Minimalistic Movie Posters

Movie posters need to be immediately appealing to lure the potential customer into the cinema. Some though go way beyond appealing and are really artistic. I will share some of my favourites in this blog, aiming for a grouping of twelve around a certain theme. The theme for today's post is minimalism. The image above is made by Photofunia.

Eyes of Laura Mars (1978)

 

The poster for this Kershner American neo noir mystery-thriller film starring Faye Dunaway and Tommy Lee Jones is rightfully claimed as one of the best of that decade. Minimal and effective.

 

 

Duets (2000)

I have never seen this 2002 Bruce Paltrow road trip movie, starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Huey Lewis, but the poster design is both brilliant and charming. A real eye catcher.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)

 

Thurber's 2004 sports comedy Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, starring Vince Vaughn, Ben Stille and Christine Taylor, is one of my favourite comedies of the century so far - and one of the few movies I bought on DVD for repeated watching. It is hilariously over the top in all aspects and amazingly funny. The poster is a brilliant creation as well.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

 

David Frankel's 2006 comedy-drama The Devil Wears Prada, starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, is very good, and the poster is even better. A stylish design, forsaking the stars' faces for an image that has become an icon.

 

 

The Dark Knight (2008)

Christopher Nolan's 2008 Batman flick, starring Christian Bale, Heather Ledger and Gary Oldman, is far better than anything I've seen in the genre - Heather Ledger was absolutely superb as the Joker. There were several posters for the movie, but this one stands out for me, especially how the bat symbol doubles up as the Joker's make-up/blood smeared mouth.

 

 

Nymphomaniac (2013)

 

This poster for the 2013 movie Nymphomaniac by Lars von Trier, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and Stellan Skarsgård, is as minimal as they come, and manages to be subtle and unsubtle at the same time. Apparently it was judged too risky by some, as other versions have been made in which the symbol is only used small in the title (instead of the letter o). 

Spectre (2015)

 

This 2015 Bond movie, directed by Sam Mendes and starring Daneil Craig and Léa Seydoux, was frankly disappointing after the stunning Skyfall, but the minimalist poster is one of the best in the franchise.

 

 

Spotlight (2015)

 

This poster for the biographical drama Spotlight, directed by Tom McCarthy, and starring Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams, is as minimal as they come - and stunningly effective.

 

Ferdinand (2017)

 

Computer-animated comedy adventure film movies like Ferdinand will not end up on my "to view" list, but the movie poster is excellent, from the minimal design to the pinned poster gimmick.

 

 

 Overlord (2018)

 

The description of this Julius Avery movie, starring Jovan Adepo, in the IMDB started off as I expected, but then took a left turn: "On the eve of D-Day, American paratroopers are dropped behind enemy lines but find themselves fighting against supernatural forces, part of a Nazi experiment." No, thanks. The poster though is right up my alley, minimalist, diagonal design, and clever duplicating images (blood droplets doubling up as parachutes). 

Incredibles 2 (2018)

 

Incredibles 2 is a 2018 American computer-animated superhero film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. Another poster for this movie already featured in the previous Movie Posters post. I love the unique approach of this one.

 

 

Ad Astra (2019)

 

Ad Astra is a James Gray science fiction movie, starring Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones and Ruth Negga is a good recent example of how a minimal image can immediately captivate one's attention.

 

 

Copyright statement: posting lower quality movie posters is deemed fair use.

Imaginary Albums [1]

Imaginary albums was one of the topics for many years in the blog before the re-start early 2022. It  was based on the "Debut album game" that was making its rounds around bulletin boards and blogs over ten years ago. The idea was to create an album cover for a fictional band (anything that came up in the random Wikipage generator) with a fictional title (the last four words of the very last quote of the page generated at the Random quotations site) and a cover image found by searching for a random Flickr Explore photograph. I have been trying to find out who had the original idea, but so far no success.

I made a few changes to this procedure: I opted to take any four words (although preferably the final ones) of a random quotation to give me the album title. Moreover, also because of copyright constraints, I decided to choose suitable images from my own Flickr streams for the cover. Finally, to spice things up a bit, I added a fictional review for these fictional albums.

I have decided to post all of the album covers I made this way since 2009 (and maybe add new ones later) in groups of twelve in chronological order. Here is the first batch (the image above is made via Photofunia).

