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American and Latin American Politics, Society, and Culture

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Sunday palate cleanser: Faust goes to Mars

Jonas and Bryn in La Damnation de Faust. What more could a woman want?

Well, for starters, a production that was not this weird: Hawking walks and snails mate in mawkish opera

That’s Stephen Hawking they are talking about. Let’s hope he got royalties. The actor playing him looks like an old Alan Rickman. The caged dancers wear Hanes-style undies.

Could someone explain the whole mess, please?

Jonas Kaufmann (Faust),
Bryn Terfel (Méphistophélès),
Sophie Koch (Marguerite),
Edwin Crossley-Mercer (Brander)

Conductor: Philippe Jordan

Best to close your eyes and enjoy the singing.

I hope Bryn & Jonas each got paid enough to pay off the mortgage and put the kids through college.

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Sunday morning Suo Gan


Yesterday I was watching Empire of the Sun, which is a troubling movie in many levels (but not quite as troubling as JG Ballard’s other works), and the Welsh lullaby Suo Gân punctuates a key scene of the film.

Bryn Terfel performs my favorite version of Suo Gân. You can buy the MP3 from Amazon, but it was also used in this beautiful short film, The Dinner Guest by Joe Gleason, to great effect:

Here’s Bryn, with a piano accompanist,

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany. May God bless you and your family and loved ones.

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Wagner without tears: The Ring!

The Metropolitan Opera is doing Wagner’s Ring, and The Manolo is thrilled.

Bryn Terfel is playing Wotan.

Here’s the big guy singing Wotan in Die Walkure,

However, as much as I love BT, I do not like Wagner.

So it’s great that The Manolo has provided Anna Russell and The Ring of the Nibelung for our cultural edification,

Now, if we could get BT to do Mrs. Russell’s analysis, life would be perfect. Eye patch optional, of course.

And I would pay for that.

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And now for a Joe Gleason film festival

Last year I was looking for YouTubes of Bryn Terfel, when I came across a beautiful, moving, short film, The Dinner Guest,

At that time, in the comments section, Erica said,

This is somewhat embarrassing to admit, but I found myself weeping, and I cannot quite for sure say why.

This wasn’t a sad film, but it had a sadness to it that drudged up some kind of abstract emotion inside me.

It was almost too beautiful for words.

The first time I saw The Dinner Guest I didn’t weep, but for some reason, while watching it today I did. It could be that the film’s wonderful combination of familiarity and yearning got me this time.

The film was made by Joe Gleason, who contacted the Anchoress (who is a big Bryn fan) and explained,

It’s an incredibly economic film; I borrowed many of the props, I manned the camera myself, the actors are friends of mine, and the mansion is right near where I live.

I’m a strong Christian, and I’m so glad to read your insights into the film. You’ve touched on many of the themes I hoped to communicate, and expanded on ideas I hadn’t even fully developed while making it. I hope to continue making films that provoke reflection and discussion, and ultimately, I’d like to impact the world and draw people closer to God through them.

Here are four more of his intensely lyrical, lovely films,

A Letter, where Mrs Sutton leaves the room…

A Birthday Party, on families and change,

The Hospital, on hope,

Today The Anchoress posts on another of Joe’s films, Almost Evening, in two parts,

The only other director that comes to mind who has such a deft touch on portraying characters and their relationships with each other is Ang Lee. I hope Joe’s career is as successful.

Wishing all of you a happy and prosperous 2010, and thank you for your support.

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