Mark Reece's Blog, page 22

Birmingham royal ballet Hobson's choice

Another great performance by the BRB, this time with the comic ballet Hobson's choice. Set in a boot shop, the ballet tells the story of how a lowly shoe maker marries the daughter of the shop owner, and ultimately becomes the master himself.

It's an interesting change of pace from the more dramatic works, and demonstrates the range of the dancers, who here elicited regular laughter. Many of them are skilled actors as well of dancers. And a demonstration of what an interesting city Birmingham is in many ways to possess a theatre of the quality of the Hippodrome.

One can only hope that with the imminent retirement of director David Bintley, a new generation will emerge to continue his fine work.

Review- Israel: a history

Israel: A History by Anita Shapira

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Shapira's book starts as a history of Zionism, detailing the growth of Jewish nationalism, although the focus of her work changes to the state of Israel following its founding after the second world war. She is sympathetic to Zionism (and, I think, to nationalist doctrine in general), although she is careful to avoid replicating the myths that all forms of nationalism rely upon.

For example, in her discussion of the Israeli war of independence, Shapira describes that despite the numerical superiority of the Arab population, and their most established economies at that time, the balance of power between the emergent Zionist state and the Arab peoples was much more equal than appearances would suggest, as demonstrated, for example, by the disorganization of the Arab armies, and their relatively small size when compared with the size of the Arab populations. Shapira also disputes whether the intention of the invading armies was the wholesale destruction of the Jewish communities in the emerging state. This gives much of the book, certainly the sections that describe the relations between Israel and the surrounding Arab states, an even handed feel.

Shapira also gives interesting discussions of how the doctrines developed by Zionist theorists were translated into the practices of the new society, such as the emphasis placed on the importance of agriculture, and also the ethnic tensions in the country that were exacerbated by the gathering of people from widely different societies and the mass immigration that occurred at various points in Israel's history, such as the break-up of the Soviet Union.

In my view, Shapira is much less strong when describing intellectual currents and their relations to social change. She is prone to make bland, sweeping statements, such as when at one point she claims that 'post-modernism' 'came to Israel', making life seem meaningless. I wonder whether this is accurate in any country, outside a tiny minority in academia. The author seems to have a naively philosophical idealist conception that 'people have ideas- they implement ideas- society changes'. The worldwide shift to Neo-liberalism in the 1980s was accompanied by significant violence that is barely mentioned here. The lightness that these topics are dealt with seems out of place in comparison with the depth of scholarship displayed elsewhere throughout the book.

Furthermore, the author's description of the Palestinian conflict seems less even-handed than her description of Israel's relationships with the other Arab powers. Several early leaders of Israel are quoted as being concerned that a long-standing occupation would change the nature of the state- to my mind, Shapira did not fully explore the extent to which this happened, and this omission is demonstrated in small ways throughout, for example, in the way that Palestinian attacks on Jewish population centres are described as terrorism, whereas the term is avoided for apparently similar actions by Jews in the mandate period, or else given scare quotes. It might also have been worth exploring whether there is a connection between Israeli governments' fears about the 'Arab street', and whether this may explain Israel's friendly relations with autocratic regimes in the middle east and elsewhere.

However, this is an interesting and well written book that seems to be designed with the general reader in mind, with little foreknowledge assumed and Jewish terms described throughout so as to aid comprehension. This makes the book both enjoyable to read and educational, in the best sense.



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Birmingham royal ballet unleased

Another compelling set of performances from the BRB last week, this time featuring three shorter works from women choreographers, including a world premiere: Sense of time.

I found that performance to be the most striking of the three, with its low lighting, electronic music, and stage comprising a wall of suitcases. Although the performance was billed as being about the nature of time, the atmosphere was that of a dystopian city, with the darkness and discordant sounds creating a sense of gloom, and beams of light invoking a sense of constant surveillance.

At one point, two of the dancers were separated from the others, as if they were two lover escaping to enjoy a few moments by themselves.

There was a problem with the stage part way through the performance that led to a delay, which was frustrating, and the tone became a little overwrought on occasion. However, this was an interesting and innovative work.

Lyric pieces with an exercise in pure dance, with little narrative. The performers used pieces of black paper to constantly change the shape of the stage and to guide their movements. The effect was graceful and elegant.

The final piece, Peter and the Wolf was straightforwardly joyous. The animal characters were depicted by different instruments, and the spoken narrative created a light and humorous air.

Overall, these three performances showed off a wide range of styles and moods, all shown to their best effect by the wonderful dancers of the BRB.

Peter and the Wolf

The Birmingham royal ballet company recently performed a children's version of Peter and the wolf at the Wolverhampton grand theatre, alongside another performance of a depiction of the seasons.

What a delight it was! All the usual skill and grace but condensed into an hour's performance. The titular ballet was perhaps better suited to younger children, as there was a voice over describing the plot, and explaining that the different characters were to be represented by particular musical instruments.

Although, perhaps it is asking too much of younger children to clap as long as the performance deserved?

Review- The torture garden

The Torture Garden by Octave Mirbeau

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Octave Mirbeau is a writer I enjoy, but having recently re-read this book, I consider it his weakest novel.

The story starts with a group of professional men at a dinner party, discussing philosophy very flippantly, before most of them come to a consensus that European civilization is based on murder. One of the party proceeds to tell the rest about his visit to a Chinese 'torture garden'.