 

The Soul Of Pleasure by Party For Dignified Life

When communism ruled in Czechoslovakia, rock groups were forced to please the party with their albums - or face obstruction - or worse. One of the more artistically successful bands of that time was Skupina pro Dustojny Zivot, a quintet from Presov, who have now reformed under the translated English name Party for Dignified Life, aiming at an international career. They have re-recorded their greatest Czech hits of the eighties in English versions, and although some couleur locale is lost this way, the results are still very interesting. Their sound is perhaps best characterized as new wave with plenty of synthesizers, rocking guitars and a drum machine that sounds terribly dated, but in a cute way. The songs deal with typical themes of the life in communist times, and one cannot help but feel that there is more than a bit of tongue-in-cheek in these reissued versions. An interesting addition to any collection, if not essential.

Quote by Aphra Behn: Variety is the soul of pleasure.

And God Granted It by Acaponeta

The Mexican band Acaponeta is not well known yet outside their own country, but with this release (their third album) things may change for them. Inspired by the likes of Camel and Caravan, this is modern progressive rock of high quality. The instrumental passages show very accomplished playing, whilst the addition of native American flutes and Mexican percussion creates a suitable exotic ambiance. The singing is adequate even though the voice of lead singer Jose Alvares requires some getting used to, and personally I would have preferred the lyrics to be in Spanish. The title song is a fascinating almost over the top religious anthem, with a church choir and a majestic organ reminiscent of Rick Wakeman. The highlight of the album though is the seven part suite Quetzacoatl - 22 minutes of sumptuous prog rock with all the changes in moods that such a lengthy composition requires. Highly recommended. 

Quote by Voltaire: I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: 'O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.' And God granted it. 

Inward Peace And Harmony by Corubal River

You can't judge a book by its cover? Well, for some albums that saying simply does not hold true. The title already evokes new age visions of the sappy kind, and the cute cover only strengthens the feeling. And indeed, as soon as the first harp sounds and pan flutes arpeggios ooze from the speakers, you know: this is the typical commercial new age drivel. For good new age, seek out the likes of George Winston, Tingstadt and Rumbel or Jim Brickman. At all cost, avoid Corubal River.

 

Quote by Seneca: Let tears flow of their own accord: their flowing is not inconsistent with inward peace and harmony.

The Mathematics Of Probability by Tropidor

Belgium is not exactly famous for its rock bands, but Tropidor, a five man ensemble from Beerschot, might just change that. Their basic sound is very much based on seventies' classical rock, but unlike say Wolfmother, they manage to go beyond a mere copying of that style - by injecting a healthy dose of fun into their lyrics as well as suitable sound effects. The song Humpty Dumpty, which inspired the album cover, is a case in point. Most of the time a straightforward rock song with strong guitar and drums play, but with the unusual story line of the fate of Lewis Carrol's personified egg - and culminating in a dramatic splash sound effect once Humpty hits the floor. Check these guys out on their MySpace page - recommended. 

Quote by Vannevar Bush: If scientific reasoning were limited to the logical processes of arithmetic, we should not get very far in our understanding of the physical world. One might as well attempt to grasp the game of poker entirely by the use of the mathematics of probability. 

Ready For The Successes by Covariate

The Milan based band Covariate may have failed spectacularly to qualify for the finals of this year's Eurovision contest, their first album shows little humility in the title. Ready for the successes, indeed. And all skepticism inside, why not? Their euro-pop sound combines catchy melodies with fiery dance rhythms, and singer Giovanni Trentino shows off his remarkable range, evidence for his operatic training. Better than you would expect - give it a spin. 

Quote by Randy K. Milholland: We all have a few failures under our belt. It's what makes us ready for the successes.

Chaos Is An Impossibility by Raka Maomao

 

They are advertised as the next big thing in post-rock, but if you expect sounds like Godspeed You Black Emperor, Explosions in the sky or even Sigur Ros - you will be surprised. New Zealand's Raka Maomao play a far more subtle brand of minimal music, perhaps best compared to the later albums of Talk Talk. Only five compositions on the album, but each lasting 10 minutes or more. It says a lot for their musicianship that they never outstay their welcome though. A candidate for my top 10 of the year.

 

Quote by Madeleine L'Engle: A life lived in chaos is an impossibility... 

