Unreleased Streisand Live 1963. album (Hungry i)

Night-club, cabaret act caught live in San Francisco - it actually preceded famous later studio recording of "The Barbra Streisand Album" that stormed the charts and introduced the world to young newcomer. If you think that studio album presents diamond in rough, think again - in front of audience Streisand is even more intense than in studio, the difference between fast comedy numbers and theatrical ballads even more pronounced, exciting but somehow exhausting roller coaster of emotions that audience welcomed with applause, inspiring her to get louder, more dramatical, campier and over the top. 

For some reason "Columbia records" decided not to release this live recording and decided for more polished studio album instead - those familiar with her highly successful "The Barbra Streisand Album" would find differences interesting and enlightening : repertoire is more or less the same but she "acts" more and yes, she swings very hard on fast numbers like "Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now". Certain songs like Harold Arlen's "Like A Straw In The Wind" were already in her repertoire and even though "Columbia records" didn't want it on debut album, she would record it later anyway. 

Enthusiasts and fans knew and discussed about this aborted album even though is still a mystery to wider audience - Streisand herself never forgot about it and included Leonard Bernstein's "I Hate Music" in her career retrospective "Just For The Record". Very interesting document, specially if listener already knows studio version.

The Barbra Streisand Album (1963)

Early 1960s and youth is rocking to exciting music from radio and TV channels but this young, strange girl is not into "young music". Her ambition is to act and she consider herself an actress,singing being "too easy" for her and she does night clubs almost as afterthought, something that brings attention to the work she does on Broadway.

Everything from her unusual profile to eccentric,1920s clothes to repertoire she chooses (torch songs mixed with completely off-the-wall comedy songs) spells this is highly original artist with her own twist on american songbook - not exactly Broadway, not popular ballads, she is more a comedienne who can also sing like Fanny Brice some four decades ago, but where Brice could certainly make audience laugh she never had such crystal clear voice this newcomer shows on serene moments (A Taste Of Honey, A Sleepin' Bee). This girl has also a nervous energy that makes some of the well-known songs almost a three act opera, as when she explodes in suicidal vein-bursting versions of "Cry Me A River" or "Happy Days Are Here Again" that were probably attention-grabbing at the time but now we see it as what it is, a showing-off. She is so original and intense in her act (in fact, this is studio version of earlier "live recording" in San Francisco) that it's almost a tragedy she would tone it down in subsequent decades and will become mainstream ballad singer - perhaps it was inevitable, maybe one can't sustain this madcap energy level forever - in order to be accepted she would later basically work on ballads and completely leave comical approach behind. But we remember and this is document what an exciting artist she once was.

Her name was Barbra Streisand.

Opera : Salome by Richard Strauss (1974.)

Dark and fascinating opera about obsession, jealousy, incest and descent into madness.

Coming into "Salome" completely unprepared and not knowing what's in store for me I was hypnotized and glued to the screen to the very end - who could ever guess that opera could be scary as best of psychological thrillers? - of course I was vaguely familiar with Biblical story about Salome but did not expect such intensity of emotions and sweeping music. It's funny how I actually watched whole darn thing with hands above my head and mouth gaping (where's Donizetti when you need him?) and even the lack of conventional arias didn't bother me, this was something completely different and the quality of sophistication and artistry involved here leaves me truly excited, though is not music I would return gladly on my own.

This DVD presents 1974. TV version (curiously it says 1976. in the liner notes) with excellent Teresa Stratas in title role - seeing her first, for me she would forever be Salome as she has beauty, looks, poise and dangerous vibe about her. Other artists were more or less secondary, except fascinating Astrid Varnay (Salome's mother Herodias) who was truly Medusa-looking and perfect choice for this role. The fact that artists were lip-synching didn't bother me at all because it was done well and I was too involved watching anyway. Excellent. The only problem now is that I might find other opera works too trivial compared to this.

Opera: "Orlando Furioso" (2005)

Oh WOW, who could ever tell that anybody could surpass older 1978. recordings with Marilyn Horne and Victoria de los Angeles (that I loved and cherished for years) but conductor  Jean-Christophe Spinosi did exactly that, giving this music new life, spark and elegance - this is like seeing old painting refreshed with bright colors. 

