Grumble Thread

[kernelbogey]

Who writes this rubbish?

Often the agent, in my experience, and it's been lazily lifted from the press release.

[oliver sudden]

(I accept that the ideal is to know the opera in detail before you attend. This may take some time... )

Is it though?

I had a singer girlfriend a decade or three ago who didn’t know how Tosca ended until she first saw it. I was SO JEALOUS.

I’ve usually been able to read a printed programme during performances without too much trouble. Have halls got darker since I had kids?

[teamsaint]

Is it though?

I had a singer girlfriend a decade or three ago who didn’t know how Tosca ended until she first saw it. I was SO JEALOUS.

I’ve usually been able to read a printed programme during performances without too much trouble. Have halls got darker since I had kids?

I don’t know about these things, one of my many areas of lack of expertise, but light sensor numbers do decline at a remarkably early age in humans. Not sure what the evolutionary benefit is !!

[Serial_Apologist]

I switched on Radio 4's Today this morning, and could scarcely believe what I was hearing. Lise Doucet was ostensibly hosting. Lise has seen it all, lived among the wreckage and reported on the homeless, the limbless and the bloodied babies, and spoken to and of the selfless life savers and givers doing their best amid the impossible and the surely unforgiveable. The Overseas Minister of Jordan is interviewed - he of all moderate Middle East opinion is at least someone whose opinions that great open receptacle the British listening public will be listening to, one dearly hopes. He tells us what he has seen and is seeing, and which (one could add) is available online for strong stomachs - politely critiqueing along the way of the interview the glib way the west's media frame and pose the questions. And what first question does Lise ask? When are Hamas going to stop their war effort? Not when is Netanyahu's lot going to agree to a ceasefire at the very least. The truth that the Knesset stands charged in principle for trampling on the Holocaust and all in its wake who have agonized justifications based on a once-great culture that gave us Isiah, Jesus, Einstein, Mahler, Marx, Trotsky, Schoenberg, Eisler, (make up your own lists for preferences to see what I mean), and so many of the great contributions to of western progressive thought and art, probably the majority of role models for some of us?

Is it, one has to ask oneself, Lise Doucet or the entire western mainstream media maintaining the livelihoods of its obedient mouthpieces that is in collective denial? When is the western political establishment and its mouthpiece apologists going to retrieve some self-respect, integrity, backbone, call it what you will, and tell it as it is and what you really feel about it? Is nothing going to be done until the entire population of Gaza, and maybe the West Bank too while we're at it, assembles in some place, douses itself in accelerant, and has someone standing by with a match at the ready until or unless this cruel, stupid, needless and lethal carnage stops?

[eighthobstruction]

....I didn't listen Serial, but yes, just about every day I despair about this issue ....and cannot believe that an end has not been found....but no a new dark depth is plunged into....

[Maclintick]

I had a singer girlfriend a decade or three ago who didn’t know how Tosca ended until she first saw it. I was SO JEALOUS.

Ignorance can be an asset on occasion. Fiona Shaw once recalled a performance of Medea in Ireland where a good proportion of the audience reacted in genuine shock and horror at the moment she kills her children -- one woman shouting "Noooo !!"

[vinteuil]

Ignorance can be an asset on occasion. Fiona Shaw once recalled a performance of Medea in Ireland where a good proportion of the audience reacted in genuine shock and horror at the moment she kills her children -- one woman shouting "Noooo !!"

... I am reminded of the Oscar Wilde anecdote -

"IN his viva voce examination for 'Divvers' at Oxford, Oscar Wilde was required to translate from the Greek version of the New Testament, which was one of the set books. The passage chosen was from the story of the Passion. Wilde began to translate, easily and accurately. The examiners were satisfied, and told him that this was enough. Wilde ignored them and continued to translate. After another attempt the examiners at last succeeded in stopping him, and told him that they were satisfied with his translation. 'Oh, do let me go on,' said Wilde, 'I want to see how it ends.' "

.

[kernelbogey]

I don’t know about these things, one of my many areas of lack of expertise, but light sensor numbers do decline at a remarkably early age in humans. Not sure what the evolutionary benefit is !!

We oldies can sit round the fire while you guys go out and do the hunting.

[kernelbogey]

....I didn't listen Serial, but yes, just about every day I despair about this issue ....and cannot believe that an end has not been found....but no a new dark depth is plunged into....

And Serial:

[Maclintick]

... I am reminded of the Oscar Wilde anecdote -

"IN his viva voce examination for 'Divvers' at Oxford, Oscar Wilde was required to translate from the Greek version of the New Testament, which was one of the set books. The passage chosen was from the story of the Passion. Wilde began to translate, easily and accurately. The examiners were satisfied, and told him that this was enough. Wilde ignored them and continued to translate. After another attempt the examiners at last succeeded in stopping him, and told him that they were satisfied with his translation. 'Oh, do let me go on,' said Wilde, 'I want to see how it ends.' "

.

[LHC]

Ignorance can be an asset on occasion. Fiona Shaw once recalled a performance of Medea in Ireland where a good proportion of the audience reacted in genuine shock and horror at the moment she kills her children -- one woman shouting "Noooo !!"

I went to a showing of Chinatown at the NFT many years ago. There were two middle-aged women sitting in the row in front of me who had clearly never seen it before. When it came to the big revelation about Faye Dunaway's character, Evelyn Mulray, they were both completely shocked. For several minutes they sat there shaking their heads and saying "oh my God, oh no" and it seemed to take them some time to process the information. Its quite rare to see a film have that kind of impact on its audience.

[smittims]

James Ivory was impressed to hear two women 's reaction to the end of The Bostonians:

'How could she just throw up her career like that to marry a pauper?'

'Well, it was Chistopher Reeve'.

[gurnemanz]

A friend and I went to see Lindsey Anderson's If in the West End in 1968, a momentous year generally. We were students having left school the year before and wanted to catch the film as soon as it came out. It famously ends with Malcolm Mcdowell and friends machine-gunning the School's great and good from a rooftop. I have never forgotten a massive shouting match which ensued between two audience members. So long ago I'm afraid I can't remember the content of their interchange.

[smittims]

It's certainly a film to arouse strong feelings,which is clearly what Lindsay wanted; he had a contempt for what might be called English complacency.

I'm afraid I've never liked his feature film s and feel he was at his best with documentaries. I'm sure this would produce a snort of ridicule if anyone said so to him!

[gurnemanz]

It's certainly a film to arouse strong feelings,which is clearly what Lindsay wanted; he had a contempt for what might be called English complacency.

I'm afraid I've never liked his feature film s and feel he was at his best with documentaries. I'm sure this would produce a snort of ridicule if anyone said so to him!

Oops. I spelled his name wrong. Should have checked. I saw O Lucky Man! Overlong, but entertaining, as I remember, with Arthur Lowe in various guises.