Ryeberg Playlist: Bless The Rains

1) Children’s Noses All Become As Red As Roses

The leaves are falling, the light is fading. Ryeberg cannot concentrate. Ryeberg is restless with residual summertime vim. Please, a little light before the long dark — something sensual, beautiful, curious…

Federico Fellini, “8½” (1963)

Whatever your interpretation of the Saraghina scene: goosebumps. Especially as the camera eye moves over the clapping boys towards Guido in his cape (1.40). And Nino Rota‘s joyful rhumba stitching it all together. Ah! Yes.

2) A Game That Must Be Played

How to follow such cinematic brilliance? With another brilliance. Arthur playing Frédéric. Yes.

Arthur Rubinstein, “Chopin: Etudes, Op.25. No. 1 in A♭” (Moscow, 1964)

3) To Cure What’s Deep Inside

Stay in the concert hall, this time with a Slovenian choir singing an American pop song from the 80s. Could have done without the beat boxing, but hey…

Perpetuum Jazzile, “Africa 1982” by Toto (2009) — thx Mark R

4) I Bless The Hails

Rains down in Africa? Pfff. Try hail down in Arizona.

“Hail In Arizona” (25 October, 2010)

5) Falling Into Winter

Sun. Rain. Hail… Snow. The squeaky snow of 75 below zero. Build a fire, quick.

David Cobham, from “To Build A Fire” (1970)

Not a bad attempt to depict Jack London‘s perfect story. Things get worse for the man of course. He cannot light another fire. He gets his arms around the dog thinking he might kill it and take warmth in its carcass. But his hands are too cold. He can’t even draw his knife.

“A certain fear of death, dull and oppressive, came to him. This fear quickly became poignant as he realized that it was no longer a mere matter of freezing his fingers and toes, or of losing his hands and feet, but that it was a matter of life and death with the chances against him. This threw him into a panic, and he turned and ran up the creek bed along the old, dim trail…”

He runs and falls and runs and falls again. Finally, frost invading his body, “…the man drowsed off into what seemed to him the most comfortable and satisfying sleep he had ever known.” The dog trots away in search of another food-provider.

6) Dancing Like Falling Leaves

When the actor reaches his death, you know it’s not for real, right? He just holds his breath. Kate Bush will explain.

Kate Bush, “Wow” (1980)

7) Choreographed Cannonballs

Wow. She’s a cannon, as musicians say of their guitars. Cannons are bloody powerful things by the way. Here’s one akin to those used during the American Civil War. Only it’s a little smaller.

43287633, “Mini Cannon Firing and Destroying Targets” (2009)

8) Between The Acts

Unbelievable. René Clair’s first ever film opens with a moving cannon, and two men jumping up and down next to it — well, Francis Picabia and Erik Satie. The chess players are Marcel Duchamp and Man Ray. Artistic experimentation with friends… Always good times.

René Clair, “Entr’acte” (1924)