Duck- here come the swans

“Black Swan” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Swan_(film))  is a powerful film that showcases Natalie Portman’s skill as an actor in her role as Nina.  Much has been said about the movie and I have only a few observations.  The storyline reminded me, as it has others, of Polanski’s “Repulsion” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repulsion_(film))  Both are about beautiful and women who begin to have hallucinations and delusions.  The hallucinations that Deneuve had in Polanski’s film were really creepy and very well done.  I remember seeing hands coming out of walls grabbing at Deneuve’s character.   Director Darren Aronofsky created equally frightening effects, especially when Nina’s skin begins to look like the skin of a swan without its feathers.  Similarly, when she becomes the Black Swan, she sprouts some pretty amazing swan wings.  This, of course, signaled her emotional transformation to the swan character, which had previously eluded her.  Barbara Hershey was effective as Portman’s mother.  She had just enough menace in her relationship to Nina to make one uneasy, but not so much that the viewer blames her for her daughter’s flame out.  Vincent Cassel is also notable as the sometimes smarmy but always narcissistic choreographer.  Aronofsky is quite skilled at not revealing to us whether the smarminess is real or part of Nina’s deteriorating mental health- or both. 

Aronofsky is a great director.  He has done the quirky “Pi”, the gritty “The Wrestler”, and the beautiful “The Fountain.”  He also has used Clint Mansell to write soundtrack music for his films.  I particularly liked Mansell’s lyrical pieces for “the Fountain,” but I found the music weaker for this film, yet the music of Tchaikovsky that is used is so majestic and powerful.

 

Much of the choreography is the movie is done by Benjamin Millepied, who also serves as the Swan’s cavalier.  Millipied  (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Millepied) is also the father of Portman’s child. 

Finally, I read a review of the movie by members of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater.  They were generally positive about the film, as it does fairly represent the angst of auditions and the power of choreographers.  However, one of the dancers made a comment that as well as Portman dances in the film, her arms are not long enough to be a really great ballet dancer.  After having that drawn to my attention, I think I agree. 

This is a great film- short arms to the contrary.  

Help- I've fallen into depression and I can't get up.

I caught the second-half of “The Ice Storm” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ice_Storm_(film)) the other night.  Not having seen it in awhile, I had forgotten what a good cast it had:

• Kevin Kline as Ben Hood
• Joan Allen as Elena Hood
• Jamey Sheridan as Jim Carver
• Sigourney Weaver as Janey Carver
• Henry Czerny as George Clair
• Tobey Maguire as Paul Hood
• Christina Ricci as Wendy Hood
• Elijah Wood as Mikey Carver

Obviously many went on to bigger and better things in their careers.  Watching the movie is a perfect way to become seriously depressed and verging on the suicidal.  It is unrelenting in its depiction of the hopelessness of the characters and their struggle to make sense of their lives.  Even the ending provided little hope for the survivors to create something positive in their lives.  All in all, I think it is an overly bleak view of these characters.  Not all films have to be uplifting, but this is so devoid of positives that it left me wanting Prozac. 

As an aside, Joan Allen looks terrible in her role.  She is tall and thin, but her wardrobe accentuates her angularity.  Her face is gaunt- maybe good for the character she is playing, but probably not good for her health.  Her hair appeared dry and thin.  Maybe she has anorexia.  Pass me another pill.  

A Warm Cello

Karen Freer, from the Emory Department of Music and the ASO, performed in a recital with pianist Laura Gordy.  The program included” Bach’s Sonata No. 1 in G Major for Viol da Gamba,” Britten’s “Suite No. 1 for Solo Cello, op. 72,” Boccherini’s “Sonata in A Major,” and Brahms “Sonata in D Major, op 78.” This was an outstanding recital with an outstanding program.  The Back has a melancholic Andante that is so beautiful.  Bach understood the value of writing slow melodies that use the entire bow, rather than the quick bowings that characterized the work of many of his contemporaries.  The Britten was a startlingly original work.  Its Lamento section was deeply elegiac and touching.  It is followed by the Canto Secondo section that reacts to the lament through quiet and sad contemplation.  The section titled Marcia, according to the notes by Ms. Freer, “suggests the approach and retreat of a fife and drum corps.”  Indeed, it was easy to visualize this through Britten’s use of harmonics and tapping of the bow.  The final movement, Moto Perpetuo, has a rapid mosquito-like sound that alternates with the slow theme presented in the earlier Canto section.  Again, according to Freer, “there is an epic battle as if between serenity and hyperactivity, the old and the new.”

