Dead-Composers Society

[Lux Apollo]

I totally get what you're saying, especially in that passage. It's been a long time since I've heard this concerto. Thanks for bringing it up!

[Lux Apollo]

Another introspective tonight after writing an emotionally complex bit of prose. I think Fauré's Pavane, Op. 50, is in order:

 

[Parker Owens]

This piece is one of my very favorite melodies of all time; deeply ingrained in my mind. I cannot help but agree that it is exactly apropos your writing. But I can thank you, too!

[Lux Apollo]

Friedrich Kuhlau (1786-1832) was a Danish composer from the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras. He wrote a lot for piano and flute, and also opera. Much of his work, only in manuscript form, was lost in a house fire after he passed. I'm not sure how much has been found in copy, but you never know. Anyway, I was looking through some music earlier and stumbled over my book of his Sonatina's from my piano student days. This one is in A major, Op. 59 No. 1:

 

 

 

 

(Not the best performance, but kinda difficult to get pros playing Sonatinas...)

[AC Benus]

One my favorite late-period Gershwin compositions, written very shortly before he died....

 

[Lux Apollo]

One my favorite late-period Gershwin compositions, written very shortly before he died....

 

 

 

 

I really should learn some Gershwin pieces sometime. A friend of mine played Rialto Ripples back when we were in high school, but I never dove into it.

[Saraband]

One my favorite late-period Gershwin compositions, written very shortly before he died....

 

Thanks for bringing this back to my attention -- that is SUCH a fun song to play . . .but it's just not the same without words!

 

Ella's interpretation is of course fantastic, (but no piano) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U2fgvXzS58.

 

Turns out it's shockingly hard to find a good piano-vocal performance of this on youtube. Samuel Ramey's concert recording is almost inaudible, and doesn't include any video. There's a lot of mu-theater-student-recital stuff, some choral versions, and assorted other disappointing concert performances of actually quite astonishing variety. This was the best performance I saw -- and it looks like it was at the Corcoran Gallery stage in DC, but I can't find any listing for this concert. Oh well. Enjoy

Edited March 7, 2017 by Saraband

[Saraband]

I guess it depends on what era(s) the course covers. The French Baroque tends to get ignored other than a passing reference to Lully, Couperin and maybe Rameau unless someone wants to add a woman composer into the mix and then we hear about Jacquet de la Guerre (who is definitely worthy of discussion in her own right).

 

Of course, I say that when it's my area of expertise lol. I do think, though, that general western music history courses tend to fail at touching on countries/composers outside of the monoliths, and maybe more importantly fail to give much connection to the cultural and historical context - who was at war, what was being invented, etc. It's a lot to cover though, so I don't know how it can all be fit in.

Hello, Lux -- I didn't want to forget to put a figurative pin in this item, as it relates to some research I tabled last spring (it's not my thesis topic) but would like to eventually get back to. Would you be able/interested to talk with me a bit about stuff more or less peripherally-related to the Rameau/Rousseau kerfuffle at some indeterminate time in the future? Probably not on this thread, of course, unless we want to torture everyone with that one sorry recording of "Devin du Village" that seems to be out there -- but still. I thought I'd ask here before pinging you with a random PM that I'm unlikely to follow up on for at least a few months. Please let me know if this is potentially in your wheelhouse. And thanks!

[AC Benus]

Hello, Lux -- I didn't want to forget to put a figurative pin in this item, as it relates to some research I tabled last spring (it's not my thesis topic) but would like to eventually get back to. Would you be able/interested to talk with me a bit about stuff more or less peripherally-related to the Rameau/Rousseau kerfuffle at some indeterminate time in the future? Probably not on this thread, of course, unless we want to torture everyone with that one sorry recording of "Devin du Village" that seems to be out there -- but still. I thought I'd ask here before pinging you with a random PM that I'm unlikely to follow up on for at least a few months. Please let me know if this is potentially in your wheelhouse. And thanks!

 

YES! We want to torture everyone!! I have the one recording of Devin du village you mention, and it's extremely important to compare and contrast to Mozart's infinitely better singspiel version, Bastien und Bastienne. The 2006 Salzburg production of the latter opera is really fascinating, and I love the urban-suburban setting with the yellow streetlight following the original libretto precisely changing the action slowly from twilight to night. 

