Beethovens 9th and the Grosse Fugue

Last night, 25^th May 2011, I watched a film about the last years of the life of Ludvig van Beethoven centering on the completion and performance of the 9th Symphony and his writing of the Grosse Fugue. I was reminded once more of the occasion of first hearing a live performance during my first and only season of attending promenade concerts at the Royal Albert Hall with a half season ticket.

I was reminded that whenever I heard The Symphony No 9 in D minor, Op 125 "Choral" (1824) my soul revels in an ecstasy of emotion and memory at the wonder of my own experiences and at the capacity of talented and inspired human beings to create for the enjoyment and betterment of everyone and anyone willing to listen.

I went to my collection to CD’s and was shocked to find that I do not posses a copy and I was immediately too lazy to transfer the record player console from next door to this room, or sit next door listening. Fortunately I live in this increasingly wondrous but also horrific technological era when it is possible within seconds to conjure a full version of the Symphony via the Internet. In this instance a Live Performance on 17^th May 1956 with Otto Klemperer conducting the Concertgebouw Orchestra. The sound reproduction via the internet speakers of this 50 year old recording was not good but nevertheless brought back my reactions to the film and previous listening.

Afterwards I decided that it was stupid to keep the present location of the audio player next door because I rarely, if ever, go just to listen so the next task was reorganise which involved a dusting and move the player to the small table behind me placed against a middle wall of the building so what while the sound will fill this room it will have less of an impact on neighbours. I have a pair of large Sony speakers which have to be attached by wire to the back of the unit with patient skill but once connected they produce a rich deep enveloping sound which underlines the limitations of the Internet and TV reproductions. I am listening to the 5^th Symphony - bon bon bon, and the sixth, known as the Pastoral. I did find my copy of the 9^th but the crackle was such to confirm that I do need one of those Internet connect units which removes the surface noise. I have the noble intention of converting all my video film, tape recordings to the CD and DVD as part of the artwork project, as well as reading all the books and then making written notes. At present I lack the physical strength and the will to complete all the tasks I have set myself as well as continue to experience “new” experience, but listening to the great Master composer I am fired with the fresh determination.

This was also the basic theme of the fictitious films called Copying Beethoven, and MGM 2006 production with Ed Harris giving an excellent performance of the aggressively deaf Beethoven and Diane Kruger as the female composer who persuades her father to allow her to go on her own to Vienna to study at the conservatoire and live at a local convent. She is a fictional character and the convent aspect is a gesture to the reality of the times 1824 1827 when apart from courtesans and the proletariat an educated middle/upper class woman would not be allowed to travel unaccompanied. The other concession to modernity is that she has a boyfriend and although kiss is a chaste one this again would not have been permitted.

The purpose of this fictional character is to expose the temperamental genius of the Maestro who was totally deaf and could not hear the music he was creating and communicated mainly by notepads. And the theme? The nature of creative genius and the inspiration which the young woman experiences by undertake work for Beethoven and which at one point he declares “you want to me.”

In the film story the young woman knows/studies/is related to the man who acts as copyist and assistant to Beethoven who because of illness asks her to step in for a session and she grasps the opportunity and sticks with the position despite the dust and chaos in which he lives, including rats. He is attracted, in a nice way, to her individuality recognising a fellow spirit whose creative abilities need to be unlocked from the conventional upbringings of the day.

In the build up to the completion of the ninth Symphony there are two sub stories. The first is the relationship between Beethoven and a nephew who has gambling debts and comes to Beethoven for financial help. Beethoven adores the young man and wants him to become a concert pianist but the young man knows he has no talent and wants to become an officer in the military. The second story is that of the relationship between the young copyist and her engineer boyfriend who has designed a bridge for a competitive selection contest. The bridge is a great disappointment to the girl who pretends otherwise but Beethoven who attends smashes the work with his stick because it has no soul, something when pressed the young woman agrees. The boyfriend issues an ultimatum that she must have no contact with Beethoven or lose him and she chooses Beethoven because in her the creative drive dominates all others.

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The highlight of the film is the first performance of the Symphony where the Director has skillfully fused the opening of the work with opening of the choral fourth movement. Beethoven officially conducted but in reality the Orchestra was required to follow the directions of another, in a less conspicuous location and ignore those of Beethoven. He had male assistants on the platform giving him the tempo so he could attempt to synchronies his hand movements with the orchestral sounds. In the film the young woman is placed among the musicians enabling him to give a perfect rendering. Her boyfriend is in the audience and responds to the situation with a mixture of admiration and jealousy. Also in the audience is the nephew who is emotionally affected and appears to be remorseful for his recent behaviour.

What is authentic is that the Viennese high society was ecstatic in their appreciation of the new work. In fact the response of the audience was such as to cause concern because it exceeded what was permitted by the conventions of the day.

This reminds of the different reactions in the USA and the UK to when Tony Blair was invited to address the joint House of the State and President Obama’s address to the joint Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall. His speech to Congress as with the Presidential State of the Union speech there are prolonged applause interruptions, up to a score of occasions. The addresses at Westminster Hall, the previous being Nelson Mandela, The Pope and Her Majesty the Queen are greeted in respectful silence with prolonged applause at the end. Yesterday there was one unscheduled interruption when he referred to the own background and becoming the President. Whether he had intended or not at the end of the speech instead of quickly departing he moved into the long hall and made a slow walk shaking the hands with as many people as he could including a surprised and joyous Nicholas Soames, the grandson to Winston Churchill to whom the President referred in his speech several times. I will comment more on the speech and the visit later.

Returning to the film there were two other aspects worth recording. The first is the reaction of Beethoven to the first musical composition presented by the young woman which ridicules. He makes amends later by commenting favourably having made generalizations about the death of female composers who have made it in the past an observations which remains valid, although this has as much to do with the musical establishment and with any lack of abilities.

This brings me to the other subject of the film, we mostly if not all, end our lives in a sense of failure, and in his instance the Grosse Fuge, the Grand Fuge, which was one the last works he created as a single work for a string quartet without a break for individual movements and is a combination of “dissonance and contrapuntal complexity.” In the film the audience walks out to a man and woman leaving him alone with the young woman who also admits she also does not understand the music. Ivor Stravinsky declared the work an absolute contemporary piece of music that will be contemporary for ever. Along with the Ninth considered by many to be one of the greatest symphonic works of all time, the Fuge is regarded as one of his greatest works, and as with all genius the work is often so ahead of its time to be unappreciated and even ridiculed in the day. I followed the Symphonies with a recording of the sound track of the film about the life if Jacqueline Du Pres which ends with a full performance of the Elgar Concerto in E Minor for Cello and Orchestra and which ended just in time for the commencement of the third day’s play at Edgbaston only to find the start was delayed because of rain.

