January Books Read

 First, the news.  In weather news, we have been below 0C for six days now, with a few more to go.  That includes daytime highs.  Yet another major snowstorm mostly missed us, grazing us with a mere 1" of snow, while south of us got bombarded again.  We are riding high, with two weeks of serious winter remaining on our calendar.  We've had four easy weeks, and it looks like two more of the same.  Yes, it's now colder than normal, and about right for January, but nowhere near as cold as it can get, repeatedly.

 

I've spent a lot of the weekend on the phone.  I spoke at some length with Marion, John Hannah's wife, who was also a teacher at the college back in the day.  She is understandingly having a hard time just now.  It was good to speak with her.  We talked about John a lot, and the college and people we knew back then.  Marion is listening to a lot of music these days, saying it helps keep her grounded.  A memorial service is planned for John in Sudbury when circumstances allow.  I would really like to attend.  I also spoke to Maxime, our 2nd recent conversation since John's passing.  She lives in Moncton, NB and we had a lot of catching up to do.  She doesn't play piano anymore, which is kind of sad.  She was a fast finger wizard in her student days, and a very musical performer.  I allow spoke with my parents, who are also having an easier winter (in Sudbury) this year.  There isn't enough snow for much in the way of outdoor activities, something that is rare for that location, but happens sometimes.

 

Now on to books.  I read nine books by authors within the Avon/Equinox SF Rediscovery series, and two books not related.  I am currently beginning a new cycle, reading a (so far) excellent SF novel by Silverberg.  

 

January began with Ghost, a 1986 publication by Piers Anthony.  It is a unique and quite fascinating take on time travel, based on the people involved remaining where they currently are in space, and having the universe move past them as it normally would.  I've never encountered this kind of idea before.  Captain Shetland and his 6 person crew (3 females and three males) gets involved with a ghost galaxy beyond all time and space, a black hole, and the ghost of a crew member who commits suicide.  However, the book eventually becomes overly complex and riddled with useless and far-reaching ideas that should have been tamed a bit before publication.  Is he writing only for Mensa readers, who probably couldn't figure it out either.  Full marks for creativity and inventiveness, as is usual for this author.  But the storytelling, which begins in excellent manner, just falls apart about two-thirds of the way through.  The novel then becomes an intellectual exercise.  While not dry, it does become tedious.

 

Next comes a good old fashioned invasion of Earth story by Harry Harrison, from 1982.  There is a lot to like about this story, called Invasion: Earth, but one wonders how different it would be if the aliens had been handsome and godlike in their features, instead of repulsive to human perception.  This one is a page turner, and can be read easily in a day or two.

 

The Freedom Army by Kenneth Bulmer, from 1972, impressed me a lot.  At its heart it is a political espionage story, tempered with some humour, violence, double crosses, plot twists and turns, and a reasonably good ending.  Though a pulp book at heart, its frequent references to Moliere and Shakespeare, among others, set this one considerably higher than most of its genre kin.  Recommended for fun reading.

 

The Possessed by E C Tubb is revised from a 1959 story, republished in 2005 as a novella.  The action takes place in northern Scotland, at a secret base for satellite research.  Things have gone off the handle there after a sneaky invasion of an alien species on board a returned satellite.  This one would have made a great Quatermass serial. Unexpected violence and some hair raising story telling make this one worth reading.

Next up was Bright New Universe, by Jack Williamson, written in 1967.  This is a story about Earth seeking first contact, and proves to be an interesting socialist adventure story.  Earth is in a sorry state (much sorrier now),and the only hope appears to be getting some outside help from a superior civilization.  I couldn't agree more.  HELP!!!!

Next was my beginning a new series (for me) of Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion.  I read The Knight Of The Sword, the first book of Corum, a hero to readers familiar with Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E Howard, and Tolkien.  Prince Corum is the hero, the last of his once mighty race called the Vadhagh.  He has his work cut out for him when he begins to seek vengeance on those who caused the destruction of his race.  If you like these type of warrior/barbarian things (I do), you will love this one, quite original despite its origins and predecessors.  I am looking forward to more of these tales!

Next up was A User's Guide To The Millenium, essays from many sources and time periods by J G. Ballard.  Among other essays, it contains probably the best review of Star Wars I ever read.  Essays from 1966 through 1995 can be found.  Ballard wrote for the Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Playboy, Vogue, and nearly every other influential periodical at least once.  I found the essays endlessly fascinating, and will be referring back to them often.  Some priceless (but very dry) humour often had me laughing out loud.  There wasn't very much of his writing and opinions with which I disagreed.

In The Enclosure by Barry Malzberg continues the winning streak for this unbelievably good writer.  A group of aliens have been sent to Earth with the express purpose of divulging knowledge to us to help us grow into a mature and well balanced civilization, worthy of entering the Galactic civilization.  By the way the aliens are treated, we have a ways to go yet.  However, it isn't just us that has been treating the aliens badly.  A terrific ending to this very claustrophobic novel.  A zinger of a story.

Lastly came Blish's short novel Midsummer Century.  A radio telescope scientist falls towards his death trying to repair the telescope, only to awaken 23,000 into the future, trapped inside the mind of an entity called The Qvant. That is quite a premise, and Blish delivers the goods in a taut story of the old school.  There is plenty of adventure, though much of it looks inward rather than outward.  A nice place to begin with this author, as it can be read quickly, and gives some small indication of his use of a them and style of writing.  A keeper.

