Floating on a Lake

Pietro Mascagni once wrote: "Modern music is as dangerous as cocaine."

Sat, 14 Jul 2007 14:33:55 GMT

Managed to distract myself entirely at work today with the following three books: "Occasional Essays in Musicology" about Australian music, a biography of Peter Cook (<3) and "Slonimsky's Book of Musical Anecdotes". I will quote to you from it. You KNOW you want to read it.

How I do adore musicians.

COMPOSER ANECDOTES

Mozart's Nose

The following story of Mozart's sense of humour has received wide circulation, even though there is obviously no substantiating evidence.

One day, Mozart taunted Haydn that the latter would never be able to play a piece which Mozart had just written. Haydn sat at the harpsichord, began to play from the manuscript, then stopped abruptly. There was a note in the centre of the keyboard while the right hand was playing in the high treble and the left hand in the low bass.

"Nobody can play this with only two hands," Haydn exclaimed.

"I can," Mozart said quietly. When he reached the debated portion of his composition, he bent over and struck the central note with his nose.

"With a nose like yours," Haydn conceded, "it becomes easier."

Tales of Rossini

I. An organ grinder in Paris played the tunes from The Barber of Seville underneath Halévy's window. Halévy called out to him: "I will give you a louis d'or if you go and play an air from one of my operas before Rossini's house." - "I cannot do that," replied the street musician. "Rossini has paid me two louis d'or to play his music under your windows."

II. A society fop greeted Rossini at a reception. Noticing that Rossini did not recognise him, he said: "Don't you remember me? I sat next to you when they served a gigantic macaroni pie at a dinner in your honour in Milan." - "Indeed, I remember the macaroni very well," replied Rossini, "but I do not remember you."

III. A group of Rossini's friends conceived the idea of erecting a statue for him while he was still living. Rossini inquired how much it would cost. "About twenty thousand liras," was the reply. Rossini reflected for a moment. "Why don't you give me ten thousand liras, and I will stand on the pedestal myself," he finally said.

IV. Rossini habitually marked errors in his pupils' music with crosses. One of his pupils, and by no means the best, was encouraged when Rossini returned his manuscript with only occasional crosses here and there. - "I am so happy there are so few mistakes," exclaimed the young man. - The master looked at him and said: "If I had marked all the errors in the music with crosses, your score would be a cemetery."

V. When a friend called on Rossini in his Paris house, he found a score of Wagner's Tannhäuser on the desk of the piano. But the music was placed upside-down. When the visitor attempted to put it right side up, Rossini stopped him: "I already played it right side up but could make nothing of it. Then I tried it the other way around, and it sounds much better."

The Musical Fan

When Mendelssohn played the first movement of the Moonlight Sonata at a reception in London, a dowager sitting close to him kept opening and closing her fan to the rhythm of the music. Mendelssohn went through the movement without showing any sign of annoyance. But instead of ending the Coda, he kept repeating the final arpeggios over and over again following the motion of the lady's fan, until she finally caught on and stopped. Mendelssohn then completed the work.

Chopin and the Skeleton

Ziem (the painter) was dining with two friends at the house of Paul Chevandier de Valdrome at No. 39 Rue de la Tour d'Auvergne in Paris. The host, somewhat of an eccentric, kept a skeleton in one of his closets and displayed it to Ziem. When the latter met Chopin he told him about the skeleton and Chopin became morbidly impressed with the story. He asked Ziem to let him see the skeleton. A dinner party was arranged at Valdrome's house and during the dessert, Ziem mentioned Chopin's desire. The skeleton was fetched by the servant and placed near the piano in the drawing room.

Ziem describes the scene that followed:

"Chopin, his face pale and his eyes opened to their extent, had enveloped himself in a long winding sheet, and pressed against his throbbing breast he held the ghastly skeleton. The silence of the salon was all at once broken by the sound of music - slow, sad, profound, splendid music, music such as none of us had ever heard before. Immeasurably amazed we were as the beautiful sounds succeeded each other and were gradually fashioned into the world-renowned Funeral March. On to the end played Chopin, still grasping the skeleton, and so spellbound were we that not until the last note was struck did we really recover our senses. Then we hastened to congratulate the shroud-robed musician, and reached his side just as he was on the point of fainting.

Debussy

I. The incurable cancer that struck Debussy did not deprive him of grim humour. Apologising to Hartmann for not finishing his violin sonata, Debussy referred to himself as "un cadavre ambulant."

II. Debussy never did finish the violin sonata which he promised to write for Hartmann, but he arranged his piano piece, Minstrels, for Hartmann. Characteristically he entitled this arrangement, "Transcription pour piano et Hartmann".

MUSIC QUOTES

Some musical quotations

» Mascagni, who was skeptical about the average intelligence of a tenor, used to say that there are three degrees of comparison in the Italian language, Stupido, Stupidissimo, and Tenore.
» "Hell is full of musical amateurs. Music is the brandy of the damned." - George Bernard Shaw.
» "I love Wagner, but the music I prefer is that of a cat hung up by his tail outside of a window, and trying to stick to the panes of glass with its claws. There is an odd grating on the glass which I find at the same time strange, irritating, and singularly harmonious." - Baudelaire.
» "The opera house in an institution differing from other lunatic asylums only in the fact that its inmates have avoided official certification." - Ernest Newman.
» "Jazz will endure as long as people hear it through their feet instead of their brains." - Sousa.
» "The difference between a good and a bad conductor is that one has the score in his head, and the other has his head in the score." - F. H. Cowen.