 

I'm so happy you mentioned Rousseau's stage work here  

 

​I could not locate the 2006 production, but here's a sample of the opera 

 

[Lux Apollo]

How many harpsichord is too many? J.S. Bach seemed to think 4 onstage at once was pretty awesome:

 

https://www.youtube.com/shared?ci=8KDgO6PdDwY

[AC Benus]

…while Love, the housemaid, lights a kitchen fire…

 

Was there ever a more perfect marriage of libretto and music than Act
2 of Sullivan's The Sorcerer from 1877?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k6E-vYCUVM

Edited March 8, 2017 by AC Benus

[Saraband]

I'm so happy you mentioned Rousseau's stage work here

Well damn, that makes one of us. . .

 

I really want to just thoroughly heckle Rousseau on both his music and his musicology, but I'm afraid you might like him or something and (as I don't really know you) I don't want to troll you too hard.

 

It was actually on realizing that this guy was probably way more influential, musically-speaking, than he had any right to be that I ended up tabling my project as "no longer a quick-and-simple effort." So, if you're game I will absolutely rip Rousseau in this quasi-public forum, but I also don't want to sideline the original intent of the thread. I'm equally happy to take the conversation off-thread with you and/or Lux when I get back to it after the end of semester, because there's actually stuff I want to know, not just piss and grumble about.

 

 

Was there ever a more perfect marriage of libretto and music than Act

2 of Sullivan's The Sorcerer from 1877?

I'll take your word; I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ride the bench for all the Gilbert and Sullivan stuff. My last experience with operetta was a 9th grade production of Iolanthe where the kid playing the Lord Chancellor came down with laryngitis in the second week and his understudy didn't know the nightmare song. I had to sing it from offstage while the poor schmuck pantomimed with a sock puppet. It was not nearly as hilarious as it sounds, but I still have the whole damn thing committed to memory 24 years later. Never again, I say.

 

However, I can offer you some French jugglers performing a Bach prelude using early childhood classroom instruments called Boomwhackers. It IS as hilarious as it sounds, and also pretty genius, I think. Enjoy.

[Lux Apollo]

Hello, Lux -- I didn't want to forget to put a figurative pin in this item, as it relates to some research I tabled last spring (it's not my thesis topic) but would like to eventually get back to. Would you be able/interested to talk with me a bit about stuff more or less peripherally-related to the Rameau/Rousseau kerfuffle at some indeterminate time in the future? Probably not on this thread, of course, unless we want to torture everyone with that one sorry recording of "Devin du Village" that seems to be out there -- but still. I thought I'd ask here before pinging you with a random PM that I'm unlikely to follow up on for at least a few months. Please let me know if this is potentially in your wheelhouse. And thanks!

 

It's been years since I've even thought about a lot of this stuff. I'm not sure how useful I'd be towards helping you. My focus was more on performance practice and theory, since my degree was actually in music composition. Regardless, I was somewhat immersed in that milieu, so feel free to message me with any specifics... But I don't think I'll be able to get you very far, not anymore, anyway.

[Lux Apollo]

Well damn, that makes one of us. . .

 

I really want to just thoroughly heckle Rousseau on both his music and his musicology, but I'm afraid you might like him or something and (as I don't really know you) I don't want to troll you too hard.

 

It was actually on realizing that this guy was probably way more influential, musically-speaking, than he had any right to be that I ended up tabling my project as "no longer a quick-and-simple effort." So, if you're game I will absolutely rip Rousseau in this quasi-public forum, but I also don't want to sideline the original intent of the thread. I'm equally happy to take the conversation off-thread with you and/or Lux when I get back to it after the end of semester, because there's actually stuff I want to know, not just piss and grumble about.

 

I'll take your word; I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ride the bench for all the Gilbert and Sullivan stuff. My last experience with operetta was a 9th grade production of Iolanthe where the kid playing the Lord Chancellor came down with laryngitis in the second week and his understudy didn't know the nightmare song. I had to sing it from offstage while the poor schmuck pantomimed with a sock puppet. It was not nearly as hilarious as it sounds, but I still have the whole damn thing committed to memory 24 years later. Never again, I say.

 

However, I can offer you some French jugglers performing a Bach prelude using early childhood classroom instruments called Boomwhackers. It IS as hilarious as it sounds, and also pretty genius, I think. Enjoy.

 

:D

 

I've seen that one before, and genius it definitely is. Thanks for bringing it for more enjoyment.

[Parker Owens]

Well damn, that makes one of us. . .

 

I really want to just thoroughly heckle Rousseau on both his music and his musicology, but I'm afraid you might like him or something and (as I don't really know you) I don't want to troll you too hard.

