Reading This Week

Brokeback Mountain
Story to Screenplay -
Annie Proulx
Larry McMurtry
Diana Ossana

It's Only A Movie
Charlotte Chandler

Manchester United - Carling Cup Winners 2006

They did it! Manchester United beat Wigan Athletic 4 - 0 in the final of the Carling Cup at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, yesterday 26th February 2006. Yours truly was there to witness it!

New DVDs - 'The Last Mitterrand'

Conversations about politics, love, life, literature, form the basis of this study of the last months in the life of the late french President Mitterrand.

Robert Guediguian directs a fine cast in this compelling picture. Michel Bouquet intelligently plays the dying president who recollects events in his life to journalist Antoine Moreau played by Jalil Jespert, who in turn tries and ultimately fails to wrest more detail of some of the less than transparent events in the life of the grand statesman.

The Last Mitterrand is a cerebral film, but one that doesn’t fail also to touch the emotions and one that I would commend to anybody who enjoys intellectual stimulus.

New CDs That I'm Listening to this Week

Elgar conducts Elgar: Cockaigne Overture, Enigma variations, Pomp & Circumstance Marches.
One of the most interesting tracks on this CD is a reconstruction by Ward Marston (the sound engineer who refurbished these items) of an 'accidental stereo' track of Elgar conducting the Cockaigne Overture. Marston has used some sophisticated digital technology and his 'golden ears' to synchronise two separate discs of the the sme recording session which were fed from two separate microphones. The result is obviously not true stereo, but none the less there is a sense of atmosphere and location of the various parts of the orchestra.


Glazunov: Symphony No.5 and The Seasons
Jose Serebrier & Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
Nicely recorded accounts of these works. Highlight for me is the seasons which is a delight to hear.


Roger Quilter: Complete Folk Song Arrangements
Found the arrangements and delivery of these songs absolutely delightful. An added bonus here is the well balanced and natural recording of the piano and voice. A real bargain from Naxos.


Paul Lewis plays Beethoven Piano Sonatas Nos. 16, 17 & 18
Wonderfully sensitive playing from this most perceptive of young British pianists. Paul Lewis gave an equally impressive recital here in Manchester last December. I look forward to his return in March.


Leonard Bernstein: The Original Jacket Collection.
Such energy and passion is the mark of all the recordings in this box set. You'll either love these recordings or hate them. Personally I love them!

Wanderer Above A Sea of Fog - Caspar David Friedrich

Of all the German romantic artists, Caspar David Friedrich is for me the greatest. And his painting, 'Wanderer Above A Sea of Fog', is his most introspective and contemplative.

The Nightmare

Came across this painting by Henri Fuseli the Swiss artist other day. I had seen it before several years ago when I was doing some research about the German romantics. It disturbs and chills me as much now as it did then.

The Faces of Shakespeare?

A new exhibition about the images of Shakespeare opens at the National Portrait Gallery next month. Presented below are six of the most well known. Which is the real Shakespeare?

Man Utd:
Van der Sar, Neville (Vidic 69), Brown, Silvestre, Evra (Bardsley 81), Ronaldo, Smith, Park (Rooney 69), Richardson, Saha, van Nistelrooy.Subs Not Used: Fletcher, Steele.

Booked: Smith, Brown, Neville, Evra.

Goals: Park 6, Ronaldo 14, Saha 23, Ronaldo 86.

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Fulham:
Niemi, Rosenior, Knight, Bocanegra, Bridge, Malbranque, Elliott, Brown (Radzinski 46), Boa Morte, Helguson (John 76), McBride.Subs Not Used: Goma, Warner, Niclas Jensen.

Booked: Rosenior, Boa Morte.

Goals: McBride 22, Helguson 37.

Att: 67,844
Ref: M Atkinson (W Yorkshire).

This week I'm....

Reading:

The Reef by Edith Wharton

Listening to:

Symphony No.5 & The Seasons - Glazaunovunov - Royal Scottish Symphony Orchestra - Jose Serebrier Conductor