At the completion of a cycle of books by the Avon/Equinox authors, I allow myself to read from my "other" pile of awaiting books.  I completed three more chapters of the Beethoven biography by Swafford.  I am now poised to read the chapter dealing with the creation of the 3rd Symphony, the Eroica.  I read the hardcover Bach 333 biography that came with our recent CD set.  There isn't much to tell about Bach's life, since so little has been handed down to us from posterity.  We don't even have all his music, and only one portrait of him exists.  However, at around 100 pages in length, I now have the best understanding possible today of how he lived and what he did on a day to day basis.  The 2nd half of the book contains about ten separate essays by scholars on various aspects of his life and music.  The book is well written and handsomely put together.  We are working on the CD collection, too.

I also read a book called The Game Is Afoot: Parodies, Pastiches, and Ponderings of Sherlock Holmes, edited by Marvin Kaye.  Published in 1995, the book's heart is nearly a hundred Holmes stories by different authors.  Not all of them work, and several I would have left out completely.  The absolute worst thing in the book is the editor's own overlong and very boring account of what makeup Holmes would have used in disguising himself.  Good grief, what a waste of paper!  Highlights include a Solar Pons adventure by August Derleth; a brilliantly reconstructed case mentioned by Watson in one of their adventures, called In The Island of Ufa, by Poul Anderson; The Moriarty Gambit by Fritiz Leiber, telling of a chess match between the two titans early in their lives; a good story by John Dickson Carr; and another by Robert Bloch.  All in all it was a fun way to extend my love of the Holmes stories.

We'll conclude this stimulating blog entry with another landscape painting.  Though I love and admire landscapes from many different styles and sources, my heart is truly with Dutch and Flemish paintings of the 1600s, in which the DIA is enriched many times over.  In fact, if it weren't for their extensive collections in this area I doubt I would have gravitated so heavily towards this aspect of art.

Landscape With A Carriage Holdup, ca. 1615-1618. 
Jacob van Geel, Dutch, between 1584 and 1585-1638 or later.

9.5" x 18", unframed.  Collection Detroit Institute of Arts.    

This is a gem of a painting, filled with fascinating landscape detail.  At first glance it resembles works by the younger Brueghels, and though Dutch in origin it seems much more related to its Flemish counterparts.  The landscape seems more fantasy based than real, though the crime being committed, and so close to the heavenly looking city nearby, is real enough.    The threatening looking trees on the left and the robbers gaining advantage on the right seem to be a warning to stay within the city gates.

Detail of the central action. 

 

Detail of the right side. 

 

The amazing prehistoric looking forest on the left side, lower.  

Candlemas is only two days away, amazing as that seems.  Not a big deal here, but it marks the halfway point between winter solstice and spring equinox.  We get updated Tarot cards, and will present Brigid to the world again, in hopes that she can restore the land and get spring moving forward.  The light is returning, but we wait until February 14th, Lupercalia, to celebrate our local spring arrival and return of the light.  Next post will likely be Wednesday.

Mapman Mike

 

 

Music, Art, Movies

 In other words, life continues under the new normal.  But first, a word about my hearing.  My right ear has improved somewhat since November, when it was about 90% blocked.  Then, after taking Serc for many weeks, it rose to about 50% of normal.  Today it improved slightly again, perhaps up to about 70% of normal.  I noticed it right away at the piano this morning.  The high notes (my right side) were louder, clearer, and more bell-like.  I have cut the meds from 48 mg per day to 32 mg per day.  So far so good.

Work on my "old" piano program continues, along with two pieces of the new one.  The first program is completely memorized, while one piece on the next program is getting there.  The Schubert Impromptu Op 90 #3 is coming along nicely, with two pages remaining to be memorized.  It's possible that this piece will be included in my "old" program, whenever it gets performed.  The Beethoven Variations Op 34 will require a long time yet before it is publicly playable, but it shouldn't be too hard to memorize, at least.  I have not learned a new Beethoven piece for several years now, being so involved with Haydn, but this seemed the year to do it.

In cat news, Mogollon has gone through a crisis, as his glaucoma suddenly worsened.  His right eye is now totally blind, and has gone white.  He was in a type of migraine pain for many days.  A trip to the vet, and subsequent e-mails and phone calls have relieved the pain, but he is now totally blind in one eye.  He seems more normal and relaxed today, and is eating well.

In movie news, I had two picks last week, and this weekend is Deb's 3-film festival.  Kagemusha (1980) is a late Kurosawa film, not showing onthe Criterion Channel.  Instead, we used our DVD box set (Criterion) for this one.  Not having watched DVDs for a long time, we immediately noticed the poorer image quality as compared to recent streaming.  The film is based on historical events in the early and middle 1570s, when one clan was wiped off the map by another clan who used muskets (hundreds and hundreds of muskets).  While overall the 3 hour film is quite good, and time flies as we watch, two things make it less than a perfect film.  One is the music, which is western style, with lots of trumpets, and does not fit the scenario at all.  I understand that Western influences changed the course of Japanese history and marked the end of the samurai era, but this music is really terrible, often spoiling the wonderful images it is supposed to enhance.  The second thing is the ending, when Kurosawa shows the aftermath of the slaughter of hundreds of men and horses.  We get it.  War is terrible, and not very pretty.  But the images of horses struggling to stand (after obviously being drugged for the scene) go on and on and on.  Enough.