The Boccherini Sonata was elegant and also beautiful.  The Brahms sonata was a perfect piece for the cello, even though the music was originally composed for the violin.   The cello’s dark sonorities matched the lush romance of the music.  Brahms had a way with a melody, as well as an understanding of how to develop it.  This was music-making at its best. 

Freer’s playing was superb.  She has a large tone when needed, and the acoustics of Emerson Hall were perfectly suited to the cello.  Ms. Freer is a petite but hard-bodied woman (and I mean that is the sense of physically fit) and I am sure that her strength supports to her ability to tackle such a demanding program.  She also had committed to memory the Britten, which seemed like no small task. 

After the recital, there was a wine and cheese reception for the artists and audience.  Ms. Freer was charming while greeting people and the champagne was quite nice. 

A Delighful Afternoon

Cecylia Arzewsky (http://www.hambidge.org/FellowsNews/HambidgeDistinguishedArtistAward/tabid/111/Default.aspx) played a noon time recital at the Emory University Carlos Museum. The program included two works by Bach: a partita and a sonata. Ms. Arzewsky performed these difficult works with great aplomb and assurance. My only complaint about her playing was that, at times, her bowing seemed to be off and a subtle screech was apparent. Her instrument was also bright and not all that warm. But I quibble.


Afterward, I had lunch with a friend at a nice little Italian restaurant near the Emory Campus. It helps to have the person recommending an Italian restaurant be Italian herself. It was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.

A Loud "Missa Solemnis"

The Atlanta Symphony with conductor Donald Runnicles is presenting Beethoven’s monumental “Missa Solemnis” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missa_Solemnis_(Beethoven)) this weekend. The soloists include: Christine Brewer, Soprano; Karen Cargill, Mezzo-soprano; Thomas Cooley, Tenor; and Eric Owens, Bass-baritone. Norman Mackenzie prepared the ASO Chorus for the performance. The soloists were outstanding. They were uniformly strong, especially when singing with the full orchestra and chorus. I particularly liked Cooley, who has a rich and strong voice. This is a demanding work not only on the soloists, but on the orchestra as well. It was played without intermission and nonstop, save for a few between-sections tuning. The ASO played quite well, although the French horns still seem to me to have intonation and ensemble problems. David Coucheron, the new ASO, concertmaster was particularly good in the beautiful violin solo in the Sanctus portion of the work. He manages to get every ounce of volume from his instrument. His intonation was spot on and he has a very impressive vibrato.


ASO audiences love choral works, possibly a legacy of the years that Robert Shaw was the music director of the symphony. The ASO chorus (http://www.asochorus.org/) has 200 singers who sing often as if with one voice. Their diction is precise and they never fail to elicit a warm response from the audience. But for me, they are simply too loud, possibly due to the smallish Symphony Hall. I find that they drown out the orchestra and soloists. Because they have such tremendous volume, they seem to sing without subtlety. They lack nuance. For me, the “Missa Solemnis” would have been better served with about 60 fewer voices.

Payback is a bitch!

On Thursday, I was anticipating my trip to see the ASO.  I stopped at my mailbox to gather the mail.  And what came screaming out at me?  An ad for Weight Watchers New PointsPlus with “It’s a new day” blazoned over a picture of Jennifer Hudson.  The tag line is part of that awful TV commercial she made, about which I have already made known my displeasure. 

Ageism Rears it Ugly Head

Yesterday I read an article about Calvin Klein. As I like to do, I read the comments that people left. Many said that Mr. Klein looks very good for his age. It brought to mind a joke my Dad used to tell. It seems that this was this 12-year old who was going to his first school dance. He told his father that he didn’t want to go because he was afraid to talk to girls. His Dad advised to ask a young lady to dance and then when they start to dance, say something nice about her. So Saturday evening comes and the young man has been standing alone for about 20 minutes. He screws up his courage and asks a young lady to dance, who had been sitting by herself. They get out on the dance floor and his palms were sweating, but he remembered his Father’s advice. So he says to the young lady “Gee, for a fat girl, you don’t stink much!”


To me this joke is funny because the father’s advice, well intentioned as it was, did not impart good manners, and the boy’s comments reveal his feeling about heavy girls.

To me, comments about a person that include the phrase “for his age (or other similar constructions) informs me about how a person thinks about others in the same category. If someone said, “She’s not loud, for a black woman,” or “He’s nice looking, for an Asian man,” or “She is thin, for a Latina”, we would be shocked and probably appalled. It’s no different when referring to someone’s age.

To me, Helen Mirren is beautiful- not for her age. The same is true for Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergin and millions of other mature women. The same is true for mature men. So the lesson is, next time you see me, you can say I look good, but forget about adding “for my age.”  Ageism isn’t pretty at any age.