Congratulations to this whole edition (instantly recognizable because of their clever and stylish album covers) so whole-heartedly focused on restoration of Vivaldi's music, but I honestly must say this must be their crown jewel. First of all, the script was reconstructed from its 1727 version and a lot of new music was added so now on this recording we actually have 27 arias where older recording had 15. Spinosi plays with tempos, sometimes speeding or slowing down but it's all according to original instructions and playing is brilliant, fresh and inspired. And singers - well, there is no Marilyn Horne who for me will always be THE only Orlando but singers here are excellent in their own way and the very first time I heard this newly recorded "'Sol da te, mio dolce amore" (with that magical flute introduction) I was so blown away, couldn't believe my own ears and played it twice in a row - countertenor Philippe Jaroussky is so perfect for this music and bringing countertenor in a place of baritone was exceptionally creative idea. Really loved Sesto Bruscantini way back than, but Jaroussky really sounds like youth possessed by magic.

As on earlier version, tons of recitatives that I skip and focus on arias instead. 

Opera: "Orlando Furioso" (1978)

Grandiose Baroque opera by composer who is today remembered for his other works but in his time he wrote tons of it, judging by constantly unearthed new discoveries of "new Vivaldi opera". What adds to confusion is that Red Priest himself heavily recycled music composed earlier and mixed it whenever he thought fitted in.

"Orlando Furioso" story is ridiculous indeed, even for the music genre where we are supposed not to take it literally - magic and madness, passion, fireworks and what not - don't even bother to understand what's going on and focus on a music instead. Unfortunately there are tons of "recitatives" that tend to heavily over-balance the whole work and than,if listener still have patience, there are some brilliant arias worth suffering trough it all. The very first time I heard this, I simply selected favorite arias and made my own tape with it, that I loved and enjoyed until found CD with highlights which was basically the same idea. 

"General Horne" is excellent - she explodes in a very first aria "Nel Profondo" with fierce attack that I found unforgettable, this is how I got to know Marilyn Horne. But the rest of the cast is nothing to complain about -  Victoria de los Angeles, Lucia Valentini-Terrani, Carmen Gonzales and special mention wonderful tenor Lajos Kozma who in my opinion got some of the most beautiful pieces of music here. And of course there is baritone Sesto Bruscantini who sings "Sol da te mio dolce amore" with that magical flute introduction, really worth listening the whole opera because of this moment.

In short, clumsy opera where way too many recitatives hide some truly inspired and magnificent baroque music - the recording was for many years unsurpassed and without competition until, surprisingly, new version came along in 2005 (by conductor Jean-Christophe Spinosi) and believe it or not, it's equally great though it doesn't have Marilyn Horne. But it shows that music still lives on with younger generations. I really love this, though in heavily shortened version. When I listen "Orlando Furioso" it's always without recitatives.

Marilyn Horne The Complete Decca Recitals

My first ever introduction to Marilyn Horne was when I heard her on 1978. recording of "Orlando Furioso" by Antonio Vivaldi - I didn't know anything about her, not even what she looked like but her voice was authoritative, strong and commanding - later I found out she is affectionately called "General Horne" because she always have this strong willed aura about her.

This CD box released around the time of her 70. birthday is tribute to great american national treasure - it collects 11 original solo albums recorded for "Decca" trough three decades and they are nicely presented in miniature replicas of original vinyl releases. It is quite a job to go trough all of them, but I did and to my biggest surprise discovered that yes, General Horne is a heroic voice but she also has a great sense of humor, can soften her approach when music demands it and even surprise listener with unexpected introspection,melancholy and tenderness. It's clear immediately she is absolutely at home with music by Rossini but than again, she is also absolutely fantastic in french repertoire and when I got to her "Bach album" another surprise waited for me - I thought this was the best Bach singing I ever heard in my entire life. Obviously with 11 albums there are ones that fascinated me immediately and the other ones that need a bit of serious listening to get familiar with the music - no such a problem with the last album from 1986. titled "Beautiful Dreamer: The Great American Songbook" where Horne sings famous american folk songs backed with harp,piano and viola. Just when you think it can't get any better, big chorus kicks in. And than she starts to quack, imitating the duck in hilarious "I Bought Me a Cat" proving once for all that classical music don't have to be dead serious and can be great fun indeed. 

This was one of the best purchases in a long time and sheer quantity of music guarantees lots of listening and discovering.

