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THE ABSURD TIMES
THE SCUM ALSO RISES
BY
CZAR DONIC
(Oscar Levant, for our President.)
He at least knew he was schizophrenic.
Also was a poet, writing "Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, I'm schizophrenic, and so am I."
If you do see some of his films, notice his direction as finally the camera opens with the wide shot and then the focus on the fingers. Since most concertos, except for the MacDowell, begin with the easier chords, this is not surprising. In his films, you can actually see him working on the more challenging passages.
At the end of this file, we have a few more contemporary photos or illustrations.
A few weeks ago, I tuned in to TCM, a cable channel started by Ted Turner, a corolful person in himself. It features, uncut and commercial free, older movies, classics, and often will gather them around such topics as directors, actors, even cinematographers. This time, they were featuring Oscar Levant, a fascinating subject. I thought I knew a great deal about him, but I learned a few things that were new to me. The show came at a good time as it presaged that last election in Britain and was during the time of Trump, two preposterous "rulers" that had reminded me of a remark of Oscar's.
Levant was what was then called "manic-depressive," but retained his sharp wit until the end. The quote I remembered was after he left treatment for severe depression, saying "I was kicked out for depressing the other patients." Particularly apt these days.
I also remembered he held the record for an album ranked number one for over a year, his classical recording of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. I learned, however, that he also had one called the Concerto in F, also by Gershwin, and in addition an even more enduring Prano Concerto #1, by Tsychowski. (I believe there was one more such recording, but I've forgotten what it was by now.) The point is, he was such a popular and outspoken critic, that one forgets that at the time he was ranked above Horowitz and others as the greatest pianist of the time. (To dispel argument, I'll add "one of" to that.) I have also heard his Pavanne for a Dead Princess in an album titled some "Some Tolerable Moments in the 20th Century," or something like that, and it is an excellent rendition. But his live remarks were soon to obscure all that.
First, he wrote two books, A Smattering of Ignorance and Memoirs of an Amnesiac. The first was number one on the Times best seller list. The second is depressing, even to me. That'll give you an idea. I learned that there is a third one out there somewhere.
In all of his movies (he never played a leading role, of course), he was given free reign to ad-lib all of his line as they were better that any writer could ever have come up with. So far as I can remember, all of his recordings were in the 40s, his television appearances until the very early 60s. The House of Un-American Activities Committee once contemplated investigating him as a "Communist," but found out that he was thrown out of a couple of their meetings for wisecracks. He would have not made a good target at all. In fact, the hearings would have likely been laughed out of existence if they had called him and he showed up to testify.
I can imagine some of the testimony:
"Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist party?"
"No, they didn't like me and I would not care to be a member of any group that would have me in it."
"Now Mr Levant, are you taking this situation as seriously as it deserves?"
"I think there is little doubt about that."
I simply can not imagine this without slipping into my mind twisting into warped spasms of laughter.
Would he have? Think of it this way. One of the most respected and tyrannical conductors ever to live, and certainly at the time, was Arturo Toscanni. He would break sticks during rehersals out of rage. One day he was especially terrifying while Oscar Levant was doing rehersal with his orchestra. Oscar became so weary of it he said to him "If you don't behave, I'm gonna follow your beat."
If Toscanni could not impress him, McCarthy certainly would not have. QED.
TODAY
I had thought that the title would suffice for the topic and the brief biography of Levant would be a good introduction. The truth, however, is that I find it impossible after that to take today seriously.
Now we see the progress we have made as a civilization. Donald Trump tweeted about 126 times is less than 24 hours as and after the House of Representatives voted for 2 Articles of impeachment. He is to become the only President to be impeached in his first term, a record like to stand for another 240 years, perhaps more if we managed, as we show all signs of doing, to eliminate humans from the earth as a result of an unlivable climate.
Cyberbullying
Never really understood it, but then kids get consequences in school as a result of peers? Maybe. Meanwhile, Melania Trump (yes, she is his wife) became upset when a Lar Professor said "Donald can not make his son a Baron, although he can give him that name," or words close to that. Then Donald attacked a 16 year old girl and told he to "chill". Seems she had people talking about the climate and, probably the greatest sine of all, go named PERSON OF THE YEAR, instead of him. Melania said nothing at first, but Greta said she was dealing with the anger management problem by chilling and watching a movie with a friend. About the same time, a Judge fined Donald 2 million for stealing from his own charity to pay debts on "deal" that went bad and to have a fake cover of Time made to list him as MAN OF THE YEAR. I'm told the three oldes kids of Trump also have to attend some lecture on not stealing from children, but this may not be the fact, but then again, what is a fact these days?
In other words, Donald has already lost the Twitter war to her and citing her Asperger's as a reaqson to make him more heinous is superfluous. It seems to make her superior.
McConnell, who has stifled over 2,000 bipartisan bills has announced that her is already coordinating with the WH counsel. In other words, a jurist, perhaps the foreman, is coordinating the the defense council. The Judge in the Senate trial will be Roberts, once considered a Republican (a previous version of Republican, B.T. – before Trump), will be the judge. We have much to be sick about.
All Senators will take an oath to evaluate the evidence fairly. At least more than half will lie. This is called perjury, although Senate Rules make them immune to prosecution. Otherwise, nothing would ever get done, even with honest people.
Much of Trump's unhappiness stems from this cover from Time magazine:
A judge fined his 2 million dollars for stealing from his own charity. Some of the somen was to buy a fake "Person of the Year" magazine cover featuring, of course, himself. Nobody was impressed in the first place.
Another teenager tried to help:
However, another teenager did this for him. At least he did not have to alter the hands.
