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Titanic- that sinking feeling

Back to Titanic contains a mixture of previously unreleased recordings and newly-recorded performances of the songs in the film.

On the 14th of April, 1912, Titanic struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage and quickly sank. Many people were lost due to insufficient lifeboats. Yes, I know; everybody knows. Is there a non-war-related historical event more familiar than this? Not many.

Amazing what a little 1997 film can help to do. (Not that Titanic was the ONLY film on the topic, but was clearly the most successful.) It “achieved critical and commercial success. It equaled records with fourteen Academy Award nominations and eleven wins, receiving the prizes for Best Picture and Best Director. With a worldwide gross of over $1.8 billion, it was the first film to reach the billion-dollar mark, remaining the highest-grossing film of all time for twelve years.” And it was just re-released in 3D, which Roger Ebert reviewed.

I think it succeeded because it was a kitchen sink film that appealed to a lot of people. There was this love story that touched some, not so much for me. There were the class issues, which I found more interesting. There was the hubris of the boat builders, applicable in other settings. And then there was the disaster itself, which, if you didn’t think too much about the ACTUAL PEOPLE WHO DIED, was rather spectacular. (SamuaiFrog revisits the film.)

Another issue was the music. I have the original soundtrack, composed, orchestrated, and conducted by James Horner, and I found it a bit too much of the same feel. But, I also have Back to Titanic, “which contains a mixture of previously unreleased recordings and newly-recorded performances of the songs in the film…Horner created a new suite of music, comprising light and dark sections from the score, which represents the ‘soul’ of his music for the film.

“In addition, several of the source numbers from the film were included into this second album. From ‘Nearer my God to Thee’ to the raucous pipe and drum rhythms heard in the Irish folk music played in the lower decks, these selections recreate the most poignant moments in the life and death of the great ship. ‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band’ was played on the deck by Wallace Hartley’s small orchestra and lifted spirits as the ship settled, lights blazing, into black oblivion. And ‘Come Josephine, in my Flying Machine’, which Jack Dawson briefly sings for Rose DeWitt Bukater and Rose sings when she is waiting to be rescued in the freezing seas. The song was a top hit song the year before the sinking.”

The second album, to my ear, is vastly better than the first, because it’s more eclectic, and frankly, more representative sonically of the film as a whole. Though I can avoid the bit when Celine Dion’s huge hit ‘My Heart Will Go On’ is interspersed with movie dialogue; that’s the reason for the skip button on the CD player.

See what Neil deGrasse Tyson got James Cameron to fix for the re-release of Titanic.
Then watch the video, which has nothing to do with Titanic, but a lot to do with my own growing up.

Pretty much everything you need to know about the Titanic.

Requiem of the week- Mozart

The last time I sang the Mozart Requiem was on September 11, 2002.

The Requiem Mass in D minor (K. 626) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is almost certainly the best known requiem, since its creation (and non-completion) was presented in the 1984 movie Amadeus. Here’s a segment in which Salieri helps Mozart write his Confutatis. Parts of the Requiem show up in some three dozen TV shows and movies, such as The Big Lebowski and Watchmen.

As noted in Wikipedia, it was “composed in Vienna in 1791 and left unfinished at the composer’s death on December 5. A completion by Franz Xaver Süssmayr was delivered to Count Franz von Walsegg, who had anonymously commissioned the piece for a requiem Mass to commemorate the February 14 anniversary of his wife’s death. It is one of the most enigmatic pieces of music ever composed, mostly because of the myths and controversies surrounding it, especially around how much of the piece was completed by Mozart before his death.

“The Sussmayr completion of the Requiem is divided into fourteen movements, with the following structure:
I. Introitus: Requiem aeternam (choir and soprano solo)
II. Kyrie Eleison (choir) {used in commercials, too]
III. Sequentia (text based on sections of the Dies Irae):
Dies irae (choir)
Tuba mirum (soprano, contralto, tenor and bass solo)
Rex tremendae majestatis (choir)
Recordare, Jesu pie (soprano, contralto, tenor and bass solo)
Confutatis maledictis (choir)
Lacrimosa dies illa (choir) [which almost always make me cry]
IV. Offertorium:
Domine Jesu Christe (choir with solo quartet)
Versus: Hostias et preces (choir)
V. Sanctus:
Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth (choir)
Benedictus (solo quartet, then choir)
VI. Agnus Dei (choir)
VII. Communio:
Lux aeterna (soprano solo and choir)”

It is clearly my favorite requiem, as it is one of the two scores I ever purchased so that I can sing along, the other being Messiah by Handel. I have sung this in performance at least thrice. Once was in the spring of 1985 for which I had a now long-long cassette recording. Another time was sometime in the mid-1990s. The last time was on September 11, 2002, when my friends Tim and Gladys, and I crashed the Albany Pro Musica performance to honor the first anniversary of 9/11. (Wasn’t REALLY “crashing” as such.)

Here’s the Wiener Philharmoniker performance, with those nice section breaks. And here are scores and more performances.

TW3, or how Johnny Depp wrecked my Friday

I was watching two 2nd graders, Lydia and her friend Leah.

There was this TV show in the 1960s called That Was The Week That Was. It was on NBC TV, in 1964 and 1965, based on a 1963 British show of the same name, which satirically summarized political events. Sometimes, life feels particularly out of kilter, maybe like a Tim Burton movie.

Saturday: I spent shopping with my father-in-law. I must say that I almost never shop in malls – they make me verklempt – but went to two of them that day. One, the evil Crossgates, I had been to only once in the past decade or more, and that to a free movie. It’s, unfortunately, the only place around here with an Apple store, which did fix my father-in-law’s computer problem. Then we went to Colonie Center. Both of these places were amazingly crowded, especially in the parking lots, which makes me think the financial crisis must be over.

