From: owner-avalon-digest@smoe.org (avalon-digest) To: avalon-digest@smoe.org Subject: avalon-digest V10 #310 Reply-To: avalon@smoe.org Sender: owner-avalon-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-avalon-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk avalon-digest Sunday, December 18 2005 Volume 10 : Number 310 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [AVALON] Poetry ["KB Porter" ] [AVALON] Antony & The Johnsons ["Colette Robertson" ] [AVALON] Roxy on BBC1? (now...) ["A. van Lammeren" ] Re: [AVALON] Poetry ["A. van Lammeren" ] To leave the list, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon-digest ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 17 Dec 2005 09:26:58 -0500 From: "KB Porter" Subject: [AVALON] Poetry So time ago Charly wrote: "I was intrigued by the poem murmured in the background at the end of "I'm in the mood for love". For those interested in, a close listening indicates the verses come from the poem "Ophelie" by Arthur Rimbaud. It's one of the most famous Rimbaud's poems but it is also a very sad and tragical story which will never lead you to the mood of love... The Rimbaud's poem "Ophelie" is also used at the end of "This Love"." - -------- Charly, thank you for the sharing this information with us - it is much appreciated! I agree, "Ophelie" is a very sad and tragic poem, and it will never lead any rational person into a mood for love. Now, knowing that "Ophelie" is the murmured background heard at the end of "I'm In The Mood For Love" (IITMFL), I've even more appreciation for the rendering that BF has given it. The first time, I recall, hearing IITMFL was many decades ago while viewing the classic movie "Blue Angel" starring Marlene Dietrich. I remember the profound sadness expressed by Ms. Dietrich, in her eyes and with her voice, as she sings this song. The tightness of the shot coupled with a vaguely out of focus image of her face completely overshadowed any 'romantic' feeling one might have otherwise associated with IITMFL had they not seen this marvelous film. So it seems completely in character that Mr. Ferry would use Rimbaud's poem "Ophelie" at a nearly subliminal level, spoken seductively by Alice Retif (?the Francophone secretary from an office near Roxy Music's management company during their earlier years?) to reinforce this 'cinematic scene'. Of course, the genesis of Rimbaud's "Ophelie" is the character Ophelia from Shakespeare's "Hamlet" where she is written as a tragic figure, and the genius of Shakespeare allows variable interpretation as to whether Ophelia is a manipulative victimizer or a manipulated victim. Regardless of the view adopted by the reader, Ophelia lives a tragic life, and dies tragically, too. Her 'love' is imperfect and wrought with ambivalence - much the way that Marlene Dietrich conveys her 'love' in "The Blue Angel". I think Mr. Ferry may have chosen Rimbaud's "Ophelie" to reinforce the sense of ambiance within IITMFL as sung by Ms. Dietrich to emphasize the song is not one of romance and desire but one of uncertainty, suspicion and doubt that is inherent to tragedy. Ferry's rendering of IITMFL is an excellent example - one of many - that occurs throughout his body of work which conveys the tragedy and ambivalence that often parallels love, unrequited. IITMFL conveys this view not through lyric content but through the soft whispering background - a very 'artful' touch. Charlie also noted "This Love" (TL) is shadowed by Rimbaud's "Ophelie". A double reinforcement to be sure: TL, in and by itself, is a sad and ambivalent song of love, but coupled with "Ophelie" there seems to be little room to deny Mr. Ferry's meaning. Best wishes. KBP ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Dec 2005 16:19:04 -0000 From: "Colette Robertson" Subject: [AVALON] Antony & The Johnsons BBC FOUR SESSIONS: ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS Friday 16 December 2005 9pm-10pm; 1.45am-2.45am; Sunday 18 December 12.55am-1.55am (Saturday night) A performance from Antony and the Johnsons, whose Mercury award-winning album, I Am a Bird Now, has turned them from New York performance artists to critically acclaimed stars. This performance comes from LSO St Luke's in London's East End, the perfect backdrop for former Chichester choir boy, Antony Hegarty, who is also joined by one of his heroes, singer Marc Almond, for a special rendition of River of Sorrow. This programme also features some on-the-road footage of Antony during his first major UK tour, talking about his fascinating life to date and how his life has changed since winning the Mercury Music Prize. Cheers, Colette ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Dec 2005 11:02:13 -0500 From: "Theresa Fagan" Subject: Re: [AVALON] Poetry ah yes but.... most Americans 'of a certain age' got their first experience with the song IITMFL from Alfalfa in the Little Rascals/Our Gang classic "The Pinch Singer." - --TriTri - ----- Original Message ----- From: "KB Porter" To: Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2005 9:26 AM Subject: [AVALON] Poetry > So time ago Charly wrote: "I was intrigued by the poem murmured in the > background at the end of "I'm in the mood for love". For those interested > in, a close listening indicates the verses come from the poem "Ophelie" by > Arthur Rimbaud. > > It's one of the most famous Rimbaud's poems but it is