Musical Definitions

The following are actual quotations from school papers:

» "Wagner was born in the year 1813, supposedly on his birthday."
» "A sound vibration can only be heard when it makes a noise."
» "There are many Russian composers who are radically different only I can't spell their names."
» "Libretto was an Italian who wrote Tannhäuser."
» "An interval in music is the distance from one piano to the next."
» "Syncopation is emphasis on a note that is not in the piece."
» "Robinson Caruso was a great singer who lived on an island."
and my favourite: » "Beethoven only wrote three symphonies: the First, the Fifth and the Ninth."

MUSICAL DOCUMENTATION

Music Criticism - Pleasant and Unpleasant

Some pointed reviews that are as definite as they are brief:

"Mr. X conducted Brahms's First Symphony. Brahms lost."

"Miss Y gave a song recital last night. Why?"

"The orchestra men can play Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony in their sleep, and very often do."

Eugène d'Albert, asked to give his opinion of a new piano concerto by a mediocre German composer, Max Vogrich, examined the manuscript carefully and returned it with this comment: "The ink and paper are excellent."

Modulating Birthdays

...There is, for instance, the following case of double personality exhibited in A Dictionary of Modern Music and Musicians, edited by the late A. Eaglefield Hull.

MALISHEFSKY, Vitold Josephovitch. Russ. compr. b. Moghilof-Podolsk, 8 Sept. 1873. Stud. under Rimsky-Korsakov. Now lives in Poland.

MALISZEWSKI, Witold. Polish compr. condr. b. Mohylow Podolsky, 8 July 1873. In 1898 began to study theory under Rimsky-Korsakov at petrograd Cons.; at present lives in Warsaw.

In the same dictionary two different composers, Omer Letorey and Pierre Henri Ernest Letorey are combined into one with the result that this double composer if made into the author of operettas the the recipient of the Prix de Rome. Also in the same dictionary, one finds that Gustav Mahler married Alma Mahler in 1904, while she married him in an adjoining entry two years earlier, in 1902. Prenatal 'cello recitals are credited in the dictionary to David Popper, who is said to have been born in Prague on June 18, 1876, and "traveled throughout Europe as 'cello virtuoso, 1868-73."

Translations into French

The following phrases for a French primer were suggested by a disillusioned musician of the 1880s:

» Who has hurt your sister? - Nobody has hurt her: she is singing Sweet Violets.
» What is the matter with the poor young man? Has he a fit? - No, he has not a fit: he is playing a violin solo.
» Where are you going? - I am going to my hour of musical instruction. I shall return in twenty minutes.

MUSICAL MISCELLANEUM

Rimsky, arranged by Korsakov

An apprentice radio announcer in charge of broadcasting recorded music, announced a Stokowski arrangement of Bach's Toccata as composed by Mr. Bach Stokowski. The music supervisor of the station explained to him that when there are double names, the first is the composer and the second the arranger. The next time, when Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee was broadcast, the announcer introduced it as a piece by Rimsky, arranged by Korsakov.

Half an Octave Down

Studio engineers at radio stations are notoriously lacking in musical knowledge. During a rehearsal of a string ensemble, the radio engineer told the conductor that the violins sounded too high for good transmission.

"Okay," said the conductor, "I'll have them play an octave lower."

"Half an octave will be enough," replied the engineer.

A (really bad) musical joke

Thanks to the prima donna Henrietta Sontag; published in the Musical Standard of 1870:

"We hang on every note Madame Sontag sings -
This proves the lady's great power of execution.

One Sharp

Musicians will have their little jokes. When one of them invited a friend to lunch, he sent a card reading: "The pleasure of your company is requested for luncheon, key of G." The guest interpreted the invitation correctly, and came at one sharp.

A Musical Offering

After a performance of Schubert's Trout Quintet, Max Reger, who played the piano part, received a basketful of trout from an enthusiastic admirer. Reger wrote the sender a letter of thanks and added significantly that at the next concert he was going to perform the "Minuet of the Ox" by Haydn.

Ah, Hindemith!

it is common practice among cafe musicians in seaboard localities where semilegal characters congregate, to warn the entering acquaintances of any danger by playing discordant notes. But modern music being what it is, this method no longer seems effective. The New Yorker of October 26, 1946 observed melancholically: "Under such circumstances, the outlaws only say, 'Ah, Hindemith,' and sit there placidly enjoying the music until the cops come in."

Figured Bass

Composer Ferrari, a contemporary of Beethoven and Rossini, tells this story in his memoirs. On a cold December night a naked man was seen standing in front of the open window of his house. A neighbour shouted to him: "For God's sake, what are you doing out there without a stitch of clothes on?" - "I am catching a cold," the man shouted back. "I have to sing bass tomorrow in church."

Have been typing for two and a half hours now. Deeply concerning. Is 12:45am.

Good-looking Frenchman ahoy!

total work done on extension 2 = 0%.
total work done on music 2 composition = 100%.

music for the win!

PEDAL HARP.

Sat, 07 Apr 2007 01:15:09 GMT

I can't say anything, really. I have only pictures to express my utmost joy.

^ It's the most beautiful thing in existance.

^ The detail on the wood!

^ The column!

^ I think (from the bizarre finger positions) I'm playing the Sonata in F here.

^ Aaaand... another angle!

^ Mein Gott, it's enormous.

My teacher brought it over yesterday morning, replaced a couple of strings and showed me everything about it, and then we all drank tea and Dad talked to him at length about red shift and blue shift.

Then I played until I had torn off the skin on my fingers.

I'm only online to find the music for Dowland's "Lachrimae Antiquae", and then it's back to the back room...