Then to K-Mart, which looked run down, and had relatively few patrons, which made me feel as though it were March of 2009. We had a little party for the Daughter afterward.

Sunday: Church and housecleaning.

Monday: Took off to take care of some chores. I always overestimate how much I’ll get done on a day off. My bicycle has not been operating well. The rear tire was not “true”, and on every rotation, it was as though I had applied the brakes. The tire couldn’t be “trued”, so needed to be replaced. I had to leave the bike there, which was just as well, since the temperature dropped like a stone, and the wind picked up, during the day. Then planning for and attending the Friends of the Library meeting; I’m on the board, and in charge of the annual meeting. Since it was the Daughter’s actual natal day – though she doesn’t consider it to be so until 10:27 p.m. – we has some presents.

Tuesday: Work – the secretary was out, and I was answering phones, so I got very little reference done, especially in the morning.

Wednesday: Actually a productive workday, even though we had a library staff meeting. The Daughter went to bed around 8:30, but was up a couple of hours later with – let’s say, stomach distress. Both her parents were up with her until midnight.

Thursday: Home with the not all that sick child. The Wife leaves work early so she can get me to work on time for the March birthday party honoring me and one colleague. Still managed to get a couple reference questions done. Surprisingly get to the bike shop before it closed to retrieve the vehicle, grabbed a sandwich, and later had choir rehearsal.

Friday: The Albany schools were closed for some reason, and I was watching two 2nd graders, Lydia and her friend Leah. On the last half-day off from school during a workweek, Leah’s parents watched Lydia, and now it was my time to reciprocate. We played Uno, hide and seek, kickball, Chinese checkers; I was so exhausted and achy after that day, I could have gone to bed before supper. We also watched that Alice in Wonderland film with Johnny Depp, which was just fine. Afterward, though, the picture tube on the TV seemed to have died; I’m not saying it’s causal, but this week, I wouldn’t doubt it.

So today, there’s a surprise party, with all that entails. I dasn’t say more.

MOVIE REVIEWS: The Oscar-Nominated Live-Action Shorts

I must say that The Shore was the most fully realized film, dealing with the current economic woes, as well as The Troubles, and it deserved to win.

I had thought they had already gone away but discovered that the Oscar-nominated live-action shorts were still playing at the Spectrum Theatre in Albany. So, taking advantage of having a child sitter, the Wife and I went to the movies a week ago Sunday.

Pentecost (Ireland / 11 mins)

Damian, who messed up his last chance to serve as an altar boy, gets a reprieve, with the carrot of getting to watch his beloved football. The pep talk one priest gives to the altar boys was reminiscent of a sports coach’s pep talk before the Big Game. Slight, but extremely funny.

Raju (Germany / India / 24 mins)

The most serious of the five films.

“A German couple adopts in Kolkata an Indian orphan.” Then they discover more than they bargained for. It’s quite good.

The Shore (Northern Ireland / 30 mins)

This about says it all: “Two boyhood best friends – Joe…and Paddy…- divided for 25 years… When Joe returns home to Northern Ireland, his daughter brings the two men together for a reunion, with unexpected results. What happened all those years ago? Can old wounds be healed? The answer is both hilarious and moving.” Includes one of the most organically funny scenes I’ve ever seen in a movie. I loved this film.

Time Freak (USA / 11 mins)

“A neurotic inventor creates a time machine…” and, let’s say, did not take full advantage of the technology. Silly fun.

Tuba Atlantic (Norway / 25 mins)

Oskar, 70 years old, is told by his doctor PRECISELY how many days he has left to live. He wants to reconcile with his estranged brother who lives in New Jersey. Inger, an unlikely public “death angel” is sent out to help Oscar through his remaining days. Will Oskar contact his sibling before it’s too late?
Funny, in a dark, Scandinavian sort of way. (My wife’s least favorite film.)

I managed not to know the winner until after I saw the presentation. I must say that The Shore was the most fully realized film, dealing with the current economic woes, as well as The Troubles, and it deserved to win.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Lorax in 3D

The Lorax movie seemed to want to play to every audience.

I promised my daughter that we could see a movie last Saturday. What I had in mind was The Secret World of Arrietty, based on The Borrowers books. Unfortunately, it was in town for two weeks and then it was gone. Boo hiss. Since my wife had gone to see another film – Pina – the Daughter and I decided to see The Lorax at the Madison Theatre in Albany.

While I was/am a fan of Dr. Seuss, I was totally unfamiliar with the Lorax book, as was my daughter. In the movie, treeless Thneedville is where everyone seems to have the perfect suburban life. Well, almost.

Mr. O’Hare (Rob Riggle), who vaguely looks like the superhero boss lady in The Incredibles, gets to sell folks air. Young Ted (Zac Efron) is smitten with Audrey (Taylor Swift), and when she (somehow) starts drawing trees, real trees, and desiring to see them, Ted springs into action.

What follows is Ted talking to the Once-Ler (Ed Helms) about where the trees all went. He tells the story involving the Lorax (Danny DeVito), and I don’t want to reveal any more plot points, except that Ted’s grandma (Betty White) runs interference for Ted re: his mom (Jenny Slate).

The movie seemed to want to play to every audience. The Mission: Impossible theme for the adults – the animals were occasionally funny, though too cute; a sense of (not too much) danger for older kids; an environmental message as subtle as the Once-Ler family RV.

There were occasional good bits. The cameras everywhere remind me of the movie The Truman Show, or modern-day London or New York City. The budding romance had a couple of moments I could relate to. I laughed a few times. But ultimately, I thought it was a bit of a mess. The Lorax was a major player in such a small part of the movie. And paying extra for a 3D effect, which I could have done without, did not endear me either.

The Lorax movie website.