Mahler and Rachmaninov in 3 D

My soul is in live entertainment and art but I am limited in what I can now experience directly because of two factors. My age and chosen way of life and the way I have allocated my finances. The age issue existed before the decision to rise before six and swim in that I have attended orchestral concerts and stage events and struggled to keep awake during evening performances however interesting the work. I have had the same challenge going to afternoon performances both before and since the swim regime, but have been able to manage better recently. I do not dare try and work out the cost of white and coloured A4 cards, the display albums, box files, transparent pockets, the boxes, the photographic paper the glitter pens, the in cartridges and the glue, the printers, computers, cameras and recording devices, display units, lockable filing cabinets, subscriptions and other materials used to create the art work project where recently I finally achieved the half way mark with 10000 completed sets and with other work in progress around 250000 cards and paper sheets now that I have been forced to change down through lack of space as well as cost. The cost of live everything has anyway outstripped my ongoing means at the level I would have wished had I not been so committed to the project.

This week is going to a test of my ability to change my daily life cycle as I decided not to resist the opportunities for new experiences while continuing my present level of involvement with additional or different experience. I use additional experience or different to describe experience which is similar to that of before such going to watch Durham play championship cricket at the Emirates riverside against Somerset. If I was going to a game at Taunton then I would describe this as new or original experience because I have never watched cricket at Taunton although I have travelled through the two while driving to other places in Devon or on to Cornwall.

On Sunday evening May 8th 2011, I stayed up until after 11 pm and turned off the mobile phone alarm notification for 5.30 and although I awoke and made myself comfortable around 5 am I return to bed, turned my face away from the window and the daylight beyond and manage to sleep again rising around 7 to put the rubbish wheelie bin out and then returning and getting up finally around 8.30. The reason for this change of regime was a visit to the Cineworld Bolden for a film in 3D of Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra play two major works at the concert theatre in Singapore.

“The film starts directly with the first beats of Mahler's first symphony, thus without the usual pictures of the conductor and the applauding audience. Through location shots you slowly get closer to what is happening. From above, through the port and Singapore's skyline you step into one of the most important concert halls of the world: the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay in Singapore. On the one hand it is Singapore's emblem and symbol; on the other hand this Concert Hall has showcased some of the best Asian and Western music performed by some of the world's most notable musicians and conductors.” The concert theatre in the semi round appears to hold more than the 1600 because of the number and height of the tiers and is adjacent to a stage theatre with seating for 2000 in an iconic waterfront building not as effective as the Sydney opera house but better than the Sage in Newcastle upon Tyne.

“With the beginning of the first movement's principal theme the spectator arrives at the Concert Hall next to the Berliner Philharmoniker. Mahler's first symphony, originally bynamed as "Titan", lures the audience into a great symphonic world of sounds. The orchestra is visualized as the sounding body, musical structures interwine and music becomes visible. The film stays with the musicians and Sir Simon Rattle for the following parts of the symphony. Thus it gives the spectator the possibility to adapt and to enjoy the new 3D experience.”

“The capture of space in the image complies with Mahler's aesthetic of composition, its natural sounds and the diverse levels of different musical styles. Through the new visual language of 3D it is possible to add an unknown immediacy and intensity to the concertfilm. Just as we arrive at the orchestra, we are raptured from the sound's point of origin again.”

I would describe the experience as being able to get an even more intimate view of individual performers than the conductor and of the orchestra from the perspective of the conductor. The music is not affected by any extraneous audience sounds which I cannot say for the Bolden Cineworld where the small audience of 23, 19 ladies all but two between sixty and eighty and four gentlemen including men of at least sixty years of age. One would have not therefore expected noise at admittedly one of the younger women seated in front munched the form of crisps sold in cinemas, while one of the oldest expressed her reactions to the 3D effects, presumably for the first time. This lasted a good five minutes and I contemplated moving to the lower part if the cinema as the 23 had been placed or placed themselves in close proximity in the middle to upper tiers.

Mahler composed the word between 1884 and 1888. I was struck by the size of the orchestra yet for most of the time the emphasis is on woodwind and brass and on gentle tone play.

The original programme notes which were immediate dropped described the first part as taking inspiration from spring and the awakening of nature, flowering and setting off with full sails. The second part included a funeral march and the expression of a deeply wounded heart. Although the notes were withdrawn they do convey much of my reaction to the music

There was no interval between the two pieces although there was provision for the cinema to do so. The second piece was the Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances and the music is accompanied by brief scenes from around Singapore revealing the different ethnicities, cultures and religions of the people covering their movements, their faces, worship in a Hindu Temple, sights of the Western Skyline, a modern covered pedestrian walkway and Chinatown. I thought this worked well although not all the audience was impressed. The selection of images had direct relationship to the music especially the two sequences of dance movements and the ecclesiastic references as Rachmaninoff was much interested and affect by religious music and chants.

I learned from the notes on the Internet that it is “almost 100 years since the Berliner Philharmoniker became the first orchestra to record. Since 1913, it has been at the cutting edge of technological developments like broadcasting concerts, recording complete symphonies and operas on Schellack, Longplay and later Compact Discs – always using the latest techniques. What better orchestra than the Berliner Philharmoniker to be the first to bring concerts to cinemas in 3D, “Helge Gruenewald, Artistic Advisor, Berlin Philharmonic. I would certainly attend other 3D classical concerts because of having the best seat in the house and because of the price, although I suspect it could have an eventual effect on actual attendances in the theatre.

The Musical

My love of the film includes the musical following one of my first visits to the theatre, the West End production of Irma La Deuce, subsequently made into a film. Another early experience was The Boyfriend which I saw on stage at Streatham and then took my birth and care mother’s and their elder sister to see. I enjoy seeing the film when it appears on TV from Time to Time.