My favorite Marilyn Horne story is following and I liked it so much that I need to share it here:

"One reviewer, who shall remain nameless, wrote of a Lieder recital she had given that her 'German diction was poor'. Home called the newspaper, and without identifying herself asked to speak to the writer in question. When she had him on the line, she 'began to chatter non-stop in German'. The poor dope eventually stammered, 'I don't speak German', to which she replied sweetly, 'Well, this is Marilyn Home, and I do!' 

L' Elisir d' Amore

Last night I had a blast watching "L' Elisir d' Amore" on DVD.

It is an opera I have discovered roughly a decade ago when I was in a sudden thrill of discovering classical music - for someone raised in a working-class family with no connections to art in any form, this was a big deal as I had nobody to point me in any direction and simply enjoyed music with open heart and ears listening to what moved me. For a very long time I had a mental note at the back of my head that this is something to buy eventually and recently, on the spur of the moment I bought this DVD with the same cast like on CD recording I heard years ago - this is very important as the artists heard first usually works the best.

Donizetti's opera is very cute and sweet - it has a very simple, comical plot about country bumpkin falling in love with narcissistic beauty who plays with his affections just to admit to herself she really loves him after she finds out poor guy has sold himself to the army in order to get the money for a magical love potion to win her heart. Because opera is an art form built around the understanding that we know everything is artificial and mannered, I didn't have problems watching visibly old and overweight Pavarotti in a role of a young country boy - he is only a passable actor and most of the time depends on "italian shtick" of occasional grimace and gesture but the moment he opens his mouth the sun burst trough,really beautiful voice. As the audience is completely on his side, it's really a feat that Kathleen Battle firmly stands on her ground next to him and everything about her is sparkling - the voice thrills in amazing coloratura, her acting is perfect and she has a beauty to eclipse the whole stage. Two supporting characters are very entertaining in their comical roles of sergeant (Juan Ponts) and charlatan (Enzo Dara), both very much loved by audience.

As for visual pleasure to watch this, what a pleasure it was - the performance was filmed live in "Metropolitan Opera" with famed James Levine as conductor, scenery was  fairy-tale and magical (just the way I like it, I strongly dislike experiments when operas are set in experimental modern-day surroundings) and audience was clearly overjoyed - and me,in front of TV actually. Since I treated myself with opera night, I was sipping some red wine, clicking fingers along to the music, laughing and applauding (surprised that I still recognize the music), at the very end when all the artists took a bow on a scene I wondered how could they ever go home and sleep afterwards because I was buzzing myself with adrenaline just watching them and they actually lived these roles on a stage.

What a wonderful, feel-good opera. I really love this. Now definitely need to buy CD with the same cast.

A Star Is Born (1937)

Already familiar with two famous re-makes (from 1976. and 1954.) I decided to check out the grandmother of them all, less-known and today almost forgotten 1937. original that first came up with a story about young actress who raise to superstardom just to eclipse worthless husband who out of love decided to step out of her way and into the ocean. One of the reasons why I was curious to see this one was excellent Fredric March whom I knew and loved in his Oscar-winning "The Best Years Of Our Lives" (1946.) but knew nothing about the rest of the cast.

Is it any good, watching some 75 years later? Not really. Strange but some older movies have aged much better than this one - there are numerous silent movies and black & white fantasies (particularly ones with Marlene Dietrich) that still look exciting and dreamlike where this 1937. tehnicolor romantic drama basically appears half-baked. The main difference with later versions is that this is straight drama without any music at all - fine by me, but there are really just handful of characters talking to each other like on a stage and in one memorable scene towards the end of the movie both main actress and her grandmother looks towards the wall, away from the camera (this was supposed to be dramatical and very serious scene but we, audience don't see their faces!) - main actress in role of anonymous Esther Blodgett who turns into film star Vicky Lester is mousy Janet Gaynor. Now, Gaynor was supposedly very good in her time, in fact she was the very first actress ever to win "Oscar" however I find her completely grey, boring and uninteresting, there is nothing in the script that suggest why should this ordinary looking farm girl ever reach superstardom and suddenly becoming fabulous & glamourous. Film suggest "this is what happens when you follow your dreams" but actually if Esther wanted to escape her dreary farm surroundings and join ranks of Garbo,Dietrich and other famous celluloid stars there must be something special about her - the story explains that thousands of young actress in Hollywood are starving and looking for any job but look, completely plain and ordinary Esther follows her dreams and this is what happens. Where later re-makes show that Esther had excellent singing voice to lift her above he competition (and it conveniently suited Garland and Streisand to make themselves centre of the movie to the point of taking all the focus) this non-sining, unexperienced farm girl is now successful, elegant and wealthy without any explanations how and why she should be such. Her main gift is that she is so sweet, unpretentious and ordinary  - I really dislike the word "ordinary" and can't swallow it anyway, specially when it comes to Hollywood where in order to succeed one needs to have something special to be spotted and discovered between competition of thousands.