                                    We watched our own DVD copy of the film, from Criterion. 

Next up is one of the quirkiest noirish films ever made.  We had seen The Seventh Victim (1943) before, though not for many years, and had completely forgotten it.  A senior schoolgirl is told by administration that her sister has stopped sending tuition money.  She sets off for New York to find out what is going on.  And just what is going on?  Her sister has sold her cosmetics business and has been taken into a satanic cult, where she is manipulated and brain washed.  When she attempts to leave the cult, they make attempts to kill her.  The film is very hard to describe.  Produced by Val Lewton, it has many of his trademark elements, such as a lone female in heels on the street alone at night, being pursued by a killer.  Not entirely successful, it still is a fascinating film to watch.  Nothing happens the way one expects, and viewers are kept continually wondering just what exactly is going on.  The ending is truly amazing and unexpected, especially for a Hollywood film.  Definitely one for the books, and unique in film history.  Kim Hunter gives a really good performance of the younger sister.

                                        Showing only until Sunday on the Criterion Channel.  

 

Turning to art from the DIA, and continuing with our landscape theme, we turn to a favourite painting of mine by Corot.  Corot lived from 1800-1875, and this painting is from 1875.  We see a peaceful scene, painted in most monochromatic style, with small splashes of brighter colour reserved for the tall maiden's skirt.  The children accompanying her blend completely with their surroundings.  This is a meditative painting, one that invites quiet reflection, and while it doesn't reveal any great truths or require much interpretation, it does show humans interacting with nature in a way that makes us realize what we are missing when away from such pleasures.  The fact that it doesn't show a dramatic mountain, nor a splashy sunset, or a threatening storm or deep, dark, mysterious woods, also speaks of its gentle quality.  This is a place similar to those we have all visited at some time.  Not surprisingly, it is a popular painting in the museum.

 

Gathering Fruit At Mortefontaine, Jean Batiste Camille Corot, French.  Oil on canvas, 24.5" x 17.5", unframed.  Collection Detroit Institute of Arts.  

 

Detail of bottom right.

 

And that wraps up another blogging session.  Back to my exciting life!

 

Mapman Mike

 

 

The Best Laid Plans

 When I began my indoor exercise program at the beginning of last June, I had high hopes that I would be hiking in NM in October or November.  Ha ha ha.  I stayed with the program, however, hoping I could visit the desert in Spring of 2021.  Ha ha.  Eight months later, it has become such a habit that I continue to exercise for no particular reason.  I am wonderfully fit, but staying at home.  How ironic, considering how many major hiking adventures we went on, despite being completely and totally unprepared physically.  Hiking next autumn in New Mexico?  Perhaps, though I do not have high hopes.  Nor even low hopes.

At first the vaccine announcements cheered everyone.  After all, the flu shots given each year to millions did not cause any supply/demand problems (until this past year, of course).  So no one was expecting major issues with the new vaccine for Covid 19.  Now that, at least for Canada, the vaccine seems further away than ever, a myth, if you like, the news has actually angered a lot of people.  Guess who they are angry with?  Not the company who stopped giving Canada the vaccine this week, but the government.  I guess the Prime Minister should have been making a lot of the stuff in his bathtub, or something, for just such an emergency.

Anyway, our hopes of getting the vaccine in time to enjoy a life outdoors again has slipped away.  We aren't getting our first dose, anyway, until we can be assured of getting the 2nd one within 21-28 days, so we will likely be near the very end of the line.  In the meantime, I had two outings this week.  Monday I went to Harrow for birdseed and cat litter.  Today I went out for groceries, to a store that was largely empty of shoppers.  How lucky!  Once I am back home with the loot, and I realize that I don't have to venture forth until next Tuesday (prescriptions), a very happy feeling comes over me.  Go away, world.  Don't come back until you are ready for us.

Last night the snow plows ran all night.  We awoke this morning expecting to see a lot of snow.  However, there was less than 1 cm on the ground.  Really?  Let's keep the entire highway residents awake all night, for absolutely nothing.  Even at breakfast the plows were still running up and down the highway with their plows down, on perfectly bare pavement!  Idiocy, as they must spend their allotted budget, unless they get less money next year.

In movie news, we have a winner, and a loser.  The winner (both were Deb's picks for the weekend) is called Tom Thumb (Le Petit Poucet), a fantasy from 2001.  Mixing and matching several fairy and folk tales, this is a dark, very scary movie that Criterion mistakenly put on its Saturday Matinee program for children.  Trust me, any children watching this film will need therapy afterwards.  The movie is mostly brilliant, though the music is disappointing, and no matter how fast those wolves run, they can never catch the five brothers.  Most people alive today know nothing of the real stories of the fairy tales, before they were made more palatable for children (for which, as a child once, I am eternally thankful).  This gloomy though highly entertaining feature reminded me a lot of Company of Wolves, another favourite film of mine, though this one is even darker and more violent.  The settings are absolutely beautiful, like some of the very best PC games I have played.  Highly recommended!

Now showing on the Criterion Channel.  Keep the children in a different room while watching. 