 

It was actually on realizing that this guy was probably way more influential, musically-speaking, than he had any right to be that I ended up tabling my project as "no longer a quick-and-simple effort." So, if you're game I will absolutely rip Rousseau in this quasi-public forum, but I also don't want to sideline the original intent of the thread. I'm equally happy to take the conversation off-thread with you and/or Lux when I get back to it after the end of semester, because there's actually stuff I want to know, not just piss and grumble about.

 

I'll take your word; I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ride the bench for all the Gilbert and Sullivan stuff. My last experience with operetta was a 9th grade production of Iolanthe where the kid playing the Lord Chancellor came down with laryngitis in the second week and his understudy didn't know the nightmare song. I had to sing it from offstage while the poor schmuck pantomimed with a sock puppet. It was not nearly as hilarious as it sounds, but I still have the whole damn thing committed to memory 24 years later. Never again, I say.

 

However, I can offer you some French jugglers performing a Bach prelude using early childhood classroom instruments called Boomwhackers. It IS as hilarious as it sounds, and also pretty genius, I think. Enjoy.

 

 

Okay, I have never seen this before, and it is flat-out awesome. It appeals to my mathematical-logistical mind. Love it! Thank you, squared.

[AC Benus]

 

I really should learn some Gershwin pieces sometime. A friend of mine played Rialto Ripples back when we were in high school, but I never dove into it.

 

If you’re serious about exploring Gershwin on the harpsichord, Just Another Rhumba is good, but I’d suggest another late-period composition. Here’s Slap That Bass — first in a Jack Gibson arrangement, and then in a simpler rendering of Gershwin’s published score.    

 

Have fun, Lux! 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIC-x9qamxo

 

 

Edited March 10, 2017 by AC Benus

[Lux Apollo]

 

If you’re serious about exploring Gershwin on the harpsichord, Just Another Rhumba is good, but I’d suggest another late-period composition. Here’s Slap That Bass — first in a Jack Gibson arrangement, and then in a simpler rendering of Gershwin’s published score.    

 

Have fun, Lux! 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIC-x9qamxo

 

 

 

 

As fun as it would be on harpsichord, I was thinking on piano. Besides, my harpsichord needs surgery... One of the bridges came unglued during my move (it was already loosening, I'll admit), and there are some cracks in the soundboard that need to be addressed. This is what I get for having a 'free' instrument... It would be beautiful if not for the problems lol.

[Parker Owens]

"... It would be beautiful if not for the problems lol."

 

This sounds a lot like a Triumph my brother owned. It's music was pretty grand, too, come to think of it. 

[AC Benus]

Thinking about a certain someone. ...et lux pertetua, dear friend...

 

 

Edited March 16, 2017 by AC Benus

[AC Benus]

Melville’s novel, Pierre, features a mystical, self-playing guitar. In my screenplay of the same work, I made much use of Bach. Here are a few selections. Hope you enjoy

 

 

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tUnHDgB2ko

 

 

[Parker Owens]

These are perfect for the role!

[Lux Apollo]

Lovely!

[AC Benus]

Listening to a sad song today. Charles Dibdin had his brother Tom die at sea. When he got the news, he composed this song, one of the finest in the English tradition. Robert Tear's performance here is emotional but perfectly balanced. Love it 

 

 

Edited April 2, 2017 by AC Benus
listening

[AC Benus]

The lyrics are these:

 

Tom Bowling

Here a sheer hulk, lies poor Tom Bowling
The darling of our crew;
No more he'll hear the tempest howling
For death has broached him to.
His form was of the manliest beauty, his heart was kind and soft;
Faithful below, Tom did his duty
And now he's gone aloft
And now he's gone aloft

Tom never from his word departed
His virtues were so rare:
His friends were many and true hearted
His poll was kind and fair;
And then he'd sing so blithe and jolly
Ah! many's the time and oft;
But mirth is turn'd to melancholy
For Tom is gone aloft
For Tom is gone aloft

Yet shall poor Tom find pleasant weather
When he who all commands
Shall give, to call life's crew together
The word to pipe all hands:
Thus death, who kings and tars despatches
In vain Tom's life hath doff'd
For tho' his body's under hatches
His soul is gone aloft
His soul is gone aloft.

 

 

[MacGreg]

17 minutes ago, AC Benus said:

Listening to a sad song today. Charles Dibdin had his brother Tom die at sea. When he got the news, he composed this song, one of the finest in the English tradition. Robert Tear's performance here is emotional but perfectly balanced. Love it

 

Achingly beautiful. Thank you for sharing. It was the perfect backdrop to something I'm writing.