I saw the London production of Hair and bought both long play records but was greatly disappointed with the film version. The musical love of my life is Miss Saigon which I saw in the West End Theatre four times and am thrilled to learn a film will come to cinemas later this year. I have Tapes of show which I must convert to a CD . I hope I will not be disappointed.

The most impressive and enjoyable theatrical experience musical remains Les Miserables, seen in the West End twice, having to leave the first showing immediately before the end to join others to view Miss Saigon. I have a DVD of concert version of the show

I missed Cats with a cold and cough although I had a ticket which was resold at the door. I saw Joan Littlewood Oh What a Luvely War at Stratford although the film is not as effective as the stage performance I saw Blood Brothers at Newcastle’s theatre Royal and the 15th year edition at the Richmond Theatre on the Green only two years ago. Minor entertainment but enjoyable none the less was Five Guys named Mo. Seen on stage and then on film with the DVD on hand is Evita where I liked the film better than the live performance

I won a weekend trip to London from the Daily Mail which included two night’s hotel in central London, diner one evening and a trip to a the theatre which was to see a musical about life on a train whose name I cannot remember. 42nd Street but did I see in London, or locally?
There was the life of Dusty Springfield seen in Newcastle and another musical celebrating an era in London with a half price ticket where again I cannot remember the title. I did not get to see Abba the show but enjoyed the Movie in theatre and enjoy the DVD. It remains great fun.

Just before Christmas I saw the stage version of White Christmas half a century since first seeing the film. It is an usual other way round where stage productions are then made into films. I must have seen other stage musicals. I must check on programmes to see if this has been so.

When it comes to musicals on film the list is long one and by no means comprehensive. I begin with those where I have the DVD or commercial video. I saw the film. The Sound of Music with colleagues from Oxfordshire Children’s department in the city when it was first released and then took my mother etc to see. I was sent the video as part of some offer. This is perhaps the most well known. I also took “the aunties” I took them into central London to see My Fair Lady on film having seen the film first separately. A recent favourite is Moulin Rouge which I saw in a theatre full of noisy teenagers in Sutton and later enjoyed seeing again at Croydon and view the DVD at regular intervals for the colour and the music.

The most interesting musical because of the seriousness of its subject remains Cabaret, seen in cinema theatre and have the DVD. These are the only musicals I have on DVD, I cannot remember what I have on video


Films involving Jazz and swing became important from the early 1950’s with the Benny Goodman story the most influential together with the Glenn Miller Story. St Louis Blues, Orchestra Wives, The Band Wagon Paris Blues, Young Man with a Horn, High Society(Louis Armstrong), The Gene Krupa Story, Jazz on a Summer’s day seen day after prison is included but is not a musical as such. Its Trad dad. Lady Sings the Blues, the life of Billie Holiday and Nashville with is County and Western but is included here because it remains one of my favourite films along with the Coal Miner‘s Daughter.

Films involving serious music are usually seen when ever they appear again on TV The Great Caruso, The Student Prince come to mind, Broadening the category I also include Carmen Jones, the Beggars Opera, Rhapsody in Blue, The Vagabond King, An American in Paris, Porgy and Bess and the Tales of Hoffman. Originally I included April in Paris, Flashdance and Amadeus, until deciding that the genre had to defined as a story told through music and dance.

The Contemporary music category must begin with Rock around the Clock, and Elvis Presley films Jailhouse Rock, King Creole, GI Blues,, Blue Hawaii, Fun in Acapulco, The Young ones and Summer Holiday with Cliff Richard, Beatles films such as, A Hard Day’s Night, Help and, Yellow Submarine. The who with Tommy. The Buddy Holly Story, The Blues Brothers, and Blues Brothers 2000., Fame, Pink Floyd and the Wall, and something called Espresso Bongo set in the Coffee Bar era. There are several others which I will try and remember

There has been a long tradition of films intended for the family with the Wizard of Oz the most well known Mary Poppins, Bednobs and Broomsticks, Dumbo, Hans Christian Andersen, Oliver, The Lady is a Tramp, One hundred and one Dalmatians, The Jungle Book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Aristocrats. Willy Wonka and Chocolate Factory come to mind among those I have seen, More recently there is the Lion King and for teenagers the High School series.

The Comedy Musical was personified with the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby Carmen Miranda Road movies - The Road to Singapore, Road to Zanzibar and Road to Morocco, Road to Rio, Road to Bali, Road to Hong Kong but not seen Road to Hollywood.

The list of others where I am yet to try an categorises is much longer than I first anticipated. The Broadway Melody, Showboat, Annie Get your Gun, Rio Rita, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Gigi, Chicago, The Producers, Ship Ahoy, Springtime in the Rockies and Yankee Doodle Dandy, Cabin in the Sky. The Desert Song and Shine on Harvest Moon, Anchor’s away and The Bells of Saint Mary’s, State Fair, Zigfield Follies, Blue Skies, and Ester Parade.

The Paleface,( Son of Paleface), On the Town, Annie get you Gun and Tea for Two, and On Moonlight Bay, The Belle of New York and Sailor Beware. Call me Madam, Calamity Jane, Kiss me Kate, Brigadoon, New Faces, Rose Marie, A Star is Born, There’s no business like show business, Hit the Deck, Kismet. Oklahoma and the Tender Trap.

Carousel and the Eddie Duchin Story, The King and I, Funny Face, The Pyjama Game and Pal Joey. Silk Stockings, South Pacific, Some Like it Hot, The Belles are Ringing, Can Can, Flower Drum Song, Gypsy. The State Fair, Robin and the Seven Hoods, Frankie and Johnny. Camelot Thoroughly Modern Millie, Funny Girl, Star, Hullo Dolly, Paint Your Wagon, Sweet Charity and Scrooge.

Song of Norway, Man of La Mancha, Bugs Malone, Slipper and the Rose. Grease. The Last Waltz Xandu, Annie, Best Whorehouse in Texas, Yentl, A Chorus Line. Sister Act. Nine Cleo, Follies I have not been a great fan of Singing in the Rain or Guys and Dolls. I am sure there are many others including the Busby Berkeley films seen at the Wallington Odeon in the 1940’s and 1950‘s

There is one other to mention which is the reason why I am writing this piece. It begins with a Confession in that at the time I was not taken with West Side Story. During last week the film versions appeared on a Sky film channel in HD so I recorded and then gave the film my undivided attention. As with many musical it is ad adaptation of an older story, Romeo and Juliet and star crossed lovers. The film won ten of the 11 nominated Academy awards.