In this case, something special was Esther husband, big movie star and actor Norman Maine who simply falls in love with this grey mouse (even though elegant beauties are all over him) and he recommends her to movie producers. Who then put some make up on her, elegant hat on her head and voilá the star is born, though she is still boring as hell. Maine quickly learns that his career is finished because "audience don't like him anymore" and without any attempt to work hard, search for work with other companies or simply do something else with his life, decides he is too big embarrassment to his wife and drowns himself. Poor him, poor Esther, poor us watching this. Fredric March is actually quite good in his role (younger and slimmer than in "The Best Years Of Our Lives") but than it seems that alcoholic roles always suited him. Both later versions with Garland and Streisand vaguely follow the same story - grey mouse is always called Esther - but even though they are singing too much, at least they had excellent voices so at least we could understand why would Esther ever become so big. The best version is probably the one with Judy Garland filmed in 1954. - not because Streisand is bad (both of them are narcissistic) but because it was filmed in golden years of Hollywood and have magic touch characteristic for that era.

Bright lights, dark shadows by Carl Magnus Palm

First serious piece of publishing about swedish pop phenomenon, "Bright lights, dark shadows" is authoritative, informative and well researched music biography that explores not only four celebrated individuals but also the important role of their manager (who emerges as hugely likable rogue, chain-smoking and heavy-drinking buddy everybody would like to have), their geographical, musical and social background and what it meant for musicians of than-peripheral north european country to explode on international music scene. Since I am from "peripheral country" myself, I understand perfectly what Carl Magnus Palm has to say and how difficult it is to break into "big time" not to mention hostility at home and suspicious attitude self-important music establishment has towards "provincial newcomers". Reading about all the harassment they had to endure at every step, it's miracle they actually created any music at all - author cleverly explains prejudice music circles always have about commercially successful acts and how every victory (be it Eurovision or chart-topping album) was quickly turned against Abba to the point that their music was not played in their own country for the unspeakable sin of being successful. 

Palm is very good at his writing - he never gushes or fans over his subjects but clear-headedly states the facts, numbers and informations, explains how story unfolded and provides some very interesting anecdotes and opinions along the way: Benny describing "schlager" music like country with german beat and Agnetha reflecting on their Australian experience saying "It's a thin line between ecstatic adulation and menace. It can turn around in a flash."

Excellent music biography - probably definitive on this subject,hardly anybody can improve - that is deservedly classic. I actually read it twice, and in both occasions it was truly page-turning, one-sitting experience. Couldn't put it down first time around and yesterday treated myself with it again, love this book.

Anne Sofie von Otter sings Abba

I really loved von Otter's pop album with Elvis Costello and in general have nothing against classical artists making excursions into other territories - why not,after all - besides, woman needs a break from melancholy of Mahler, Grieg and Brahms from time to time and songbook by Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus after all, has enough of gems worth playing with. Surely, she won't fiddle with bubblegum like "Honey Honey" or "Mamma Mia" but her relaxed touch on dramatical ballads like "The Winner Takes it All" could be something to hear? 

Strangely, the result sounds slightly disappointing - while music background is nice and unobtrusive (effective fiddles!) and von Otter sings as beautiful as ever, album is bogged down with decision to include too many less-known songs from musicals and other corners of Benny & Björn's work - are we avoiding potential criticism or association with "Abba"? - which is pity because as real actress von Otter missed the chance to act some of the most attractive and durable songs from group's catalogue. This brings up the question: to what audience this album was actually offered? Abba fans would be disappointed because there are hardly any Abba songs here. Classical listeners would scream "blasphemy" anyway. The answer perhaps lies in the last song - where von Otter deliciously camps it up with all her years of theatre experience in "Money,money,money" and clearly has great fun letting her hair down. She did it for herself.

