Iris - BLU-RAY

The latest film from legendary documentarian Albert Maysles (Grey Gardens, Gimme Shelter), Iris pairs the late 88-year-old filmmaker (who passed away on March 5) with Iris Apfel, the quick-witted, flamboyantly dressed 93-year-old style maven who has had an outsized presence on the New York fashion scene for decades. More than a fashion film, the documentary is a story about creativity and how a soaring free spirit continues to inspire. Iris portrays a singular woman whose enthusiasm for fashion, art and people are life's sustenance and reminds us that dressing, and indeed life, is nothing but an experiment. Despite the abundance of glamour in her current life, she continues to embrace the values and work ethic established during a middle-class Queens upbringing during the Great Depression. 'I feel lucky to be working. If you're lucky enough to do something you love, everything else follows.'

Following the runaway success of Cavalleria rusticana in 1890 at the age of 27, Mascagni did not rest on his laurels. In just a few years, he completed no less than five operas, including Iris, premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome in 1898. Mascagni might well have taken for his own Puccini's famous quip, InchAgainst everything and everyone, make a work from melodyInch. And in Iris it is melodic invention which shows the composer's genius at it's greatest. A melody by Mascagni is usually long, smooth and Italian-sounding; and Iris is full-on melody all the way, particularly in such crowd-pleasers as Jor's Serenade, the InchHymn of the SunInch or the duet in Act II InchOh come al tuo sottile corpo s'aggiraInch, which includes the famous InchPiovraInch. Furtheremore, with a little effort listeners can identify what would be the various musical InchnumbersInch. In Iris, Mascagni is almost obsessively attentive to recitative and his exemplary flexibility at times recalls the sublime Inchconversation styleInch InchinventedInch by Puccini. The present production was recorded live at the Teatro Goldoni, Livorno, in December of 2017.

Blue Note [BLU-RAY] Released 2015 product/publication from Euroarts