 

Next up was Le Cercle Rouge, a crime caper from 1970 directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, and starring (of course) Alain Delon.  The movie is spoiled by several head scratching leaps of (il) logic.  First we have a handcuffed criminal on board a night train (?) with a policeman escort, who escapes by picking the cuffs with a safety pin, then kicking out the window of the train (ever try to break a train window with your foot?  Then jump out that window as the train is speeding along?  Good luck!).  With police and (very slow) dogs in pursuit, he crosses a little creek about five feet across.  The dogs follow his trail to the creek, but then no one can figure out where he went, as his trail simply disappears.  Really (rolling of eyes)?  Then comes the heist, which is so complicated they would need months to prepare.  No problem.  They are ready in one or two nights.  The ending, which I will not divulge, is the worst of all, with two (or more) enormous leaps of silliness that defy description.  All one can do is shake one's head, and wonder what they were smoking in France in 1970.  Enough said.

 

                            Showing until January 31st on Criterion.  A seriously flawed movie.  

 

Following up on paintings from the last entry, today we get to see the other half of the set by Filippo Falciatore (active 1728-68).  Concert In A Garden (1750, oil on canvas, 30" x 40", unframed) appears at first to be the exact opposite of the Tarantelle image from last time.  People here are behaving in a more respectable fashion, as we get a posher clientele in this work.  However, music, nature, and love still seem to be at the centre of things.  Again, there is a feast of details to enjoy.  Similar to images by Lancret, Boucher, and Watteau, I marvel at the eccentric keyboard, and wonder how those strings manage to vibrate while turning a corner!

                        Concert In a Garden, Falciatore,  Collection Detroit Institute of Arts. 

 

                                           The central area in detail.  Love that keyboard player's outfit!

 

            Sweet nothings and secrets are being shared.  Why is that man staring at me?

                                                                Lower left corner detail.

 

                                                                    Upper centre, detail.

 

                                            Back right, detail, with strange wall and fountain. 

 Until next time....

 

Mapman Mike

 

Chess Master Mikie

 Yes, I have taken up the game again, dusting off my old 2 CD game, which includes tons of lessons, puzzles, and games to play.  I gave up chess years ago, realizing that I was quite hopeless.  So I need to be reminded again that I am hopeless, so here we go.  I only have about 30 minutes per day right now, so it will take me a few weeks at least to beat the computer at the Grand Master level.  I'll let you know when that happens....

Today was a real January day.  It was pretty cold, and very sunny and bright.  I go out twice each day to feed the birds and squirrels, but today I also did a bit of yard work, cleaning up some tree shoots that have to go.  And there is snow in the forecast!  1"-3" predicted for Monday night.  No sleep Monday, with the plows going past.  We have a four lane main road to our west, and a two lane main road to our south.  Thus the plow has to pass six times to clean the roads.  They sound like Smaug attacking Laketown when they pass.

I am considerably behind in movie news, so here goes.  Most recently we watched The President's Analyst, starring James Coburn as a psychiatrist who is recruited to be on call for the President.  It takes a lot out of him, and he tries to run away after awhile.  However, he knows too much, and spies are out to nab him, and his own government wants him dead.  This is quite a funny film from 1967, a spoof on spy movies, hippies, and government (and telephone company) surveillance.  Coburn is perfect in the role.

                                        Showing on Criterion Channel until January 31st.

Before that we watched My Life In Cinema: Akira Kurosawa.  From 1993, the master is interviewed for 90 minutes by Japanese director Nagisa Oshima.  It's a low tech straight forward 90 minutes of talking, but there are many fascinating moments, such as when Kurosawa talks about his early days as a director's assistant, and starting up his own production company.  We only have two of his films left to watch, and thus Ran will be coming up next week (already seen years ago).  I also want to see the films of Oshima, of which Criterion has many.

Before that came two picks of Deb's.  The Picture of Dorian Gray, from 1945, is a classic horror movie.  Though I have seen it many years ago, I had forgotten how much of Wilde's witty dialogue had made it into the film.  Many zinger lines come so fast and furious that it's hard to keep up, and if you laugh out loud, which is hard to avoid, you miss the next one.  Hatfield is suitably creepy as the man who loses control of his soul, and George Sanders is totally amazing as the bored aristocrat who starts the whole ball rolling, so to speak.

                                        Showing on the Criterion Channel until January 31st. 

 

Before that came Yi Yi (2000) by Edward Yang.  Filmed in Taipei and Tokyo, the epic film follows the life of a family through a wedding, a funeral, and day to day crap that most families have to endure.  There is the 8 year old boy, and we see many of his strange adventures at home, school and beyond.  His older sister is Ting Ting, and she becomes involved in her first (disastrous) romance.  The mother has a breakdown because she basically has no life and no personality.  She heads off to a mountain monastery retreat.  Dad heads to Tokyo to try and land a big business deal, hooking up with a woman he loved and should have married 30 years ago.  The film is episodic, and not always fascinating, but overall it's a winner and worth seeing.  The peek inside such a family, and in such locations is a real treat.  There is a lot of humour, but it is well balanced with drama and day to day happenings.

 

                                            A very long movie, now showing on Criterion.
 

Before that came my 3rd viewing of Local Hero, from 1983.  This is one of my all time favourite films.  Burt Lancaster is great as a Texas oil tycoon who is distracted by the night sky, and wants to discover a comet.  Peter Capaldi is hilarious as a Scottish assistant to an American junior executive sent over to acquire a Scottish village and a pristine northern beach, in order to build a storage facility for oil.  A wonderful picture from start to finish, episodic and quirky, but becoming more and more charming as it goes along.

 

                                                Showing on Criterion until January 31st. 

