Tag: youtube

MEDITATION 85

A Happy New Year to you.

We always wish each other a Happy New Year imagining or rather hoping that the whole year will be bright and cheerful. I sincerely hope it is for you. January is never bright and cheerful unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere. Well it might be if there is January snow and winter sunshine here!

However, currently the weather is dark, dreary and rain abounds. My candle provides a welcome echo of Christmas cheer as I gaze at it. A sleigh comes into my mind, hurtling through the snow; a huge Christmas tree with lots of brightly wrapped gifts at its feet; children playing excitedly in a warmly lit parlour on Christmas Eve; and a glittering Palace with shimmering walls of sugar.

You might be thinking I am recalling scenes from Christmas cards I have received, or perhaps looking at them for one last time before discarding them. Actually I am remembering the Royal Ballet’s production of ‘The Nutcracker’ which I saw just before Christmas at the Royal Opera House with my friend Anna and her two daughters.

It was a really beautiful production and delightfully old fashioned in its staging, with scenery flying in and out and a magical transformation scene (as the Christmas tree and gifts suddenly grow larger and larger) all timed immaculately to Tchaikovsky’s score. My two little companions had already seen the musical ‘Frozen’, which obviously has a high tech staging but they were just as entranced by ‘The Nutcracker’ and told me so!  The ballet was as high-tech, of course, but in an old fashioned way. I suppose I can best describe it as the illustrations from a fairy tale book brought to life.

Though the ballet is based on a novella by the German Gothic fantasy writer E.T.A. Hoffman (1776 -1822), the production, set in the early 1800’s, has a decidedly Russian ambiance. The ambiance is not only provided by Tchaikovsky’s music but also by the set and costume designs: the snow fairies are presented as Christmas tree Angels in voluminous dresses like Russian dolls for example.

So the production, along with music and the ballet itself (which originated in St Petersburg in 1892) could be viewed as a celebration of Russian culture. This is therefore quite timely as our Western view of Russia at the moment is considerably negative because of the invasion of Ukraine. It is a reminder that there is more to Russia than Mr Putin’s bellicose oppressive regime.

I was actually reminded of the war in Ukraine by a scene in Act 1 where the parlour is invaded by the Mouse King and his army of mice. They are defeated by the now life size Nutcracker Prince and his own forces of dolls. Ukraine is never very far from our thoughts at present.

Tchaikovsky’s music is of course one of Russia’s main cultural exports to the world. I wonder how Mr Putin and his government square their anti-gay agenda with celebrating and promoting one of their greatest composers and cultural assets, who was himself homosexual (and who suffered a life of turmoil because of it).

Music is of course international, indeed universal, and to some extent above the changing tides of political events. Tchaikovsky’s music (and the great Russian ballets) have kept their international reputation and have remained admired and loved the world over despite the 1917 Russian revolution and the Soviet empire which followed it, two world wars, and the Soviet Empire’s disintegration in the 1990’s. They will maintain their preeminence long after Mr Putin has gone, I am sure.

Although high culture is in a sense above the ebb and flow of political events, even if certain works of art are an expression of or reaction to political events, yet culture can be appropriated by governments for their own ends, especially propaganda. Quite recently there has been much discussion about the harmful effects of cancel culture. We must also be wary of those who contort culture for their own ends.

Apparently, the Russian government have placed scenes from the Russian film version of Tolstoy’s epic novel ‘War and Peace’ on YouTube as flag waving propaganda. Needless to say the scenes they have chosen are the battle scenes. This truly remarkable film is one of the best adaptations of a novel that I have ever seen. The director, Sergei Bondarchuk, not only directed the film, but also adapted Tolstoy’s epic novel himself and played Pierre, one of the central characters. The filming took nearly six years to complete and it won the 1968 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. As regards using the cinema form to tell as story it is on a par with Orson Welles’ ‘Citizen Kane’, in my opinion. Moreover it is one of my favourite films and has stayed with me since I first saw it in two parts (dubbed into American accents) at the Odeon in Middlesbrough when I was a callow sixth former. Dear me, this film deserves a meditation to itself! 