Only drawback is that I now definately can't come on Road Trip. Sorry.

But - I HAVE A PEDAL HARP!

And GOD, it was expensive.

^ From the Metropolitan Museum of Art store in the QVB. Reproduction of fragment of wall relief - it could be TIII (!) or Hatshepsut. You know who my bet's riding on.

Sue and I are going to organise something in the second week of the holidays where y'all come to my house and we watch a) Scrubs, and b) The Prestige. So anyone who wants to come and see the harp, come then!

Oh, LOVE.

Permission to speak!

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 02:21:14 GMT

The whole "come to my house and watch movies" thing doesn't seem to be working quite so well.

Here's a new proposition.

Come to my house and watch LotR movies. Yes, all of them. With the projector. Extended editions. And as many of the extras that we can fit in before we pass out from sleep deprivation.

Sounds fun?

You know you want to.

I'll give you my Brave New World notes.

Please?

Exams, Oct. 2005: "On Trials and Tribulations"

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 13:23:12 GMT

And off into the morning sun,
She strides, and flinches 'neath the glare,
To attend to a business that must be done,
Suff'ring from a panic not at all rare
That one sees in schoolgirls, bright and young
With sparking eyes and tossing hair,
Who go to sit examinations
To showcase their studies and dedications.

But for now she skips the building tall
And joins her friends in tête-à-tête
(Without mention of the examining hall
Or forebodings upon being late).
In coffee, one often forgets all
Distractions to one's current state.
And glowing teeth and glowing braces
Shine forth from these enthusiast faces.

Then down to each unfriendly table,
And ev'ry cold unfeeling chair,
The students sweep; hardly able
To breathe within the stifling air.
Name, class, date: they mark the label,
And study the paper, chaste and fair.
Until the teacher booms: "Commence."
And sheerest panic leads onwards hence.

Flicking thus through ev'ry page,
("If only I had studied more!")
Past ev'ry section, task and stage,
("Is it a) or b)? I can't be sure!")
And ev'ry question divines such rage!
("If I run, can I make it to the door...?")
These hysterical proceedings are not infrequent.
(Especially when said student is rather piquant.)

And on it reels, 'til the cry: "pens down!"
How rare that action matches the phrase!
In nib-scratching the authorative voices drown,
Until teachers wake students from their daze.
They float out like opium-addicts, all heads bowed.
(But Minerva has induced their haze).
Then home again, to work away -
To-morrow will be like today.

^"On Trials and Tribulations". Impressions recorded during last year's School Certificate, I exhumed and edited the manuscript last week as I judge it to be particularly relevant at this time.

The Poison Belt

Sat, 09 Sep 2006 07:16:33 GMT

For a moment Lord John's eyes blazed, and then, with a tremendous effort, he mastered his anger and leaned back in his seat with arms folded and a bitter smile upon his face. To me all this was dreadful and deplorable. Like a wave, the memory of the past swept over me, the good comradeship, the happy, adventurous days—all that we had suffered and worked for and won. That it should have come to this—to insults and abuse! Suddenly I was sobbing—sobbing in loud, gulping, uncontrollable sobs which refused to be concealed. My companions looked at me in surprise. I covered my face with my hands.

"It's all right," said I. "Only — only it is such a pity!"

"You're ill, young fellah, that's what's amiss with you," said Lord John. "I thought you were queer from the first."

"Your habits, sir, have not mended in these three years," said Summerlee, shaking his head. "I also did not fail to observe your strange manner the moment we met. You need not waste your sympathy, Lord John. These tears are purely alcoholic. The man has been drinking. By the way, Lord John, I called you a coxcomb just now, which was perhaps unduly severe. But the word reminds me of a small accomplishment, trivial but amusing, which I used to possess. You know me as the austere man of science. Can you believe that I once had a well-deserved reputation in several nurseries as a farmyard imitator? Perhaps I can help you to pass the time in a pleasant way. Would it amuse you to hear me crow like a cock?"

"No, sir," said Lord John, who was still greatly offended, "it would not amuse me."

(A. C. Doyle)

Courtly Love

Sun, 20 Aug 2006 08:29:00 GMT

I love studying medieval music.

Stages of Courtly Love

♥ Attraction to the lady, usually via eyes/glance.
♥ Worship of the lady from afar.
♥ Declaration of passionate devotion.
♥ Virtuous rejection by the lady.
♥ Renewed wooing with oaths of virtue and eternal fealty.
♥ Moans of approaching death from unsatisfied desire (and other physical manifestations of lovesickness).
♥ Heroic deeds of valor which win the lady's heart.
♥ Consummation of the secret love.
♥ Endless adventures and subterfuges avoiding detection.

Jekyll and Hyde, Townsville - Review

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 11:02:26 GMT

I've been putting this off for a week but I know if I leave it any longer I'm going to forget everything... I haven't summarised the second act yet though it's all so clear in my memory. Anyway this is a full, unabridged review of my recent experience of "Jekyll and Hyde" the musical in Townsville. It was an amateur production, but "amateur" in finance alone - the only reason it must be classified as such is because the actors weren't getting paid.

Please also forgive my wonderous and wide-eyed attention to detail - this is the first time I have ever seen the show and I don't know what things are commonplace in this version of the production. Just bear with me.

Also bear in mind that there are lots of details and things I picked up on because I saw the show twice - 4th February, to be exact - at 2pm and again at 8pm. I'd love to scan in the program pictures and such but for copyright reasons I'm afraid I can't. So you'll have to make do with my limited command of the language... and now without further ado, I will begin.

