The ninety-third TV show: #849 Downton Abbey
There is a group of historical dramas that focuses on the early 1900s, including the fall of the British aristocracy. Previously, Brideshead Revisited covered that, through time jumps that showed how times changed and why it would have fallen. Bleak House covered an earlier period, but the focus on the class system is still there.
Downton Abbey starts off examining some of this as well. Starting at the sinking of the Titanic, there is an older generation that clings on to the known ways while others are seeing how it cannot be maintained. It starts to feel, however, that after the first season got succesful, it got to glamorizing this era, as something to look back on as something better. It doesn't connect with me on that level and feels weird sometimes. The tension that was underlying the first season dissipates and the second season feels a bit toothless because of that. It's a shame, because the underlying concept might have been nicer. The show just doesn't actually keep up with that.
The fifty-third comic: #605 Madam & Eve
Today's comic is on the list in part (I'm sure) because of the time it embodies. A South African newspaper comic, started as apartheid came to an end, starring a white woman and her black maid, touches the zeitgeist in its own way. I don't think I'm qualified to entirely pass judgement on the contents of these - some concepts feel off, but this goes both ways and as this is about these characters adjusting to a new world, perhaps it's right that they're not always comfortable.
The jokes themselves are a mixed bag, as you get with most of these, with some hitting well and others falling flat. This probably happens more because we don't know the politics and situations as well. Still, it's decent, and the way it can be more cutting than others feels telling in itself.
The fifty-first Classical Recording: #17 Thomas Tallis - Spem In Alium
Going back to older motets, this was written for 40 voices, which especially reveals itself as the different parts go their own way, the different vocals mixing more masterfully than you'd expect for a situation where several lyrics are sang together. This creates an effect of all of them mixing and in my head an effect of these parts of prayer ascending together.
The one hundred fourteenth album: #114 Leonard Cohen - The Songs Of Leonard Cohen
A contemporary folk album feels like it suits the slightly melancholic mood I have at the moment. Starting off with the famous Suzanne (which I more know from the Dutch version), there's something comforting in the sweet and soft lyrics. It's basically incredibly well executed and a treat to listen to throughout. The various instruments and harmonies help with this and I feel I had a lovely folk album here.
The fiftieth classical recording: #894 Aram Khachaturian - Spartacus
Part of our trip to Athens gave us a special treat - a performance of the Spartacus ballet in an ancient Greek theatre. We were sitting in the shadow of the Parthenon as a ballet was performed on a stage that was about 1800 years old, thankfully with some cushions to alleviate the trouble from sitting on a stone bench all day.
The ballet itself, then, sort of fit the environment - the events aren't that far off from when the theatre was built - and performed by leading Russian dancers really felt amazingly polished. The whole is a lot more modern than Sleeping Beauty, with some jazz influences in the music and the percussion from the dancer (very clearly heard on the wooden stage). The music is a big contributor to it - it's swelling and big in the right places, tender sometimes but mostly supports a lot of the military elements well.
It's a case where the music benefits from being more contemporary even where it follows classic elements and does it for that dance form - and creates an evocative story that's comprehensible all the way through.
The sixtieth book: #1012 Cecilia
Halfway through, I gave up on this. It’s another story of a woman too good for this world, surviving in society, being wooed by multiple men. It feels overdone and I don’t feel this adds anything, except for too much length. The writing is becoming more readable, but it stops really providing anything that was worth it.
The fourty-ninth classical recording: #564 Richard Strauss - Salome
Recently we went to see ENO's interesting version of Salome. If you've read the reviews, you might have seen that the production is misguided - an effort to modernize it without making use of the modernization and a haphazardly thrown together set of elements that never quite comes off. The music was still great and the performances good, but I do feel the staging may have distracted me from time to time.
The music sounded good, following the emotions of the (original) piece well. The dance of the seven veils sounds good, a nicely middle eastern influenced piece that creates its own images. It's clearly the highlight of the show and works as an amazing centre piece. The vocals weren't always as powerful in this version, but did well to tell its story - wtih some specific settings - which created a great piece of music.