For Mentally Disturbed Teachers by Albinus

 

Retro-rock is in, and Atlanta's Albinus jump on this with their debut album, For mentally disturbed teachers. Skeptics may point to a 35 minutes total playing time, but personally I prefer this over including fillers. Twelve hard hitting songs, soaring guitars, manic drums, and a Hammond organ that must have taken some time to dust off. The lyrics are simple but that is fitting with their style. The album's closer, and their first single, is an intriguing cover of the Alice Cooper classic School's out. Give them a spin. 

 

Quote by Woody Allen: My education was dismal. I went to a series of schools for mentally disturbed teachers. 

 

 

The Hell She Is by Hao Haidong

 

When searching for new singer/song writers in the style of say Jeff Buckley, Shanghai would not be the first place to go to, you'd expect. Wrong. One of Shanghai's most popular singers, 26 years old Hao Haidong, has released a first album in the English language after three million sellers in the local Shanghainese tongue and one in mandarin. His English diction is surprisingly good, and the translation of his texts to English expertly done. The hell she is contains 15 songs on the theme of relationships, for better or for worse. Instrumentation is sparse, mainly his own guitar play and drums, with the occasional erhu sounds thrown in to remind us in which part of the world we are. Highly recommended. 

Quote by Ellen DeGeneres: My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She's ninety-seven now, and we don't know where the hell she is.

 

 

Full And Clear Light by Nuiqsut

 

This goes to show that there is more to Alaska than Sarah Palin. The four member band Nuiqsut play sophisticated New Age style music without succumbing to commercialism. Their songs are highly melodious and very effective. Their third album Full and clear light has sold over a hundred thousand copies in their home state alone, and should put them on the world map for sure. 

Quote by Isaac Newton: I keep the subject of my inquiry constantly before me, and wait till the first dawning opens gradually, by little and little, into a full and clear light. 

Some Good Some Bad by Oberuckersee

 

Obscure but fascinating Krautrock. Oberuckersee were a five man band from Dortmund, who recorded four albums in the years 1972-1977. Although they hardly made the radio waves - except for a 1974 single Spritzer that made no impact on the charts - they had a loyal fan base and their concerts were always sold out. Not surprisingly, the record company could not be bothered to transfer their albums on CD, but the four surviving band members have persuaded them to go for a one disc compilation, endearingly titled Some good, some bad. A must hear compilation if you like this style of music. 

 

Quote by Henry Bromel: We all carry around so much pain in our hearts. Love and pain and beauty. They all seem to go together like one little tidy confusing package. It's a messy business, life. It's hard to figure--full of surprises. Some good. Some bad.

 

Blow Up The Planet by Rose Theatre

 

The debut album by Nanjing's Rose Theatre is one of the weirdest albums I have heard in years. In the press release, the band state that they were heavily influenced by prog metal pioneers Dream Theatre, which is even reflected in the band's name. And yes, there are compositions lasting over 10 minutes on this album, with the expected metal riffs - but these riffs are interspersed with traditional Chinese instruments played in new age style, most notably the erhu played exceptionally well by their bass player Zhao Ling Hong. The overall effect is confusing to our Western ears, but apparently they are making quite an impact in China. Weird. 

 

Quote by Nancy White: If we can connect in some tiny way with a human that doesn't agree with us, then maybe we won't blow up the planet. 

 

 

In The Wrong Building by Legend of the White Cowl

 

There is something disturbing about this first release by Alabama's folk rock band Legend of the White Cowl, not in the least because several American white supremacist splinter groups have embraced their music as anthems for their cause. The band's name, actually derived from a Russian orthodox story, obviously triggered such reactions in the first place, but even in their music there are ominous references. This is particularly evident in the two instrumentals, which are called "Noose" and "Coon", but also in a song like "Crossing the burning line". Lead singer and main lyricist Joe White (no kidding) has so far vehemently denied these associations, but it does make you wonder. These objections aside, this is solid country rock with a strong folk element, and well worth giving a spin.

 

Quote by Charles M. Schulz: I know the answer! The answer lies within the heart of all mankind! The answer is twelve? I think I'm in the wrong building. 

 

 

Copyright statement: all imaginary album covers are based on my own photographs. Copyright Hennie Schaper.

Gustav Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde

 

 

Das Lied von der Erde (Song of the Earth) is a composition from 1909 by Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911), an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. For me this is the most beautiful piece of music ever composed, and I have made  a number of posts dedicated to aspects of the work in this blog over the years. The present post makes use of that earlier work, and adds some new aspects as well. Main external sources are Wikipedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica, and Mahler Archives.

