Flash Gordon rocketed onto the movie screen in 1936, in a serial of the same name which ran for 13 episodes. He appeared in two further movie serials – a now defunct format, killed off by television – in Flash Gordon’s Trip to Mars (1938) and Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940), the latter title indicative perhaps of America’s new-found confidence as an emerging superpower. Most of us who went to Saturday Matinees as a child, to a Rialto or a local Odeon, will have seen some of these episodes, along with (say) a Laurel and Hardy short, a Disney film or a George Formby feature.
A review of Five Plays by Anton Chekhov translated by Marina Brodskaya
What can one fruitfully add to the title, a title which accurately and ably, without undue fuss or bother, describes the book’s contents? Well, first one can expand upon it slightly. The plays in question areIvanov, The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard. So, all are what one can call Chekhov’s mature theatrical works.
A review of Hartmann Schedel. Chronicle of the World – 1493 edited and annotated by Stephan Fussel
his is a beautifully produced facsimile of the German edition (it was apparently published in Latin at the time as well) of what has come to be known as the Nuremberg Chronicle. The book sets out to tell the history of the world through seven ages, though the seventh is best described as the age to come, when we can look forward to the coming of the Antichrist, Armageddon and the Last Judgement. Seems crazy to most o us, but these were all very real prospects for Hartmann Schedel and his contemporaries.
Modern Femininity and Force: Alice Smith, She
Faith and Fun, Intellect and Invention: Vampire Weekend, Contra and Modern Vampires of the City
Vampire Weekend’s Contra is personable, intimate; exuberant, yet cool: a very particular sensibility: singer and principal lyricist Ezra Koenig, pianist and guitarist (really, multi-instrumentalist) Rostam Batmanglij, drummer Christopher Tomson, and bassist Chris Baio. Modern Vampires of the City has a great sense of drive and energy—even passion.
Tradition Honored and Refreshed: Cecile McLorin Salvant, WomanChild
Great things are expected of Cecile McLorin Salvant, a singer and songwriter, and the winner of the Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition; and on WomanChild, accompanied by pianist Aaron Diehl, drummer Herlin Riley, bassist Rodney Whitaker, and guitarist James Chirillo, Cecile McLorin Salvant has begun to prove that faith deserved.
Familiar Pleasures: Kermit Ruffins, We Partyin’ Traditional Style
Brassily boisterous, pleasantly cluttered with a fragmented, fast rhythm is Kermit Ruffins’ own “Treme Second Line” and Ruffins’ rough delivery, half-spoken/half-sung, is a unique acquired taste. “Over the Waves” is a somewhat mournful instrumental sound; and yet its old-fashioned quality gives it a kind of wit that is confirmed when the rhythm quickens (its shifting structure makes this one of the most appealing pieces on the recording We Partyin’ Traditional Style). “All of Me” has a muted trumpet introduction, joined by a high female voice echoing Billie Holiday’s (singer Mykia Jovan), before Ruffin joins in for a duet. ‘Marie” is an uptempo seduction song, not particularly persuasive. “When the Saints Go Marching In” is joyfully brassy.
A Talent, Disciplined and Wild: Youn Sun Nah, Lento
The singer’s control as she accompanies the rhythm is exceptional. “Soundless Bye” is a ballad of equal quality to what comes before; and “Full Circle,” by Vincent Peirani and Youn Sun Nah, offers wordplay. A Korean tune written by Chun S. Park is offered. “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” a Stan Jones narrative of cowboy adventure, is forcefully sung; and a supernatural warning comes on the western plain. “Waiting,” by Lars Danielsson and Cæcilie Norby, is one of the few Lento songs that sound like established jazz (much of the music of Youn Sun Nah could be considered art songs or a high grade of traditional popular music).
Theatricality and Truth: Audra McDonald, Go Back Home
On Audra McDonald’s Go Back Home, Adam Guettel’s “Migratory V” has exultant, pretty tones, with lyrics that suggest a large perspective, with glimpses of nature and spirituality. What is the source of the dramatized feeling in the person? Men see women differently after sex, the lyrics of “Virtue” note: men change the state of women then judge the state. It is a short reflective commentary. Female morality is judged differently (loving or cruel), depending on whether or not a man benefits from her choices.
The Harmony of Male Community: This Generation by The Lions
There is a sense of male camaraderie in “Revelation,” and in the other songs, with harmonic and counter-posed male voices, a sense of distance, and the lack of the pretty or the subtle. Strongly instrumental is “New Girl,” featuring a horn—it has warmth, texture, even charm. “Pieces of a Man” is addressed to a woman; it is a romantic promise of care and fidelity, and has an inflection of soul music. Moody is “More/Higher Ways,” consisting of lyrics focused on the limits of current society—and the search for higher ideals and practices.