The film opens in an unusual way with an orchestral introduction and no moving pictures. The scene is then set between two street gangs. The Jets are a Gang created from the established neighbourhood with includes a range of former immigrant groups while the Sharks represent the Newcomers, Puerto Ricans. The Jets resent the newcomers on principle and make it is evident they are not welcome to meet together anywhere on their territory, They have the support of the local police in this respect. While the fighting is undertaken by the young men their girls support, encourage and sometimes incite in the gang behaviour.

While the story is condemnatory of the behaviour there is an element in the film and original story which approves the codes of honour involved. The tension between the two gangs has been building leading to the situation of a once and for all showdown being arranged by representatives who will meet at a local candy/drug store. The co founder of the Jets has left to work at the store and dreams of having a girl friend and his life changing (Something’s Coming) The ongoing gang leader, Russ Tamblyn eventually persuades Tony, the other co founder to join the meting to arrange the fight.

The leader of the Puerto Rican gang Bernardo takes his sister Maria played by Natalie Wood and girl friend played by Rita Moreno to the local dance where both gangs enjoy themselves but keep apart from each other. An attempt is made at integration during which time Tony and Maria meet and fall instantly in love and leads to one of the well known songs from the Musical Maria. This leads to a debate about whether the Puerto Rican should keep the ethnic identity or attempt to integrate other cultures have done in the past, although to varying degrees with the USA even if they continue to live in ghetto type districts. It remains one of the great problems that the USA likes to present itself as unified and integrated society when in fact it has always been a collection of different cultures each protecting and furthering their identifies. What cannot be argued against is that loyalty and commitment to nation does bind them all. It is a paradox.

After the dance the couple meet in secret and this lead to the other major number from the show Tonight. When the parties meet to determine the form of the fight Tony has been influenced by his relationship with Marie to try and limit the violence with the suggestion of a fight between two leaders or their champions. Expecting that Tony would be successful Maria becomes excited when at work and sings I feel pretty. She then persuades Tony to try and stop the conflict altogether.

At the arranged venue for the fight Tony’s efforts are ignored and Bernardo kills the other cofounder the Jets. In his grief and anger Tony then kills Bernardo.

Tony goes into hiding, meets up with Maria and arranges to run away with her, returning to the store where he hides. Maria is held up and sends Anita, Bernardo’s girl friend to tell Tony that she has been delayed. At the store she is roughed up and threatened with rape for her efforts and as a consequence she tells Tony that Maria has been killed in revenge because of her friendship by the best friend of Bernardo. Tony is distraught and goes into the Street telling Chino to take his life. He then sees Maria and realises she is alive but when going towards her he is killed by Chino. The musical ends with the sentimental notion that because of these events the war between the two gangs will be brought to an immediate If government, national and local and strong, united and purposeful they can keep a lid on such deeply held differences often by getting rid off or making inactive the very people they previously used to undertake the dirty work. Often those previously leaders or in commanding positions are given political and other positions and they also often have the education and natural intelligence and understanding to make truce, armistice and peace agreements work. There is never immediate sentimental solutions.

However I can see why the work was so popular and achieved critical success. The music, lyrics and dance is integrated to a high level. and stands the test of time. I understand there are many differences between the film and the original stage show. Unlike Moulin Rouge there was however no inclination to immediate get the DVD and look forward to replays. Why is this so.

Moulin Rouge is also based on an internationally familiar work. In this instance La Triviata where a small group of bohemian artists struggle to make ends meet sharing garret and where one falls in love with someone who becomes terminally ill. My bohemian instincts, attraction to the Montmartre district of Paris, the Parisian nightlight life given the film a good head start over West Side Story.

Ewan McGregor a writer finds becomes friends with others sharing the same tenement in Paris close to the Moulin Rouge. They are developing a play for the owner of nightclub and because of an accident to one of their number involved McGregor and persuade the owner to accept him as the writer.

The owner played by the magnificent Jim Broadbent is seeking funds from the British Duke of Roxburgh who wants to have the star of the Moulin Rouge, Satine, played by Nicole Kidman who is experienced in spending the night with those who further her career and support the establishment. By mistake she mistakes McGregor for the Duke and puts up with his poetry reading and they fall in love. Without knowing this Broadbent in effects sells Satine to the Duke and obtains the funds for a complete refurbishment of the theatre and to make the new play into a great spectacle.

McGregor creates a work based on their true life situation in which Satine chooses love rather than wealth and position an ending which the Duke understandably dislikes. He puts up with putting of from Satine and finding the two in compromising situations. The Moulin Rouge owner then discovers the truth and is horrified because in order to ensure his possession of the girl and control over the show the Duke has required the deeds of the Theatre and the final word about the contents of the work. To make the situation worse, Satine and become ill but Broadbent has until now kept the seriousness from her. He now tells her the truth the situation and that in order to save everyone she must pretend not to love him. She rejects McGregor and agrees to spend the night with the Duke and agrees to changing the ending of the play after another jealous cast member alerts the Duke to the true situation. She changes her mind and the Duke tries to rape her but is prevented by the intervention of McGregor and as in West Side Story to plan to run away together.

In desperation Broadbent tells Satine that she is dying o consumption and that the Duke will kill McGregor unless she performs in the show and stops seeing McGregor. In anger McGregor attends the opening performance intending to give money to Satine for their affair todate and in the melee both end up on stage with the Duke’s bodyguard trying to kill McGregor. At one point Broadbent stops the Duke trying to kill McGregor directly. The show is a great success and then Satine collapses and dies. McGregor is seen in his garret writing his great work of truth and love, the Bohemian ideals.

The films continues to appeal to me for two reasons. The music is great often using very known music and lyrics in a creative and amusing way, particularly the South of Music The Hills are alive, and Children of the Revolution( T Rex) and Like Virgin(Madonna). Others remakes are Nature Boy (Nat King Cole), Lady Marmalade (Labelle), Because we Can (Fatboy Slim), Material Girl (Madonna), Smells like teen spirit (Nirvana), Diamonds are a girls best friend, (Marilyn Monroe), Diamond Dogs (David Bowie), One Day (Ill Fly away) Randy Crawford, Roxanne(Police), The Show must go on (Queen) Young Song (Elton John).

