I've been spending a bit more time in the company of others.
Colin came round for an afternoon watching the Royal Opera's recent production of Verdi's Nabucco. Daniele Abbado's production was grey, grey, stark and grey. Daniel Oren's conducting managed to contrast that with blazing colours from the orchestral score.
However much it presages Verdi's future work, you can't pretend that this early piece is either a subtle or a multi-faceted work. Nevertheless, with a good cast and a fine chorus it can punch well above its weight.
The Covent Garden chorus puts in excellent work day after day week after week. This performance was no exception. Colin and I both expected fireworks from Liudmyla Monastyrska's Abigaille but we hadn't reckoned on hearing so much soft and tender singing from her. The revelation for Colin was Alexander Vinogradov's Zaccaria. I'd heard him sing before in Shostakovich's Symphony No14 and so was not surprised by his cavernous bass.
Amartuvshin Enkhbat's Nabucco and Vasilisa Berzhanskaya's Fenena came across well. Najmiddin Mavlyanov hade more of the thankless role of Ismaele than you would have thought possible.
Then I was off to the Phil. I enjoyed James MacMillan's short piece For Zoe and was happy to make the acquiaintance of Rubinstein's Cello Concerto No2 with Alban Gerhardt taking centre stage with a performance that combined power, refinement and fireworks.
After the interval, Vasily Petrenko gave us one of his defining calling cards - Tchaikovsky's Manfred Symphony. The Naxos CD of this work with him and this orchestra won awards early on in his tenure in Liverpool and gave us a clue that something splendid was emerging. That level of excellence is now the expected starting point at the Phil. It is difficult to remember that nearly twenty years ago, the orchestra were in rebellion and eager to be rid of Gerard Schwarz.
I heard Pertrenko conduct the work once before in 2010 and his grasp of the work still carries considerable punch. I think he's also gained a better sense of the light and shade in the work and how to prepare for and build the climaxes within the work's structure.
Fabulous evening. Well worth a cheer.
The following night as part of a night out, I treated myself to The Italian Club's Fish Restaurant at the top end of Bold Street. The grilled monkfish with buttered garlic new potatoes and chilli and garlic sea samphire was excellent.
I was on my way to Unity Theatre to see Robert perform in Vincent Dance Theatre's Hold Tight. Robert warned me that it was still a bit of a work in progress and yes, there were moments that could be pruned, transitions that did not sit well but there's a show there if not necessarily the greatest one.
Part of the occasional scrappiness is, I think, because the presentation is trying to support far too much thematic marterial. I kept a note which I showed Robert over a drink after the show and he agreed that I'd caught pretty much all of it.
I chatted with Robert afterwards. Charlie and Anna are fine. I told him about Ross's progress. We agreed once again about meeting up once I feel more certain about journeying to London.
Elsewhere, Roland was pleased to report that Colin's recent scans had revealed no sign of cancer although many of his lymph nodes appeared to be very swollen. The immediate treatment is to be strong antibiotics as the doctors think the cause is a simple infection. There will be a three month review and, though a lot of the stress has been removed, concerns remain.
Harry Styles' new film, My Favourite Policeman, has recently opened on general release to very mixed reviews overall. It's main selling point appears to have been a quick peek at the young man's buttocks. Spoiler alert.
I am never going to be in stroking range of Harry Styles' bum, so I am very glad to be acquainted with Danny who has a lovely bum.
I had prepared some drinks, nibbles and toys but, in the event, we simply shagged rather a lot.
Two days' later, I had him round again and gave him another good seeing to.
I really hope I continue to remember what a stiff willy is for many years from now.
Leo has been doing some research. Starting with the colloquial term Shotgun Wedding (referring to a parentally enforced marriage due to an unplanned pregnancy), he discovered some variants from other cultures.
Arabian Gulf States:Police station marriageJapan:(Rough translation) Whoops! We did itKorea:Speeding over the limitVietnam:Because the doctor said so
I loved the Japanese version. It's like they were skating on the ice together and took a tumble during which they fell awkwardly and he impregnated her quite unexpectedly. Leo was taken with that image and felt that Teenage Pregnancy On Ice was a certain title for an anime musical.
There has been an outbreak of van humour.
Here is a helpful yellow sponge.
And here is some more van humour.