Sadly, this is not what I expected and I don't find guys work outside Abba specially interesting. 

Art Deco: The Crooners

Fascinating twin brother to 2 CD collection "Art Deco: Sophisticated Ladies" this is collection of male radio stars of 1920s and 1930s from the time when slick-haired gentlemen were musical equivalent of suave, seductive movie stars who drove female audiences crazy. 

"Crooners" was more-or-less right description of the style popular back than, since guys gently crooned their lovelorn ballads (gently swinging) and if the critics occasionally complained of this approach, well this obviously worked on pop charts - people like Gene Austin and Seger Ellis were perfect reflection of the times and what audiences wanted. And it's a irony that their female contemporaries sometimes turned even better versions (The Boswell Sisters recorded far more muscular and harder "Shine On, Harvest Moon" than Seger Ellis who truly sounds emasculated). Of course, everything changes once Bing Crosby enters the picture - his baritone is like thunder and lighting, real man between these school boys - no wonder that everybody after him sounded like Crosby imitator, from Sinatra to Dean Martin and yes, Elvis Presley. 

What this compilation unearths, covering years 1926-1941 are names long forgotten, like black Crosby, Harlan Latimore who is so close to the original that it could fooled me easily, Russ Columbo who was a huge star in his time and died under strange circumstances at the age of only 26, ukulele star Cliff Edwards (here singing and not clowning) and balladeers like Buddy Clark, Eddy Howard and Dick Haymes who were in the same league with young Sinatra (also presented here). For every Al Jolson or Rudy Vallee absent here, there are wonderful surprises like Red McKenzie who recorded "Georgia on my mind" in 1931. (and his gentle, moody version I found definitive) or Pinky Tomlin with his adorable novelty "The Object Of My Affection". Very interesting overview of long forgotten pop music and how it have changed, grown and adjusted to newer times. That crooners stayed in fashion much longer shows in careers of people like Al Martino, Andy Martin, Jerry Vale and Jack Jones who basically followed the same path, each one of them crooning love ballads in their own way - just look what Michael Boublé is doing today so successfully. After all,we all sing in the shower like Bing Crosby.

Art Deco: Sophisticated Ladies

"Somewhere between Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday" there was a whole generation of pop stars forgotten now - and this fascinating 2 CD collection unearths them.

Where "Empress of the Blues" was focused on repertoire that in her time was not known to wider audiences and "Lady Day" made her name by giving Jazz twist to popular songs of the moment, we hardly really know radio hits of the depression, prohibition, Bonnie & Clyde and Al Capone. "Radio" is the key word here since it catapulted such unlikely stars as Conneee Boswell (in a wheelchair) or Mildred Bailey (enormously fat) who lived & worked on strength of their music talent. 

"Sophisticated Ladies" (and its twin-brother CD collection "The Crooners") presents mostly forgotten stars of US pop music as it was way back than: as expected, most of the singers here would appeal to collectors of music genre we now call "Nostalgia" and they all use their own arsenal of gimmicks, tricks and weapons at the disposal. Some are now downright funny (notorious Ruth Etting in "I'm Good For Nothing But Love" complaining "men winking, I know what they're thinking... I'm Good For Nothing But Love...), some theatrical (Helen Morgan, Greta Keller), some swinging lightly and politely (Annette Hanshaw, The Boswell Sisters) but there are also some nice surprises as Ella Logan - movie star and aunt of Annie Ross - seductive Lee Wiley (clear inspiration for the sound Peggy Lee later perfected), wonderful Maxine Sullivan who turned "Loch Lommond" into pop charts and recorded "Mad about the Boy" decades before Dinah Washington and now forgotten Nan Wynn who recorded with Teddy Wilson on piano.

The best of all are Ethel Waters - her gentle, intimate "I Just Couldn't Take It, Baby" sounds like coming really from the heart - and equally great Mildred Bailey who is now unjustly forgotten but was true inspiration for young Billie Holiday. Clearly, celebrated singers who came later had certain pop stars who preceded them, inspired them and cleared the way for them. It's just a matter of time before today's pop stars turn into "Nostalgia".