The other reason is the glorious colour photography. The combination of the two and the setting make this a film to enjoy time and time again,

Springsteen 2009

One of the most revered and hated figures of the twentieth century was Che Guevara, In any assessment of the man, rather than the myth, it is important to dive his life into four phases: His childhood, education and first travels throughout South America; His participation in the Cuban revolution; His period in the Cuban Government and then what became his last campaign to spread the revolution to the rest of South America and his execution with the help of the U.S.A assassination

He was born ten years before me as was killed in 1967 aged 39, I like what his father said of him The first thing to note is that in my son’s veins flowed the blood of the Irish rebels, the Spanish conquistadors and the Argentinean patriots. Evidently Che inherited. There was something in his nature which drew him to distant wanderings, dangerous adventures and new ideas. I know nothing of the father except that Jesuit expression give me a child for seven years and I give you the adult,

Che as be became known through the world had grown up in a left wing and revolutionary household as his father supported Juan Peron and socialism and Spanish republicans visited their home. He learned to play chess at he age of 12, I taught myself about that time with a small pocket board with press in figures, playing lunch times at school with a class mate. And later through a correspondence league and playing for Croydon Local Authority against teams form other local authorities across London for one season until I was dropped after a losing run. We shared some of the authors who interested him, although in my instance most were after I left school including William Faulkner, Andree Gide, Walt Whitman, John Keats,, Jules Verne, Franz Kafka, John Paul Sartre, H G Wells, Robert Frost, Jack London and Bertrand Russell and Sigmund Freud. The fundamental difference between us was his father’s influence and my Catholic fundamentalist childhood brought up by aunts.

We both became missionaries.

Three years after entering University to Study medicine he undertook a year off from studies to embark on a motorcycle trip throughout South America with a friend and witnessed the poverty and oppression of ordinary people throughout the continent, also spending short time at a Leper Colony in Peru. His diary of the trip was made into a film, The Motor Cycle Diaries in 2004 which was one of the film highlights of the year.

With me the defining moments were the decision to read two reports of the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal, the six month prison experience and the decision to switching to child care after working among exceptionally poor an derived families in Salford Manchester during the summer of 1962 with the Family Service Unit. I was an emotional missionary while he became an intellectual one, never appearing to question or change his belief in revolution through violence and that a Marxist dictatorship was the only alternative to rampant capitalist imperialism

He completed his studies and qualified as a doctor in 1953, He then decided to travel again visiting Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador After six months on the road he reached Guatemala. Here is was introduced to leading members of the left government and also had contacts with Cuban exiles linked to Fidel Castro’s and his attack on a Baptista military barracks on 26 July 1953, Che tried to gain medical work but was advised to leave the country after the CIA sponsored coup following the arrival of Soviet arms into the country. The overthrow of thee government effectively by the USA confirmed his belief in the adverse effects on ordinary people of USA capitalist imperialism in the Southern continent. After taking refuge in the Mexican Embassy he made his way to Mexico. There he met Raul Castro and then Fidel who was plotting to overthrow the corrupt USA crime based regime. As a result of this meeting he decided this was the cause for which he had been looking, Eighty seven Cubans plus Chet set off from Mexico to Cuba in a leaky boat and only 22 survived the landing and of these only twelve were to enter Havana as the revolutionary victors.

As the film Che Part one- The Argentinean accurately portrays he was a ruthless fighting leader as well as caring doctor. Fidel described him as intelligent, daring and an exemplary leader but that he also took too many personal risks. There is nothing in the film to explain his dedication as a doctor and emotionally detached fighter and military leader, except that he and Fidel possessed am earth planet vision and recognised they were only temporary influences. The great part of the film deals with the military role of Che during the revolution, his ongoing work as a doctor, the emphasis providing the poor and illiterate with an education and his initial loyalty to his wife and child in Mexico, and then his growing attachment to a Cuban who offered her services divorcing his wife and marrying her after they entered Havana.

The film ends with his successful battle to take Santa Clara on New Years Eve 1958 and Baptista fleeing on learning that his generals were negotiating a separate peace with the rebel leaders. The ending is distinctly odd, except to indicate that it was only the first part of his life as a revolutionary and that he attempted to maintain his code of appropriate behaviour even in the moment of triumph.

It is noteworthy that President Obama who is attempting the third way revolution has accept the resignation of two of his government nominees following the disclosure that they were federal tax avoiders. The non payment of federal taxes appears to be a long standard activity among government official in the USA. I still remember my sense of shock and horror on being told by a USA government visiting party of top officials and representatives looking at the new British system of Social service local authorities in 1971 how they avoided paying taxes by renting out slums to the poor and others devices. They appeared to have no moral or ethical basis for their work in social welfare.

The film in which Che played by Benicio Del Torro has a documentary feel as the writers and producers attempt to recreate his Memoir Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War. The chronological account of the progress made after meeting with the Castro brothers to making the journey into Havana is intercut from time to time with a black and white recreation of his 1964 interview a Journalist in New York after addressing the UN. The five demands he made to the UN have echo’s of President’s Obama views in 2008.

I continued with my Bruce Springsteen fest throughout the day enjoying two live performance records, Barcelona and then New York.

Atlantic City 7.10 (Everything dies that is a fact perhaps everything that dies comes back); Because the night, The Rising 7.20;7.30 Dancing in the Dark; Youngstown .35; The Ghost of Tom Joad 8.40; Always a Friend 8.50;eth July Asbury Park Sandy 10.25 Turn Turn Turn; Long Walk Home 10.30 Radio nowhere; You will be coming down; Living in the future; Your own worst enemy.... Come to town; Girls in their summer clothes...pass me by; Gypsy Biker11.00; I’ll work for love; Magic; Last to Die; Devil’s Arcade and Terry’s song. Barcelona Live: Empty Sky; Waiting on a Summer’s day. Badlands, Darkness on the edge of Town. Mary’s Place, proving all night, She’s the one; Lonesome Day, The Rising; Worlds Apart and Dancing the Dark listened to again 12-1.130 the Disk 2. Incident on 57th Street; Born in The USA; Land of Hope and Dreams; Counting on a miracle; Thunder Road; Night; Ramrod; and Born to Run;

Thunder Road; Adam Raised Caine; Spirit of the nights; 4th July Ashbury Park; Paradise by the C; I’m on Fire; Growing Up; It’s hard to be a saint in the city; the Backstreets; Rosalita; Raise your Hand; Hungary Heart; Two Hearts, Cadillac Ranch; You can look; Independence Day; Badland’s, Because the Night; Candy’s Room; Darkness at the Edge of Town; Racing in the Street; This land is your land; Nebraska; Johnny 99; Reason to Believe; Born in the USA; Seeds, The River; War; Darlington County; Working on the Highway; The Promised Land; Cover me; I’m on Fire; Bobby Jean, My Hometown; Born to Run; No surrender; Tenth Avenue Freeze; Jersey Girl.

