Listening to:
Beethoven Symphonies 4 & 5. Osmo Vanska; Rachmaninov Isle of the Dead & Symphonic Dances. Vladimir Jurowski conducting.
Reading:
The Alfred Hitchcock Story by Ken Mogg
Vertigo The Making of A Hitchcock Classic by Dan Aulier

Twenty Five Years Ago Today

25 Years Ago Today April 29th: The Death of Sir Alfred Hitchcock.


Quoting The Hollywood Reporter, an article in Movieweb.com, dated Tuesday 26th April 2005, announces that Universal are to remake Hitchcock's 'The Birds' and that Warner's are to mount a new version of 'Strangers on a Train'. One can only ask: why?

Sir John Mills

Habemus Papam

Pope Benedict XVI

This weeks listening,reading and viewing

• String Quartets of Villa Lobos played by the Quartettoamericano.
• Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
• The Time of Your Life starring James Cagney
  

Melinda and Melinda

Melinda and Melinda

'Life can be a comedy or a tragedy, it all depends on how you look at it.'

According to many, Woody Allen is back on form with his latest film. Personally I never thought that he lost it; I can find something to like in any of his films.
In this new film Allen places his characters in New York and like a juggler manages to manipulate two (or three if you want to count the tellers) stories exploring the themes of tragedy and comedy. Aided by a great cast and beautiful photography, Allen kept this viewer chuckling and smiling for ninety minutes. More like this please soon!

In the DVD player this week.

• The Three Sisters with Alan Bates and directed by Lawrence Olivier.
• Three Days of the Condor starring Robert Redford and directed by Sydney Pollack.

Reading this week.

• Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
• The Invisible Art: The Legends of Movie Matte Painting by Mark Cotta Vaz and Craig Barron.

In the CD player this Week.

• Rachmaninov's piano concertos 1 and 3 played by Nicolas Lugansky. Sakari Oramo conducts the city of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
• An SACD of Earl Wild and the Boston Pops orchestra conducted by Arthur Fiedler in a programme of music by George Gershwin.
• Edward Elgar Piano Concerto (Realised for performance by Robert Walker) played by David Owen Norris. The BBC Concert Orchestra is conducted by David Lloyd-Jones.

Pope John Paul enters St Peters where he will be laid to rest.

Downfall (Der Untergang)

Downfall

A search on imdb reveals well over one hundred films have been made about Adolf Hitler; most coming out of the USA, and with a few honourable exceptions all mainly forgettable.

That 'Downfall' was made in Germany is perhaps the primary reason why most people will see it. After all, sixty years after the death of Hitler, one surmises, will provide an opportunity for Germans to put this man and their country’s Nazi past in perspective.

The film details the last few days in Hitler’s famous Berlin bunker as based on the memoirs of his personal secretary Traudl Junge, whose voice opens the movie and whose image closes it.

What we see is a sick, deluded and embittered Hitler surrounded by sycophants and fearsome fanatics, desperately planning strategies to combat an advancing Russian army, who are but a few kilometres from Berlin itself.

The film looks and sounds authentic both in the bunker itself and in the streets of Berlin. But all that comes to nothing if the script and performances do not have the necessary veracity. Fortunately this is the greatest strength of the film, indeed at times one has to remind oneself that one is watching actors, such is the cast’s conviction. This is especially so with the performance of Bruno Ganz, whose portrayal of Hitler is so compelling in his ability to capture not only the intrinsic evil of the man but also his ordinariness. This latter characteristic makes his portrayal all the more chilling.

Watching the movie one is never aware of its length: 156 mins. Such is its power one is gripped from beginning to end. It’s a powerful film and deserves success.

The Funeral of Pope John Paul

Crowds attend the Requiem mass in St Peter's for Pope John Paul

Requiem Mass for Pope John Paul

Another Beecham Quip

Beecham called for an 'A' from the principal oboist. This player had a wide vibrato. Sir Thomas, looking round at the orchestra said, "Gentlemen, take your pick."

Sir Thomas Beecham

Sir Thomas Beecham

Once, when Sir Thomas Beecham was rehearsing an orchestra, not his own, the trombones came in very loudly. He stopped and said, “Trombones, would you please give us forte.”
They played even louder, and he stopped again with, “No, I’m asking for it to be played forte.”They nearly burst themselves next time, but Beecham stopped again. “I wanted forte,” he said mildly. “You have been playing consistently double forte.”

Nunc Dimittis

Lord, Now lettes Thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word;For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou has prepared before the face of all people,To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

Pope John Paul II

+ Requiescat in pace +

Thought for the day.