The structure of this post is different from usual. There are not twelve images to look at, but I did try to include relevant illustrations.

 

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1. Just what is it exactly?

A good question, and one that has divided classical music fans over the years. Wikipedia calls it an "orchestral song cycle for two voices and orchestra", and indeed may would agree with that, but I don't. Britannica defines it as "a six-movement song-cycle symphony". which comes closer to the composer's intentions. I think we should simply listen to the composer himself (in general not a bad idea), who as shown above called it "A Symphony for Tenor and Alto (or Baritone) Voice and Orchestra". The only objection would be that he did not number it, resulting in the works' place in between the eighth and ninth symphonies. He had a reason for this though: he was aware of the so-called "curse of the ninth": no major composer since Beethoven had successfully completed more than nine symphonies. As Das Lied von der Erde would be his ninth, he decided to leave it unnumbered, and called the next symphony the ninth, arguing that it really was his tenth, so he had beaten the curse. In the end, I think the pure orchestral passages especially in the sixth movement are far too important to call it a song cycle, and I will follow the composer's intention and regard it as an unnumbered symphony.

 

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2. What influenced the composition? 

It was a dark period for Mahler. In the summer of 1907, tragedy struck three times. He was forced him to resign as Director of the Vienna Court Opera, his eldest daughter Maria died from scarlet fever and diphtheria, and Mahler himself was diagnosed with a incurable heart defect. The same year saw the publication of Hans Bethge's Die Chinesische Flöte (The Chinese Flute), based on translations of classical Chinese poems. Mahler was captivated by the vision of earthly beauty and transience expressed in these verses and selected a number of them (with small adjustments) to set to music as Das Lied von der Erde.

Immediately before setting to work on his new composition, Mahler wrote the following wrenching letter to Bruno Walter:

“If I am to find my way back to myself, I have got to accept the horrors of loneliness. I speak in riddles, since you do not know what has gone on and is going on within. It is surely no hypochondriac fear of death, as you might suppose. I have long known that I must die... Without trying to explain or describe something for which there are probably no words, I simply say that at a single stroke I have lost any calm and peace of mind that I have ever achieved. I stand vis-à-vis de rien [face to face with nothingness], and now, at the end of my life, have to learn again to walk and stand.”

 

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3. What about the lyrics?

 

The lyrics for each movement are listed in the Wikipedia page for this work. 

 

From the Mahler Archives site: 

The original Chinese poems were first independently translated into French by Judith Gautier and Le Marquis D'Hervey-Saint-Denys. The French version was then translated by Hans Heilman into German. Hans Bethge then loosely "imitated" (hence the term"Nachdichtungen, which means "Paraphase poems") Heilman's translation to create his own anthology. Out of this German collection by Bethge, Die chinesische Flöte - Nachdichtungen chinesischer Lyrik, Mahler picked seven that at the time seemed appropriate for the setting of Das Lied von der Erde. He made further changes to adapt the text to his gigantic symphonic songs. For each of the six movements, the changes along the way can be traced on the Mahler Archives site.

 

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4. How does it affect the listener?

It is not an easy piece by any means, neither the music, nor the lyrics. The first song sets the scene with the poignant line Dunkel ist das Leben, ist der Tod! (Dark is life, dark is death!), and the final song concludes with Ewig... ewig... (Forever... forever...) symbolizing the end of life: it is called Abschied (Farewell) for a reason. Mahler himself hesitated to put the piece before the public because of its relentless negativity, unusual even for him. "Won't people go home and shoot themselves?" he once asked. My personal reaction is not that dramatic, but it is an exhausting experience, and even after listening to it hundreds of times (in different version), every time after the final seconds, I find myself just sitting there for a few minutes, incapable of doing anything. But let's hear from someone else as well. In a 2020 thread on the Talk Classical forum, member Allegro con Brio (Davis C. Smith) wrote down his thoughts about this piece, and I was blown away how well he captured his feelings, which align strongly with my own. A beautiful piece of writing, which I reproduce here with permission.

My heart is tired. My little lamp expired with a crackle, minding me to sleep. I come to you, trusted resting place. Yes, give me rest, I have need of refreshment! I weep often in my loneliness. Autumn in my heart lingers too long. Sun of love, will you no longer shine gently to dry up my bitter tears?