The film had the backing of the Soviet regime of the time especially as there had been an American version (1956) which was unsatisfactory. So Bondarchuk had the use of the Red Army in the battle scenes (which are still stunning and superior to CGI). The novel deals with Russia’s attempt to defeat Napoleon, along with Austrian forces in 1805 and later Napoleon’s invasion of Russia itself in 1812 and how it affects the three main families of characters. It describes in detail Russia’s defeat at the Battle of Borodino which led to the burning of Moscow as Napoleon advanced.

As with the novel, the film shows the importance of the individual soldiers of whatever rank working together against the enemy. Being a Soviet film this is emphasised in the battle scenes, although this angle is there in the novel. These are the scenes which are appearing on YouTube no doubt.

However, this Russian propaganda exercise is highly ironic as the scenes depict the soldiers fighting against an invasion by Napoleon’s forces. Russian forces are the invaders against Ukraine after all.

Also in his novel Tolstoy writes at length about the futility of war and questions why nations have to attack each other instead of living in peace. He argues that if every soldier laid down his arms against the commands from his superiors there would be no battle. As a young man he was an officer himself in the Crimean War. This led to his ideas on Pacifism ultimately.  Some of Tolstoy’s philosophical comments are included in the film via a narrator. In the novel, he comments on the personality of Napoleon at length. It is not a flattering portrait as might be imagined. He sees all the destruction Napoleon causes to achieve and maintain his ‘greatness’ and reflects that:

‘There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth.’ 

Something Mr Putin would do well to reflect upon.

Ave atque Vale – until the next blog.

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Many thanks

Neilus Aurelius

Meditation 44

As I sit here beside my candle, watching the steady flame, I am thinking of Marcus Aurelius, the inspiration for this blog. It is wonderful that we are able to read his own ‘Meditations’, which he wrote over 1,800 years ago and in a paperback edition too which is readily available in bookstores or even as a kindle book!

Though they were written in Latin and I have therefore been dependent upon a translator, yet he seems to be very present to me as I read them, as if he is really speaking to me despite the centuries between us. How far the real Marcus is reflected in these pages or how far it is the Marcus he would like the reader to see, I, of course, will never know. But there is an honesty and a genuine humility in his writing that makes me think he is truly present in his words. For one thing, he never mentions his military successes, whereas, for instance, his imperial ancestor, Julius Caesar, wrote extensively and interminably about his in his ‘Gallic Wars’!

I dare to hope that something of my own self is reflected in my own meditations in this blog, that I am present to you the reader through my writing.

During the months of lockdown since March, we have been present to each other in many different ways, thanks to digital technology, and in ways that Marcus could not have dreamt of. I say ‘being present’ because in these dark days, it hasn’t just been a case of contacting friends and family and acquaintances, but it has also involved being present to them as a support and encouragement and to share anxieties which may have meant spending a little more time than usual with them on a call.

There have been so many ways through which we have been present to others, not just the phone or e mail but through texts and group chats, and visually through FaceTime, WhatsApp, Skype and of course the new medium of Zoom.

Video calls on whatever platform have enabled us to see who we are speaking to, which has been so important and a great comfort, as for several long months we weren’t allowed to meet friends or possibly even family because of movement restrictions. Looking at my emails, I think that texts and video calls are replacing the personal e mail to friends and acquaintances. I might be wrong about this – it may be that people just don’t want to write to me anymore!
FaceTime, WhatsApp and Zoom were new to me at the start of lockdown, but as someone who lives alone, they have been another lifeline for me (as well as calls, mails and texts) once I got used to them. In the early months, it was wonderful to be able to have a video call with my family, to see them as well as talk to them and of course my close friends too across the country and across the world.

However I must admit that I found triple conversations and a three way split screen difficult to handle on the small screen of an I phone! The smaller screen made me feel constricted. I am much more comfortable and relaxed with a Zoom call on the wider screen of a laptop. Maybe my big personality is more suited to a wider format! I would certainly have been at home in one of those wide screen epics of years gone by. Perhaps I could have played Marcus Aurelius (as Alec Guinness did in ‘The Fall of the Roman Empire’ and, less successfully, Richard Harris, in ‘Gladiator’).

I have had such a variety of Zoom calls in these recent months, a committee meeting or two, two lectures with the Dickens’ Fellowship (of which I am a member), a series of group meditations and one memorable evening when I spend two hours chatting with my dear friends David and Peter, while we drank our bottles of wine on our respective sofas in our homes across London from eachother. It was digital decadence! However, it does seem rather silly at times: talking to a laptop screen which then talks back to you! It’s like being in an old sci-fi movie without the dramatic and earnest conversations from screen to screen!