 

Lastly came part 4 of Fassbinder's eminently watchable series for German TV, called Eight Hours Don't Make A Day.  It's described as a working class family drama.  With only one part remaining to view, I am going to miss this series and the people who inhabit it.  It's hard to believe that this is from the same director as Berlin Alexanderplatz.

Turning to a pair of paintings (one this time, and the other one next time), I can clearly remember when these works entered the collection in 1980.  The first painting is loud in every sense of the word, from the bright colours and perfect day of weather, to the musicians playing full out for the vigorous dance.  Though the picture is attractive in its own weird way, like many fine paintings the greatest pleasure comes from observing the details.  The artist certainly focuses on music and dance, but all the five senses are meant to be engaged here.  One can almost smell the sea, not to mention the market fish on display.  As for touch, that sword fish sword appears irresistible!  I may have featured this work in an earlier blog post, but it's worth looking at again.

Tarantella at Mergellina, ca. 1750, Filippo Falciatore, Italian (active 1718-1768).  Oil on Canvas.  One of a pair, Detroit Institute of Arts.  30" x 40" unframed.

 

 

Detail of central focus.

Detail of left side, lower.

 Detail of lower right side.

 Detail of upper right side.  

Of course there is more to say, but I must save some for next time.

 

Mapman Mike

 

 

 

 

A Fresh Start

 Not in my lifetime (getting to be a significant amount of time) has there been such worldwide relief expressed at the swearing in of a new US president.  It was as if the entire world took a collective deep breath and sigh when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn in to the oval office.  Although the time span of any democratic leader is short (maximum of 8 years in the US for presidents), the last four years have seemed interminably long.  The fact that we came close to having another four years with the same president in power was almost too much to think about.  As bad a disaster as the previous term was, I cannot imagine what another would have done, not only to America, but to the rest of the world.  And it's fantastic to see President Biden getting down to work, even on inauguration day!  So much to do, and so little time.

Canada, like other countries, has been walking a tightrope for the last four years.  The US is our leading trading partner, and all has not been going that well.  Of course with Alberta's dashed hopes of a dirty, stinking oil sands pipeline being built to serve the US energy needs, there will be economic fallout here.  Too bad, really, but what choice is there?  If now is not the time to minimize the use of oil and gas, then when?

Our little county continues to be ravaged by Covid, and the vaccine roll out has dried up for a while, too.  Timing couldn't be worse for stopping the production of the vaccine.  None at all is arriving in Canada next week.  And the one after that?  Who can say?  And as Israel, a country that leads in the vaccine race, has discovered, one dose does not offer enough protection.  If fact, if offers almost none.  So until the second dose gets working we are still on our own, taking Vitamin D (we take 4400 mg daily), staying home, wearing a mask when out, and washing our hands a lot.  Even my parents (91 and 89) have no idea when they will receive their first dose.

Turning now to Brexit (very briefly), it would appear that there are a few flies in the ointment, so to speak.  Not terribly surprising, really.  The last minute rush to "make a deal" has backfired in a number of areas, and the slight inconveniences expected at switchover seem to be slightly more than that, and growing every day.  With one dangerous and incompetent world leader gone, perhaps it's time to send another one on his way.

In weather news, there isn't any.  Our deep winter (January 10th to February 14th) has not arrived, nor does it appear that it will.  Our temps (today excepted) have managed to go above or reach 0C nearly every day, with no polar vortex in sight over the upcoming two week forecast.  Our six week much dreaded winter is now half over.  There is no cold air, and there is no snow.  The Detroit River has no ice, and the sun is now returning north at a good clip.  Here is an image of last night's stunning sunset, as seen from our front porch.

I haven't blogged here in a while.  We have been busy!  Thanks to Caroline, our London bestie, we heard a recent all Bach recital by one of my favourite pianists, Andras Schiff.  Presented in Wigmore Hall (with no audience), his playing was, as usual, a revelation.  To hear the inner voices of Bach's music so clearly played, and to hear an entire Bach recital (from memory!) performed so flawlessly and seemingly effortlessly, was a real joy to experience.  The concert is still on Youtube.  Afterwards, the only thing I could say was, "Gee, I wish I could play the piano."  And I wasn't kidding.  I checked my new Bach 333 set, happy to discover that there are several key recordings by Schiff on the discs.

We had an in-house birthday party for Deb on Monday.  However, we got a take away lunch from The Plant Base, a tiny but fabulous vegan place here in A'burg.  Their utterly decadent and sensuous vegan cheesecakes served as the birthday cake.  Usually it is snowy and cold on her day.  Sure enough, at 10 pm it began to snow a little.  Last year we were home that day, too, but shovelling our way out of a good sized snow storm.  There was no wood fire, but lots of listening, movie watching, and a round of Carcasonne (Mage and Witch), which I lost handily.

I promise to return very soon with an update of movies watched, and more art from the DIA!

Mapman Mike

Covid Lockdown: For Real This Time

 We have passed yellow, red, and then grey for lockdown.  Now we are in double lockdown, or something as ridiculous. Things are still open, but unless they are "essential", they must close at 8 pm.  Now that's real tough measures, let me tell you.  Traffic continues to roar past our house.  Anyway, for Deb and I nothing has changed.  Out for food once every two weeks, and out for medical appointments as needed.

I now have about 60% hearing in my right ear, and I am ecstatic to hear the piano properly once again.  Except that it is getting badly out of tune (it's been a year, instead of 6 months).  I never really noticed before, but now I sure do.