also a very sad and > tragical story which will never lead you to the mood of love... > > The Rimbaud's poem "Ophelie" is also used at the end of "This Love"." > -------- > > Charly, thank you for the sharing this information with us - it is much > appreciated! > > I agree, "Ophelie" is a very sad and tragic poem, and it will never lead > any > rational person into a mood for love. Now, knowing that "Ophelie" is the > murmured background heard at the end of "I'm In The Mood For Love" > (IITMFL), > I've even more appreciation for the rendering that BF has given it. > > The first time, I recall, hearing IITMFL was many decades ago while > viewing > the classic movie "Blue Angel" starring Marlene Dietrich. I remember the > profound sadness expressed by Ms. Dietrich, in her eyes and with her > voice, > as she sings this song. The tightness of the shot coupled with a vaguely > out of focus image of her face completely overshadowed any 'romantic' > feeling one might have otherwise associated with IITMFL had they not seen > this marvelous film. So it seems completely in character that Mr. Ferry > would use Rimbaud's poem "Ophelie" at a nearly subliminal level, spoken > seductively by Alice Retif (?the Francophone secretary from an office near > Roxy Music's management company during their earlier years?) to reinforce > this 'cinematic scene'. > > Of course, the genesis of Rimbaud's "Ophelie" is the character Ophelia > from > Shakespeare's "Hamlet" where she is written as a tragic figure, and the > genius of Shakespeare allows variable interpretation as to whether Ophelia > is a manipulative victimizer or a manipulated victim. Regardless of the > view adopted by the reader, Ophelia lives a tragic life, and dies > tragically, too. Her 'love' is imperfect and wrought with > ambivalence - much the way that Marlene Dietrich conveys her 'love' in > "The > Blue Angel". I think Mr. Ferry may have chosen Rimbaud's "Ophelie" to > reinforce the sense of ambiance within IITMFL as sung by Ms. Dietrich to > emphasize the song is not one of romance and desire but one of > uncertainty, > suspicion and doubt that is inherent to tragedy. > > Ferry's rendering of IITMFL is an excellent example - one of many - that > occurs throughout his body of work which conveys the tragedy and > ambivalence > that often parallels love, unrequited. IITMFL conveys this view not > through > lyric content but through the soft whispering background - a very 'artful' > touch. > > Charlie also noted "This Love" (TL) is shadowed by Rimbaud's "Ophelie". A > double reinforcement to be sure: TL, in and by itself, is a sad and > ambivalent song of love, but coupled with "Ophelie" there seems to be > little > room to deny Mr. Ferry's meaning. > > > Best wishes. KBP > > > ___________________________________________________________________________ > To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Dec 2005 19:11:14 +0100 From: "A. van Lammeren" Subject: [AVALON] Roxy on BBC1? (now...) Hi, My boys (7,5 and 2) just tuned into: BBC1, All Time Greatest Party Songs... It's about dance music, from the seventies, and I'm sure Roxy Music got a mention in the intro... Dunno if the will feature. Tara, Anton. BBC1 All Time Greatest Party Songs Sat 17 Dec, 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm 60mins BBC ONE brings you the third All Time Greatest show. This time it's Party Songs that are getting the all-star treatment. The show features the original stars performing their party classics from the last three decades of pop. 80s favourites Rick Astley and Bananarama will be there to perform, along with the smooch-tastic Il Divo. "Giving Love in a Family dose" will be the reunited The Nolans and there'll also be classic numbers from Sugababes, M People's Heather Small, the magnificent Jocelyn Brown, Simply Red, '70s rock queen Suzi Quatro, Liberty X and Tony Christie. Your hostess is Tess Daly, who'll be there to guide you through the Party Songs and Karaoke favourites (the show is fully interactive) that made you dance, cry and even helped you pul"! All Time Greatest Party Songs is a good time guaranteed at the ultimate pre-Christmas knees-up. - -- "I hope life isn't a big joke, because I don't get it." ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 17 Dec 2005 19:41:31 +0100 From: "A. van Lammeren" Subject: Re: [AVALON] Poetry Theresa Fagan wrote, 17-dec-2005 17:02 uur: > ah yes but.... most Americans 'of a certain age' got their first > experience with the song IITMFL from Alfalfa in the Little > Rascals/Our Gang classic "The Pinch Singer." > > --TriTri > From: http://www.franksreelreviews.com/shorttakes/alfalfa/alfalfa.htm > One of Alfalfa's most memorable Our Gang performances was his > spectacularly off-key rendition of I'm in the Mood for Love which > appeared in the episode The Pitch Singer in 1936. Ah! 'of a certain age'... Sorry, false alarm about the BBC program. Tara, Anton. > ----- Original Message ----- From: "KB Porter" > To: Sent: Saturday, December 17, 2005 9:26 AM > Subject: [AVALON] Poetry > ... >> >> >> Best wishes. KBP ___________________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: unsubscribe avalon ------------------------------ End of avalon-digest V10 #310 ***************************** ======================================================================== For further info, mail majordomo@smoe.org with: info avalon-digest