Even if Mahler was not a deeply superstitious man, he could hardly be blamed for thinking that the hammer blows of fate featured in his 6th Symphony had not been completely fulfilled by this time in his life. As previously mentioned, the wife with which he poured all his earthly devotion into was unfaithful. His heart had the potential to give up any day. His first child had died of scarlet fever. He had been fired from his 10-year job at the Vienna State Opera, no small part due to antisemitism. He wrote to Bruno Walter that "with one stroke, I have lost everything I have gained in terms of who I thought I was, and have to learn my first steps again like a newborn." At this point, with everything toppling into dust, Mahler was left with few options other than to keep doing what he was best at- thrusting himself into his craft. These cataclysmic events had only started to take root during the years of composing the 8th, and I firmly believe that he simply could not write another work like it during this tribulation. It was in his calmest states that he was in his most earth-shattering moods. Instead, this most personal of composers was inspired to pour out the most personal of compositions. He buried himself in a book of ancient Chinese poems translated into German, and find innumerable fodder for development in this piercing poetry of existential despair and pantheistic mysticism. Inspired again to turn to his "home" genre of the song cycle, he aimed to produce his penultimate essay in the form. The result, The Song of the Earth (originally his 9th Symphony, but retracted due to superstition), can safely be called the 2nd real piece of 20th century music after his own 6th. The real question is- how has such an insanely, almost wrongfully personal work become such a cherished piece among music devotees?

Maybe it's because it simply taps into a universal thread of humanity that binds us all together- the desire to cope with the looming, inconvenient reality of death by groping desperately for answers. We need to understand that this is raw, ravishing poetry. No one who listens to The Song of the Earth should go without following along with the original texts. The music of the first movement may cast an aura of convincingly ardent passion, but unless we know the ideas Mahler is actually communicating, we do not really understand the point: The heavens are ever blue and the Earth shall stand sure, and blossom in the spring. But you O man, what long life have you? Not a hundred years may you delight in all the rotten baubles of this earth. Here we encounter a truly universal dilemma, one that appears in everything from the Bible's book of Ecclesiastes to the musings of Sartre and Heidegger. But Mahler's treatment of it is unique. He always viewed himself as an outcast, a wanderer, a derelict on the face of the earth. Even as a Jew, he always decried his outcast status in nearly every professional circle. This is why he searched so sweepingly and so epically for answers. Das Lied is the culmination of a metaphysical adventure that started with the Songs of a Wayfarer. Mahler finds stability and constancy in nature and in the fact that men in all their complexity must fade away. His musical facade conjures up appropriate images of autumn leaves flurrying to the ground, blades of grass speckled with dew, and spring flowers shooting up as the text demands. A nearly perfect sense of introspection is portrayed. The autumnal metaphors are especially striking. This music is replete with heart-rending melodies, lush harmonies, and sparkling orchestration. But really, this is music about heartache and resignation. This is music that touches an exposed nerve of the century and of the collective consciousness, music that glorifies beauty and dolorousness, music that tries to rinse away the pain of living through drink, music that can literally hurt us if we dwell too much on it. Mahler, in his classic sardonic wit, feared that his audience would go home and shoot themselves. I implore you not to dwell too much on this music and its corresponding poetry. As a window into the soul of an everyman who happened to be an artist, it is invaluable. But just remember, next time you hear the fading utterances of ewig, ewig... as a bard's mandolin strums and a heavenly celesta sends us into infinity, remember what Mahler is really saying, and remember the essence of the eternal transience that defines the soul of Mahler- always scoping the universe for solutions to problems that multiply within all of us.

Where do I go? I go, I wander in the mountains. I seek peace for my lonely heart. I wander homeward, to my abode! I'll never wander far. Still is my heart, awaiting its hour. The dear earth everywhere blossoms in spring and grows green anew! Everywhere and forever blue is the horizon! Forever ... Forever ...

Copyright statement: text copyright Davis C. Smith, used with permission.

 

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5. Are there deviating versions?

 

Mahler stipulated that the composition is for Tenor and Alto (or Baritone) Voice and Orchestra. Probably over 90% of the performances and recordings follow his preference for combination of tenor (movements 1,3,5) and alto (movements 2,4,6). Of the remaining versions, over 90% use a baritone as an approved alternative for the alto. But there are still a few versions that deviate from Mahler's intentions. I'll list the five ones I have here.