As far as winter goes, by the calendar we are now in the coldest, deepest part of it.  That phase will last until early February, when it begins to get a lot lighter and marginally less cold.  Except that winter hasn't arrived in our area yet.  Aside from three days in a row that stayed below freezing right at Christmas, we have made it above 0C virtually every day.  We have no snow on the ground.  The long range forecast shows nothing too strenuous.  Since we are staying home anyway, I say bring on the snow.  But no one listens to me.

Deb chose two movies over the weekend, the first one from the complete Criterion list and the 2nd one from the leaving January 31st list.  The first one was an experimental film from 2012 from Black American director Terrance Nance.  It was called An Oversimplification of Her Beauty.  I fell asleep twice.  I'll include the blurb here: 

"Terence Nance announced his arrival as one of the most exciting voices in American independent cinema with his bracingly original, endlessly inventive debut feature. With arresting insight, vulnerability, and a playful sense of humor, this one-of-a-kind, confessional multimedia collage uses a kaleidoscopic mix of live action, animation, and unchained surrealism to capture the relationship between Terence (Nance) and a young woman (Namik Minter) as it teeters on the divide between platonic and romantic." 

Now that that has been established, I just could not get into the film at all.  It is like a wacked out version of warped reality, as we see the same events from somewhat different perspectives, with scenes often ending with the question "How would you feel?"  My answer was always the same: bored.  I found the "romantic" conversations quite insipid and juvenile.  Definitely not geared for grumpy 67 year old males.  It was original.

 Now showing on Criterion. 

 

Next up was a film called The Wise Kids, another debut film, this one by Stephen Cone from 2011.  It began worse than the previous film, and as I began rolling my eyes and looking at the time, I figured I would last five minutes at most.  The blurb:

"Stephen Cone established himself as one of American independent cinema’s most sensitive and perceptive voices with his critical breakthrough, a radiantly empathetic look at coming of age in the Bible Belt. Over the course of their final summer in Charleston, South Carolina, before college, gay teen Tim (Tyler Ross) and his best friends Laura (Allison Torem) and Brea (Molly Kunz) grapple with crises of faith, friendship, love, and sexuality as they find themselves questioning the fundamentalist Baptist beliefs of their families. Casting light on a segment of American society rarely depicted on-screen, Cone offers an illuminating perspective on the intersection of queer identity and modern religion."

Brea is the girl losing her faith; Laura is the lord's shepherd personified; and Torem is the gay guy who wants to keep his faith.  The three kids are actually so good in their roles that I was soon drawn in to their struggles.  There are some adult issues, too, including a minister who is married and gay, and more or less stuck in a scary rut.  The whole thing is so honest and presented to viewers in such a straight forward manner that it's easy to get caught up in their little drama.  Watch for Cone's 2nd film, as Deb will choose it next weekend.

 

    Now showing on Criterion.  Great acting, decent story, and a highly unusual setting for a film. 

 

Mapman Mike

 

 

In Memorium: John Hannah, Pianist and Teacher

 

John was my 2nd formal piano teacher, after Stephen Sword.  Stephen got me (quickly) to Gr. 5 piano.  Over the summer I fiddled with some Gr. 6 pieces, then met John as my new teacher at Cambrian College.  He started me in Gr. 7 piano, and by June of the following year I took my Gr. 8 exam.  A year after that came Gr. 10, and a year after that came my ARCT level recital.  I worked hard for John, and there are several reasons why.  The three years I spent studying music at Cambrian College in Sudbury were the most intense years of study I have ever done.  The college program was perfect for students like me, who had very little music background, but wanted one very badly.

John was a serious teacher and a quiet man, though he had some wonderful quirks and laughed easily.  He played along with students on his own 2nd piano at lessons, and sang constantly (peem peem pum peem peem pum...And now we're HERE, and now we're THERE...).  By the end of a weekly lesson I had more than enough work to keep me busy in the practice rooms.  John influenced many of us in ways that are difficult to pin down.  Sure we studied repertoire with him (and I studied harmony with him, too), and he taught us much in the way of technique, interpretation, and musicianship.  But in his own quiet way he was also an inspiration.  No one wanted to disappoint John at a lesson, so we would practice furiously all week.  When things didn't go so well at lessons you would never be scolded, only encouraged.  He had an uncanny way of finding pieces perfectly suited to each student.  He chose wonderfully for me, pieces I would never have had the courage to learn on my own, such as Beethoven's Tempest Sonata, Listz's Hungarian Rhapsody #13, Bach's Prelude and Fugue in C# Major (!), a Chopin Polonaise, Bartok, and so on.  He opened doors for me that, as a very late starter on piano (18 years), I thought would never be open.  

He pushed us into festivals (I won prizes!), TV appearances (I performed twice, once as soloist and once as accompanist), and community concerts.  I performed the Liszt Rhapsody for a full house (over 800) at Laurentian University.  I would have done none of those things without John shoving me into them.  He would say at your lesson "You will play that on TV next week," or "I think you should enter all your pieces in the music festival," or "you will play your Liszt at this concert next Sunday."  After giving your head a shake you would say yes, and then go home and not sleep for a week prior to whatever you'd signed up for.

At our graduation party in spring of 1976, the graduating class (about 8 of us--it was a very small, intimate college music program, the absolute best) got together to purchase a gift for John.  It was a bust of Beethoven.  As he was unwrapping it from its box he exclaimed "It's the head of someone."  We all nearly died laughing.  John had his way with words, and with teaching.

