All in all, the Academy Awards show was a bit of a bore.
No surprise, there.
The commercials were a bit more interesting, I think.
And now on to my week with no gigs. Free time! I’ll finish up taxes, I hope. I’ll clean the house, I hope. I’ll do the laundry, I hope. I’ll make reeds, I hope. I’ll plant the rose a dear friend gave me in memory of my father. (That’s an “I will for sure!)
And I’ll definitely practice. Copland Symphony No. 3, here we come. (Along with Bolero.)
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It seems like the commercials during the Academy Awards show are better than the ones during the Superbowl.
Maybe it’s just me, though …?
Looks like GM has changed the ending to the one they had during the Superbowl; no more suicide for the machine. I had heard that some suicide prevention groups had complained about it. I’m not sure if it’s just that they shortened it, or if they changed it. (I hadn’t paid that much attention during the game.)
Hah! Ellen just said “Someone dropped their rolling papers. Oh … someone in the band.”
Of course. 😉
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Hoorah for Ennio Morricone.
I just love that man’s music. But of course he wrote a work that included the word “oboe” so why wouldn’t I?
(He’s been awarded a lifeteime achievement award, in case you didn’t know about that already.)
Funny note: when I was in junior high I had to take “modern dance”. Now I was no graceful girl. I was not cute. I was awkward and unattractive (sorry mom, but I know this to be true!), and I wasn’t a happy camper either. So taking modern dance sure wasn’t what I had in mind. But there you go. Our “dance” (I made mine up on the spot, actually) was to The Good, Bad and the Ugly. I’ll never forget that music! (I have, thankfully, forgotten my horrible dance.)
Anyway … back to the man and his music. He writes music that melts my heart. I have the CD of Yo-Yo Ma playing his music, and there are times I put it on just to cry. And I’m not ashamed to admit it. I would just love to play a concert of his music.
Ahhhh … and Mr. Morricone just dedicated his award to his wife. Double ahhhh.
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So Jill is live blogging about the awards. And I’m watching the show and reading her blog. Great fun! Nearly like we are in the same room.
Okay. Not really.
I’m also eating a wonderful meal (thanks, Dan!), drinking a beer, and reading various online things.
Seems to me that the advertisements this year on the show are touchy-feely sorts … kind of like the show itself. As Dan was commenting about not really caring any more for the music they put on the show, I was tearing up.
What can I say? I’m a sucker for that sort of thing.
Opera is over … and I was just really getting into it! I absolutely loved playing the end of the second act … where the principal oboe (me) plays with the soprano. And I love the way sometimes I’m with her and then she drops out and I continue. We kind of hand things back and forth … very cool to play. AND my reed was happy.
Which makes me happy.
And when I’m happy the whole world is happy.
Right?
But back to the show … I’m still waiting for “Best Oboe Reed Maker”. Needless to say, I wasn’t even nominated.
Oh … and Jill … the only movie I saw this year that is on the list was Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.
Oh dear.
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I’ve just watched a few of the Schubert “Trout” Quintet documentaries over at You Tube and I have to tell you it’s loads of fun. (I began this bit of entertainment after reading about a video at Musical Assumptions.) Of course you are hearing simple “nobodies” … Itzhak Perlman, Daniel Barenboim, Jacqueline Du Pré, Zubin Mehta and Pinchas Zukerman … but I’m sure you can deal with that, eh? This was done when they were all in the twenties, so it was a bit of time ago. For your viewing pleasure I’m listing all the links. I’m nice that way!
Franz Schubert ”The Trout’ Quintet (documentary) 1 Franz Schubert ”The Trout’ Quintet (documentary) 2 Franz Schubert ”The Trout’ Quintet (documentary) 3 Franz Schubert ”The Trout’ Quintet (documentary) 4 Franz Schubert ”The Trout’ Quintet (documentary) 5 Franz Schubert ”The Trout’ Quintet (documentary) 6
I do wonder if these will stay up … is it legal to have them there? (I know Opera San Jose clips were pulled rather quickly when they were located; I have mixed feelings … as long as the quality is fine, how can a bit of publicity—worldwide, mind you!—do much damage? Then again, if something is still for sale, it’s a bit like stealing, yes?)
Anyway, enjoy.
There’s also a very funny video where Du Pré and Perlman switch instruments.
You’ll also notice, I’m sure, other links to the side of the videos that might interest you; two movements of the Schubert, for one thing.
(Note to Mozart musicians—having seen a couple of Mozart links while doing this browsing—Mozart is not a romantic composer! I really struggle with those who play Mozart with that time-stretching, overly romantic sort of interpretation. Of course maybe that’s just my problem!)
Watching the “Trout” group … doesn’t it just make you smile and love music and wish you could play chamber music RIGHT NOW?
Okay, maybe the videos only do that to me, and maybe it’s because I play chamber music so seldom. I really wish I could find a group of musicians who had the time and inclination do so such things. We are a busy sort. We are a poor sort. So we rarely get free time to just have fun.
What a shame, eh?
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