Mysteries Abysmal

Soundcheck: Sgt. Pepper at 40

I stumbled onto this fantastic radio debate between my favorite NY Times music critic Allan Kozinn and the Chicago Sun-Times candidly brilliant man-of-rock Jim DeRogatis.  The matter-at-hand was Sgt. Pepper and its spot atop the rock canon: is it well-deserved or misplaced?  I'm firmly with Kozinn in that it's a masterpiece, mostly because the music sounds great to me. I'm not from the LP generation, but if I were, I'd say it's pretty tough to beat side B and its whimsical progression towards "A Day in the Life."  (Yes, I even think "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" is excellent in every way, even if it does say nothing.) That said, DeRogatis mostly blames McCartney's lyrical kitchiness (see "She's Leaving Home" and "When I'm 64") for the album's faults when, considering the record's special place and time, could've said so much more. (Does DeRogatis want more songs appropo to the Summer of Love, ala The Youngbloods "Get Together" ?) He also claims that most Beatles fans would acknowledge that Revolver is the band's preeminent recording, and of course it's hard for me to argue against that.  But does "Good Day Sunshine" and "Yellow Submarine" differ that much in sentiment from Pepper's perceived fluff? If Pepper and Revolver traded "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "I'm only Sleeping" with each other, then Pepper would be far easier to claim as the greatest pop/rock record ever made.  Sorry Julian.    

Billy, Pecky, and the Duke

Monday night I reviewed the Chicago Sinfonietta and Chicago Jazz Ensemble who had partnered for a night of Duke Ellington's music.  When jazz and classical share the stage, there are always going to be some furtive cultural wars taking place.  Jazz ensemble bandleader and trumpet phenom Jon Faddis took the first swipe: "now, you see we're a jazz band and if you all feel the need to clap after a solo or in between movements, you do that," Faddis said with a cunning smile. "If you feel moved to do so." 

Slap!  This reeled in the diverse crowd who kept mum during Grieg's Peer Gynt.  Actually, a few people wanted to applaud after the sinonietta's sterling take on "Morning Mood," but were probably shushed from doing so.  And back to that Jon Faddis: what a performer!  I played trumpet all through highschool and the highest note I could  get was the octave above high C...maybe the D too.  Faddis flirted with octaves above that.   

Cult of flannel

How many indie kids does it take to screw in a light bulb?

What, you didn't know? 

WRDP Playlist #47

I won't be posting every week's playlist, but wanted to commemorate our return to radio.  We're back, baby.

Nuba al-Maya
Ibn Baya: Omar Metioui, Eduardo Paniagua
Cuts 1-4
Pneuma 630

Music From the Court of Juana I de Castilla
Cuts 2,3,5
Pneuma 710

Bedrich Smetana
3 Salon Polkas
Andras Schiff, piano
Teldec 21261

Leos Janacek
"Taras Bulba"
Rafael Kubelick, con.
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
MCCL 97018

John Ireland
Legend
Piers Lane, piano
Ulster Orchestra
Hyperion CDA67296

Francesco Veracini
Sonata in D minor, Op. 2, No. 12
Trio Settecento
Cedille 90000 099

Carl Stamitz
Concerto for viola & orchestra, op. 1
Hariolf Schlichter, soloist
Munich Chamber Orchestra
Tudor 7087

Richard Strauss
4 Last Songs: Im Abendrot
Cheryl Studer
Giuseppe Sinopoli, Staatskapelle Dresden
DG 439 865

Frank Martin
Ballade for Cello & Chamber Orchestra
Quirine Viersen, cello
Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra
Etcetera KTC1290

Carl Nielsen
Clarinet Concerto
Sabine Meyer, soloist
Berlin Philharmonic, Sir Simon Rattle
EMI 0946

Anton Webern
Passacaglia, Op. 1
Giuseppe Sinopoli
Staatskapelle Dresden
Teldec 3984

"Song of the Birds", arr. Sally Beamish
cellist, Steven Isserlis
Hyperion CDA67541

Show; Noise; NEA Institute

S-l-o-w as molasses these last few weeks, as the local music groups have enjoyed a well-deserved respite before the '07/'08 season kicks off this weekend. Tomorrow, my volunteer radio show with Gerry Fisher resumes at 3pm CT, which y'all can access here.  We were rusty and clumsy in our finest hours, so after a 6-month hiatus, you can imagine what to expect.  Not to say the music won't be worth your while.   Also, I'm halfway through the much anticipated book from Alex Ross.  With seven years of labor behind him, Ross's enormously erudite and melodic music history of the 20th century is making me either run to the piano to hear what a whole-tone scale sounds like or just open up my scores to follow along (After reading his blog for 3 years, you forget how well-versed the man is in music theory). And his close attention to the relationships between various composers--whether fleeting or long-term--has made this read more like a gripping novel than a history lesson: 

Two years later, playing Birdland in New York, the bebop master [Charlie Parker] spotted Stravinsky at one of the tables and immediately incorporated a motif from Firebird into "Koko," causing the composer to spill his scotch in ecstasy (92).

Lastly, the NEA website has posted a list of all the attendees in this year's Institute at Columbia University.  It is going to be a thrill to work with such a diverse group of arts editors, reporters, and even radio announcers.  In preparation, I have listened to Mahler's "Resurrection" Symphony #2 approximately 643 times in the last 30 days.  Or so it feels. 

Most Awkward Interview...ever?

Non-musical digression, but this is too big of a diamond not to share.  While the whole thing is unbearable to watch, things start getting really bad at the halfway point.  Contradictions, ringing cell phones, nonsense deliberations, and a meditation on his daughter that borders on the obscene.  (We like awkward, and you will too)

Ravel & the Beatles

In his sixty-two years Ravel, who worked constantly, didn't turn out more than eight hours' worth of music, as contrasted with Debussy's sixteen, Beethoven's thirty, Wagner's fifty, Bach's seventy, Ives's two thousand, or Webern's two.  Of those eight hours none is slipshod or routine.

- Ned Rorem

The Beatles released about 10 hours of music, with nary a loser in the lot. 

-Allan Kozinn

Don't call it a comeback

Cyber Classical, my old 3-hour program on Radio DePaul, looks to return for another semester beginning Friday the 14th.  No longer on our trademark Sunday evening, Gerry Fisher and I will be broadcasting Fridays.  Those gainfully employed can catch us at work from 3-6 pm CT or 4-7pm ET.  We promise we'll make those last hours before you punch out for the weekend go by extra fast. 

Tune in Here for show #45.