S-a vorbit mult despre filmul Maestro odata ce a intrat pe Netflix si a fost accesibil publicului care prefera filmele vazute pe canapea. Si comentariile de acolo.
Unora le-a placut, altora nu.
(mie nu -mi place Bradley Cooper, desi inteleg si apreciez strategia lui de marketing de a se asocia cu nume mari pt a capata notorietate ca regizor. In combinatia in care e si actor si regizor in propriile proiecte, mie mi se pare un dezastru; dar e doar o parere.)
Dar partea buna a filmului asta e ca l-a adus in atentia publica pe Leonard Bernstein un mare muzician, dirijor si compozitor, care nu mai e deloc cunoscut de generatia care are 20-30 de ani.
Dar daca v-a placut filmul si ati fost interesati de unghiul despre sacrificiile pe care le-a facut sotia lui, o actrita buna in epoca, va las cateva carti de citit pe aceeasi tema.
Mai intai, daca vreti sa descoperiti mai multe din viata lui Bernstein care a avut candva o emisiune la tv in care explica muzica clasica pentru cei tineri (cam cum face Daniel Barenboim, un mare pianist si dirijor contemporan, pe youtube in aceste zile) e bine sa stiti ca exista doua carti foarte frumoase si cu marturisiri foarte intime.
Una scrisa de fiica lui cea mare, Jamie -, alta cu fragmente din scrisorile scrise de el catre familie sau alti muzicieni.
Da, in ambele sunt mentionate – de la prima sursa – sacrificiile facute de Felicia, sotia lui Bernstein, inclusiv e mentionata homosexualitatea lui si cum a fost tratata in interiorul familiei. (la sfarsitul articolului, va las cateva fragmente din aceste carti care au fsot sursa de inspiratie si pentru filmul de pe Netflix. Nu sunt traduse in romaneste, le gasiti pe amazon inclusive in versiunea kindle.)
In Romania comunista a fost tradusa cartea in care Bernstein explica muzica pentru tineri. O mai gasiti doar prin anticariate, arata asa… ca sa stiti ce cautati.
(Am citit-o in adolescenta si imi aduc aminte ca e undeva o explicatie despre cum sunt astezate instrumentele intr-o orchestra. Am cautat o poza despre subiect, nu e cea din carte, dar daca tot cititi acest text, sa va ofer o informatie din care sa invatati ceva).
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Despre femeile care protejeaza mediul in care creeaza artistii barbati s-au scris multe carti. Unele emotionante, altele care arata cum – in epoca in care femeia era doar casnica – aceste sotii inteligente si rafinate, cu o intelegere profunda a meseriilor sotilor lor sufereau pentru ca nu se puteau dezvolta si ele, dar perseverau in a fi un cocon protector pentru ca sotii lor sa creeze si sa se dezvolte tot mai bine.
( e in cartea lui Jamie Bernstein o poveste despre cum muzicianul promite ca va scrie un musical pentru desciderea Kennedy Center si isi da seama ca nu poate duce la bun sfarsit asta din cauza programului. Ca sa iasa bine din context, intrucat avea nevoie de doamna care solicitase musicalul, Felicia – sotia lui – o suna si ii gaseste o solutie alternativa pentru a fi toata lumea impacata cu situatia).
Anul trecut a fost lansata cartea Lives of the Wives: Five Literary Marriages de Carmela Ciuraru.
Am citit-o gandindu-ma ca autoarea e romanca si o vazusem laudata in New York Times, deci era un subiect fain de scris, dar nu e romanca.
Cartea are 5 portrete de femei care au trait in preajma unor scriitori, unele cu activitate artistica impresionanta altele casnice. Nu e o carte tradusa in romaneste, o gasiti pe amazon si in versiune kindle.
Mai avem in romaneste o minunatie de carte despre sotia lui Sergiu Celibidache si el un muzician exceptional si un dirijor de geniu. Viata lui a fost ecranizata si va fi pe ecrane in toamna acestui an.
Viata Ioanei Celibidache, o pictorita foarte talentata care nu a vrut sa semneze nicio lucrare cu numele ei de casatorie ca sa nu exploateze in vreun fel notorietatea sotului ei, o doamna care a fost un sprijit urias pentru vulcanicul si temperamentalui Celibidache, a fost povestita in cartea “Ioana Celibidachhe, o matusa de poveste”.
Am scris despre carte aici si sper ca, odata cu lansarea acestui film despre Celibidache, cartea va fi reeditata ca sa o citeasca cat mai multa lume.