I had travelled 2,500km and into a different state to see this show, and I was not disappointed in the slightest. I would have gone to Western Australia to see it again. As soon as I walked into the theatre I was awestruck by the spectacular set design. It was very simple - the floor was painted in a black and red checkerboard pattern, and the only set involved a balcony to stage left spreading about 2/3 of the way across the upper stage, then intersected by a wide staircase that led to the balcony floor and took up the remaining third on stage right. There was a large gap between the bases of the stairs and balcony which allowed for character entrances through there and in about another 6 locations. Before the lights dimmed red smoke swirled around the stage, soft LotR-sounding ominous music played and there was a single rotating fiberous white light shining diagonally across the stage.

ACT ONE

The first few scenes moved very slowly. It began with Dr. Jekyll's short "In each of us there are two natures..." lines, which were followed by Mr. Utterson's introduction. The light faded and Henry's father was brought out, followed by Sir Danvers. After some dialogue Henry sang "Lost in the Darkness" and followed this with a shorter version of "I Need to Know". These solos work a lot better on the CD, because it is a little hard to command the attention of the audience for about 6 minutes while one actor stands in a spotlight and sings. But the pace was picked up greatly by "Facade" which followed.

The actor playing Henry Jekyll (note: this production used a different actor for Jekyll and for Hyde) was very tall - though my first impression was that Sir Danvers was just unnaturally short (even though he turned out to be taller than me). He was very good looking and had short-ish red hair that hung in loose curls. Understandably I instantly fell in love with him. He was a fantastic actor and an even better singer - he did seem to have some very slight speech impediment or lisp that could be detected now and again but overall it wasn't very noticible. He had a full, rich baritone and some of the sustained higher notes had me in rapture. And fortunately most of the other cast were very tall as well and so he didn't look too out of place.

During the chorus songs strange flats were lowered from the flies. They were distorted images of houses that were a very good background to the ensemble "Facade". This was sung beautifully, and gave me a chance to see the costumes. Most were lovely - especially the upper-class women's dresses. You see, in this scene the stage was split between the upper classes in their suits, top hats and bustle-d dresses, and the lower classes looking like a scene out of Les Miz. During the scene they sang seperately and then together, and occasionally a beggar would confront an aristocrat until their stage places switched and the beggars overpowered the upper classes. Then the chorus exited and the Board of Governors took their place for the next scene, surprisingly, "The Board of Governors".

I loved the fact that this performance followed the song on the concept CD almost word-for-word, with mininal lyric changes and some dialogue. Simon Stride stood stage right at a lectern, writing in a printed book which looked suspiciously like a Bible, and the Board lined up diagonally down the stairs, facing Jekyll where he stood at a small table arranging his papers and chemicals. The whole scene was staged and sung beautifully. I'm sorry, I fell in love with Lord Savage... (it was this bit that got me, just after Sir Danvers has abstained and Stride closed the meeting... Lord Savage: "Who wants to take me to lunch? Bessie, mmh?" Lady Beckonsfield: "No thank you, I've heard enough demented babbling for one day without having to listen to you, Herbert."). And also Simon Stride himself (never mind the fact that he is the son of one of the professors that my Dad works with at JCU...!), he was so deliciously oily and suave, and his costume - consisting of a bottle green brocade coat, maroon waistcoat, mustard yellow trousers and a paisley cravat - amused and delighted me to no end.

Facade reprise one was sung by the guests as they entered for "The Engagement Party". I found that the Facade reprises worked extremely well onstage, they added greatly to the dramatic impact of the whole show, particularly reprise 3, which was very hauntingly sung by the guests as they entered for the Jekyll/Carew wedding. But more on that later. The choreography in this scene was a bit choppy and didn't look very well rehearsed, unfortunately. The second time when my attentions weren't focused on the main action I was captivated by Simon Stride - he drunkenly fell down the stairs, and tripped rather than walked into the room. The business with the wine glasses was hilarious - he found Archibald Proops, then hailed the maid from whom he took two wine glasses. He drained the first himself, then gave the empty glass to the Proops, and drank the second one!

"Dr. Jekyll's tardy for his own engagement party..." Henry still hadn't turned up yet, as Simon sang "Emma Carew" to... well, Emma Carew. He was gloriously slimy, staggering a little as he turned Emma's face outwards and sang from behind into her ear. Finally Henry arrived, and he and Emma sang "Take Me As I Am". It was beautifully sung - the pair were wonderfully matched in vocal timbre and it sounded gorgeous. Emma was beautiful to look at, she had a charming face and wore a delightful cream dress with embriodered pink roses that we found out afterwards her mother had made for her. In the afternoon performance her voice was a little breathy and husky but by the evening she sounded divine. The reaction Sir Danvers and Utterson had to the kiss after the song very entertaining. Jekyll endeared himself to me more with this snatch of dialogue as they exited - Jekyll: "Was there a Lord Beckonsfield?" Emma: "Oh, yes, but he died over thirty years ago." Jekyll: "Sensible fellow!"

Then into the Red Rat, Henry declaring "I'm feeling dangerous" as he is led off by Nellie. I was so envious of that girl. It was very interesting to see all the male members of the Board (bar Sir Danvers) in that scene. Then Lucy entered, wearing a rather un-prostitutish long dress that was lovely all the same, and sang "Bring on the Men" to absolute perfection. That woman had such an amazing voice. It had a much purer tone quality than Linda Eder and on the higher notes it didn't sound as strained as Eder's does. The staging for this scene was great as well, especially the dance segue using only 4 benches. The second time I saw this I watched Lord Savage the whole time and envied every woman who sat in his lap. This leads me to another comment about how well this show was done - whenever the chorus was onstage, even when the focus wasn't on them, they were still acting. They were all part of the scene. You could look at anyone and have your attention riveted by them.

