Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to the long and mighty Shostakovich seventh symphony, in a 1988 recording on Deutsche Grammophon, conducted by one Leonard Bernstein. A wonderful performance, albeit quite a bit slower than his earlier performance on Columbia – not sure I own that one, but this is a great performance. Can’t say it’s the greatest sound ever heard, but it’s certainly okay. As I listen, I am eating red licorice as it’s a Russian symphony written by a Russian. It’s about eighty-five-minutes long. I think perhaps it’s time to go through the Shostakovich symphonies again – but which cycle to listen to – or perhaps I should just do different conductors for each. I have many complete box sets, including two that fetch rather large moolah (haloom, spelled backwards), and each have their high points and low points, both sound and performance-wise. On the computer, I know I have the first, fifth, seventh, tenth, and eleventh for sure, just have to locate them as some are under the composer’s name and some are under the conductor’s name. All these symphonies have a very Russian feel to them, which is only natural since they are Russian symphonies. Well, maybe I should be rushin’ through these Russian notes. Earlier, I tried, I really tried, to find something to watch, but nothing caught my fancy and my fancy, in return, caught nothing. Prior to that, I had a three-hour session for the Kritzerland show. First arrival was the delightful Jason Graae and our MD, John Sawoski. We gabbed for a bit and laughed a lot, then we ran Jason’s two solos, one of which took quite a while. Then Kerry O’Malley arrived, and they did their duet, Jason left, and Kerry did her two solos and left. Then we went through the rest of the material, making cuts, doing a few put-togethers, figuring out intros and outros and that was that. And prior to that, I actually got a little over eight hours of sleep, answered e-mails, shaved and showered, added Joan Ryan to our Kritzerland show – she’ll do one epic medley to close the show – and then we had our session. After that, I made hot dogs for food and they were very good. Two chili dogs and one mustard and onions. A couple more telephonic conversations and then the rest you know.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll complete the show order (I have the beginning and end, just need to get the middle right) and the commentary, I’ll eat something fun – perhaps some Wacky Noodles or perhaps some Popeye’s, for which I have a little craving, and then at some point I’ll watch, listen and relax.
Not sure what the weekend will bring, but I’ll definitely have one meal out, and then next week is very busy getting ready for the first Kritzerland rehearsal on Friday. I may go see a concert on Thursday, but we’ll see. I have a couple of meetings and meals, too.
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, complete the show order and commentary, eat something fun, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray/streaming player? I’ll start – CD, some Shostakovich. Blu-ray, something fun. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have completed rushin’ through the Russian notes, a veritable rushin’ Russian.