Mai avem in Romania tradusa si o carte minunata, o fictionalizare a unei povesti despre o sotie de artist. Rebecca Miller, Vietile secrete ale Pipei Lee. (a si fost ecranizata cartea cu Robin Wright, Keanu Reeves, Alan Arkin, Winona Ryder si Julianne Moore in rolurile principale, si Rebecca Miller regizoare)
Miller este sotia actorului Daniel Day Lewis si fiica lui scriitorului Arthur Miller; a avut nevoie de ceva ani pana si-a gasit propriul drum in viata (a trecut prin alcool, droguri si intamplari tumultuoase), dar acum este una dintre cele mai appreciate scriitoare si regizoare independente. Cartea e tradusa la noi la Editura Trei. Cu ceva ani in urma am facut un interviu cu doamna Rebecca Miller pe care il gasiti aici.
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Iata doua fragmente din cele doua carti despre Bernstein, netraduse la noi.
In cartea fiicei lui, Jamie Bernstein
“They became engaged; there was even a notice about it in a gossip column. But then they broke it off. There were complications; they just couldn’t make the leap. Felicia went off to be Eva Gabor’s understudy in a Broadway play, where she fell in love with the leading man, Richard Hart. He was a hopeless alcoholic, abusive when drunk, but she loved him. She told us that Hart died in her arms, of liver failure. A couple of years later, sadder but wiser, or something, Felicia and Lenny decided to make a go of it after all. They married in September of 1951, flooded with nerves. On the drive from Massachusetts to Mexico for their honeymoon, Lenny—possibly out of pure suppressed panic—drilled Felicia on the rules of English grammar. Each morning, they would climb back into the car and Daddy would say, “You remember in yesterday’s lesson . . .” It’s a miracle the marriage even made it to Mexico. They spent their honeymoon in a cheerful villa in Cuernavaca, spending much of their time with the writer Martha Gellhorn, who would become a lifelong friend. She may well have saved the shaky new marriage by toggling back and forth between the anxious newlyweds, lending each a sympathetic ear. I was born exactly one year later. When I was little, my mother was a steadily working stage actress, using her mother’s maiden surname: Felicia Montealegre. She also acted in live television dramas, winning awards for her performances on shows like Playhouse 90 and Kraft Theatre. And she did concert narrations, as well. In our living room, there was a framed photograph of Mummy as Joan of Arc, her eyes looking heavenward as she is consumed by a backdrop of flames. Alexander and I loved that picture. We had no idea she was narrating Honegger’s oratorio; as far as we were concerned, our mother simply was Joan of Arc. But there was so much more to Felicia. She was witty and well-read; she could fix lamps, paint windowsills, perform flawless manicures. She was even an expert hair cutter. We thought she looked so professional, snipping away at our father’s head, occasionally leaning back to assess her handiwork, the comb gripped between her teeth.”
Din cartea Scrisorile lui Bernstein
Felicia Bernstein to Leonard Bernstein [late 1951 or 1952]
Darling, If I seemed sad as you drove away today it was not because I felt in any way deserted but because I was left alone to face myself and this whole bloody mess which is our “connubial” life. I’ve done a lot of thinking and have decided that it’s not such a mess after all. First: we are not committed to a life sentence – nothing is really irrevocable, not even marriage (though I used to think so). Second: you are a homosexual and may never change – you don’t admit to the possibility of a double life, but if your peace of mind, your health, your whole nervous system depend on a certain sexual pattern what can you do? Third: I am willing to accept you as you are, without being a martyr or sacrificing myself on the L.B. altar. (I happen to love you very much – this may be a disease and if it is what better cure?) It may be difficult but no more so than the “status quo” which exists now – at the moment you are not yourself and this produces painful barriers and tensions for both of us – let’s try and see what happens if you are free to do as you like, but without guilt and confession, please! As for me – once you are rid of tensions I’m sure my own will disappear. A companionship will grow which probably no one else may be able to offer you. The feelings you have for me will be clearer and easier to express – our marriage is not based on passion but on tenderness and mutual respect. Why not have them? I know now too that I need to work. It is a very important part of me and I feel incomplete without it. I may want to do something about it soon. I am used to an active life, and then there is that old ego problem. We may have gotten married too soon and yet we needed to get married and we’ve not made a mistake. It is good for us even if we suffer now and make each other miserable – we will both grow up some day and be strong and unafraid either together or apart – after all we are both more important as individuals than a “marriage” is. In any case my dearest darling ape, let’s give it a whirl. There’ll be crisis (?) from time to time but that doesn’t scare me any more. And let’s relax in the knowledge that neither of us is perfect and forget about being HUSBAND AND WIFE in such strained capital letters, it’s not that awful! There’s a lot else I’ve got to say but the pill has overpowered me. I’ll write again soon. My wish for the week is that you come back guiltless and happy. F