There was real chemistry between Lucy and Jekyll, it made for a great scene and also further into "Sympathy, Tenderness". The Spider had the strangest face - he was a young man of about maybe 21 or so, and he had this animated quality to his face that set off his quite bizarre, pixie-like features. He was very scary and believable. As Jekyll sang "This is the Moment" (oh, swoon), stage cut to "the lab" - which featured one of the very few props in the show. It was a stunning sight - the table was wheeled onstage half-way through in the darkness, made all the stranger by the pipes, test tubes and general glassware illuminated by about a dozen candles scattered over the table and dry ice pouring everywhere. (I later learnt that these props had all been salvaged from the chemistry department of the university where my Dad works, JCU.)

Then the crucial scene - "First Transformation". How the transition between the two actors as Jekyll/Hyde worked, and whether it did work at all, was the variable on which the rest of the show weighed. But it worked, damn me, it worked. Jekyll sang the first part charmingly, actually checked his fob watch for the time (a part which I had been concerned about before) and drank the HJ7 - bright red stuff, I meant to ask him afterwards what it really was but I forgot! probably Ribena or something - and continued on until the formula took effect. At this point he began to reel about the stage in terrible pain before collapsing near the front, slightly stage right, just as Hyde entered from beneath the balcony. My God, what a sight. The man had a huge, hulking frame and the thick, red smoke behind him silhouetted this and made him appear as if he were walking out of the very Gates of Hell. Jekyll managed to raise himself on his shoulder and he and Hyde stared at each other for a moment as Jekyll whispered "who is this... creature that I see?", before he fainted. Hyde assumed the position over the fallen Jekyll, giving the effect of another soul escaping from his body, before he stormed to the front of the stage and roared "Free!"

Into "Alive", in which the lighting and direction was great. The people of London wandered through the scene and as Hyde caught Lucy she sang the opening lines of "Dangerous Game" from the concept version, "I feel your fingers/brushing my shoulder/your tempting touch..." which I found very effective, before Hyde began to beat her.

Jekyll's study, five days later - Poole was the most ideal looking butler I've ever seen and he was charmingly acted. This moved into "Work and Nothing More" which I loved, as I have loved in every incarnation except the Broadway version. I was especially charmed in this scene by Sir Danvers, the actor of whom I was adoring more and more because of his natural Irish accent and gorgeous singing voice. I enjoyed some of the changes to this song - I never liked the changing of Lisa to Emma, especially because of that gorgeous music line Jekyll has during this song where he sings desperately "Lisa... Lisa!" four times to the other harmonies. I liked, though, the replacement here - he sang the first two lines to "Emma, Emma!" in the same tune, and then went into the Board of Governors theme, "and I will prove if I'm ever permitted to, things are not wrong just because they are true!". Emma's beautiful harmonies at the end set off the whole piece delightfully, she really had a gorgeous voice. "Sympathy, Tenderness" was really sweet, again the tension between Jekyll and Lucy set the scene on fire.

Then into the "Alive!" reprise, when Hyde kills the Bishop. The stage combat effects in this show were extremely violent and frighteningly realistic - here Hyde stabs the Bishop and then beats him with his cane, to the strains of "and I feel I'll live on forever!..." I was, however, amused by the fact that in the first performance the Bishop's top hat was left onstage after the lights went up, and in the second both his hat and his crucifix remained.

ACT TWO

This act opened with a song I have never particularly liked, "Murder, Murder!" But in this show it quickly became one of my favourites. It was wonderfully performed and milked for humour, the whole scene was hilarious. It began with singing about the murder of the Bishop ("seen walking with his daughter a moment prior to slaughter!" always cracks me up), and soon General Glossop is walking across stage with Lord Savage after the funeral of the Bishop (where Lord Savage stood at the back, unable to control his laughter at the completely false comments being made about the Bishop's wonderful and charitable life) discussing him ("loved buggering children, eh what!") when Hyde appears and laughs at this joke as well. When he begins to threaten the General Lord Savage tries to make himself scarce but when Hyde breaks Glossop's neck Lord Savage runs under the balcony and off, screaming "Murder!" The beggars then swarm over the General's body and take his valuables before dragging him off.

Soon after Lord Savage is again socialising, this time with Archibald Proops and Lady Beckonsfield. Once again Hyde appears, breaks the neck of Proops and strangles Lady Beckonsfield. And again Lord Savage escapes, screaming "Murder!" (though the first time I could have sworn he was actually saying "Mother!"). And then the most brilliant part - when he is standing at a train station with a suitcase, and Sir Danvers and Emma appear. He informs them that it is not safe for him in London, so he is leaving. "But where are you going?" asks Sir Danvers desperately. "That," Savage says, "I am telling to no one." He walks away for a moment, reconsiders and turns back. "Aberdeen, actually," he admits to the surprised Sir Danvers. "I want you to know that I really tried to save the others. Tried like Hell." "That," replies Danvers, "is between you and God alone, Archibald. Goodbye." He and Emma bid their farewells and they leave.

And then Hyde emerges from the shadows, with a large cane. "Bad news from God, Herbert."

The scene changes back to Jekyll's lab, that Emma has somehow got into. She is worried about Jekyll's now reclusive nature and wants to know what is going in. He bursts in on her, shouting like a madman, demanding to know what she has read. She replied with "Once Upon a Dream", sung absolutely beautifully by her. After she leaves, Jekyll sings "Streak of Madness", another track replicated from the CD. I always loved that song. And then into "In His Eyes" - this had to be the best performed song in the show. Emma stood stage right, at the foot of the stairs, and Lucy stood at the balcony. They were both such wonderfully talented singers and it just sounded amazing. I love the harmonies at the end - especially the interval that they end on, it sounds so much better than the one note. That song honestly could have been right out of a cast recording somewhere.