Dinah Jams (1954)

I have read a lot about Washington's supposed versatility and trough the years heard a lot of her music recorded in different surroundings - from those early r&b novelties to Quincy Jones albums to her tributes to Bessie Smith and Fats Waller, pop crossover and beyond - but honestly, I have never imagined her to be so truly capable to fit absolutely anywhere like in this off the wall live recording with her friends Jazz cats. According to Nadine Cohodas book "Queen: The Life And Music Of Dinah Washington" session was arranged basically without any rehearsals or preparations and guys invited were all her buddies, audience being her hairdresser,manicurist and so on - in short, there is a lot of serious Jazz playing, improvisations and solo spots capped with Washington's fierce vocal that usually started and ended the songs but she graciously gave spotlight to musicians. I mean, there is a instrumental ("Summertime") on Dinah Washington album! And voice, what a voice - sizzling, seductive, gritty, gentle and soulful, call it whatever you want ("authoritative" is perhaps the best description) it makes me fall in love with her again after all these years, I almost forgot how good she was. The fact that she fitted so perfectly in what is basically true jam session with the best musicians around is mind-boggling and points again that Washington could and did sing "anything at all" (her own words) - musicians are so strong that at the moments listener almost forgets this is vocal album - than Dinah comes along and just continues with a voice what guys have started. Unusual in her recorded legacy, this is strictly non commercial and brilliant one-off experiment worth hearing specially if you know her only from her later pop crossover period - this is Dinah Washington in Jazz land. 

"The Phantom Of The Opera" by Gaston Leroux (1911)

Perfectly aware that my reading diet can't be only celebrity biographies, fluffy novels and lighthearted entertainment I have list of books-to-read with classics stored for reading pleasure in a case I end up on deserted island one day with waterproof wooden chest full of goodies. So I started 1911. french novel "The Phantom Of The Opera" thinking myself being very grown-up,sophisticated and elegant - and found it incredibly boring,slow paced and unfortunately old-fashioned beyond description. In its days this novel was published as crime thriller, popular serialized fiction where each week new chapter would continue cliff-hanger story - alas, dear reader, what was cliff hanger back than it's not anymore. For the start, young angelic heroine (opera singer Christine Daaé, obviously inspired by real life Christine Nilsson although to me it sounds like description of Jenny Lind) is perfect creature of her time, weak, crying, depending on others and unable to move finger unless told so. Apparently this is how men perceived women back than. Young aristocrat Raoul who is madly in love with her is equally annoying & well mannered guy absolutely useless in dangerous situations, in fact he is so theatrical and whimpering that sometimes even Christine appears stronger than he is. Than whole bunch of (frankly, my dear) unnecessary supporting characters who are here just to make the story longer or perhaps work out as comic relief. This leaves title character of "Phantom" as actually most interesting person in a novel - he was supposed to be horrible,scary and evil but he actually shows spark, intelligence and passion that nobody else here have and I liked him - my biggest criticism of this novel and its author is why Erik's behavior and past were not better described and explained instead being just vaguely tossed of at the few pages in the end. He deserves much better. 

I suffered trough "The Phantom Of The Opera" simply because I was intrigued with main negative character,who turns out to be far more interesting than anybody else in the novel.

Interesting only because this is original inspiration for many other adaptations, nevertheless is moth-eaten and writing style, charming as it perhaps is, is not even close to cliff hangers written by  Eugène Sue whom I find hundred times better at this.

Return to "True Blood" (3d.season)

Alone in the countryside and have time on my hands, how wonderful...

I have collected huge amount of movies, documentaries and TV serials - the idea was to watch them slowly while I'm working on a cruise ship but alas this was absolutely impossible because I ended up working brutally hard hours (very often from 8 a.m. until midnight and more) so actually I have returned on dry land with the same collection untouched. And now every evening I decide (in the spur of the moment) what to check out.I have old black & white classics, dramas, comedies, musicals, cartoons, Disney and TV serials. 

So I decided to continue watching TV serial "True Blood" that at certain point I found very entertaining and than stopped watching it because I was working so much.

