The new piano pieces are coming along nicely. Patience and more time will begin to round them out. I am opening with 2 Little Preludes by Bach, in C Major and c minor, and following that with Beethoven's 6 Variations Op 34. The Beethoven is a big piece, and I began work on it while still practicing the former pieces. It is ten pages long and filled with great music, all divided into shorter pieces, or variations. While most variations are written in the same key, Beethoven did something new with this set; he wrote each variation in a different key, dropping the interval of a 3rd each time. So besides giving each piece a different character through rhythm, tempos, dynamics, etc, the new key sets each one even further apart from its mates, even though they are related by motif and original theme.
After the Beethoven come three Romantic era pieces, a Song Without Words by Mendelssohn (the 2nd last one), a Nocturne by Chopin (#11, Op 37 #1), and a Schubert Impromtu (Op 90 #2). The Schubert is also a big piece, and I also began working on it while maintaining the previous program. I will end with a Concert Waltz, Bethena, by Scott Joplin. While all the pieces currently sound like music, they are all still under tempo and sounding pretty rough in places. We'll report back in about six weeks time and see how things are going by then.
And now for the latest in film watching news. My going away choice last week was called The Crowd, from 1928. A young man from the sticks heads to New York, hoping to hit the big time and make a name for himself, like his late father always said he would. Well, he takes a job in a big office (and I mean a big office), and basically goes nowhere during the film. At the beginning he meets a sweet girl, bragging to her what a big man he is going to become, and belittling other people with undignified jobs, such as a man in a clown suit walking the sidewalk with a sandwich board sign. He marries the girl, they have two children, and the ups and downs of their marriage and near poverty-stricken existence is followed closely. Her two brothers and mother totally disapprove of her choice for a husband, and as the movie progresses, we tend to agree with them. The movie is hard hitting and doesn't back down, though the ending tries to be pessimistic. Some of the camera work in this silent feature is top knotch!
Deb chose a noir called Nightmare Alley, an engaging and well-acted piece about a man who gets a job at a carnival helping a woman with her mind reading tricks. He eventually becomes a major part of the act, and perfects it with a new partner, his wife, and they make the upper class night club circuit, and are soon swindling people of their money, with the help of a female psychologist. In the end his wife can't take the strain of pretending she is someone's dead relative, and their game is soon up. But what about the money they swindled? Well, it turns out the psychologist knows her stuff, and out swindles him. In this downbeat movie, he ends up an alcoholic back in the carnival, looked after by his wife. At least he had a chance at reaching the top. Tyrone Power, Joan Blondell, Mike Mazurki, and Colleen Gray are all excellent in their roles.
Deb's leaving choice was the 1952 colour spectacular version of Prisoner of Zenda. Though obviously high budget, and filled with top actors, the movie is rather lackluster in its treatment of one of the great stories of switched identities. Sets and costumes are really well done, along with lighting. Great to look at, though adventure lovers will likely be disappointed.
And finally, another autumn picture, this time a more recent one of our backyard bush, looking rather wreath-like. Next time, it's back to the art museum for more landscape art.
Mapman Mike
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