Into "Dangerous Game". Lucy's bedroom was interesting - it was a simple double bed but the bedhead was a flat lowered from the flies, rather crown-shaped and just taller than a man. The importance of this was explained soon after. Hyde sang this song very well, though his voice didn't complement Lucy's as much as Jekyll's did. And they didn't really do much with the staging, though the lighting was brilliant. They used the Broadway lyrics, which I don't like as much, but I was glad that they included the snippet from the beginning of the concept version in the first "Alive!". This song moved into "Facade" reprise 2: the whispering one (there were only 3 reprises here in total - aren't there 4 in the Broadway recording?). The staging for this was great - the bedhead flat was raised, where the Spider was revealed standing behind it. As he sang the reprise, he stalked up to the stairs and exited from there, while four men with long sticks entered and provided the backing as they lifted the bed with the sticks and exited.

Then a short dialogue scene between Utterson and Hyde, who changes shortly afterwards into Jekyll. I really loved the Utterson, he just seemed so concerned for Jekyll. And this scene is a lovely set of references to the book. This went into what is known here as "Angst 2" (where's "Angst 1"?) which was essentially "No One Must Ever Know", one of my favourite Jekyll pieces from the concept. Jekyll sang this best of all, and it was in this song that I could really pick out the fact that he had obviously been trained as an opera singer. "A New Life" came next as the scene moved back into Lucy's bedroom - this was set in a storm, and there were faint flashes of lighting and rumbles as Utterson entered, gave Lucy the money and read the letter to her. Lucy sang this song so beautifully, it had me in tears because I knew what was going to happen next... she ended it, and went to bed. The lights dimmed, and through strobe lighting effects we saw Hyde enter. The director obviously wanted us in as much suspense as possible... for half a minute Hyde stood at the side of the bed gazing at Lucy before waking her up, and finding the letter... he sang the "Sympathy, Tenderness" reprise so sweetly that I really thought he meant it before he pulled out the knife, still stroking her. Then I just sat completely shocked, as Jekyll entered behind them, looking absolutely tortured, and to my infinite astonishment, as Hyde drew the knife across Lucy's throat, Jekyll placed his hand on Hyde's and guided the blade! The he drifted out, looking horrified.

This led perfectly into "Confrontation", which was done... interestingly. Jekyll and Hyde sang at each other across the lab table. The singing was perfect. Then by the end dialogue ("take all your evil deeds" etc) Hyde was physically attacking Jekyll. The sides were determined as each fought back with their line - at "Never!" Jekyll threw himself at Hyde, but the question of whether he won or lost was never really answered as the stage was flooded with darkness at that point - I really liked that effect.

Then Facade reprise 3, my favourite. This really haunted me, because it was sung to the background of what could almost be a wedding chorus, and the guests themselves sang it as they entered and sat on the benches in their finery. When Emma entered, looking stunning, I felt a collective sigh of relief from the audience - it looked like everything was going to turn out fine. But I felt my heart sinking, I didn't know if I could bear watching this, live, onstage... then Jekyll entered. I wanted to cry.

The priest (an interestingly reincarnated General Glossop) began to read the ceremony (Henry John Albert Jekyll... oh, I love him all the more!) when suddenly Jekyll seemingly fainted, caught by John. Emma gasped as Jekyll then fell out of John's arms and crawled along to stage right, singing, until he collapsed - and Hyde entered, once again standing over the fallen Jekyll. He declared "there is no Henry... only Hyde!" I knew the audience was horrified as well as everyone at the wedding. Emma tried to run to Hyde but was restrained by her father - John looked on in horror as Simon Stride approached Hyde, where he was caught and his neck snapped in a matter of seconds. No one really paid attention to his death except a couple of young women at the back of the congragation who ran to him and wept over his body. Then Hyde got hold of Emma, and this time it was Sir Danvers who was restrained. Emma pleaded to the Jekyll inside Hyde, as Utterson pulled out his sword-cane thing (actually a prop from "Maskerade", the Discworld PotO parody that my Dad acted in last year). Hyde seemed to be enduring some internal struggle as suddenly the prone Jekyll leapt up and threw himself upon Utterson's sword. Hyde had by this time moved to stage right and the both collapsed simultaneously, falling even in the same position. Emma rested Jekyll's head on her lap as the wedding party crowded moved back to give them room. I loved how she said "Rest now, my tormented love..." to touch upon the concept, but then sang the much more fitting finale "You are free now, you're with me now, where you'll always be..."

And bows, and curtain calls, and encores, and clapping until my hands were numb. From where I was sitting in the evening I could see Jekyll from the left of the door that he was coming out on (opposite to the one Hyde entered) counting them both in in the final bows - I loved the use of the red spotlight on Hyde, and the blue spotlight on Jekyll.

And it was over! Dad and I hung around at the after-show party for a while, as he usually does (even though he wasn't in any way involved with the show), and I met nearly everyone. Including the marvellous Dr. Jekyll (Alex Thomas, actually) and we chatted about things. He knew (and was amused by) the Hasselhoff version, and he had also studied the Warlow version in preparation for the show! I was so pleased with him. And he wished me a happy birthday for the next day... Jekyll wished me happy birthday! Eee!

