yacko for an early dinner at Vitello’s. We both had what we always have – he had his favorite pasta, and I had a small Caesar and then Tuscan salmon in a light sauce with sauteed spinach and some asparagus. It was all excellent and we had fun gabbing. Then I stopped at the mail place and picked up a small package, then came home. The rest you know and you know the rest.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, and I have no plans whatsoever, other than doing whatever I damn well please, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, I’ll eat, and for sure we’ll announce, if we haven’t already. And then I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow is more of the same and then I’m supping with Peyton and her mom at four. It will be fun to catch up and she’s really grown from when I last saw her over a year ago. Then next week is busy with Kritzerland show stuff and I’m hoping we can ship out the last two titles as we’re right up against the shipping date now.
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 I damn well please, hopefully pick up some packages, announce if we haven’t already, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: Now that the United States of America is opening up again at 100%, what are you most looking forward to doing that you haven’t been able to do for the past year and two months? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had a haircut – it’s the little things, these days.