spotted… manboy in minivan jamming out to oboe music?
… to go back to school!
It was starting to get embarrassing: I’d been living in New York City for 20 years and had never been to the symphony.
I considered myself a well educated person, read books and magazines, spent hours at art museums. But for some reason, live classical music intimidated me. Maybe it was the tuxedos and evening gowns worn by the members of the New York Philharmonic, or those mysterious pauses between movements when everyone seemed to know not to applaud.
So last fall I audited a music appreciation course at Hunter College, part of the City University of New York — the first time I had been back to college since I graduated in 1976. I wanted to learn just enough about Western classical music to enjoy an evening at the opera or a chamber music performance. I also wanted to finish what I’d started in my first semester of college when I signed up for — then dropped out of — an introductory music class.
You can read the whole thing if you’d like.
… enough of banning music and Wagner and all that …
(Thanks to Jason Heath for posting this earlier.)
[Updated 11:28 p.m.: Supervisor Mike Antonovich said he does not want to cancel the festival. He wants to substitute works by other composers.]
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich is demanding that Los Angeles Opera discontinue the Ring Festival L.A. planned for next year, calling Richard Wagner a, “Nazi composer.”
“To specifically honor and glorify the man whose music and racist anti-Semitic writings inspired Hitler and became the de facto soundtrack for the Holocaust in a countywide festival is an affront to those who have suffered or have been impacted by the horrors of Adolf Hitler’s National Socialistic Worker Party,” Antonovich said in a statement released today.
I read it here.
… because these Terry Teachout tweets are too good to skip, but really need to be posted right after I read them. Because.
Paul and I are sitting in separate cars side by side in a Santa Fe parking lot, checking our e-mail…
…and he just e-mailed me a synthesized sound file of the revised orchestration for a new orchestral interlude for “The Letter.”
If that doesn’t sum up opera in the 21st century, I don’t know what does.
In case you aren’t up on opera news, Terry Teachout is the librettist for the opera “The Letter”, with music by Paul Moravec. I’m sorry to say I’m unfamiliar with Mr. Moravec’s music. I see selections at emusic, so I’ll probably be downloading some music while I still have a membership there. (They’ve lowered the number of downloads with my particular plan beginning with my renewal, so I’m guessing I’ll drop the membership. We’ll see.)
Well, I told my oboe teacher I quit. Made an appointment to change my major. I think I’m going to vomit.
Which background music/sound is optimal for cognitive activities such as film interpretation? A quick and dirty study while on call suggests classical music. Bach, to be precise. In my former life, I used to play the oboe (but I wasn’t one of those crazy, fanatical oboe players).
It’s very hot here today. So hot (102 is what our car said, 99 is what wunderground.com reported) that Dan suggested I see if there was some kind of air conditioner that I could buy for the studio. Alas, what I saw was too large and nearly $600. So we opted instead for a new fan that I think did really help during the one afternoon lesson I taught. I wish it could be a bit quieter, but I guess a fan is a fan, yes? They tend to make noise as they move the air around.
Meanwhile most students are canceling these days. Ah well. It’s summer. They have places to go and things to do. But our only income during summer is my teaching income (Dan has his “3 month vacation” as he calls it; ah, the life of a college instructor!), so when they cancel I do get a bit anxious. Especially this year, when we didn’t set aside much money due to unavoidable expenses. (Although I totally understand when students cancel in this weather —it’s just so darn hot — so I’m not pressuring those of you who read this. Honest!) I’m definitely (please note: there is no A in the word “definite”! [smile]) looking forward to the Merola opera I get to play (Cosi fan tutte) as it will aid in our summer income. That doesn’t begin until July 29, so meanwhile I am working on being careful about money. As much as going out tonight would have been nice, due to the heat, I actually cooked.
But of course as I write that I have to laugh at myself; I purchased new family room furniture on Saturday! That money, though, was from my personal “fun money” account, so it doesn’t affect (or is that effect? I hate those words!) our joint financial state. It just means that I won’t be buying anything else for a good number of months. But that’s why we have our fun funds … we each get to do with them what we wish. And right now I wish for nice furniture. I can’t wait until it arrives. Except of course that I will wait. (I sort of laugh when people say, “I can’t wait,” because, in reality, one rarely has a choice!)
Okay … that’s enough of a ramble for now. What can I say? I’m chocolate deprived and dealing with horrible heat. You get the blog I write because that’s just the way it goes. So there.
This was a true PattyRamble™ … gee, it’s been a while! ;-)
Does Your Choice Of Music Effect Your Hairstyle?
Some Answers:
I listen to puck/rock and I dies red streaks in my hair. Not everyone thinks I’m punk, but it’s because music is my outlet from life, and I wanted to express myself.
i don’t think so
I suppose to some degree they may go hand hin hand. Most people with Liberty Spikes or Mohawk type haircuts aren’t primarily focused on country music, for example.
yes i listen to rock and have long hair
sort of, i listen to dance and italian songs and my hair is slick back.
I would think so. Emo kids have totally out of this world hair (that’s a good thing by the way so don’t worry!) While classical music listeners would probably keep their hair more conservative.
What a difficult life the Oboe must have lived to sing such sad notes.
I found three videos that go through a list of French composers. Looks like fun, although you won’t get full works, but maybe you’ll find some things you’ll want to search out later. I am not going to have time to watch these right now (which I admit can be dangerous!), but it seems appropriate to feature French composers today, so here you are:
Part One:
Part Two:
Part Three:
Perhaps after I finish with my 9:00 AM (! yes, really!) student I’ll be able to actually sit through all three. Time will tell.
I don’t think there’s an ounce of French in my blood. But it’s Bastille Day so here you go:
I didn’t know the words to this before. I’d been told the US national anthem was the only one that was at all violent. Hmmm.
I want to learn to play the cello, harp, oboe, basson, flute, organ, saxophone and anything else I can lay my hands on. The harp is next on my list,
Had the best Birthday yesterday. I got Bells, a Chanter, Trombone and an Oboe.
I found this at the Michael Tilson Thomas YouTube page. Unfortunately it’s been requested that we not put it up at sites (“Embedding disabled by request”) which is a shame, since I know not everyone clicks these links. But oh well. I have to honor the request, right? But it’s a fun listen.
From there you can go here and see each video he has taken this from. (I guess they didn’t have the “Embedding disabled by request” with their videos.
