Day 178: Everyone Says I Love You

51K44K4EQCLEveryone Says I Love You is a musical, of sorts.

It’s kind of a throwback to the old-school musicals of Hollywood’s heyday (think MGM in the 1950s). But I’m not sure all of the cast actually sings. The voices that come from their mouths don’t seem to match what I thought they’d sound like.

Oh, I can recognize Edward Norton’s voice. And Alan Alda’s. And a few others.

But does Tim Roth really sound like that? If so, he’s pretty good.

This is another huge, star-studded cast.

Too huge, in my opinion.

When the cast gets this big, I don’t think Woody knows how to film it well. Everyone Says I Love You comes across too jumbled, too jam-packed, too frenetic.

This is a new twist on a Woody Allen film. In fact, it’s an ambitious Woody Allen film.

But it’s a typical Woody Allen film in that it’s filmed in New York, it’s chock-full of neurotic characters, it’s about relationships, and love, and death (the ghosts dancing at the visitation, for example).

Woody was 61 in this picture. His love interest (Julia Roberts) was 29.

In other words, Woody gets older. But his leading ladies do not.

It starts to look a little creepy after awhile (especially in an upcoming movie, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion when Woody – then 66 – is paired with Helen Hunt – then 38).

By the way, I love the Captain Spaulding number, which is an homage to the Marx Brothers.

And the dance number beside the river with Woody and Goldie Hawn was magical, a really well-constructed scene that astounds and delights.

Everyone Says I Love You isn’t a bad movie. In many ways, it’s a very fine movie. It’s just not one on my Best-Of-Woody list.

Day 141: More Snow…And Chico

HaydnCD141Back to Panera this morning for some Light Roast coffee.

It’s only $2 for a mug of it.

Yet, that $2 buys me a half day of sitting here drinking coffee, watching people, and using electricity from their outlets.

It’s a great gig, if you think about it.

And I don’t, really. I have bigger problems to fry.

But you can think about it, if you wish.

Today’s performances once again featured Stanley Hoogland on fortepiano.

However, unlike yesterday’s performance, today’s began more subdued. Less jovial. More melancholy. At least, the tempi was slower on most of these performances.

Movement I (“Moderato”) of t he second piano sonata (Piano Sonata in D HOB XVI: 19) reminded me of Chico Marx playing one of his signature piano pieces in the classic Marx Brothers movie Animal Crackers.

Don’t ask me why.

Because I’ll tell you anyway.

The notes and style between 1:44 and 1:50 are vaguely reminiscent of some of what Chico is playing in this clip:

It’s funny how my mind connects dots and/or makes associations.

Most people probably wouldn’t be reminded of Chico Marx as they listen to Stanley Hoogland.

Oh, well.

As I wrote, I have Continue reading

Day 57: Il Ritorno Di Tobia – Oratorio (Part I)

HaydnCD57Today’s performance – Haydn’s oratorio Il Ritorno Di Tobia (Part I) – harkens back to 1971.

Despite the age of this recording (42 years, as of today’s date), I think it sounds as fresh as if it had been recorded last week.

What doesn’t necessarily sound fresh to me is the music itself. It sounds, for want of a better word (and I’m sure I’ll get struck by the Haydn gods for even thinking such thoughts), lackluster.

The Cast:

Sarah: Veronika Kincses soprano
Raphael: Magda Kalmar soprano
Anna: Klara Takacs contralto
Tobias: Attila Fulop tenor
Tobit: Zsolt Bende baritone

The Musicians:

Budapest Madrigal Choir
Hungarian State Orchestra
Ferenc Szekeres

Incidentally, I couldn’t find much information on the Budapest Madrigal Choir or Ferenc Szekeres. The Hungarian State Orchestra changed its name to the Hungarian National Philharmonic.

I can tell you soprano Magda Kalmar was 27 when this was recorded. Contralto Klara Takcs was 26. Soprano Veronika Kincses was 23. Tenor Attila Fulop was 29.

Haydn was 43 when he composed Il Ritorno Di Tobia.

Track 1 (“Sinfonia”) doesn’t grab me by the lapels – not that I have any lapels at the moment. (Come to think of it, I’m not sure I even know what lapels are.)

Track 2 (“Chorus No. 1: Pieta d’un infelice”) featuring contralto Klara Takacs and baritone Zsolt Bende not only doesn’t Continue reading