Classics in Film, Streaming, Saucers

I have been reflecting lately on the ability of some people to remain calm in stressful situations. Specifically, athletes like Patrick Mahomes. NFL quarterbacks face supreme pressure to read the defense and get rid of the ball in a matter of seconds. Mahomes does this well. He almost always makes the right decision. He stays calm. Well, completely unrelated to Patrick Mahomes, but related to classical music and the art of staying calm in difficult situations, I re-watched a great movie called Fearless which was released in 1993. It stars Jeff Bridges who plays a man who survives a plane crash...one of the only to survive, and the only one not to be injured...he walks away unscathed. In the aftermath of the crash, he pulls away from his family, and everyone else in his life for that matter, while trying to process the trauma...trying to understand why he was the fortunate one. The crash scene is very vivid and realistic. And as the scene unfolds, music from composer Henryk Gorecki plays; specifically the first movement of his Symphony no. 3 known as the Symphony of Sorrowful Souls. I think it is a brilliant choice by the director, Peter Weir. 

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I spent some time a few weeks ago re-organizing and cataloging my CD collection....you do know what a CD is, right? Some of you do...but many younger people don't. Like the album and cassette tape, the CD has pretty much gone the way of the dinosaur. But I still listen to them, as well as my albums. But face it...the digital age has given all of us seemingly infinite power to access and enjoy music far beyond a CD/album/tape collection. And I must confess that my Amazon music subscription is my primary source of music these days. It just blows me away....I can find just about anything I want to listen to with a simple search and click of the button. I do think the sound and nuance of albums...and analog music overall...is still superior... but hey...the upside of music streaming is undeniable.

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I drink coffee everyday. My morning ritual starts with putting cold water in the kettle, grinding my beans, bringing the water to a boil, scooping the coffee into a French press, stirring, waiting, pressing and sipping. It's a highlight of my day. Just as I enjoy the first sip of a cocktail/wine in the evening, this first sip of coffee is essential for my enjoyment of the day, and life itself. And I have several mugs I enjoy drinking from. But what happened to saucers? When was the last time you used a saucer? I can't recall. And this is a shame. Saucers are elegant. They bring coffee drinking to a higher level of sophistication. Yesterday, I pulled out our fine set of china and served myself coffee in a proper cup with a saucer. It was beautiful, don't you agree?

Harmonics, $3.81, Schmaltz

Violin harmonics are, by definition, a violin technique in which you play overtones. You do that by softly touching the violin string with a finger on your left hand while drawing a normal bow stroke with your right hand. 

Thank you Violinspiration.com for the above definition of a technique that has always fascinated me. Composers often write music that incorporate harmonics, but one that stands out for me is Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov (1888). A solo violin plays a very long, sustained harmonic "E" as the final movement concludes. I can't think of any other piece of music that does it to this extent:

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There is a new coffee shop here in town. The owners refurbished a century old brick building and created a modern space with some nice artwork and a cool "hipster" vibe. I ordered a small, black coffee and the total came to $3.81. Add in a tip and it was a $5.00 cup of coffee. No froth, cream, cinnamon, hazelnut, whip etc....just coffee. It was good...but not $5.00 good. I went home and brewed my own at a fraction of the price. Just seems crazy to me.

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I have no shame admitting that I like "schmaltz"....musical schmaltz. While my dad was hardcore classical, my mom and grandmother also liked showtunes and popular music. My grandmother in particular enjoyed artists like Percy Faith, Mantovani, Lawrence Welk, and Liberace. These and other similar artists used lush production and orchestration in a very romantic and soft way. This style went on to become known as "elevator music" as it had no real substance....just fluff. But as a kid, I would play these records when I visited my grandparents and I was hooked by them....what I heard was beautiful to my ear. Call me crazy I suppose. I stumbled on an album by Henry Mancini this week that has a great example of this lush sound. Take a listen:

This was recorded in 1959....at the height of the "elevator music craze...if there was such a thing. I think it is wonderful. 

Bach and Coffee, Top 20 List, On-line Ordering Sucks

The bookends of my day....days....are coffee in the morning and cocktails in the late-afternoon-evening. They may be my favorite things in each day, or at least they are on the list of Tim's Top 5 favorite things in a day.  Bach is certainly on my Top-5 composer list...in fact he comes in at Number 1. But I was unaware that Bach and coffee had a close connection. Bach's Cantata BWV 211 is know as the Coffee Cantata. Here is some history about it. Thank you Sirius XM Channel 76 Symphony Hall for bringing this to my attention!

https://blogs.loc.gov/nls-music-notes/2019/03/bach-and-the-coffee-cantata/

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Rick Beato made a video last week of Top 20 "One Hit Wonders" from the 1980's. I could not resist coming up with my own list, which only includes a couple of songs from his list. Here are mine, in no particular order. And yes, I am aware that some of these artists did have success beyond just one song. For instance, The Romatics also had a song on the charts called Talking in Your Sleep. But I don't think it was a "Hit"...so that's just my opinion man.