In a video call our friends or family are there but not there. They are present to us but not physically present. I must confess to being saddened sometimes when the video call was over, and in a way that I wouldn’t have been if it was an ordinary audio phone call. It is the fact that you can see family or friends (which is wonderful) but they are not really present with you in the room. So when the call is over and you wave and end the call, there can be a sense of loss, an emptiness. A video call can never replace being with that person or persons. Nevertheless, it has been a comfort, indeed a marvel, in these dark months we have been going through.

Another comfort to me has been the streaming of theatre productions online. These have been from the archive of the National Theatre, the Royal Opera and Royal Shakespeare Company. Over the last decade, these companies (and others under the National Theatre umbrella) have streamed live performances to cinemas and a selection of these performances have been streamed in lockdown on BBC I player and YouTube and are therefore quite recent. They have filled quite a few evenings for me and I have been able to catch up on productions I have missed. One advantage of these filmed performances is that the cameras enable you to see the actors close up, which may not be possible from where you are sitting in the theatre.

One of these productions was Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in a performance from 2019 at the new Bridge Theatre, by Tower Bridge on the Thames. I must admit that having directed the play five times and seen as many if not more productions of this play, I felt a little jaded about it as it started. It turned out to be an exciting, very funny and spectacular immersive theatre experience. The Bridge Theatre is able to change its seating for whatever production and had taken out the stalls seats so audience could stand while the play took place on a series of platforms and also above their heads as there were actors on trapezes above them at times. (‘Oh to do something like this in my school drama studio,’ I thought to myself!) The rest of the audience were seated in the circle on three sides. As is customary at present, there was some gender swapping of roles: Oberon and Titania, King and Queen of the Fairies, swapped lines for instance which created some hilarious situations. But the production was highly detailed and the text was very clear so Shakespeare was well served by this energetic company. Most important of all, it had warmth and was life-affirming and was magical (as all successful productions of this play should be).

I have mentioned in a previous blog (when I discussed seeing Wagner’s Ring Cycle of 4 operas at the Opera House) that a successful theatre performance creates an invisible ring binding the performers and the audience. This production of Shakespeare’s ‘Dream’ created that invisible ring from its first moment until the riotous final curtain call. There were many moments when I too, sitting in my armchair at home, felt part of that ring too. The experience was all embracing. What an achievement for the director Nicholas Hytner and his actors.
But they were only moments. Because I was not physically present in the audience. I certainly wish I had been last summer. As the play was nearing its final act, I began to feel saddened in the midst of the joyous atmosphere of the show. For our theatres are closed and I am missing them. We do not know when they will re-opened or when an immersive production like ‘The Dream’ with actors moving, running and dancing through the audience will happen again.

Much has been touted about Zoom and other platforms being the way forward while coronavirus and the threat of it remains with us and beyond, when we are back to a kind of normal. There has been talk of digital lessons in schools, webinars and digital lectures in university and other educational institutions, digital conferencing etc. In certain situations this may be a way forward. But we must remember that nothing can replace the physical presence of a person. And we cannot let digital communication distance us from eachother and break the bond of our common humanity (which the production I have discussed so potently celebrated). We are social beings which means being physically present to eachother.

There are times on summer days when dark clouds appear and stay there in the sky. It seems as if the sun will never come out again. But it will and does. I am sure we have had those moments in these recent months, when we thought the dark clouds wouldn’t go. Well lockdown is beginning to ease and the sun is peeping through the clouds. We are able to move around more and see more of eachother. I have been able to visit my family in Leeds and friends in the London area too. I have been able to visit an ‘old friend’ the National Gallery (as another friend of mine puts it). But more about these in my next blog.

Ave atque Vale – Hail and Farewell – until the next blog!

If you are enjoying my blog, and have not already done so, please sign up below to receive notification of each new blog by e mail. Just add your e mail to ‘Follow’ as it pops up!
And please do pass on the blog address to others who may be interested.
A selection of previous meditations is also available in audio form as ‘Meditations of Neiulus Aurelius’ ASMR on YouTube.
I would also value any feedback on nzolad53@gmail.com or my Facebook page or Twitter.

Many thanks
Neilus Aurelius