Chair Dancing at the Movies

I’ve never thought dancing in my plush theater recliner during a movie was appropriate. But I’ve also rarely been to a screening where the live musical accompaniment was worth bobbing my head to. Leg shuffling, even less so.

So when I won tickets to see Cibo Matto perform “New Scene” as part of San Francisco Film Festival’s Live and Onstage series, I was pretty excited. I had no idea what to expect beyond the program description: “new musical soundtracks to a number of wild and abstract short movies to be played in this one-time-only performance.”

The wild and abstract almost won out, as I spent more time than expected staring in sheer bewilderment at the screen. Enough with the fly on the naked woman, Yoko Ono. I get it. Or, more precisely, I maybe don’t get it, but I’ve had enough.

My favorite foray into peculiar cinema was the thirty minute version of Oskar Schlemmer’s Triadic Ballet produced by Bavaria Atelier GmbH in 1970. It was like a Jim Woodring comic making love to a De Chirico painting in a candy shop.

Vissi d’arte

A bit of a departure, or perhaps an added dimension to a blog entering its seventh month. I wasn’t sure where I was going with this site, initially, other than I had finally felt the importance of music – both live and recorded – back in my life. But life continues to surprise. I spent more time realizing that this weekend; and more time reflecting on the surprising, wonderful life of someone very dear to me who passed away in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

Angela Gheorghiu sings the aria “Vissi d’arte” (“I lived for art”) from Puccini’s Tosca. I don’t really know who she is; I have only a vague idea as to what constitutes an aria; and I know Giacomo Puccini and his opera really by name only.

But I expect that to change. To be continued.