This is for Everyone - BBC Radio Drama - listened 19.3.24 (4/5)
BBC Radio Drama depicting the 30 year history of the internet in the lives of a South London family. The title is the famous quote from Tim Berners-Lee when he first established the world wide web in CERN. In August 1991, Julie and Vic have a child, Ben, just as the first website goes live. As Ben grows, the role of the internet in their lives evolves. We see it go from a purely informational source, extra-marital risks through "Friends Reunited", conspiracy theories on Facebook and elsewhere, the role of Zoom during the pandemic, cyber-blackmail, and so on. Well done, clever, and very entertaining. Claudie Blakley, Dana Haqjoo, Astrid le Fleming, Katie Redford, Bertie Creswell, Luke Nunn, and Peter Marinker. With the voices of Josh Bryant-Jones, Jessica Enemokwu, Laura Power, Maxim Reston. Written by Matthew Broughton. Directed by Abigail le Fleming. First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 9 March 2024.
Posted on March 22nd, 2024
The Medici: Alessandro, Catherine, and Blood on the Streets - BBC Radio Dramas - listened March 2024 (4/5)
The second set of installments of the story of the Medici's, following on from the BBC radio dramas of a year ago (see https://tonyfitz1959.postach.io/post/the-medici-bankers-gangsters-popes-listened-1-3-2-23-4-5). This set of three separate plays focused firstly on the life of Alessandro de' Medici (22 July 1510 – 6 January 1537), ruler of Florence from 1530 to his death in 1537, and secondly that of Catherine de' Medici (13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589), Queen of France from 1547 to 1559. As before the stories were well done, entertaining and brought to life the phenomenon that was the House of Medici. A family that spawned a business, and then a political and religious dynasty that held sway over large parts of Europe from the 14th to the 18th centuries.
Alessandro was by rumour a bastard son, although he was formally recognised as the only son of Lorenzo II de' Medici, grandson of Lorenzo de' Medici "the Magnificent". Part of this was related to his "Moorish" complexion, and he was nicknamed "il Moro". The first Medici to rule Florence as a hereditary monarch, Alessandro was also the last Medici from the senior line of the family to lead the city. He was popular with the Florentine people but his cousins Ippolito and Lorenzaccio never forgave him for taking up what they felt was Ippolito's birth right. His assassination at the age of 26 at the hands of Lorenzaccio caused the title of Duke to pass to Cosimo I de Medici, from the family's junior branch.
Catherine was Queen of France by marriage to King Henry II and the mother of French kings Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. The years during which her sons reigned have been called "the age of Catherine de' Medici". The second play concerned her rather dysfunctional childhood, sent to a nunnery at age 11, and then married off to the Dauphin of France at age 14. There was rather too much focus on the challenges that Catherine had in becoming pregnant and the estranged relationship she had with her husband, who was rather keener on his affair with Diane de Poitiers. In later life, with both her father in law and husband dead, she was a serious political mover and shaker in the life of France. The third drama related to her attempts to make peace through marriage with the Huguenots, and then the tragedy of the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572.
Written by Mike Walker and Catherine Johnson. Cast included Elliott Barnes-Worrell, Sion Daniel Young, Jacob Ifan, Kiran Sonia Sawar, Marsha Millar, Nico Pimparé, Arwel Gruffydd, Michael Bertenshaw, Kitty O'Sullivan, Tyler Cameron, John Lightbody, Hardy Yusuf, Huw Huckstep, Catrin Aaron, Julian Lewis Jones, Juliette Aubrey, Arthur Hughes, Aneirin Hughes, Joel MacCormack, Heather Craney, Jacob Ifan, Grace Nettle, Joel MacCormack, Nia Gandhi, Ian Dunnett Jnr, Matthew Bulgo, Tom Mumford and Poppy Almond. First broadcast 28 January - 4 February 2024.
Posted on March 14th, 2024
The Flying Dutchman by Wagner - Royal Opera - 29.2.24 (5/5)
The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. Romantische oper in one act by Richard Wagner. Libretto by Richard Wagner after Heinrich Heine. Directed by Tim Albery. Designed by Michael Levine. Conducted by Henrik Nánási. Orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Royal Opera Chorus. Cast: Stephen Milling, Mike Mykkanen, Bryn Terfel, Elisabet Strid, Toby Spence, Kseniia Nikolaieva. Production originally performed in 2009.
