tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post6593946477675689703..comments2024-03-26T07:58:59.761+00:00Comments on I'll think of something later: Haneke, Bergman and last ritesDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-10410654655142072272013-03-03T22:17:24.465+00:002013-03-03T22:17:24.465+00:00Love these comments, she says as she hums along to...Love these comments, she says as she hums along to I'm still here . . .Susan Scheidhttp://prufrocksdilemma.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-48765123387992410052013-03-03T13:17:46.822+00:002013-03-03T13:17:46.822+00:00Sue - three of my most treasured City Lit students...Sue - three of my most treasured City Lit students died aged 87, 94 and 98 respectively. All were coming on the bus/tube until they no longer could. Trude Winik went into decline fairly quickly after she'd bought her close friends two boxes to see Don Carlo at the Royal Opera (I repeat this, but I always remember her saying to the taxi driver at the end, as he tried to strap her in with the seatbelt, 'you can strangle me now, I've had my evening'.<br /><br />Elaine Browmich, the most elegant of theatrical costumiers with a racy past (always talking of her lovers), finally ended up not seeing and hardly hearing in a home for two years. She never wanted me to visit, and she wanted to die (she'd said, 'if I can't come to the classes any more, I don't want to live'. And she meant it).<br /><br />Martin Zam remained cheerful to the last, but again didn't want visits in the home where he spent the last year of his life. All three were great examples not of how to grow old with your wits still about you but how to be a great and timeless human being.<br /><br />David and Wanderer - Many more aphorisms where those wise 'uns came from. Me - pace Liza, who was a tonic to us all - I'm sticking to 'I'm still here', and might just go off to hear Cleo's performance of it now.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-20560981525829720472013-03-03T09:13:30.871+00:002013-03-03T09:13:30.871+00:00As Bette Davis said - old age aint for the faint h...As Bette Davis said - old age aint for the faint hearted.wandererhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08196036534397389760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-3091711020373482162013-03-03T08:03:57.193+00:002013-03-03T08:03:57.193+00:00As Alfonso the Wise said in the 13th Century "...As Alfonso the Wise said in the 13th Century "Had I been present at the creation of the world I would have had changes to suggest"David Damantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-59963990619097440612013-03-02T19:35:49.470+00:002013-03-02T19:35:49.470+00:00David D's comments remind me of my friend B., ...David D's comments remind me of my friend B., now 87 (thus putting all of us here in the shade age-wise). Our nick-name for her is B. "Goddammit," arising out of the many stories we can tell of that ilk. <br /><br />Here's one: Just this week, we were meeting for a concert, and she arrived through a revolving door. The young whippersnapperess behind her pushed to hard and nearly threw Barbara over. Not missing a beat, B. turned around, wagging her finger at the young thing, and gave her the what-for right there in the lobby. (B. was perfectly right about the problem, of course, and, as she has advanced osteoporosis, not to mention just recently out of the hospital where she had a serious operation, we're all glad she didn't take a spill.)<br /><br />I, however, trembled, because I had to let her know of another problem: one of the tickets for the three of us I'd ordered online hadn't registered, the concert was sold out, and all that could be done was stand-by for the third. She started to march over to the desk to take that one on, too. I stopped her, for I knew nothing could come of it (having already taken it up in my bit less Goddammit-ish, but nonetheless firm way). Fortunately, B. decided all would be OK, let it go, we did get the standby ticket, and all was well. B., BTW, watched Amour without flinching. (I wasn't with her, but she told me about having gone.) <br /><br />So, yes, hale and hearty and full of beans is a fine way to be as you get older, and I have many friends in their 80s who are fine examples--not one of whom has escaped serious problems, but all of whom, so far, have lived to tell the tale and continue to relish life.<br /><br />But the offer is time limited, and when you or someone you care for starts failing, and it becomes clear that, this time, there's no turning it around, I don't see anything to particularly commend the experience. It's simply one foot in front of the other through to the end, making the best of it you can. (Much as Trintignant expressed to his daughter in the movie.)Susan Scheidhttp://prufrocksdilemma.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-36417040374930043792013-03-02T12:26:29.024+00:002013-03-02T12:26:29.024+00:00Yes, I myself have trembled as you berated a not e...Yes, I myself have trembled as you berated a not especially authoritarian waiter in the Travellers' Club.<br /><br />As for birthday zones, you are in good company: Liza, fellow Piscean, will be 67 on the 12th. And my dear old ma will be, let's say, somewhat older than you on the Ides.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-25395609922088707242013-03-02T12:20:45.133+00:002013-03-02T12:20:45.133+00:00The late Queen Mary, of Victorian vintage and defi...The late Queen Mary, of Victorian vintage and definitely of the old school, found that one of her Ladies in Waiting ( they were of aristocratic lineage, and of similar age) was suffering from rheumatism. " The effects of old age, Ma'am, are really inconvenient" said the Lady. " Inconvenient !" replied Her Majesty " Inconvenient !!! - They are Damnable !"