And that's really about it. I could write so much more but this has already taken me two and a half hours from my notes and rather grand additions to them. My first experience of this show onstage was absolutely unforgettable, I enjoyed every moment of it and am so glad I could travel so far to see it, and twice. It's so very unlikely anyone involved in it is reading this, but if they are - thank you so much for such a fantastic show, and for throwing a new tree on the fire of my obsession.

Hmm. That took me several hours. I should really go and finish my art essay now.

-

Sun, 15 Jan 2006 22:33:58 GMT

*tips hat*

Bye for a while.

Tish and pish!

Thu, 12 Jan 2006 09:46:30 GMT

Ok, ok, Tristan. Try not to die of happiness.

*hyperventilates*

I HAVE THE WHOLE LESTAT! PREVIEW! LIVE! ON MP3!

^&*#%$_)*^%$*(&#^&#(

So trade with me, y'all! (List)

Life rocks.

Not really.

Did I just say that?

Marry me, Arthur Kipps.

Quiz and pointless fact.

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 01:58:57 GMT

Taking this with a lot of trepardation...

01. DO YOU HAVE ON A LOT OF MAKE-UP?
3 items.

02. HOW MUCH DO YOU PUT ON?
...those 3 items. Eyeliner, concealer, and a little bluch to make me look less like a corpse... it doesn't work.

03. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO GET READY?
I get up at 7:10am and am out the door by 7:30. Most days.

04. DO YOU PUT ON A LOT OF LIPGLOSS?
Never wear the stuff.

05. DOES YOUR LIPGLOSS SMELL GOOD?
That's one reason why I don't wear it...

06. DO YOU CARRY A PURSE?
Sometimes.

07. WHAT COLOR IS IT?
Ha... guess.

09. DO YOU HAVE A COACH BAG?
...?

10. DO YOU HAVE A LOUIS VUTTiON?
No, and I don't really want one,

11. HOW MANY PURSES HANDBAGS!!!! DO YOU HAVE?
Three, perhaps?

12. DO YOU LIKE TO WEAR NAILPOLISH?
No.

13. HOW OFTEN DO YOU GET YOUR NAILS DONE?
I've never done so.

14. DO YOU LIKE MANICURES?
Err... never one of those either.

15. WHAT ABOUT PEDICURES?
Or those. My femininity is vanishing rapidly...

16. DO YOU HAVE A USUAL NAIL SALON YOU GO TO?
No...

17. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR HAIR CUT?
Little family-run salon on the other side of the valley.

18. DO YOU DYE YOUR HAIR?
Heh, this is where I come into my element... madly and non-stop.

19. DO YOU STRAIGHTEN YOUR HAIR?
Yes, sometimes, to keep it from eating my head.

20.DO YOU HAVE LOTS OF PAIRS OF SHOES?
1) School shoes, 2) Boots, 3) Sometimes I borrow a friend's flip-flops. And then I alternate.

21.WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SHOES?
My boots, hands down.

23. DO YOU WEAR HEELS EVERYWHERE?
I don't have any.

24. CAN YOU WALK IN HEELS AND NOT FALL OVER?
I haven't tried.

25. WHERE DO YOU BUY YOUR CLOTHES?
Reject and historical costuming shops.

26. DO YOU GO SHOPPING EVERY WEEK?
No.

27. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE STORE?
Bookstores! Dymocks in the city! The ABC shop, and Allan's music. Oh, and Serpentine Gallery.

28. HOW MUCH DO YOU USUALLY SPEND?
My strategy: I leave my wallet and card at home so I can't spend anything when I go out. Though this sometimes gets me into debt when I get lent money by my parents.

29. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN DIOR?
Err, no.

30. DO YOU FOLLOW FASHION TRENDS?
I wonder what the reaction would be if I said "yes" to this...

31. DO YOU HAVE A PAIR OF HUGE SUNGLASSES?
Ha, ha... no.

35. HOW MANY PAIRS OF EARRINGS DO YOU HAVE?
Half a dozen or so. I usually only wear my gypsy-whore gold earrings, though.

36. DO YOU WEAR HOOP EARRINGS?
Well, these ones are kind of circular...

37. DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF SKIRTS?
I only wear skirts.

39. DO YOU GET YOUR EYE BROWS DONE?
No, sorry.

40. CAN YOU APPLY MASCARA WITHOUT OPENING YOUR MOUTH?
I've worn it perhaps twice in my life - and yes.

41. DO YOU WEAR A LOT OF EYELINER?
I don't leave my room without it anymore.

44. DO YOU DO PILATES OR YOGA?
My mother does. Isn't that tragic?

45. DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF MAGAZINES?
No. Sorry.

Nabii, I think I did worse than you...

In other news, I want a stuffed Shonn Wiley.

I think that would freak him out a little, though.

Some things.

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 05:12:32 GMT

1) I'm painting my room tomorrow, in a shade of green called "Cavalier". <3
2) I just saw a picture of a Henry Jekyll who wore glasses. <3<3
3) VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN! <3<3<3

Fiance List: Updated!

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 02:10:31 GMT

*bumps*

The List has been updated.

(Cut to Fiance List!)

/EDIT: I saw a guy at my Mum's work today that looked just like Moser! I almost died.

An update for the sake of it.

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 01:57:37 GMT

I have a whole new set of icons, go me! I had one to upload that featured 40 of my fiances, but the animation caused the file to be about 200kb and the limit here is 40... oh, well.

No other news that I'm willing to share with anyone, really.

But I wish my literary pursuits didn't have such a horribly devestating effect on my mind.