To my biggest surprise I enjoy it as much as before (if not even more) - I am not watching third season and LOVING IT - can't believe what a fantastic script writers have cooked this time around, added werewolves and what not, really good - the best of all, at this point everybody have very good sense of humor and often they laugh at themselves - I still can't stand Sookie who basically just cries, screams and annoys everybody around and her Bill Compton is less and less interesting since he is always connected to this brainless bimbo but there are other old favorites (Tara, Lafayette, Sam shape-shifter, Hoyt and so on) and quite a few new ones like Vampire king of Louisiana (excellent Denis O'Hare) who is a man "baddie" this time around. Strange that in american productions negative characters are always shown as being "sophisticated" and listening to classical music - it's almost like a signpost saying "this guy is very strange and weird and be aware of him,he is outsider" - in this case Vampire king is also gay and witty and dangerous AND he loves classical music, my God I really started to wonder what is it that makes americans think that listening to classical music is defining sign of strangeness and being homicidal... In Europe is still perceived as a good thing and sign of certain education/taste/sophistication but in a New World apparently movie characters who love classical music are dangerous.

Perhaps my true favorite characters this time around are swedish vampire Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) and his helper Pamela (Kristin Bauer van Straten), they were just supporting roles at first but slowly they became very interesting on their own and I can't wait to see what's going on with them. Ah yes, one of the main bad characters is actor named "Željko Ivanek" which is croatian name,I have to check out that one,very interesting that my own croatian plays here and I didn't even realized before.

"Jewels" by Victoria Finlay

In this cute book - part travelogue,part encyclopedia - Victoria Finlay tells a story about jewels, their history, where do they come from and our perception of them. As one of the characters in the book said, "you can't eat them, you can't read them, you can't shelter under them" and still people seems to be obsessed with them to the point they lose lives in order to get them. Finlay travels far and wide to get informations about Amber,Jet,Pearl,Opal,Peridot,Emerald,Sapphire,Ruby and Diamond, meeting all sorts of people along the way, some friendly,some greedy,everybody full of fantastic stories - from little girls in Burma's mines who are keeping Rubies in their mouth to historical stories about old roman obsession with Opals, how fashion for Jets have made and destroyed little english town of Whitby, how cultured Pearls were invented and so on. Finlay actually goes deep into the earth and crawls in mine pits (where permitted) to see with her own eyes legendary places were Emeralds were mined for Cleopatra, fights the bureaucracy  in Asia and heat in Australia in her search for good story and informations how jewels are found, cut, sold and people involved in the process. What could easily be boring list about geology turns into real-life adventure because Finlay is brave (crazy?) enough to poke her head into dark corners and in her charming way she is like Indiana Jones continent-hopping and sometimes putting herself into real danger, bribing officials, paying guides trough the mountains and visiting ordinary people won't even think of. The book ends with fascinating story about Diamonds, the reality behind scary myths and how today they can be man-made out from anything, including peanut butter or - if you are inclined so - ashes of cremated loved ones. The last information sound bizarre but it makes sense somehow, if you think what it means to somebody to wear a ring made of father's ashes, like all jewelry it's all about sentimental value more than anything else.And I won't even go into everything I learned about faking the jewels. Fascinating. 

Postojna Caves

After traveling all over the world and checking out places like Australia, South Africa, Russia, Norway, Mexico, Panama and Alasca the time was right to visit a big tourist attraction in my own neighborhood - Postojna Caves are really first-class wonder of the nature and something everybody should check out, I am really glad that friends convinced me to visit that place.

Postojna Caves are known from 13 century (if not earlier) though it was in 1818 that people have discovered that there are much more tunnels beneath than anybody expected. This strange, mysterious and fascinating underworld full of tunnels, paths, roads and even occasional big open space ("concert hall") was build by river Pivka that passed under the earth for thousands of years and still is there,flowing somewhere deep deep under in lower tunnels where tourists are not permitted. What we actually see are upper passages, there is much more not safe or comfortable to visit.

I didn't expect there will be so many people visiting - A LOT OF PEOPLE - but everything was perfectly organized and worked like a swiss clock. Upon entering caves we were seated in a little electric train that took us trough countless tunnels where stones above our heads were carefully cut so nobody can hit the head. The tour takes almost 2 hours - we travel by train, than walk guided by tour guides who answer our questions and than exit again with a train. Lot of strange shaped stalagmites hanging from above and looking very dangerous to me, I really wonder how can anybody be sure they won't fall on our heads from high above - everything lightened very dramatically, looking like another planet. At first I was awed by all these strange shaped objects but gradually got used to it - later I even touched occasional stone and felt only cold loneliness and water dripping somewhere. Surprisingly the air was not dusty as I expected but very clear because of the river still passing deep underneath. 

