Thursday, 26 November 2009
Falstaff from Liege Cine-opera
25th November: Yelmo cinema in Plaza Mayor played Falstaff from Liege in HD via live satellite. The Opéra Royal de Wallonie is rebuilding its main house over the next three years and has set up camp in a luxurious tent. The inaugural production was Falstaff with the 68 year old Ruggero Raimondi in the title role, Paola Arravabeni as conductor and Stefano Poda as director. Arravabeni (or at least the top of his head) was on screen throughout as the new venue does not have a conventional pit. The cine projection was fine apart from a few satellite signal glitches and the curious reversion to German subtitles at the beginning of Act 3. But it was the production that left me scratching my head. Has Poda seen a religious theme in Falstaff?. Act 1 saw men in pointed hats a la Klu Klux Klan or, more likely, Andalucian Easter processionals. Act 3 had nuns in wimples and Herne's Oak beacame a Christian cross- seemingly burning. Falstaff's page had angel wings. I could go on. Costumes were black or white. Mistresses Page, Ford and Quickly were in evening gowns with elaborate hats. Add to that Brechtian style banners spelling out the theme of several scenes, and words projected on the backdrop in case we still did not get the message. Best forgotten. Raimondi did well, but at 68 remains too slim for Falstaff.
Three Days in London
Thursday 19th November Tate Modern
Miroslaw Balka's dark container in the Turbine Hall was my first stop.
Walking into darkness is not new for me- except in the context of an art gallery.
Sections of Pop Life had over 18 only warnings and they were needed. Jeff Koons presented material that was more suitable for a porn mag, and then Cosy Fanny Tutti's exhibit consisted of just that- pages from a 1970's Knave top shelf issue. Spiritual America, Richard Prince's erotic nude portrait of a twelve year old Brooke Shields had been removed and replaced with a bikini clad adult Brooke Shields called Spiritual America IV on "advice" from the police.
John Baldessari's conceptual art was somewhat tame after the other two. Burning your complete ouevre and painting with words did not have the same shock value.
Friday 20th November ENO Duke Bluebeard's Castle/ Rite of Spring
Rave reviews for the Rite sent me along to this double bill. Edward Gardner conducted brilliantly in both pieces, but the Bluebeard production disappointed. Neither Bluebeard nor Judith seemed credible characters to me and the gruesome production was just revolting. The finale with Bluebeard dropping his trousers to rape Judith with a sword left a nasty taste. The choreography of Rite- by Michael Keegan-Dolan of Fabuluous Beast Dance Company was exhilarating. I wasn't too sure at first, with characters arriving on bicycles and on-stage (post-coital?) smoking. But the rhythms were soon established to great effect. But it was a trouser dropping evening as soon the whole male cast joined in. And they looked lovely in their frocks.
Sunday 22nd November Wallace Collection Damien Hirst
Damien Hirst's Blue Paintings seemed out of place here, but all credit to the Wallace for putting the show on. I liked "Floating Skull" alone. It was an opportunity to see again the fabulous Bouchard's and Fragonard's swing.
Sunday 22nd November Royal Academy Anish Kapoor / Wild Thing
I was taken aback by how much sheer fun there was at the Anish Kapoor show.
The queues stretched all the way round the entrance square, but inside all was joy. The mirrors were fascinating. There's going to be a lot of work to do cleaning red gloop off walls and door frames when this show ends on 11 December.
Jacob Epstein, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and Eric Gill were the wild things. This was a cohesive show from which one remembers particularly Gill's eroticism and Epstein's shocking Rock Drill.
Miroslaw Balka's dark container in the Turbine Hall was my first stop.
Walking into darkness is not new for me- except in the context of an art gallery.
Sections of Pop Life had over 18 only warnings and they were needed. Jeff Koons presented material that was more suitable for a porn mag, and then Cosy Fanny Tutti's exhibit consisted of just that- pages from a 1970's Knave top shelf issue. Spiritual America, Richard Prince's erotic nude portrait of a twelve year old Brooke Shields had been removed and replaced with a bikini clad adult Brooke Shields called Spiritual America IV on "advice" from the police.
John Baldessari's conceptual art was somewhat tame after the other two. Burning your complete ouevre and painting with words did not have the same shock value.
Friday 20th November ENO Duke Bluebeard's Castle/ Rite of Spring
Rave reviews for the Rite sent me along to this double bill. Edward Gardner conducted brilliantly in both pieces, but the Bluebeard production disappointed. Neither Bluebeard nor Judith seemed credible characters to me and the gruesome production was just revolting. The finale with Bluebeard dropping his trousers to rape Judith with a sword left a nasty taste. The choreography of Rite- by Michael Keegan-Dolan of Fabuluous Beast Dance Company was exhilarating. I wasn't too sure at first, with characters arriving on bicycles and on-stage (post-coital?) smoking. But the rhythms were soon established to great effect. But it was a trouser dropping evening as soon the whole male cast joined in. And they looked lovely in their frocks.
Sunday 22nd November Wallace Collection Damien Hirst
Damien Hirst's Blue Paintings seemed out of place here, but all credit to the Wallace for putting the show on. I liked "Floating Skull" alone. It was an opportunity to see again the fabulous Bouchard's and Fragonard's swing.
Sunday 22nd November Royal Academy Anish Kapoor / Wild Thing
I was taken aback by how much sheer fun there was at the Anish Kapoor show.
The queues stretched all the way round the entrance square, but inside all was joy. The mirrors were fascinating. There's going to be a lot of work to do cleaning red gloop off walls and door frames when this show ends on 11 December.
Jacob Epstein, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska and Eric Gill were the wild things. This was a cohesive show from which one remembers particularly Gill's eroticism and Epstein's shocking Rock Drill.
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