Mom called me today to tell me about John's obituary (see below).  In an instant a flood of memories came washing over me.  My closest fellow student/friends at the time were Maxime W., Claude B, and Lois B.  I've heard nothing of Lois since graduation.  I went to New Brunswick and PEI many years ago to visit with Maxime and Claude and their families.  

I was dating Deb at the time I studied with John (she was in a very nearby high school), and she spent nearly as much time at Cambrian as me.  I would eat dinner at her house often, then return to the college at night for more piano.

John was also a piano performer, both as soloist and accompanist.  His concerts were always well attended, very well prepared, and anxiously awaited by his students and the community.  There wasn't much classical music in Sudbury; the college provided most of it.  Even the symphony rehearsed there, and I joined as clarinetist for two years, and Deb as violinist.  They were intense, busy years, but among the happiest of my life.  And John was at the center of it, since love of piano was my main focus.

I returned to Sudbury after university to play my grad recital again at Cambrian, organized by John for me.  And one other later time I gave a concert there, again helped by John.  I had hoped to reconnect with him and Marion over the summer of 2020, which was thwarted by Covid, so perhaps in the summer of 2021, to again perform a recital, mostly for family and friends this time.  So I am left shocked and deeply saddened by John's passing.  I will hopefully be in touch soon with Marion, and perhaps Max and Claude, too.

Here follows the text of the official obit, from which the above photo was taken.  I have no pictures of John from my student days, at least none that I know of.  How sad is that?

John Douglas Hannah

October 14, 1943 - January 4, 2021 

The family of John Hannah regretfully announces his passing at home on Monday, January 4, 2021 after a lengthy period of declining health; he was 77 years of age. He was the beloved husband and musical partner of his wife, Marion Harvey Hannah and constant loving father of his daughter, Amy (Kevin). He was a dear brother of Don (Doug) with whom he shared a love of music and literature. A special brother-in-law to Mary Lou (Colin) and uncle to nephews Robert and Andrew. John was predeceased by his parents, Douglas and Marion (nee Gillard) Hannah, brother Scott (Susan), and leaves behind many cousins. John was raised in Shediac, New Brunswick and pursued studies in piano performance at Acadia University and Boston University. Upon completion of his studies, he taught piano privately in Saint John, New Brunswick where he was very well known in the community and he also assumed the position of organist at St. John's (Stone) Church. Following this period, he held part-time teaching positions at Mount Allison and Acadia Universities. In 1973, John moved to Sudbury where he became the Head of Piano Studies at Cambrian College until he retired in 2001. He was the organist and choir director at the Church of the Epiphany for close to twenty years. Through his countless performances and associations with other musicians, John touched the lives of many with his skill and artistry on the piano and organ. Those who knew and worked with John found him to be an easy-going, practical man, dependable and generous, helpful to everyone. He was dedicated to his art and enjoyed a deep artistic life. He will be greatly missed by close friends and members of the community. His family wishes to acknowledge the many acts of kindness from friends over the course of his illness, the support of the nursing and personal care workers from the North East LHIN, and the care from the team of Dr. Christine Pun. In lieu of flowers, donations to Cambrian College Music Program - John Hannah Memorial Fund (www.cambriancollege.ca/givetoday) would be appreciated to continue his work of supporting young musical talent in the Sudbury area. A Memorial Service will be held at a later time for John at the Church of the Epiphany when provincial restrictions allow. Arrangements have been entrusted to Ranger's Cremation and Burial Services Ltd. Online condolences can be posted at www.RangersSudbury.com

Mapman Mike 

Local Covid Update, and Some CDs

Per capita our little county has the highest rate of Covid infection in Canada, though still behind California, Arizona, and the UK.  Our hospitals have had to send patients to hospitals far and wide, as they are beyond full.  The nursing home death numbers have become outrageous, and the vaccine roll out is not going very well.  We've been staying home for 10 months now, remaining firmly grounded and not acting any crazier than normal.  Deb's newest films are being accepted into festivals, and of course winning prizes.  She is now at work on Yorick Season 3, with a little help from yours truly, who did the voice over of the narrator.

I am just beginning to wrap my poor little head around the Beethoven CD collection recently purchased.  The listening program is still pleasantly mired in his earliest works, written mostly for friends and social gatherings in Bonn, his birth city which he left at age 22.  With multiple recordings of many of the later pieces by different artists/orchestras, this is a project that will carry on long past the 250th anniversary of his birth.  And so, what did we do after purchasing 123 Beethoven CDs?  We bought the Bach set of 222 CDs.

 

 We got the last edition of the set available in Canada (with free shipping!).  It was very expensive, but much less money than spending a holiday weekend in Cleveland or Cincinnati or Chicago.  The box is twice the size of the enormous Beethoven one, and twice as heavy.  We've already started into it, in a less formal way than the Beethoven project.  We are starting with the "Over 50 CDs of alternate recordings..."  The first thing we heard was a recording of the Brandenburg Concerto #1 from 1935, recorded at Abbey Road Studio, London!  There will likely be some Bach heard in our house everyday for the next year at least.  Fun times!

