A cultural life update

I’m still trying to increase my knowledge of a more modern music repertoire, so I’ve borrowed a CD of songs and a tone poem by Antony Payne, and one of music by Szymanowski, which included his third symphony.

When number one son graduated from Birmingham, Antony Payne was given an honorary doctorate, and in his acceptance speech he said how nice it was to receive some recognition, as he’d just been investigated by the Inland Revenue, who couldn’t believe that he earned so little. When they established that he was genuine, just to add insult to injury, they then couldn’t believe he bothered, if he couldn’t make more money out of composing. So I did listen to his completion of Elgar’s third symphony, and I did enjoy that. But I’m sorry to say I didn’t much enjoy this selection of pieces. I didn’t hate it, I just was left pretty cold.  Sorry, Dr Payne.

Szymanowski apparently changed his style during his career, and the music I got seemed to be earlier rather than later, so perhaps I ought to give him another go. But the third symphony was all lush, squishy,lyrical romanticism, reminding me rather of Delius. This is not a compliment. I’m with Bernard Levin, who described Delius as “the musical equivalent of blancmange.”

I have had two excellent theatrical experiences, though. I went to see a National Theatre film of the Danny Boyle Frankenstein. The version I saw was Jonny Lee Miller as the monster and Benedict Cumberbatch as Frankenstein. It was tremendous, even on screen instead of live. Obviously one would much prefer to see it live, but it was the next best thing.  I admired the way the book (which in my opinion is pretty lousy, as influential as its ideas have been) had been adapted. It was a much more powerful experience than reading the novel.

Then we went to Stratford to see Richard II. David Tennant made him quite unlikeable and unsympathetic, right until his death, which was really moving. The rest of the cast were uniformly excellent, but I must single out the young man who played Aumerle. Bolingbroke and Northumberland were great, too.