Duffy Joan Byaz Amy McDonald Nina Simone Billy Holliday

The last day of January experienced in several dimensions of time, sound and mind

Sometimes I am very slow in working out the best way to do something or the best use of my time. Sometimes I am very very slow. For several years I have gone to bed or got up in the early hours an played music or watched TV with the sound turned low anxious that would disturb the adjacent neighbours, despite thick walls which deadens the sounds of my neighbours activities, unless there is work or contact directly on the partitioning wall. Yesterday wanting to listen to music loud so that it dominated my sense I decided to try the super headphones I use for my keyboard located in the upstairs work room adjacent to a neighbour’s bedroom. This has a volume control on the connecting lead and on the desk top a link is available at the front for both input microphone and output, and so for the greater part of the day while writing I was able to be overwhelmed with sound.

However I did not make a note of tracks which I am doing now listing to some of the tracks again. I commenced with Duffy whose work and persona has became my new artist for 2008 with her Rockferry Album, Warwick Avenue, Serious, Stepping Stones, Distant Dreams and of course Mercy were all numbers I was looking forward to hearing again after watching her performances on TV over Christmas, other tracks were Syrup and Honey, Hanging on too Long, Delayed Devotion, I’m scared, Rain on our parade, Fool for You Stop, Oh Boy, Please stay, Breaking my own Heart and Enough love.

She replaces my girl of 2007 Amy Winehouse where there is nothing but sadness for what is happening to her. I listened to the Back to Back Album Rehab, You know I ‘m no good, Me and Mr Jones, Just friends, Back to Back, Love is a losing game, Tears dry on their own, Wake up alone, Some unholy war, He can only hold her, and Addicted. Hopefully she will not become a one year phenomenon .

I was then in the mood for Billie Holiday selecting from a compilation These foolish things, I’ve got my love to keep me warm, I must have that man, He’s funny that way, You go to my head. The very thought of you, More than you know, Strange fruit,, Night and day, The man I love, Body and Soul, Time on my hands, Solitude,| Lover come back to me, Don’t Explain, Good morning Heartache, and my Man

I also listened to a little Nina Simone from her Tribute to Billie Holiday Album, including Strange love Fine and Mellow, Tell me More, It don’t mean a thing, I love you Porgy and I love to love

A recent discovery has been Amy McDonald and her album This is the life with Mr Rock and Roll, This is the Life, Poison Prince, Youth of Today, Run, Let’s start a band, Barrowland Ballroom. LA, A wish for something more, Footballers Wives which should be played at start of every game at every Premiership game. During

While I wrote, thought and listened I also kept one eye on the soundless telly where first Stoke beat the bottomless bank of moneybags Man City 1.0. And then Boro was held to a draw by Blackburn and stay in the relegation zone while in the evening Man United not only won 1.0 but their goal keeper has not allowed the opposition to score once in the past 12 games, a British Record. Later to day Sunderland visit St James’s Park.

As I wrote I reflected further on Valkyrie, impressed by the extent to which the film followed the actual events and which perhaps some critics felt it was not Hollywood thrilling enough. In my judgement it is not a subject for cheap thrills or entertainment just entertainment. It achieved an excellent balance of chronological unfolding and emotional interest although the outcome was known over sixty years ago.

It was not all the ladies with James Morrison’s Broken Strings and from the Bob Dylan collection Woody, Blowing in the Wind, Masters of War, A hard rains A-gonna fall, The Times they are a Changing, It A’nt me Babe, Like a Rolling Stone, Just Like a woman, It’s all over now Baby Blue. I have never experienced hearing Bob live and also Joan Baez missing both when they came to Newcastle in 2006.

Farewell Angelina is still one of my great album possessions from when it was first released. The album also has Its all over now Baby Blue as the opening number, sung in German Where has all the flowers gone Sagt Mir Wo DieBlumen Sind, Daddy you have been on my mind and Satisfied Mind and A Hard’s Rain’s A-gonna Falling. I left to another day the title song, Colours, Rangers Command, The Wild Mountain thyme and Puavre Ruteboeuf

During the day I listened to a French group Pep’s and their Album Utopies Dans La decors with Melodie, Poterie Des Dieux, Liberta, Dans Ma Tete, J’Te Serre, Utopies Dans le Decors, Fakir, No Indentifie, Ca Va, De Le air, A L’Insouciance, Me Contente De Rein, .... Ca Vient, Liberta live at Lyon with the audience joining in the English chorus, Tristan, J’Te Serre. Liberta - Just want to be free in this way just want to be free in my world Liberta is a top ten song. I also found catchy Dans Ma Tete. I love the sound of the French language even if I only understand a few individual words and wish I could speak although there was a period when with visits and watching French films I was able understand a little more and get by on visits.

I also worked hard to achieve the 3 new sets a day target having settle for this over the greater part of the past year, finishing the task around 7pm and also doing the preparatory work for new volumes of My Space Blogs as I come close to two thirds of the target 101 x10 thus matching what I achieved for AOL now no longer available online, My Space Friends volumes have increased as I come close to matching the number of Blogs with over 600 registered. The speed of the increase over the past three months means that I have not been able to give the attention I would like to the additions but will focus on this later in the year when I am only adding one a day or so. I photographed a completed My Friends volume with 304 photos. I was not in the mood for taking more photographs or scanning slides.

I had a pork chop with apple sauce and baked beans as he main meal and a salad with olives and sardines in tomato sauce. There was the weekend treat of a small pot of caramel mouse and cherries for afters. I had soup and a roll for breakfast and a tea time snack of four crackers topped with pickle

Abba Gold

Music has always played an important role in my life, although always second to the film on the subject of imagination and influence. Music has been by means of emotional expression thus the greater sense of failure that I have been unable to become a musician, from traditional jazz blues in my adolescence to Beethoven wile in prison and the power of Verdi’s Requiem Mass on an early visit to the Royal Albert Hall. I was never into the Beatles and Elvis Presley when they first hit the headlines, but one Group who were and remain a visual delights and who music express great joy, whose lyrics always tell a story and towards their final performing years included some of the realities love, relationships, and its failures, was ABBA.