--T

writhing

Thu, 05 Jan 2006 09:51:56 GMT

The boys just stole Oscar Wilde again! Argh! And they're going to do what they did last night, tuck him into their bed with headphones and my edition of his complete works and then they're going to get the fly-gun and shoot him in the head. AGAIN.

...

Why does this sort of thing only happen when Stefan comes over?

Post-holiday ramblings.

Tue, 03 Jan 2006 10:18:22 GMT

*cries*

The Jekyll and Hyde movie press release

I have never realised up until now how much (forgive me, dearest Nabii) I dislike movies. I have no idea why, they just don't appeal to me - watching and listening to something that is the same over and over again, that completely defines every aspect of the concept, recording one's performance and having it dissected and analysed without any hope of a reprieve, of a re-trial... ok, enough about that. Let's just say I'm disappointed.

You know, looking at my photos the chief things that occupied my holiday were a) filming Stefan and Cameron in the "stupid detectives" (it started as that, then they changed it to "super detectives" but I think the former is much more accurate) and b) taking photos of the cemetery. How did I end up with 362 photos of tombstones and broken graves? Queer.

Yay, the MUD room marriage had a hiatus until I came back from holiday! I feel loved.

I spent all my time reading "The Woman in White".

I love love love all the men in it. Love love. Love. Love them.

Well, maybe except Count Fosco.

But Walter! Yes. *shivers* and Percival. I shouldn't, but... but... his name is Percival! Well, it... no, I'm not going to be so cruel as to reveal his Secret. That's half the fun.

Yay, J&H RPG hasn't moved either.

Much love! To you all and Walter Hartright.

Ring me!

-T

Her triumphant return!

Tue, 03 Jan 2006 09:41:29 GMT

Eeeeee...

I'm back, everyone! And I have 103 unread emails.

Oh, damnation.

I'll write a bit about me holiday later on. Anything interesting happen while I was gone? And I have to go and see what all my abandoned RPGs are like on DMF. *blush*

Random scene:

[Tristan is making her bed and Stefan is milling about the doorway being generally irritating.]
Tristan (singing "Sirens" from Jane Eyre): "I cannot stand another knock..."
[Stefan, with an idiotic grin on his face, knocks three times on the door and then runs off giggling uncontrollably.]

Um.

<td align="center" style="background: #FFFFFF; color: #000000;">Tristan's Reason for Travelling Back in Time:

To convince J.K Rowling to create a character with your name in the Harry Potter series

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com</td>

Goodbye, my lady-love...

Mon, 19 Dec 2005 08:48:01 GMT

Apa-logies;

I am leaving for a 2-week holiday down the south coast tomorrow. Sorry to everyone who was planning things. I'll try to organise some kind of dinner/movie/whatever thing after I get back on thr 4th of January. I may or may not get internet access, it depends on whether my parents are anti-internet cafe or not. If you ring me you'll have a wonderful chance to talk to our American answering machine.

Braces = tightened.

The pain, the pain.

See you in two weeks.

Unless I've died of garlic-poisoning or over-exposure to the Scottish King, of course.

I am the Lady of the Shroud!

-T

Coincedence?

Sun, 18 Dec 2005 00:24:12 GMT

I was in Strathfield yesterday, because we were going to a party in the evening and my Mum had to go to her therapist in the afternoon. Anyway, Dad, Cameron and I were just wandering the streets, until a store caught my eye - it was called "Zio: Hair and Beauty". I stared at it in shock for a while.

It's opposite the store called "World Fashion: Feminism, Performance, Fashion...soup".

Rather odd suburb, Strathfield.

...yes.

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 05:31:23 GMT

My mother just walked in and said "Oh, no! The bunny's gone angsty!" then walked out again.

...

?

Rpg assistance?

Wed, 14 Dec 2005 04:56:39 GMT

Can anyone tell me what it is like to take pot for the first time? I'm currently involved in an RPG on DMF, and my character (Alfred from Tanz) has just accepted an offer of pot from the 'reefer den' from a character from Reefer Madness called Ralph. Christine Daae has gone off to warn Dracula and Mina (who is eloping with Henry Jekyll) that a vampire hunter (me) has just arrived on the island and so it's just me (high) and Ralph (used to it, but still high) and I need to accurately set the scene for when Christine and Mina return.

Any help much appreciated.

...when I look at you...

Wed, 14 Dec 2005 01:13:14 GMT

Sam, this is for you.

*faints dead away*

paaain.

Tue, 13 Dec 2005 09:50:58 GMT

My wrists hurt.

Quiz.

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 22:48:43 GMT

Quiz.

Different

You are different! You just cant help yourself! Sometimes you say totally random things, whether its to get attention, or you have a weird sense of humor, or maybe you just like to be weird! But its okay, because although you can be annoying when you dont make any sense, youre a good person, and guys love your sense of humor and confidence.

--song: We Are All On Drugs: Weezer--

What kind of person are you? (( girls only, anime pics, many outcomes))
brought to you by Quizilla

Hurrah!

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 22:36:55 GMT

Work!

2-5pm!

Money!

Happiness!

Having to talk to customers.

Ergh.

Darkness?

Mon, 12 Dec 2005 09:06:27 GMT

Right, I'm a little worried now. I just got up to feed the cats (Mum is doing a late shift at work) and so I turned the hall light on - it didn't turn on. That's not too strage to begin with. But then the study light wouldn't work. Nor the loungeroom lights. Nor the bedroom or bathroom lights. And it's getting dark.

Yet my computer is still working. I plugged in a lot of electric lights to try to stem the flow of darkness. It's a little scary here right now, and Mum won't be home til 11pm. You don't envy my position, believe me.