Orchestral version for tenor and alto with Cantonese text
Singapore symphony orchestra under Lang shui with Warren Mok (tenor) and Ning Liang (alto)
BIS records, 2007, 70 min (Amazon link)


The German texts of Das Lied von der Erde were based on translated versions of Chinese poems by Li Bai, the famous Tang dynasty wandering poet. In 2005, a Cantonese version was prepared by Daniel Ng. The Cantonese language was chosen as it bears closest resemblance to the lost 8th Century Northern Mandarin dialect in which the original texts were written. I had been trying to get hold of this version for a while, but when I finally succeeded, I was disappointed. The Cantonese lines do not really add something, and indeed distract as we are used to the German lines. This holds especially for the tenor. The sheer class of the composition is still undeniable, but all in all, this is an interesting but in the end superfluous experiment.

Orchestral version for soprano, alto, tenor and baritone
Munchener Bach-Orchester under Hansjörg Albrecht with Sibylla Rubens (soprano), Renee Morloc (alto), Markus Schafer (tenor) and Markus Eiche (baritone)
Oehms records, 2011, 62 min (Amazon link)

Partially based on Mahler's first drafts, partially based on own ideas, Albrecht created a new interpretation of this work, in which four different singers are used. The tenor tackles movements 1 and 5 as usual, but he is replaced by a soprano for movement 3. For the even-numbered movements, he chooses a blend of Mahler's approved choices, giving 2 and 4 to the alto, and the monumental final movement to the baritone. Does it work? Actually it is not bad at all, although I would love to hear this version by a stronger ensemble.

Orchestral version for tenor
Wiener Philharmoniker under Jonathan Nott with Jonas Kaufmann (tenor)
Sony records, 2017, 61 min (Amazon link)




If someone can go from two to four soloists, why not the other way? Kaufmann, on paper as a leading Wagner-tenor eminently suitable for the tenor part of this work, came up with the idea to sing all six movements. Undeniably a tour de force in concert, but more easily realizable in the studio. Also here, does it work? Frankly, no. He makes an effort, and comes of remarkably well in the even numbered movements, but the missing contrast in voices from one part to the next cannot be overcome. Not recommended.

Chamber music version for tenor and alto
Ensemble Musique Oblique under Philippe Herreweghe with Hans Peter Blochwitz (tenor) and Birgit Remmert (alto)
Harmonia Mundi records, 1994, 63 min (Amazon link)


Das Lied von der Erde is scored for a massive orchestra. Arnold Schoenberg began to arrange it for chamber orchestra, reducing the orchestral forces to string and wind quintets, augmented by piano, celesta, harmonium and percussion. Schoenberg never finished this in his lifetime, and the arrangement was completed by Rainer Riehn in 1980. This severely reduced version has two obvious advantages: it is easier to arrange a performance, and there are more choices available for the singers. In particular the tenor, who does not have Wagner Heldentenor qualities to combat the usual stunning orchestral forces, and can show more expression than usual - as demonstrated very well on this recording by Hans Peter Blochwitz. And as good as Christa Ludwig's performances are, with Birgit Remmert I have less problems actually hearing the words. The disadvantage is of course that some of the lusciousness of Mahler's orchestral tapestry is unavoidably lost. On the other hand, it is stunning how much of the atmosphere of the original work is maintained in this bonsai version. In the end, I still clearly prefer the fully orchestrated versions, but this is well worth listening to.

Piano version for tenor and mezzo
Markus Vorzellner with Bernhard Berchtold (tenor) and Hermine Haselböck (mezzo)
Cavi-Music label, 2009, 72 min (Amazon link)



 

When I read that a version had been recorded where the piano replaces the orchestra, two thoughts crossed my mind: [1] that is utterly ridiculous; [2] I want to hear it. Well, the result is astonishing. The orchestral colours are translated surprisingly well to the piano, and the singing is even more clear than in the chamber version. Both singers are very good (if not superb) and the piano playing is excellent. If the orchestral version did not exist, this would definitely make it to my short list of  hors concours compositions. 

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6. Which are the most beautiful album covers?

 

Given that this is a recurring topic for the blog, I had to include it here as well. I'll limit to two favourites. Above we have the cover of the album by the Berlin Philharmonic under Herbert von Karajan, starring Christa Ludwig and Rene Kollo, on Deutsche Grammophon (incidentally, also one of my favourite versions), below we have the cover of the album by the Chicago Symphony under Fritz Reiner, starring Maureen Forrester and Richard Lewis, on RCA Victor

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7. Can you give three recommended versions?