It has been an odd choice of music to enjoy over the past few days dominated by news of a devastating tragedy in my extended family but it was a way of holding things together in a way which other more serious and sad music will have been more difficulty.

The DVD, Super Trouper, marking the 5th year of the London Show Mama Mia had come in the New Year, along with In Bruges, and therefore had not been a first choice, but as soon as I commenced watching it touched so many memories that as with In Bruges I held it back to watch again, and did so.

The DVD also marked the occasion when three of the four member of the group appeared together on stage, not to perform, but to mark thirty years since they first became internationally recognised entertainers wining the European Song Contest with Waterloo. The four did come together in their homeland Sweden for the opening of the musical production there and then more recently this year for the opening of the film, both called Mama Mia.

On stage in London they were presented by Pete Waterman with a Los Vegas style elongated plaque with all their Platinum triumphs and not a gold in sight.

(The record industry categorises its awards in each country differently and in the UK a gold record is issued for 100000 albums sales and platinum for 300000 while in the USA the award is for half a million and 1 million and Diamond for 10 million while in some countries an award can be for significantly fewer sales in quantities of for sales in only thousands and tens of thousands. For the traditional single, which these days are often an EP, the awards are for 400000 and 600000 and in the USA half and a million again with no Diamond award. In the USA where digital downloading has become common the same standard is in operation. It also appears that sometimes the industry announces and award based on initial sales and forecast rather than actual sales. Even lists of popular and successful record sales is open to significant manipulation within the industry and should be treated with great caution. It is not as bad though as the scandal of Boxing.)

Abba is general regarded as having sold Albums in their millions and the plaque presented on the London stage mentions some 360 million albums although Wikipedia gives the total of 400 million an increase of over 10% in five years for a group that has not performed together for over twenty five years.

The DVD is structured in a confusing way with film of their career as a group especially the amazing tour of Australia when tens of thousands lines the streets all the way from the airport into the city and the hysteria was such that they became hotel prisoners for whole tour, an experience which happened elsewhere, but to less extent, and which resulted in affecting Agnetha, especially who found the crush overpowering and threatening

The DVD includes individual interviews about their early music lives and contains rare footage as well as of music performances. Is there anyone who does not know that Abba stands for Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni-Frid, who is known as Frida? Or that they shot to fame by winning the European Song Contest with Waterloo and were the first Continental group to sells records by the millions in the USA, as well Australia, Germany and South Africa as well as in the UK.

Benny was part of a popular Swedish Beatles style Rock group that had hits in Sweden who was mainly a keyboard instrumentalist who started to write for the band. Bjorn was a singer guitarist who was part of a group, the Hootenanny Singers and when both groups found themselves performing at a Folk festival one attended the party of the other and Bjorn and Benny decided to write song together while continuing with their groups.

It was during the Swedish contest of an earlier European Song Competition that Benny Anderson met Anni-Frid and they decided to date and within a month they became a couple. Benny and Bjorn then did an album of work together so the three became linked..

Agnetha the natural blonde, had a separate career where she had a hit record when she was only 17. She met Anna at a TV show and Bjorn at a concert shortly afterwards. Bjorn and Agnetha met again commenced a relationship and married and also got involved with each other’s recordings and then Benny and Anni provided backing vocal for an Agnetha album so the four worked together for the first time. Anni Frid: Freda, was in fact the youngest early performer of the four, starting at the age of 13 with bands playing a jazz cabaret style. She had her group at one point and made records. Thus ABBA was not a music management creation of people with little proven talent and no previous experience of performing and recording. They were individually established and experienced performers where Waterloo could have proven their first and only lasting international success. One f the remarkable aspects of their longevity is that their first language, and their performing language was Swedish.

The four commenced to work together and to perform regularly in 1971. It was not until a couple of years later that they decided recording and performing as individuals was unwieldy and their manager Stig Anderson, who had privately referred to them as ABBA, the name of a Swedish fish canning company, that they needed a group name, and they became known as ABBA .

Their Euro contest winning song Waterloo was an instant chart success reaching first spot in the UK, Germany and Australia and significantly 6th in the Billboard 100 in the USA. There second Honey Honey, featured in the film, (I have not seen the stage show and assume all the songs are the same in both, was not an instant success and it was likely that they and the international music world thought they would they were what so many others have been, a one song or one album success story, never be defeated or surpassed.

Their first tour to West Germany, Austria and Denmark in 1974 was not a great success but their tour of Sweden and Finland in 1975 attracted huge crowds and their further records topped charts in Australia and South Africa. Their third Album included S,O.S and Mama Mia and while they had international success including the USA, they were not regarded as International Superstars until Dancing Queen and their Australian Tour and its film. Fernando written originally in Swedish for Frida and became a hit in 12 countries and remained top in Australia for 14 weeks. Money Money Money followed and Knowing Me, Knowing You But then they produced Dancing Queen in 1977 which became number One in the USA and the rest they ay is history. They then commenced their European tour and 3.5 million mail order requests were received for their two concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, 580 times its capacity. Part of the London Concert was filmed for use as part of the film ABBA the movies based on the tour of Australia.

In 1979 their recording Chiquitita was created for the Unicef Year of the Child with royalties to the charity and became a number 1 in ten countries.

As many people continue to point out ABBA song tell stories of human experience and are complex and difficult to sing. The two girls would be required to spend hours learning and recording them, bearing in mind these were also in English and not their thinking and speaking language this only underlines their professionalism. Benny and Bjorn also used their studio time creatively making stronger and deeper sounds by double tracking voice and instrumentalists and this created problems with some in the live audiences audience who found that the stage performances sounded different from the records. This was so with their first and only tour of the USA and Canada although every concert was sold out. Then they played in 23 sold out concerts in Europe including six nights at Wembley Arena. By 1980 they had produced Super Trouper and more significantly perhaps The Winner Take All and this raises a major issue which has affected all my writing and other work past and resent,

The lyrics of their songs at this time reflected some of the emotions experienced as their young marriages turned into divorce. As I have previously written there is a sorrowful spiritual aspect to the Swedish soul hence their high suicide rates. There is also a frank adult openness which the traditional middle class English have felt uncomfortable about, and the films of Ingmar Bergman reflect this creating a succession of masterpieces and clinically perfect relationship studies of marriage and between parents and children.

