tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post4881790799648381194..comments2024-03-26T07:58:59.761+00:00Comments on I'll think of something later: 7 November, 1917 and ProkofievDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-21218044299415455722017-11-12T08:03:19.667+00:002017-11-12T08:03:19.667+00:00Thanks, Sue. I think Sam was an excellent choice -...Thanks, Sue. I think Sam was an excellent choice - one of my first suggestions, but a Russian actor got used and scotches along the way - and Michael chose and inserted the musical examples well, on the excerpts I've heard (still to listen to all). And yes, that was my translation, for reasons explained in the blog piece above.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-23029155783134998152017-11-12T01:07:18.013+00:002017-11-12T01:07:18.013+00:00David: I've now listened to all the Prokofiev ...David: I've now listened to all the Prokofiev Diary excerpts on BBC. They are wonderful. Your commentary, the way they are produced and presented, and the texts themselves (do I understand correctly that the translations are yours? If so, an additional set of bravos to you) offer an uncanny sense of immediacy.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15674930917585246294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-4716948141943916072017-11-07T23:51:32.022+00:002017-11-07T23:51:32.022+00:00Glad you caught them, Andrew - I only heard one, i...Glad you caught them, Andrew - I only heard one, in the middle of Tom Service's very good afternoon programme, and I liked how it had been done - the music was well inserted. I gather they should be up on the iPlayer soon. Did you hear Mosolov's Symphonic Poem? Wackissimo. And thanks, Laurent - pleased to see Will has done a bit of Revolution Day cross-referencing.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-23075316085646776352017-11-07T23:10:54.505+00:002017-11-07T23:10:54.505+00:00Thank you for this post David, wonderful as always...Thank you for this post David, wonderful as always. larrymuffinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14137517764919401795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-1856274583446923442017-11-07T22:15:09.937+00:002017-11-07T22:15:09.937+00:00These were a pleasure to hear today, not least bec...These were a pleasure to hear today, not least because I'm a massive Samuel West fanboy. Wonderful - thank you!Andrew Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13621999760260602982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-57918491496899204282017-11-06T18:08:53.739+00:002017-11-06T18:08:53.739+00:00Yes - it's interesting; on Friday night I had ...Yes - it's interesting; on Friday night I had the great privilege at a big supper organised by friends supper of meeting Murray Bail, author of 'Eucalyptus', a novel I adore, and as an avid reader of composers' writings he's devoured all three volumes of the Prokofiev Diaries in translation. He said it made him end up disliking SSP, and not even (for a while at least) not wanting to read his music. I feel it's a complex picture, and while folk are ready (not Murray) to jump to the conclusion that there's a degree of autism in Prokofiev's behaviour, that 'citizen heroism' contradicts it. As do countless other surprising acts of engagement and kindness. By that point in the February narrative you too are persuaded that these events are part and parcel of the new daily life, but the description of being caught out on the streets during the firing is vividly alarming.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-40414048321895969042017-11-06T16:56:47.882+00:002017-11-06T16:56:47.882+00:00Your TAD review of the screening of October, with ...Your TAD review of the screening of October, with live orchestra, makes clear how powerful and fascinating that experience was. The diary excerpts are remarkable, on so many levels, not least Prokofiev's description of his moment of citizen heroism ("With all my strength I pushed backwards and repulsed a few folk from the pavement. The soldiers managed to rush into the clear space and reached the policeman. Thus he was separated from the crowd and was more or less safe. I found Mama and we went on our way") offered in such a way as to seem part and parcel of an ordinary evening stroll.<br /> <br />Susan Scheidhttps://prufrocksdilemma.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-32176832130933402362017-11-06T07:03:46.593+00:002017-11-06T07:03:46.593+00:00The plus of different calendars is that if you sha...The plus of different calendars is that if you share faith events with other Christians, you can celebrate Christmas twice. In Isfahan we were joined at the Anglican Church's celebrations by some very glamorous Armenian ladies, who would be marking their own festivities in January, too. <br /><br />Amazing judgment indeed from Lenin - but tragic.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-25143175633483803142017-11-06T06:41:38.446+00:002017-11-06T06:41:38.446+00:00The Russian Orthodox Church has not given up the o...The Russian Orthodox Church has not given up the old calendar, so that the Russian Christmas Day is on 6th January. Quite a bore doing business in Moscow when one's Western colleagues disappeared about 20th December and by the time they came back one's Russian colleagues had in their turn disappeared.<br /><br />In turning the first revolution ( Kerensky et al) into the Bolshevist revolution Lenin showed amazing judgement.David Damantnoreply@blogger.com