Welcome to the Boomtown - David and David

The Captain of Her Heart - Double

The Music in You - New Radicals

Mary's Prayer - Meet Danny Wilson

Cry - Goodley and Creme

What I like About You - The Romantics

My Ever Changing Moods - Style Council

Love Plus One - Haircut 100

Promises Promises - Naked Eyes

True - Spandau Ballet

Something About You - Level 42

Life in a Northern Town - The Dream Academy

No One is to Blame - Howard Jones

Take on Me - Aha

She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals

Jenny Jenny - Tommy Tu Tone

Holding Back the Years - Simply Red

Believe it or Not - John Scarbury

Lunatic Fringe - Red Rider

Broken Wings - Mister Mister

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I was standing in line at Einstein Brothers Bagels the other morning...it was a long line and I was pretty far back. While I waited, one person after another came in to pick up an order that had been submitted via an App or online ordering. There were only two people making the food, so we ALL ended up waiting. And there was an awkward dynamic now...those of us in line waiting to order versus those who had already ordered but whose food was not prepared. I don't think most restaurants have the manpower to master this approach to ordering. It really requires two separate crews. So I suggest that all stores and restaurants return to "just fucking go in the store and get it yourself" mode. Kuddos to Trader Joes who have never offered online shopping. 

Great Bruckner riff, no such thing as greatest, and are we roaring?

 

Anton Bruckner, one of my favorite composers, wrote his Symphony no 3 in 1873. He later revised it several times...the 1877 revision seems to be the one most often performed. I am hesitant to even use the word "often" because this symphony is rarely performed at all. I understand why his 4th, 7th, 8th, and 9th are the symphonies most often listened to and performed...they are generally considered his best. But I am coming around to the conclusion that the 3rd may be at that level as well. The four bars of music above are a musical statement that appear in the first minute of the first movement. I like to call these either "riffs" or "licks" which are rock terms, but describe the same thing. It has an odd "beat" or "feel" to it, at least to my ear. The long pause after the c-sharp followed by the quick sixteenth notes at the end make it feel decidedly "un-nineteenth century" to me. Here is a clip from Andris Nelson talking about the 3rd and the "mysticism" of Bruckner, which is also what I feel when I hear these very unique four bars which appear at the 1:15 mark of this video clip:

In 1891, Anton Bruckner was given an honorary degree from the University of Vienna. The Rector who presented the degree said, "At the point where Science must cease, where it's unbreachable bounds are set, there begins the realm of Art, able to express all that which remains hidden to Knowledge." I love this quote. Another interesting note about his 3rd Symphony...he dedicated it to his musical hero, Richard Wagner. As the story goes, he offered the dedication to Wagner during a gathering that involved a lot of beer drinking. Bruckner had submitted his second and third symphonies to Wagner and asked him pick which one he would like for the dedication. Wagner told him his choice during the party, but the next morning, Bruckner could not remember which one Wagner had picked so he had to follow-up with him and ask again....it was the third.

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I don't know why it is so important for people to make statements about who the "greatest" is, in any context. The other day, I saw a headline that proclaimed Jimi Hendrix was the "greatest" guitarist of all-time. Hendrix was an incredible musician and perfomer...no doubt. But as great as he may have been, was he better than Segovia? or Wes Montgomery? or Paganini? (yes, Paganini was a guitarist as well as a violinist.) No, of course not. Hendrix was great. Just leave it at that. 

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My oldest son Jack asked a great question. We were walking around the campus of the University of Wisconsin. Several of the buildings had been built in the 1920's. So we started talking about how the world has changed since that time.....what the students there in 1922 thought about the world and how they imagined the future would be. He also pointed out that those were the "roaring '20s". What did that mean exactly? But also, as we were having this conversation in the 2020's, are we roaring? Neither of us feel like our country is roaring at the moment. 

Teamwork

Right before the All-Star break, the KC Royals, my hometown team, had a series against the Blue Jays in Toronto where COVID vaccinations are required. Ten Royals players are not vaccinated for COVID and were not allowed to make the trip, including several of our best players (Benintendi and Merrifield).  It set off a loud debate here locally, and nationally, about freedom of choice versus commitment and teamwork. Here are some of my thoughts about the situation. 

Classical Connections: re-imagined.

Hi everyone,

I still love the written word, but I am also very comfortable making videos too. After 7 years of writing this blog, I am going to try and incorporate videos. We'll see how it goes!

Bach Alive, Figaro in Commercials

 

JS Bach published the Goldberg Variations in 1741. Many recordings have been made of this epic work for keyboard over the years, none more famous than the "bookends" of Glenn Gould's fabulous career...1955 and 1981. I like both, but if I had to choose, I would currently go with the 1981 recording. Fast forward to 2022. A Frenchman named Jean Rondeau has released his version of the Goldberg Variations...recorded on harpsichord. (Gould recorded them on a modern piano). When I first heard Rondeau's recording, I stopped in my tracks and immediately fell under his spell. This 281year-old work sounds brand new...fresh...alive. Musically speaking, this 31 year-old musician has a clear vision of what he wants to say and how to say it. Sure, he can play the notes....many keyboard players can play the notes...but Rondeau has a point to make and he seems to be saying that Bach means more to the world today than he ever has. I agree.

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I like to share examples of classical music being used in television commercials. Here's a new one for you: Armor All is a product you all probably have in your garage and use on your cars....I do. This commercial features music from Rossini's opera The Barber of Seville (1775)... the "famous" aria "La Figaro."

The producer/director could have used any music for their ad, but they chose this....a classical work. I applaud them for doing that!