Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to the heavenly third symphony of the heavenly Rachmaninoff as done by the heavenly Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra. While not as popular as the VERY popular second symphony, I love it almost as much. I have pretty much every version on CD of both the second and third and have many favorites, but I don’t think any orchestra played Rachmaninoff’s symphonies more beautifully than Ormandy and his band. Those strings, those winds and the way they’re recorded are so beautiful and the second movement opening is simply one of the most beautiful things ever written, and I don’t care who knows it. If you’ve never heard this symphony, hie thee to the Tube of You and find the Ormandy. So, what kind of a day was yesterday, you’re asking. Well, I’ll tell you what kind of a day was yesterday – short. Why? Because I got me eleven hours of very needed sleep, arising at 2:30 in the P and M. Once up, I answered a whole slew of e-mails and a couple of irritating texts that were – irritating. As promised, I had to have good food, so I ordered from a place that has never disappointed – Stanley’s – my beloved chicken with broccoli, red onions, and cashews in a delicious cream sauce. It arrived pretty quickly and was as good as always and I ate every bite. That was it for food. I did a few things on the computer and watched a couple of irritating YouTube videos, then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched Fritz Lang’s The 1000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse in its original German language. It’s not a great film, but it is a lot of fun and it stars the pre-Goldfinger Gert Frobe as Inspector Lohmann. Of course, Mr. Lang brought Dr. Mabuse to the screen twice before (one silent film, one early talkie) and this third Mabuse film turned out to be the last he would direct. I’m a big Lang fan, so I find something to enjoy in all his films and this one’s no different. Good cast, good score. And as with many movies of the past (1960 for this one), it was shot in one month and in theaters three months later. These days, it’s a year or two before something hits theaters. I don’t really know how this movie performed here in the US, but it was a big enough hit in Germany to spawn a bunch of sequels made by lesser directors than Mr. Lang. I did doze off once or twice, but I’ve seen the film many times. Then I watched the first sequel, The Return of Dr. Mabuse. It’s very much like the German Edgar Wallace krimi series of films and is directed by that series main director, Harald Reinl. It, too, stars Gert Frobe, along with Lex Barker and Gert Frobe and two others from the Lang film. But it’s flatly shot, has a loud musical score that’s loud. But the most interesting thing about watching it is that I dozed off about fifteen times. I’d just close my eyes for a second and poof – I was out, but only for a minute or two and during that minute or two – and this is the amazing part – I had fully-formed dreams every time, some connected, some not. Then I’d suddenly wake up and realize I was on my couch watching a movie, then out again and rinse and repeat. Anyway, The Return of Dr. Mabuse, despite the fifteen interruptions, wasn’t very good or interesting. I’ll watch the next sequel soon. And that was it.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, which hopefully won’t be much, hope for a modern major miracle, I have no plans on leaving the home environment, I’ll eat something at some point, I’m sure there’ll be the usual e-mails and at least one irritating text, and then I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, I’ll relax during the day, then we resume performances. I may meet Barry and Cindy Pearl before the show if they can do it early enough, because I have to be at the theater by six or thereabouts. Then we’ll do our show and hopefully have a good-sized audience. Saturday is the same, then a matinee on Sunday.
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, hope for a modern major miracle, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are the most vivid dreams you’ve had, the ones that have stayed with you for years? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, fascinated to have had fifteen dreams in fifteen minutes.