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Saturday, March 28, 2015

迷靡謎之音 Cozy Mystery and 'Domesticated' Felicity

Spring cleaning and kitchen remodel denoted a hectic but fulfilling March.  The process was never easy and there would be more home improvement projects to come.  At least for now, we can have a moment to celebrate creature comforts - the crystal chandelier purchased several years ago has been hung from the ceiling of the breakfast nook at last.

Something else also triggered my musicality.
Yes, Cinders is finally going to the ball :)  In this wonderful private event last Wednesday after work seeing my special friend Echo in all of her splendor over enchanting chamber music at the historical Villa Taverna where Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo once pondered, the flutist Marco and the violinist Cyrus(he owns one of the Guarneri!) even performed Mozart's mirror duet for us. Thank you, Echo for a magical evening!

新年新氣象, 裝修廚房煥然黑色雲石中島, 於倉庫沈睡多年的復古水晶吊燈也終見天日, 高掛早餐房, 每至午后璀燦滿室.  舒服家居療癒心神, 週末哪都不想去, 下廚, 閱讀, 追看偵探影集… 生活儼然悠悠慢板, 是週間奔波忙碌後的必要紓壓.  我喜歡老派懸疑, 連看幾部濃濃英國風的cozy mystery:


Therefore my 'domesticated'(not to be confused with domestic) felicity has been…  binge watching old-fashioned murder mysteries.

Grantchester (picture credit:  pbs.org)
The plot was never convoluted and its pace on the slow side.  There were familiar elements, be the gentle vicar, the veteran detective inspector, the motherly house keeper… all of these made the story actually quaint and sweet.  
窮牧師Sidney Chambers搭檔老鳥警官Geordie Keating, 案件不外是人性糾葛: 婚外情妒殺, 戰後精神創傷, 醫者執死權… 然穿插Sidney那若有似無的戀曲和小鎮人情, 別有韻味.  飾演牧師的James Norton高大英俊, 角色設定喜歡喝小酒和爵士樂, 帥哥總是ㄧ身黑色牧師服優雅騎著單車, 賞心悅目.

The Bletchley Circle (picture credit:  pbs.org)
The camaraderie between the former code breakers was moving and the emotional struggle of these intelligent women disappearing into ordinary life could be raw at times.  When I felt I was just getting to know these interesting characters, the show already ended and it was not to be renewed :(
二戰時幕後破解密碼的娘子軍, 戰後嫁人相夫教子或退隱平實職務, 直到連續血案殺人狂逍遙法外, 閨密重聚緝兇.  主題頗具批判意味, 前後五位女主角演技精湛且各有特色, 格調有點黑暗有點憤怒, 或許取向小眾, 第二季完篇便不再續十分可惜.

Endeavour (picture credit:  pbs.org)
Sweeping  cinematography, hauntingly beautiful music, well rounded character development… irresistible!  There was a touch of tenderness in the seemingly abyss when the story ventured into dark, dark corners of human existence.  The unwavering faith in justice of the young constable signaled his lonely future path.
據說是英國長壽影集經典神探創新的前傳, Inspector Morse沒欣賞過所以無從比較, 讓我上鉤的是那集pilot run:  牛津學府哥德式尖塔古典建築, 蝴蝶夫人翩翩樂聲, 絕望的愛, 溫柔的悲憫, 格格不入遺世的孤寂.  不可自拔追看兩季, 每集故事獨立, 微妙的細節卻互有連繫, 角色間的羈絆層次豐富, 精緻構圖配襯悠揚曲調, 磅礡的迴響深埋心底的秘密.  

Our favorite family activity lately - 'a cappella' under the chandelier.

LK:  Prima Donna, first lady of the stage…
Mr. LK:  Night time sharpens…
Little V:  Masquerade!   

6 comments:

Silvia said...

Miss Lk, 我已经毫无时间看戏,课业已经让我捉襟见肘!本来打算本年12月去Wharton 交换,无奈竞争太激烈,已被waitlist. 还在犹豫要不要去Kellogg交换。看到左边讲到Echo,她的blog许久未更新,不知道膝盖是否无恙?

聚水藏風 said...

echo 帶你去的餐廳讓我想到上海老和平飯店,好懷舊,氣氛好棒的感覺。套句新俗話,是小確幸。:)

Echomiao said...

蟄伏許久該抽空給格友們更新文字交代一下近況了。

很高興妳能抽空赴宴 也分享了些彼此近況 這個晚宴本是無心插柳 不過我對才華洋溢的音樂家們一向有著仰慕和憐惜的情結 他們也給了我們一個無比精彩的音樂饗宴

沒有告訴你事後插曲 他們五人宴後開車到中國城吃宵夜 結果出租車被人砸玻璃 偷走了backpack 裏內的樂譜和此次巡演賣出 CD 的現金 幸而不識貨的竊賊沒拿走皮夾 手機 和價值十萬的大提琴... 出租車公司立刻換車,樂譜有存檔在 Google doc, Kohl Music Center 的一個董事在不知情的情況下給了他們一個大紅包 所以 Justin 感動的說這是他生平第一次遭劫 沒想到得到的比失去的多!

Miss LK said...

Silvia,
人人一天時間就那麼多,失之東隅,收之桑榆,我也是苦中作樂.
Echo看來很好,然腿傷復原過程慢長,其中艱辛只有當事人知道.
Ps. 我某任男友便是Wharton MBA... 自此對該校印象欠佳 :P

Miss LK said...

藏風,
上海和平飯店幾年前去過,當時老爵士樂團奏著Tea For Two, 我一看曲目中譯'鴛鴦茶', 大樂 :)
Villa Taverna附設的餐廳當晚並無正式運作, 然侍者端著銀盤源源送上的hors d'oeuvre控溫甚佳口感細緻,想來廚房有ㄧ定水準!

Miss LK said...

Echo,
今天正是Rachmaninoff的生日 :)
謝謝你的邀約, 讓我能在家庭工作夾攻之下稍稍喘口氣. 近日LK先生出差,我得天天提早下班接孩子,偏偏碰到presentation deadline,老闆如毒龍朝我噴火... 並非沒收穫,日日晚餐大展廚藝,雞湯肉丸粉絲,滷牛腱,燴羊膝... 母子倆同飽口福(邊燒菜邊聽Classical Jam的CD).

還好Justin一行人有驚無險!冥冥中似有天定,凡事別過度操心.

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