I have lost count of the number of versions I have listened to over the years, but it is surely over fifty. I'll limit myself here to three versions that really stand out for me.

At number three I rank the album with the Berlin Philharmonic under Herbert von Karajan, starring Christa Ludwig and Rene Kollo, on Deutsche Grammophon (1975). Ludwig is my favourite alto in this work, and Kollo does a very good job as well. Karajan can be controversial in Mahler, but I find this reading one of his best. The sound is also very good for a recording that's almost 50 years old.

At number two I rank the album with the Vienna Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein, starring James King and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, on Decca (1966). This was one of the first that used Mahler's sanctioned alternative line-up. King ranks just below the other two tenors in these recommendations, but is still very good. The even numbered movements are now sung by Fischer-Dieskau, and they are stunningly beautiful. A direct comparison with the alto versions (Ludwig) leads me to prefer the baritone as such by a very small margin. However, in the context of the complete work, the alternation tenor/alto tends to work still marginally better than tenor/baritone to my taste. 

At number one I rank the album with the Philharmonia and New Philharmonia Orchestras under Otto Klemperer, starring Christa Ludwig and Fritz Wunderlich on EMI (1967). The singing of Fritz Wunderlich is still unsurpassed. With Christa Ludwig in great form as well, this is vocally the outstanding version. The orchestra under Klemperer is marvelous - but the recorded sound is just a bit sub-par. Still the number one choice for me.

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Copyright statement: the cited text is copyrighted by Davis C. Smith as indicated. The images are either in the public domain or deemed fair use.

Vintage Bicycle Posters

 

Vintage advertisement posters are much sought after, and have been recognized for their artistic merit as well giving us a chance to look at days gone by. There have even been dedicated exhibitions of such posters in art museums. I like these nostalgic images and will post a few grouped per theme. Today's theme is "bicycles" (most have been take from the wonderful blog Arts and Artists). The image above is created via Photofunia and is free from copyright issues.

 

 

Terrot Bicycles (around 1890)

 

This must be one of the most bizarre vintage bicycle advertisement posters I've ever seen. Francisco Tamango designed this nightmare scenario of a girl on a bicycle, for some reason riding on a railroad track through a tunnel with the train rapidly approaching... The company must have liked the concept a lot though, since they used it for similar posters in the following years.

 

 

Perfecta Bicycles (1902) 

Here we have the master of Art Nouveau himself, Alphonse Mucha. Not his most famous creation, but one recognizes his hand immediately.

 

Clement Bicycles (around 1910)

This poster was created by René Leverd. Interest in all things Asian, especially Japanese, was at an all-time high in France at the time. Even so, it is difficult to rationalize why the suggestion that Japanese women rode the bicycles of this brand would entice French customers to buy them. 

 

 

Céler Bicycles (around 1910)

 

In comparison to the previous poster, this one from the same year seems much more to the point - a family outing on bicycles through the beautiful Apls landscape. It was designed by Louis Brau.

 

  

Pirelli tires (1913)

Bicycle posters were not just used to sell bicycles - here we have a famous tire company advertising their product. It is also an early example of using bicycle races in posters. The design is by S. C. Bailie.

Dunlop tires (1914) 

 

A poster for Dunlop tires that is great to look at, but in questionable taste: the start of the Great War is used to promote tires - showing that the bicycle frame is destroyed by enemy action, but the tires are still OK. 

Michelin tires (1920)

 

The famous Michelin Man cannot be left out of today's post. It is remarkable (for 21st century eyes) that he smokes cigarettes or cigars in almost every poster. 

Météore Bicycles (1920s)

Back to selling bicycles. I picked this one because of its strikingly different colours. It was designed  by Edouard Courchinoux.

 

 

Adler Bicycles (1920s)

 

Although most of the interesting bicycle posters are for French companies, here we have one from Germany with a typical flapper girl to catch the eye of the potential customers.

Guiller Frères Bicycles (1920s) 

 

This is such a fun poster that I had to include it - maybe the first one that includes the visual gag of using bicycle wheels as eyes. It is by Edouard Courchinoux.

Griffon Bicyles (1926)

We are now definitely entering the Art Deco style. This beauty is by famous designer Georges Favre.

 

 

Peugeot Bicycles (1928)

 

As the French lines says "a Peugeot rolls well". The poster is vintage Art Deco, striking in its lack of colours. like the previous one it was designed by Georges Favre.

 

 

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