After being involved in a scandal involving a leading politician, the story teller describes being sent to 'Ceylon' (modern Sri Lanka) on a pretended scientific expedition (in reality, to get him out of France until the trouble has died down). While there, he meets an English woman- Clara, who takes him to China to visit a 'torture garden', where torture is practiced as an art form alongside botany. There, they view incredible scenes of torture and degradation, which Clara enjoys sexually. The story teller is obsessed with Clara and soon becomes subservient to her.

Mirbeau is in general not a good character creator, and here, the characters are pure ciphers. The story teller goes to places and does things for very little reason. Clara is a bundle of 'sins', pursuing sexual sadism apparently to the exclusion of all else. The use of the word 'sin' regards Clara is telling- for a book aiming to highlight hypocrisy and to satirize European civilization, it is oddly moralistic regarding her. The rather misogynistic portrayal undermines the book and becomes wearying.

There is very little plot in the sense of events occurring in any coherent order- the narrative is driven by the need for the authorial voice to be heard, loudly. The book ends abruptly, as if it had been forgotten rather than finished.

Despite all that, this is a book I would recommend. Mirbeau is a brilliant descriptive writer, and his depiction of the torture (and the flowers) is staggering. I always remember the scene of a group of rebels captured by British colonial troops, who are buried in sand and their heads watered "like cabbages" so that they don't die too quickly. And the authorial narrative, although sometimes intrusive, is staggering. There are passages where the story is almost entirely forgotten as Mirbeau gives wonderful memorable condemnations of social institutions, colonialism, and hypocrisy in general. I won't quote those passages here, as they deserve to be read in their proper place.

The novel seems to only be available via small presses, with dubious translations. Somehow, this seems fitting, and I wonder whether Mirbeau would be pleased that the book is considered too filthy to have achieved any respectability, even after over a century since it was first published!



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Reivew- Peterloo

Peterloo: The Story of the Manchester Massacre by Jacqueline Riding

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I enjoyed this book, which draws a good balance between describing the leading personalities involved in the Peterloo massacre, and giving an overview of British society in the wake of the Napoleonic wars. Riding plainly has more sympathy to the reformers and radicals than their conservative opponents, although given the mismatch of intellectual honesty between the two sides, that is hardly surprising.

Overviews of the reform movement and various institutions of the time are given, and there is an interesting discussion of how the reform movement drew on traditions, or myths, of English political history, such as the glorious revolution, and even feudal chivalry.

The book is short and pithy, and feels like it should be read as an introduction to the subject. In the forward, Mike Leigh writes that the event, and the characters involved, have not had the prominence in history teaching that they deserve. That seems to me to be a well founded observation- I for one knew only the sketchiest details before reading this book.

In giving an accessible and well written corrective to that ignorance, I'd rate Riding's book as entirely successful.



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Review- The Iliad

The Iliad by Homer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I don't think there's much to add about the obvious merits of the book in general, without writing another book, although I would recommend the Everyman's Library edition by Robert Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald captures the cadences in such a lovely way; he makes the writing light and delicate. And such an elegant looking volume. What a delight!



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Story publication

One of my stories will be published in Orbis magazine in October this year. Always a pleasure, as it's such an elegant journal.

Here's the link:

www.orbisjournal.com/

Novel sale

My novel, 'The dreams of the eternal city', will be on sale from tomorrow (07 May 2019) for a month. Paperback £5, ebook £1.99.

Check it out or risk missing out on the zeitgeist:

https://www.troubador.co.uk/bookshop/...

Review- The Cowards

The Cowards by Josef Škvorecký

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The book starts with the teenage protagonist, Danny, talking with his friends, who are members of a jazz band. The group have a detached and irreverent view of the adults in their small Czechoslovak town. It seems as if the book will be similar to that of other stories with teenage narrators, such as Catcher in the Rye, until it is revealed that the town is under Nazi occupation at the end of the second world war.

The book has a curious tone. Danny's thoughts are commonplace, and dominated by girls and music. Elsewhere, it is casually revealed that some of Danny's friends have been in concentration camps, or are forced labourers. There are memorable sequences where members of the group recall their experiences under occupation, including a boy who tries to seduce a committed Nazi, only to lose patience when she starts talking at length about her racial theories, pronouncing herself superior to him on those grounds.

There is a contemporary feel to the world weary tone, and it is also noticeable that many of the youths seem to use American phrases. Despite the setting, this is not a political book, with most of the characters far more interested in sex than in the war and political upheavals around them. Despite that the book was banned shortly after publication, it is not critical of the coming communist state. Indeed, the communist partisans are portrayed as the only group who consistently fight the Nazis. The town notables (presumably, the titular 'cowards') are absurdly obsessed with protecting 'order' and 'decency'- concepts that lack meaning in those circumstances. Some of the best comic moments in the book occur when the local middle class try to take charge of the situation- organising military 'patrols' of unarmed youths who are ignored by the retreating Germany army. For them, it seems, life will go on as before, their genteel collaboration already starting to be forgotten.

Aside from the final section, the majority of the book has a gentle pace, which seems well suited to Danny's frustrations with his life and town. Danny's thoughts about his situation are often trivial, and therefore poignant. The book tells a grand history on a small scale and is well worth the read.



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