Many "Wagnerians" are a little sniffy about the Dutchman - very early Wagner, the Master had not yet developed his genius, all a rift on one tune, not good enough for Bayreuth etc etc. Well I love it, and this revival of the 2009 ROH production was terrific. Bryn Terfel commanded the stage as the captain doomed to sail the seas for eternity until he can find requited love, and Elisabet Strid as Senta was brilliant as the girl who almost sails away with him. A simple staging, with a large (possibly prow of a ship) metal sheet acting as the background to the key scenes. Hungarian conductor Henrik Nánási was a delight to watch in the pit, hugely enjoying himself. Presenting this opera as a single act with no interval doesn't do a lot for your backside, but it is 140 minutes of glorious opera.
Posted on March 1st, 2024
The Girl of His Dreams by Donna Leon (Commissario Brunetti #17) - read 28.2.24 (3/5)
This wasn't actually very good. Donna Leon rather used this novel to rail at the things she hates about modern Italy - corruption in Government and the judiciary, the treatment of Roma, the attitude of the Catholic Church to misbehaviour in it's ranks, and the role of the Mafia in Sicily and elsewhere. Phew! It starts with the funeral of Brunetti's mother, which becomes an excuse for the officiating Priest to request Brunetti's help investigating a sham religious order. This plot line goes nowhere (almost as if the author had forgotten about it), and the remaining two thirds of the novel are focused on the sad death of an 11 year old Roma child found drowned in the canal. The girl was involved in a break-in at a middle class Venetian house, and the circumstances of her death are subject to a huge cover-up, mostly with the connivance of Brunetti's idiot boss, Patta. In the end, as usual, there are no arrests, no convictions and a lingering feeling that Italy, and Venice, are lawless places where evil doing amongst those with connections can be ignored with impunity. Shame. I was looking forward to this story - hopefully Brunetti #18 will be a better novel, and a return to form for Ms. Leon.
Published March 2009. Read on Kindle.
Posted on February 29th, 2024
Second Hand Rose - BBC Radio Drama - 25.2.24 (3/5)
Sweet BBC radio play about the relationship between an 80 year old (and still working) female impersonator, and his young nurse/carer. The different perspectives of the generations regarding gay liberation and the the pain suffered by both growing up were well developed. One lived his formative years in a time where arrest and imprisonment was an ever present threat, the other is in the world where Ru Paul's Drag Race is on mainstream TV (and plays like this are on BBC Radio 4!). Written by Philip Meeks. Cast included Donald McBride, Felix Mufti-Wright, Rajat M Bose, Susan Twist, and Hamilton Berstock. Directed and produced by Gary Brown. First broadcast 22nd February 2024.
Posted on February 27th, 2024
Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story by Robert Hardman - read 18.2.24 (4/5)
"The inside story" of the first year of the reign of the King and Queen. Covers the death of Elizabeth II, the accession, changes to the organisation and staffing of the Court, preparation and the delivery of the Coronation, and then some portraits of early State visits and Royalty supported events. Neatly sidesteps any criticism of the key players or the "core" members of the Royal Family (the exception being the outcasts in California). Highly readable and enjoyable, although more like a very long Hello! article than a serious contribution to either history or the wider debate about the role of Royalty in the 21st Century.
Read on Kindle. Published January 2024.
Posted on February 21st, 2024
Valuska - opera by Péter Eötvös - Hungarian State Opera via OperaVision - watched 16.2.24 (4/5)
Valuska, based on the 1989 novel The Melancholy of Resistance by László Krasznahorkai, who won the International Man Booker Prize in 2015. Hungarian State Opera, Budapest (Magyar Állami Operaház). Composed by Péter Eötvös. Libretto by Kinga Keszthelyi and Mari Mezei. Conducted by Kálmán Szennai. Directed by Bence Varga. Sets by Botond Devich. Costumes by Kató Huszár. Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and Chorus. Cast included Zsolt Haja,Tünde Szalontay, Adrienn Miksch, Tünde Szabóki, Mária Farkasréti, András Hábetler, Krisztián Cser, István Horváth, Balázs Papp, Lőrinc Kósa, András Kiss, János Szerekován, Zoltán Bátki Fazekas, Attila Erdős, Benjámin Beeri, Ninh Duc Hoang Long, Gergely Halász, Bence Pataki, Gergely Ujvári, Botond Pál and Donát Varga. Sung in Hungarian. World premiere 2nd December 2023. Stream recorded 17th December 2023.
