rboysdad
Joined Nov 2007
Welcome to the new profile
We're still working on updating some profile features. To see the badges, ratings breakdowns, and polls for this profile, please go to the previous version.
Reviews5
rboysdad's rating
As I get older the world seems to get uglier and opera, which seemed so unengaging when I was young, seems now more attractive and essential than ever. Cosi is one of the loveliest Mozart operas, fascinating for all the well rehearsed reasons, but so often disappointing for so many reasons - singing below par (and WAM did set the bar rather high here, particularly for Fiordiligi), stagey sets with too much lace and nylon, and wooden acting.
The problem here is the modern theme of a beachside location, but the Dutch do seem to go in for this kind of thing. It has its own logic, though, and if one can ignore it and concentrate instead on the music and singing, the story and the actors, it can take one to heaven. There's very little to criticise beyond the staging ideas (well, one can always carp) but it's a very nice thing, and Sally Matthews is superb in her role. Miah Persson is another modern vocal wonder who did this opera proud; we are lucky to have such an interest in 18th century opera, the talent to perform it, and the means to make thrilling recordings.
The problem here is the modern theme of a beachside location, but the Dutch do seem to go in for this kind of thing. It has its own logic, though, and if one can ignore it and concentrate instead on the music and singing, the story and the actors, it can take one to heaven. There's very little to criticise beyond the staging ideas (well, one can always carp) but it's a very nice thing, and Sally Matthews is superb in her role. Miah Persson is another modern vocal wonder who did this opera proud; we are lucky to have such an interest in 18th century opera, the talent to perform it, and the means to make thrilling recordings.
I was unaware of this film adaptation of Waugh's trilogy until today's showing on British freeview TV, and missing the first half hour, also missed the chance to record it to DVD. Drat. Until I saw it. Very pretty production by Channel 4 TV and Talkback, made some 8 years back, before Daniel Craig became a superstar.
I've read and reread a lot of Waugh but believed Sword of Honour to be an inexplicably stolid, inaccessibly unreadable work, so big, so long, so dull. Brideshead was the beginning of the end, the trilogy was the end writ large.
Until I found the BBC radio adaptation from 1974, over 11 hours rather than this film's 4. After a few hours I began to see the early Waugh wrapped inside the less obviously satirical wrappings, his humour and gravity. The genius, in short.
They don't make them like Waugh any more, nor do they make the people; the 1974 recording was made in time to catch many authentic sounding voices from the era, and some very fine acting. A gem which I recommend to any Waugh fans.
This film seems to be, probably, a rather adroit shot at a script which condenses a huge tome to a few hours, but the vowels are comprehensive school, Craig is hopelessly wrong, and there are but a few flashes of sharp observation and very little wit. But the audio version is available on the internet, and of course the pictures are better.
I've read and reread a lot of Waugh but believed Sword of Honour to be an inexplicably stolid, inaccessibly unreadable work, so big, so long, so dull. Brideshead was the beginning of the end, the trilogy was the end writ large.
Until I found the BBC radio adaptation from 1974, over 11 hours rather than this film's 4. After a few hours I began to see the early Waugh wrapped inside the less obviously satirical wrappings, his humour and gravity. The genius, in short.
They don't make them like Waugh any more, nor do they make the people; the 1974 recording was made in time to catch many authentic sounding voices from the era, and some very fine acting. A gem which I recommend to any Waugh fans.
This film seems to be, probably, a rather adroit shot at a script which condenses a huge tome to a few hours, but the vowels are comprehensive school, Craig is hopelessly wrong, and there are but a few flashes of sharp observation and very little wit. But the audio version is available on the internet, and of course the pictures are better.