wechsler and shadowdaddy and I went to the Royal Opera House to see a Magic Lantern Show. This reminded J of a Sargeant Rigby's Silhouettes back in Seattle, only the pictures were gorgeous little paintings projected on a screen (many of which moved!) and with professional narration and piano playing and singing. In fact, the whole thing was mostly a highly skilled retelling of the entire Ring cycle using 19th (or even 18th!) century technology. It really appealed to my inner Luddite. It was a blast for all three of us. One more show tomorrow, if you're interested!It also appealed to my inner Proust fan, as Proust described watching scenes projected from a lantern in his room in the first book of Remembrance - which is why I wanted to see this show. (Plus I'm just really an amazing geek.) And I got started on Sodom and Gomorrah today! I only made it to page six, but hey, I'll be reading this until January (at my usual rate), so it's not like there's any rush.
Also: furniture I might like, if there website weren't so damned unnavigable.
Background
Magic Lantern shows reached the height of their popularity in Europe at the end of the 19th century.
The German company Illuminago specialises in recreating characteristic 19th century lantern performances. Here the company - comprising the accomplished German actress Cornelia Niemann, pianist Judith Hermann, lanternist Ludwig Vogl-Bienek and performer Karin Bienek - offers a quirky version of Wagner’s Ring Cycle in just 70 minutes! The production is based on an original presentation staged by lantern showman Paul Hoffman in the 1880s and features 44 hand-painted lantern images, which are in turn based on the original, unused set designs commissioned by Wagner from Josef Hoffman (no relation).
A magnificent mahogany and brass magic lantern delivers a succession of exquisite transforming images and surprising visual effects.
In addition, the acclaimed English lantern showman Mervyn Heard provides an entertaining introduction to the ‘lost’ world of the magic lantern.