A curious, but straightforward, tale. János Valuska is a simpleton living in a small town, with a snobbish mother, Mrs Pflaum, ashamed of him, and a politically active Aunt, Tünde, who becomes Mayor. A newspaper deliverer and messenger, he sees good in everyone and is fascinated by the stars and cosmos, which leaves him to be ridiculed and exploited by others. The Aunt, trying to improve the town's standing, books a noted circus to give a series of shows, including their two prized attractions, a giant stuffed whale and a strange creature with deformed limbs and no speech known as the "Prince". This figure, despite never appearing, creates excitement amongst the mob who riot, dragging János into their activities. The army is sent in, and martial law established. János is imprisoned in an aslyum. His only visitor is Tünde’s husband, a retired and embittered Professor.
This is the basis of (now 80 year old) Péter Eötvös new Hungarian language opera, his first in his native language. The story is fundamentally about the end of civilisation, the conflict between the crowd and the individual, and the perspective of someone innocent who can see what is happening but comprehends nothing. It was staged in a simple way and this depicted a powerful story well. Musically it was excellent - the solo pieces, with Zsolt Haja singing the title role were genuinely moving, contrasting with the mob like choruses and other set pieces of interaction from the other characters. I was heavily reminded of Peter Grimes, which contains both mob scenes and beautiful solo arias. It was an interesting piece and I am encouraged to discover more of Eötvös's work for the voice. The core story from 1987 has also been filmed (in 2000 by Béla Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky in 2000 under the title Werckmeister harmonies). Eötvös has also written a German language version which will be premiered this month.
Watched on OperaVision via YouTube.
Posted on February 17th, 2024
What I have been listening to - February 2024
Improvisations II (Places) - Stuart McRae
An short album of piano improvisations from Scottish composer Stuart McRae (b. 1976) - composer of outstanding opera, chamber works, orchestral and vocal music. The tracks were apparently all improvised without much forethought, but responding to time and place. Nice gentle stuff, with snatches of folk music and jazz as well as the classical piano repertoire of Rachmaninoff, Janacek, or Keith Jarrett. CD released January 2024.
Posted on February 16th, 2024
The Barber of Seville by Rossini - English National Opera - 12.2.24 (3/5)
Comic opera in two acts. Music by Gioachino Rossini, libretto by Cesare Sterbini. English translation by Amanda Holden and Anthony Holden. First performed in 1816. Directed by the late Jonathan Miller, revival directed by Peter Relton. Designed by Tanya McCallin. This production originally premiered in 1987. English National Opera at the London Coliseum. ENO Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Roderick Cox. Cast included Patrick Alexander Keefe, Innocent Masuku, Charles Rice, Anna Devin, Simon Bailey, Alasdair Miles, Lesley Garrett, Geraint Hylton, Paul Sheehan, Allan Adams. Premier performance of this revival.
This was sung and performed well, and the cast all had a great time. However the production is now nearly forty years old and is rather showing its age. Very traditional, 18th century costumes, props and staging, the farce that is the comings and goings of the Duke Almaviva's wooing of Rosina, assisted by Figaro the Barber, and against the wishes of Rosina's guardian Doctor Bartolo, was of course very funny. New to the role, Innocent Masuku sung the lead part very well, and Charles Rice as Figaro was suitably cheeky and funny. Lesley Garrett's voice (as Berta the housekeeper) was rather rusty, but it is a small part and the almost full audience gave her a good reception. This production is one of ENO's "bankers", and given it's cash strapped state was much needed. The orchestra all wore "Musicians Union: Fair Pay" protest tee shirts. I suspect ENO will be no more in a few years. Terribly terribly sad.
Posted on February 13th, 2024
Marple: Twelve New Stories - read 10.2.24 (4/5)
A set of twelve brand new stories involving Agatha Christie's "Queen of Crime" from the pens of twelve contemporary female authors - Naomi Alderman, Leigh Bardugo, Alyssa Cole, Lucy Foley, Elly Griffiths, Natalie Haynes, Jean Kwok, Val McDermid, Karen M. McManus, Dreda Say Mitchell, Kate Mosse, and Ruth Ware. Jane Marple first appeared in print in 1927, and the last Christie novel involving her detection was published in 1976. Forty years later we have a set of stories in which the sleuth from St Mary Mead gets to exercise her powers again. Not all involve murder, and not all are set in England - we have stories in New York and Italy for example. Marple's generous nephew, Raymond West, makes lots of appearances mostly to bankroll Jane's holidays. I enjoyed them all very much, although in the confines of a short story Jane Marple has to work very quickly, and often concludes "whodunnit" on the basis of very little information! The authors were all set constraints - around timing and Jane Marple's background, and I think they all did an excellent job.
Originally published September 2022. Read in paperback.
Posted on February 13th, 2024