I have always found writing the truth about myself, especially my emotional self, difficult to impossible and have always questioned the use by the artist of specific experiences relating to their personal relationships with others. It is not just a question of respecting the rights and interests of others but the using of personal experience in this, for me, takes away something from the actual experience, in music the same way that I often do not take or use my camera with people I know and care about and for my mother’s 100th birthday, I have relied mainly on the photographs taken by others,

What is a different issue and something which applies to ABBA is that personal participation in tragedy and relationship traumas, or involvement in major events such a War or natural disaster does effect the quality of artistic work as well as lives in general. Some artist true genius when their work reflects the deeper emotions, passions and psychological insights without the individual having had direct experience

My reservations and inhibitions mean that my daily writings can be unbalanced because they do not affect the personal emotions experienced in my life which I believe should remain private to those directly concerned. Hopefully something of the full rainbow of emotional experiences during my day is communicated.

The public break up of the second couple within ABBA resulted in the official breaking up the group as stage performers and recording artists in the early 1980’s, that is two and half decades ago and yet in some respects the public love of their music has become stronger, affecting generation after generation.

While they all continues to perform and record or to be involved with writing and music production, some with success, nothing has come close to their collective work as ABBA and is derivatives, the stage musical and now the film.

There was involvement with the production of Chess and the musical Abbacadababra produced in France for TV and for children. Individually they have sometimes included ABBA song in their performances with Benny and Bjorn performing together. However 25 years was to pass before the four met together for the Swedish openings of their work. While attention has focussed on Benny and Bjorn because of their work with the musical and the film, Agnetha and Frida continued with their careers. In 1995 Frida issued a box set of her solo records and a three and half hour DVD of her professional life in which she guides the viewer,

In the 1990 Abba Gold was released, I have a copy of their greatest hits, one of the 26 million sold. This was followed in 1994 by the Thank you for the Music compilation, a four disk set. The opening of the Musical Mama Mia in 1999 ignited international interest and it is true that they were offered 1 million Swedish Kroner £140 million US dollars for a world tour in 2000, although the precise amount is something of legend. There is no sign of public interest in the musical fading and other language versions have been created and opened in different parts of the world. The film Mama Mia is likely to become another chart topping success as has the DVD. While there is a nostalgia aspect the those who took to the group in the 70’s and 80’s new generations have joined in. Their music lives on.

Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry

I decided that I would not go to cricket today but watch the start of the Ryder cup when the Europeans have won three last bi-annual meetings of the best golfers of the United States and Europe. The Europeans are lead by non playing captain Nick Faldo whose team has been inform. The odds are in favour of the Europeans but my hunch is for a narrow win for the US team who could not bear a second successive defeat on their home turf.

I kept an eye on the cricket, more to know whether I would attend tomorrow if a result was possible and the weather reasonable. There is the competition from a Sunderland Borough match where there are still tickets and the second day of the Ryder cup. There is also a radio commentary of Newcastle visit to West Ham where a the visiting Geordies can expect a difficult time from the West Ham Cockneys as well as an invigorated team with Emile Zola in charge for the first time.

The day did not go well. Durham tried to move the score on quickly but lost wickets and then Sussex batted well to end the day with so that a draw appeared inevitable. I was glad that I decided against going. The Ryder cup started well for the first hour or so and then disaster for the Europeans. For two decades the Europeans have always been superior in the foursomes with the USA coming back strongly in the singles. However this time the Europeans crashed heavily and at end the day they had a couple of wins from the opening matches. Andy Murray managed to win his singles in the Davis Cup to level the match 1.1 at the end of the first day in a Wimbledon where there were empty seats. After their disgraceful performance at the Olympics and Murray became it plain that he is a Scotsman and only interested in his performance and personal success, it would be surprised if the British tennis community was wild enthusiasm with paying a fortune to watch pressed men.

During the week I have enjoyed the master chef programme even though I am unhappy about the gourmet food industry in terms of half the world starving and hundreds of pounds being spent on one meal. There is no doubt that the top chefs use the best of ingredients and they and their staff work hard. On Thursday the final three were asked to prepare the before and after dishes. A little something on arriving at the restaurant while the three main courses are being prepared. This is followed by the with coffee sweet, a mini cake or sweets of some kind. After this the three chefs were each were responsible for cooking a course for five of the leading restaurateurs. On Friday in an hour long programme they faced to tests. The first was to prepare one of three courses for a group of thirty other leading chefs and five former Michelin inspectors with seven hours but where components of one course could take several hours to prepare. Finally that had to prepare a three course meal for the two judges to show off their knowledge, skill and creativity to perfection. I predicted the winner during the earlier rounds although this did not require special insight as the two judges themselves showed their leaning by their comments even when critical. For lunch I a large thick piece of sea bream with a thin parsley sauce and the tray of vegetables roasted in there over for thirty minutes. There was no much work after that.

I enjoyed a programme about Roxy Music who many regard as having the second most influence on British popular music to the Beatles. Bryan Ferry came from Washington Sunderland and went to Newcastle Art school where he graduated. The music was always original and many regard his lyrics as the most creative of the latter part of the twentieth century. There is always something being said as well as moods and feelings created by the music. The programme was followed a recording of a concert. I have two Long play records and have seen Bryan perform at the Newcastle City Hall.

It has been an extraordinary week for capitalism which was on the verge of collapse before the British and USA government used socialist measures of unprecedented state intervention and support to prevent further melt down. There have been several contributing causes. The exploitation of the shortage of energy by producers unable or unwilling to respond to the growth in demand, together a similar shortage of food, coupled with governmental policies to change approaches to the use of energy in terms of counteracting to drain on resources and the impact upon the environment and the need to redistribute food more fairly across the earth. Then there was the criminal behaviour of the money lenders to provide funds to those who could not pay thus inflating property prices and encouraging debt beyond the scope of the large numbers to cope. Then the speculation by some with the funds to cause deflation.

The day has the feel of an intermission of indeterminate length