“What is 3/3?” in response to this: “It’s the time signature of the Chopin piece heard here; listen to the left hand.” (It was clearly a waltz.)
Update: … thanks, Janet, for the clip. You all can see an hear it now! click here
:-)
“She was a concert violinist with the orchestra. First chair violin. Concertmaster. Second to the conductor himself.” This from the mother. Then she said “I was her manager.”
Um. Right. Because the concertmaster in a Sacramento orchestra would have to have a manager and who better than a mother?
This is all from the TV show The Mentalist, which I recorded and KNEW I’d have to watch since it was about a murder of the concertmaster of an orchestra (The Northern California Symphony Orchestra.)
“She has a very elegant rubato.” Yet another good line!
And yes, the principal oboist looks like a total nerd!
Man. Worst. Episode. Ever. Which is why it’s just so darn good. Or. Um. Not.
“You musicians. Professional obsessives ….”
As the principal oboist is chatting with Patrick Jane the orchestra begins to tune. Hmmm. Problem there maybe?
I love that the clarinetist is sitting next to the oboist, and a bassoonist is randomly seated by a violinist. (I only see one of each of the winds and brass.)
Ah, there is SO much to laugh at in this episode it’s really incredibly entertaining. Loads ‘o fun!
And the murderer? Guess who?
If you can handle the nearly 45 minute show with pretty horrible acting and a ridiculous plot, well …
New Outer Limits: Music Of The Spheres
“It is said that music is a universal bridge, crossing the barriers of culture, age and language. Perhaps eventually we will learn that it also spans those of time and space.”
Um. Okay then. I just wasted 44:24 on this. Hah! Now you can too! :-)
… so does the “Habsburg Chamber Orchestra” actually exist?
He is on TBS tonight. I’ll miss it; these shows are always past my bedtime!
I especially loved, “also, are you ever off the ground?”
(And notice a younger looking Woody Allen there.)
Thanks to sociosound for bringing this to my attention!
Well … um … yes. She’s only ten. Probably not a lot has happened to her at this point, right? ;-)
So here’s this very cute ten year old girl singing “O mio babbino caro”.
(You have to put up with the stuff before and after, but do listen to her sing. This kiddo does have some talent. Now of course one never knows what will happen in the future … but how fun to hear a 10 year old singing something from an opera!)
… from some TV show called Phineas and Ferb, whatever that is:
“Yeah, it was weird. You and I were in this Dixieland band and there was an iguana playing the oboe.”
Silly. Everyone knows that iguanas play clarinet. And oboes aren’t in a Dixieland band.
Anyone remember the TV show “Civil Wars”? Turns out there was an episode titled “Oboe Phobia”. If you saw it and can fill me in I’d love to hear about it.
Now I really want to see the episode. Go figure.
“The Choir” was made in England, where it is an award-winning hit TV series. But it premieres this week in the U.S. on BBC America, and not only is it the finest new TV show of the summer, it speaks directly to the situation of music programs in school systems like Baltimore’s. If you are a music-lover, teacher or parent, this is a production not to be missed.
The reality TV series stars Gareth Malone, a boyish-looking 30-year-old choirmaster with the London Symphony Orchestra who goes into schools without singing programs and starts choral groups from scratch. His goal is to demonstrate the power of music to bring disparate and often alienated students together and transform their lives through the act of singing together.
I didn’t even KNOW there was a BBC America until now … guess I need to check things on our AT&T Uverse schedule more carefully! Channel 188, for any who have Uverse in my location. Who knows if I’ll actually like the show or not, but it’s worth a watch. The first episode is tonight (10:00 in my neck ‘o the woods).
… sadly not here in the United States.
The oboe player is back on tonight. I haven’t a clue if she continues to win (I’m sure you all know these are recorded earlier than they are shown), and doing a search online brought up nothing. Guess they’re good about keeping these things a secret. But I’ll be watching and cheering her on. :-)
Vancouver contestant back on ‘Jeopardy!’
Vancouver oboist Rebecca Dixon will be back on “Jeopardy!” tonight to defend her championship title.
Dixon, a 23-year-old Mountain View High School graduate, won on episodes airing Jan. 28 and 29. Her two-day winnings totaled $53,002. Now that the program’s college championship has ended, she’s back hoping for a third win.
… is nearly always an opera Sunday too. And of course this year is no different, as I’ll be playing Marriage of Figaro in the pit. So I can’t watch the game or, more importantly, the commercials. Ah well. But maybe I’ll record it, and maybe I’ll see this, too:
Before the Colts, the Saints or The Who takes the stage Sunday for Super Bowl XLIV, millions of television viewers will see a performance by musicians from Rutgers University.
The Rutgers Symphony Orchestra will appear in a two-minute pre-game music video with rapper Jay-Z just before kickoff the 6:28 p.m. kickoff Sunday on CBS. About 65 musicians from the Rutgers Symphony Orchestra and the Rutgers Sinfonia traveled to New York City Tuesday to film the piece.
Read more here.
Music is an important part of my life and my fingers had become so bent that I feared I would never be able to play the oboe again. And I didn’t want to entertain that thought.
-David McCallum
To my age group, he was the cute guy in Man from U.N.C.L.E and to folks who didn’t grow up with that he is, perhaps Ducky (how appropriate!) in NCIS. The article is about his dealing with Dupuytren’s contracture.
David took great delight, a few weeks ago, in putting on the DVD of the Mozart symphony he had been playing when he first realised his partially clawed hands could no longer reach the keys – and this time playing the oboe solo without a hitch. ‘It was a wonderful feeling and a wonderful experience,’ he says.
Hmm. Wonder what symphony he played. And don’t you think he should play oboe on NCIS sometime? That would be just … wait for it … you know it’s coming … c’mon … here we go …
He was just a normal little boy and then he fell in love with art. He got moody ….
From the show Castle
Yeah. That’s how it goes. Fall in love with art and you get all messed up.
Or something.
When I was a kid I really loved the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I’ve not seen it since, but I’m guessing I’d not be as thrilled with it. That’s kind of the way it goes isn’t it? CCBB starred Dick Van Dyke, and I always loved him. So when I landed at the video below I had to “bless” all of you with it. That song is one that can really get stuck in one’s head. Funny thing: I thought the lyrics were “Our fine four feathered friend” (regarding the car) when I was a kid! (It’s really “four fendered friend”. Duh.) When Van Dyke sings “chitty chitty” sometimes it comes across as another “itty” word. At least to my ears. I’m guessing it’s easy to fall into that!
Van Dyke is 84 now. Looks like he’s doing pretty well!
I loved The Dick Van Dyke show when I was a kid. And at the end of the following video you get some of his fun dancing:
Okay. Enough fun for today. I think I’ll take a nap. ;-)