Our most recent film watched was Bill Forsythe's Housekeeping, a film from 1987 we have seen and enjoyed on two previous occasions.  It had been many years, but the 3rd viewing was just as entrancing as the first two.  Great story, great acting, and filmed in beautiful British Columbia.  It is leaving Criterion at the end of the month.  There is a really haunting quality about this film, as it explores the relationship between a shy teenage outcast and her freestyle but caring aunt.  Highly recommended viewing, and more than once.

We continue to watch a number of series as well.  On Prime we are watching Tony Robinson's Walking Through History series, and I am about to begin a five hour WW 1 documentary series there.  On Britbox we are watching Tom Baker's Dr. Who years, the first seasons of Red Dwarf and Black Adder, and the 3rd season of Upstart Crow.  And Season 7 of Elementary has just become available on Prime, so here we go.  Lots of viewing going on at the moment, though only about 2 hrs per day right now.

Time for a painting from the DIA.  Today its a landscape (aren't they all?) by Jan Weenix, called Italian Peasants Among Ruins.  The painting shows northern European viewers not only how ancient and beautiful and pleasant Italy is, but also how those peasants down there lead nearly ideal lives.  Mothers and babies are healthy and well-fed, and foreign travellers stop to chat with the friendly locals.  Imagine living in Holland and seeing such images of sunny hills and ancient ruins.  Imagine living in Essex County in January, just as flat as Holland and much colder, and seeing such an image.  I can almost imagine such a thing.

 

Italian Peasants Among Ruins, Jan Weenix, Dutch, 1621-1659,  ca 1649.  Oil on canvas, 26" x         31.5".  Collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts.  

 

Detail of left side.  That is one fat baby.

 

Detail of right side, with dog drinking.  A painting within a painting.  

 

Signing off till next time.  Hope you are enjoying the American insurrectionists getting caught one by one as much as I am.  Hopefully you-know-who is next.

Mapman Mike

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meniere's Update, and Some Politics

 I saw Dr. Ling again yesterday for a followup, after two months of taking the prescribed medicine for my Meniere's attacks.  I haven't had a vertigo episode or dizzy spell since October, and some of the hearing in my right ear has returned.  I was taking three pills a day, and it really helped, especially in removing the feeling of intense pressure in the ear.  That feeling is rare now.  So I am cutting back the meds to 2 pills a day, and if that seems to work, I can cut to one a day, then one every other day, and then none.  Or go back to three a day if needed.  Progress.  I will see the doctor again in early July.  Interestingly enough we spent about 7 minutes discussing my ear, then we got sidetracked on piano.  After telling him I was a pianist and happy to have my hearing return, he told me he was, too.  So we spent the next 15 minutes discussing Chopin, Beethoven, etc.  I deeply apologize to all the waiting patients, but it was pretty cool.

Turning to political news, as I write this police are still trying to clear rioters from the Capitol Building in Washington.  That is actually of minor importance at the moment--the big news is that the Democrats have won both Georgia Senate seats, meaning that the good guys control both the House and the Senate, at least for the next two years.  Huzzah!!  The rioting will get sorted, some of them will be charged with federal crimes, and Trump has sealed his doom, politically and personally.  Things actually couldn't get any better!  Funny, I never thought I'd share a border with a banana republic, even temporarily.

In movie news, I'll begin with the most recent film watched, Palermo Shooting by Wim Wenders, from 2008.  The movie begins badly, and it seemed for a short time that we would not get through it.  However, after a stretch of bad music and following the nearly pointless life of a big league art and fashion photographer, the film gained steam, getting better and better.  Once in Palermo (capital city of Sicily), the film really rocked.  It doesn't get any better than many of the dream sequences included in this film, or having Dennis Hopper play the figure of Death!  Never take a photo of Death!  Worth more than one viewing, and highly recommended.

                        Now showing on Criterion Channel, a film by Wim Wenders from 2008.

Earlier, we watched Kirikou and The Men and Women, from 2012, Deb's main pick for the week.  This is our 2nd Kirikou film (one more is still out there somewhere).  This hilarious and artistically successful animation stars the amazing baby boy named Kirikou, living with his mother and tribe in West Africa, and getting into several unique adventures.  The evil sorceress is back, with her hilarious fetishes to do her bidding.  This film is a compilation of four shorter tales, each one a treasure and a delight to watch.  Don't miss!

                                        From 2012, now showing on the Criterion Channel. 

 

Earliest was Deb's pick from films leaving January 31st.  She chose King of the Hill from 1993, directed by Steven Soderbergh.  Purported to be from on the memoirs of A. E. Hotchner, the screenplay is by Soderbergh.  However, despite being a well-liked film, I see Hollywood written all over it.  The lead child actor is good, if a bit too well scrubbed for depression era St. Louis, and the period autos are just a bit too clean and sparkling and highly waxed.  The bad cop and bad bellboy, who both get their comeuppence at the end (thanks, Hollywood, we feel better now), to the over dramatization of the downhill car scene, all seems to be laid on a bit thick for my tastes.  Even so there are some lovely moments, as the boy dances with a female friend who has epilepsy, and almost any scene with his little brother, who is even cuter than the lead boy.  There are many harsh moments, including a harrowing encounter with a man who used to live down the hall from the boy, now living rough and looking totally defeated and helpless.  Of course there is a happy ending for our boy hero, as the separated family reunites and lives happily ever after.

 

                                        Showing on Criterion Channel until the end of January.  

 

Coming soon, an update about our local fateful fight with covid, and some art from the DIA.  And likely one more film.

 

Mapman Mike