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Monthly culture: September 2019
Tuesday, October 1st, 2019 06:57 pmA quiet month ...
01SEP19: Resurrecting Steve: Mahler, Symphony #2 (Resurrection) -- Blackheath Halls
This was a fundraising concert to benefit the Stroke Association, as well as local musician Stephen Kennedy, who suffered a stroke earlier this year.
I was in the choir for this -- Mahler from scratch! rehearsals from 1pm, performance at 6:30. Mahler is difficult (accidentals, long notes, German; luckily the choral bit is not very long) but I found it very rewarding, and it certainly made me appreciate the work more than I previously had. Splendid soloists too, Philippa Boyle (who amazingly stepped in on just 24 hours notice), and Martha McLorinan.
02SEP19: Wicked -- Apollo Victoria
I didn't know the music, but enjoyed this a lot anyway: splendid staging, engaging performances, and a stunning set. I especially liked its focus on friendship, and on the two female leads. And it is an elegant and timely transformation of The Wizard of Oz, dealing with racism, disability, oppressive regimes, censorship.
And it has a happy ending! Hurrah!
(Also, at-seat bar service, a very sensible idea which minimises crowd crush.)
07SEP19: Pain and Glory
Banderas is always worth watching, and he has aged very well.
Hard to say exactly how biographical this is, but it draws elements from Almodóvar’s life. Creative differences, doomed love affairs, the protagonist Salvador's relationship with his mother, and a new piece called 'Addiction' which blurs art and life -- it's performed by Alberto, the actor who starred in Salvador's greatest hit and who, after a thirty-year feud, has introduced him to heroin. Plus the manifold mundane vexations of ageing. A splendid, thoughtful film, with restrained use of music and plenty of flamboyant colour.
"Drama or comedy? You never know until --"
01SEP19: Resurrecting Steve: Mahler, Symphony #2 (Resurrection) -- Blackheath Halls
This was a fundraising concert to benefit the Stroke Association, as well as local musician Stephen Kennedy, who suffered a stroke earlier this year.
I was in the choir for this -- Mahler from scratch! rehearsals from 1pm, performance at 6:30. Mahler is difficult (accidentals, long notes, German; luckily the choral bit is not very long) but I found it very rewarding, and it certainly made me appreciate the work more than I previously had. Splendid soloists too, Philippa Boyle (who amazingly stepped in on just 24 hours notice), and Martha McLorinan.
02SEP19: Wicked -- Apollo Victoria
I didn't know the music, but enjoyed this a lot anyway: splendid staging, engaging performances, and a stunning set. I especially liked its focus on friendship, and on the two female leads. And it is an elegant and timely transformation of The Wizard of Oz, dealing with racism, disability, oppressive regimes, censorship.
And it has a happy ending! Hurrah!
(Also, at-seat bar service, a very sensible idea which minimises crowd crush.)
07SEP19: Pain and Glory
Banderas is always worth watching, and he has aged very well.
Hard to say exactly how biographical this is, but it draws elements from Almodóvar’s life. Creative differences, doomed love affairs, the protagonist Salvador's relationship with his mother, and a new piece called 'Addiction' which blurs art and life -- it's performed by Alberto, the actor who starred in Salvador's greatest hit and who, after a thirty-year feud, has introduced him to heroin. Plus the manifold mundane vexations of ageing. A splendid, thoughtful film, with restrained use of music and plenty of flamboyant colour.
"Drama or comedy? You never know until --"