Long ago there were cave lions, hyenas, wolves and bears in these places - today, the most famous living creature here is so called "human fish" or cave salamander - some of them are on display in aquarium and look like combination between eel and lizard, it has snake-shaped body and hands. I was curious what could they possibly eat here in all this dark & gloom but my tour guide told me there are lot of smaller animals here like shell or insects and "human fish" feeds on them + they can stay without any food for huge amount of time. I suspect they are blind.

Starting in 1818 people discovered there is much more than just upper passages and tourism exploded since than - most of the European aristocracy and royalty have visited this place when they traveled trough Europe, including Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth "Sissy", serbian king Milan Obrenović, japanese princ and even Benito Mussolini. Josip Broz Tito have often brought his famous international visitors here to impress them with this true wonder of nature. Perhaps the most impressive part is a enormous "concert hall" situated far bellow the place we have already walked at first - it's easy to lose orientation when one is walking in the dark - deep under "spaghetti hall" (so called because tiny stalagmites are hanging like spaghetti from above) one enters large open space with a high ceilings and this looks like sanctuary of the cave man, breath-taking wide open hall perfect for some concert (and true, concerts are organized here). Than after a short walk we were taken up with our little train and exited in the sunny day above this fairy underworld. Definitely one of the strangest places I have visited!

"Albert Knobbs" and "The Woman in black"

On vacation and catching up with the movies I have missed,old and new.

The most recent one I was intrigued with was "Albert Nobbs" where Glenn Close gave a performance tailored for "Oscar" - in other words, she was transformed into a ugly man and suffers & dies. God knows why was I so curious to see this movie but it left me depressed since it IS a depressing movie,there is almost nothing nice or happy about it - Close is desperately poor woman in Ireland who escapes poverty and hunger by posing as a man who found position in a Dublin's hotel where basically she is a butler who serves quietly and stoically, she does her job perfectly but there is no joy or pleasure in it,it seems like everybody else around her enjoys life to some point (guests are rich so they are laughing but than other servants are also laughing and having their own little pleasures) except Albert Nobbs who never smiles, don't have any hobbies or nothing that makes him happy except counting pennies every night before he went to bed. It's hard to watch the movie where the main protagonist is so unlovable and in fact irritating - if Glenn Close's intention was to be mousy and scared she definitely succeeded.To the point where at the end of the movie she dies and nobody cares (not even audience). We are far more thrilled with other characters who are more colorful than Nobbs, notably hotel owner (excellent Pauline Collins) and the best of all,excellent Janet McTeer who is another woman posing as man,but completely opposite to Nobbs - McTeer has strong character and personality and therefore is the one who gets our attention,sympathies and far more understanding than the main character. At the end of the movie we care much more for McTeer than for Glenn Close who is perhaps brave to play such mousy character but goodbye and good riddance to Albert Nobbs.

Curiously enough, I stumbled upon Janet McTeer again in the very next movie I saw and of course because she is so tall and statuesque I recognized her immediately,she is really a star personality. "The Woman in black" is beautifully filmed old fashioned gothic ghost story with some world known actors (ex Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe and Ciaran Hinds whom I remember as Julius Caesar in TV serial "Rome") that honestly scared me and it was funny because it was my first night alone in countryside and I declined to watch real horror (though I was intrigued with several titles) than found myself getting all nervous with this movie but it was too late to stop watching once I have started. Radliffe is a young lawyer sent to some spooky old town to finish paperwork for his company and he quickly gets involved with locals,ghosts and all together nasty business not unlike Mr.Harker in "Dracula" - he is often alone in unpleasant house (filmed in a stunning location on island of St.Michael where tide covers the tiny road to island) with strange noise all around him and it will take him some time to actually understand what's going on. It is curious that actors of such stature like Hinds and McTeer play second fiddle to Radcliffe who is good at being lost and confused but his character don't have much else to offer. McTeer has exactly two scenes and she steals the screen with her shiny presence, what a charismatic actress ad camera obviously love her! I really wonder in what direction her career will progress from now on because I suspect she might end up like Sigourney Weawer fighting aliens because of her imposing height but she is far more talented as character actress and it would be pity if she succumbs to the call of Mammon.