The most important thing in acting is honesty. Once you've learned to fake that, you're in. (Marlon Brando)

Rhinoceros

Gene Wilder

"Rhinoceros" belongs to the 'Theater of the Absurd' movement, which was fashionable during the 1950s and 60s. Eugene Ionescu, the author, was one of the key proponents of this kind of play and, it has to be said, is not to everybody's liking. To my mind, if an absurdist play is to succeed, it has to be done by a fine ensemble of actors. This film of the play has such a cast. For the main roles,the producer Ely Landauer and director Tom O'Horgan managed to get together again Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, who made such a hit in Mel Brook's "The Producers". Wilder has the largest part in the film and he is extremely good, but the movie really belongs to Zero Mostel whose performance is unforgetable: surely a benchmark performance ?

Thought for the Day.

Some people talk simply because they think sound is more manageable than silence. (Margaret Halsey)

A Delicate Balance

A Delicate Balance

Another in the American Film Theatre Collection, "A Delicate Balance" like "The Iceman Cometh" is intelligently translated to film. Directed by Tony Richardson and starring Katherine Hepburn and Paul Schofield this is a wonderful showcase for some serious acting talent. For me Hepburn steals the show: maybe because there is a lot of her own personality in the character she plays, which makes her interpretation ring true. There are some good supporting roles too: Lee Remick as Hepburn’s daughter and Kate Reid her sister (who replaced Kim Stanley) are particularly fine. Joseph Cotton and Betsy Blair also give good performances. The extras on this DVD are appealing. They include interviews with the author Edward Albee, David Watkins cinematographer and Betsy Blair: all providing some fascinating insights into the filming of the play. Highly recommended for theatre (and film) buffs.

Thought for the day.

Most people who are dissatisfied with the Establishment get over the feeling the moment they become established. (DHM

Heifetz Concertos

Heifetz Concertos: RCA Living Stereo 82876 63722

Heifetz made the first recordings of the Sibelius and Prokoviev Concertos featured in this new SACD release in the Living Stereo series from RCA and therefore come with a certain cache. The performances featured here were recorded some years later, in 1959 and in the case of the Glazunov, in 1963. All three recordings have been re-mastered for this SACD release and all sound very good indeed. As for the playing of Heifitz; what can one say that hasn’t been said before? One just wonders at the tone that he is able to produce and the technical virtuosity with which each one of the concertos is accomplished. These recordings may not be the best versions of available recordings, but I for one would not want to be without them.

Thought for the day.

The only knowledge attainable by man is that life is meaningless. (Tolstoy)

Thought for the day.

"Swans sing before they die; 'twere no bad thing
Should certain persons die before they sing." (Jonathan Swift)

The Iceman Cometh

The Iceman Cometh

John Frankenheimer directed this film in 1973 as part of the American Film Theatre series of movies, which were brought to the screen by producer Ely Landauer. This rarely seen film is now available to a wider audience on DVD.

The play itself is legendary and is often referred to as the greatest american play of the twentieth century. One can debate whether it is or is not, but for sure one can say that it is a challenge for both actors and audience alike. The movie itself has a running time of 171 minutes and has to have something special to keep one watching. I rather think that it does. For starters, it contains a marvelous cast, which includes: Lee Marvin, Frederic March, Robert Ryan and a very young twenty something Jeff Bridges. Their commitment and obvious feeling for ensemble coupled with expert direction and atmospheric photography keep one riveted to the screen. This is one not to be missed by anyone who cares for great theatrical works.

Some words to ponder.

People who make no mistakes make nothing.

La Tebaldi

La Tebaldi: Decca 430 481 - 2

In the 1950s and 1960s opera fans the world over would argue that Renata Tebaldi was the only serious rival to Maria Callas. Listening to this compilation CD by Decca, which arrived in the post today, one can see why. One can hear all the drama and passion of the music that Callas undoubtedly delivered, but to my ears there is none of the ugliness that was so often a characteristic of her voice.

There are some twenty two tracks on the two discs which were recorded between 1955 and 1968. The recordings are vivid and only a slight tonal thinness in certain tracks betrays their age. This is music with a high tingle quotient. Just listen to "Mamma Morta" from Andrea Chenier to hear what I mean. Wonderful stuff!

Spring in the Alpujarras. 

Spring

Spring is here and a time to renew and even start anew. There is something about this season: all life seems to awake from the darkness of winter with a desire to clean, build, repair and renew. And some even begin to write a weblog!

Even if it is only a couple of sentences, my aim will be to write something here each day. First off and with Spring in mind, here are some favourite verses from A.E.Houseman's 'A Shropshire Lad':

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now

Is hung with bloom along the bough,

And stands about the woodland ride

Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now of my three score years and ten,

Twenty will not come again,

And take from seventy springs a score,

It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom

Fifty springs are little room,

About the woodlands I will go

To see the cherry hung with snow.