<br /><br />[ But as someone 76 on the Ides of March I have to say that one has no trouble sorting out authoritarian waiters in smart restaurants, where as a young man one used to tremble]David Damantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-49555286139393212802013-03-02T01:09:11.617+00:002013-03-02T01:09:11.617+00:00More anon on that, Sue, but just to say that I am ...More anon on that, Sue, but just to say that I am in a rather more optimistic mood about ageing, having floated away from Liza Minnelli at the Royal Festival Hall (I'm up so late because the Arts Desk review HAD to go up around midnight). The woman nearly died from encephalitis in 2000, and was told she'd never walk/sing/speak again. And here she was, shedding the years as the set moved on. No allowances needed. Phenomenal.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-79986878872365698132013-03-02T00:25:06.339+00:002013-03-02T00:25:06.339+00:00I didn’t want to comment on this post until I’d se...I didn’t want to comment on this post until I’d seen Amour myself, which I did this afternoon. I thought it clear-eyed, accurate, and for lack of a better superlative, brilliant. (I would say, though, that the one place where the film, for me, dodged clear-eyed accuracy was at the very end.) I sometimes blithely state that there is nothing to commend the process of aging. This always gets a laugh of recognition (and relief) from my mother and a good many of my friends. But in reality, the statement, while blithely put, isn’t blithely meant. I don’t look forward to this, in whatever role(s) I find myself, but what I know for sure is that my turn will come.Susan Scheidhttp://prufrocksdilemma.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-44581215886910246912013-03-01T15:04:25.096+00:002013-03-01T15:04:25.096+00:00Even so, the first Giovanni, Luigi Bassi, was, I b...Even so, the first Giovanni, Luigi Bassi, was, I believe, only 19. Young and arrogant should work best, especially if he's the same age as the other young people.<br /><br />Raimondi was fab, though the Losey film is a bit overwrought (alongside my golden mean, Bergman's Magic Flute). I saw him at Covent Garden with some inferior ladies - not great. T Allen I also caught there a couple of times, and he had rather a lot of trouble with 'Fin ch'han del vino' on the last occasion.<br /><br />Another connection: Haneke's first opera production was to have been Don Giovanni. Instead he followed Mortier to Spain and his Cosi fan tutte has just opened (and been filmed). Abbado wanted him to do Wozzeck after seeing The White Ribbon.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-90423903694878883992013-03-01T14:53:41.209+00:002013-03-01T14:53:41.209+00:00One does not have to be young and handsome to play...One does not have to be young and handsome to play Don Giovanni - look at Raimondi in Losey's film.Entirely convincing. And remember the 2065 ( is that right?) - though I am ready for someone to claim that that doesn't take all that many years<br /><br />Thomas Allen played the supper scene well - his body language combining the physical shock and the mental strengthDavid Damantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-16321548591015761092013-03-01T13:47:41.369+00:002013-03-01T13:47:41.369+00:00You think 'Goff', I thought it was 'Jo...You think 'Goff', I thought it was 'Joff': but whichever, maybe another tiniest of false notes...funny to think of Shimell as a handsome young Don G to Lesley Garrett's Zerlina at ENO all those years ago (1986, to be precise).<br /><br />I didn't pick up on the hint about the affair.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-58104502509469521072013-03-01T13:45:33.728+00:002013-03-01T13:45:33.728+00:00Great piece. Feel jealous about the EG concert. I ...Great piece. Feel jealous about the EG concert. I just loved Amour. I was not depressed at all. I thought it was such a tribute to their love for each other. I completely believed in them as a couple. She was so moving but then so was he. Watchfulness is just the right word. His walk, the wanting to be in control and then losing it as he hears her playing on the CD and then sees her at the piano. Fabulous when he got angry with the patronising nurse. <br /><br />I liked the way that although she was his love Haneke did not make their relationship untroubled. He had obviously had an affair with someone else and she was a bit distant but they were completely together. <br /><br />I also thought Isabelle Huppert was marvellous as the daughter - difficult, scratchy with the parents but genuinely desperate. Okay, she had been married to Geoff for thirty years and still called him Goff so no wonder their marriage was in trouble. <br /><br />I always thought Saraband was a self-portrait - Bergman at his crotchety best with a messy trail of complicated relationships behind him. Henriettanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-16020710217513307062013-03-01T10:54:43.546+00:002013-03-01T10:54:43.546+00:00From Coleridge to La Rochefoucauld: 'old age i...From Coleridge to La Rochefoucauld: 'old age is a tyrant who forbids, under pain of death, the pleasures of youth'.<br /><br />Bergman's lines, in that linked blog piece, are a little more nuanced.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-48903177724312657612013-02-28T17:51:56.253+00:002013-02-28T17:51:56.253+00:00"A sadder and a wiser man
He rose the morrow..."A sadder and a wiser man <br />He rose the morrow morn"<br /><br />David Damantnoreply@blogger.com