[film] Only Lovers Left Alive (23-Feb-14)

A vampire film with Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton? There was never any doubt that I was going to see this -- and I wasn't disappointed. It is a beautiful film, full of circles and light and gorgeous ruin. ( more, maybe spoilery )

[concert] Brahms - Eine Deutsche Requiem (Philharmonia, RFH, 23-Feb-14)

Brahms - Eine Deutsche Requiem (Philharmonia cond. Andris Nelsons: soprano Sally Matthews, baritone James Rutherford)
The first piece was Brahms' Piano Quartet #3 in C minor, which was surprisingly nice given that I am not keen on chamber music. But I was mostly there for the Requiem, which is glorious. Though the text (mostly taken from the Bible) is religious, it's in German rather than Latin, and doesn't follow the structure of a typical requiem mass. I find it a profoundly humanist work: comforting, uplifting and inspirational.

This performance, featuring the newly-completed Festival Hall organ and the Philharmonia Chorus, did not disappoint. It's a complex piece with some really interesting orchestration, full of contrasts and patterns: great to watch the music unfold, and see how it was put together. And after the final jubilant movement there must've been a minute's silence before the applause began. How nice to be part of an audience that takes a moment to reflect!

[film] A New York Winter's Tale [26-Feb-14]

When I saw the trailer for this, I wondered how anyone could have filmed Mark Helprin's beautiful, vague novel Winter's Tale. The answer is: badly. Or, as Caro put it, 'travesty'.

Colin Farrell is surprisingly good as Peter Lake; the setting (New York and its surrounds, 1916 and 2014) is lovely; the music did not offend me (and Beverly Penn's rendition of Brahms was fab). ... There, that's the positive stuff over with.

Some of the problems [spoilery, but really: read this instead of seeing the film]:( Read more... )

I am very happy to report that we did not actually pay to see A New York Winter's Tale, due to free vouchers from some offer or other. Still, that's hours of my life I will never get back.

[concert] The Tyburn Tree: Dark London [04-Mar-14]

The Tyburn Tree -- John Harle and Marc Almond

Saw this at the Corn Exchange in Cambridge. Although we were right behind the sound desk, the sound was sub-optimal. A lot of the second half was too loud to hear, and made my ears crackle. Might be that I'm too old to do live music :( or might be that moderate ear damage from infections and a misspent youth mean that I'll need earplugs in future. Either way, I didn't feel that I had heard the concert. Also, waaaay too dark to read the programme, so I don't have many specific notes.

The first half ('Songs of Earth and Alchemy') featured John Harle with soprano Sarah Leonard, and felt like a blend of modern classical, prog rock and folk. And, unfortunately (for me), jazz. Some of it was gorgeous (sax and vocal duets, 'Main Diable La'): some was not.

The second half ('The Tyburn Tree') featured a cassock-wearing, almost burlesque Marc Almond. (His voice is still excellent.) Twelve songs about the darker aspects of London life and death, including a rather nasty variation on 'London Bridge is Falling Down', and several songs about famous murderers. Finished with an interesting setting of Blake's 'Jerusalem'.

I'm tempted to buy the album so I can actually listen to the music: only then could I decide whether I actually liked it.