Pictures at an Exhibition
It exists as a solo piano composition, in Ravel's transcription for full
orchestra, and as here in a transcription for Pipe Organ. What's
remarkable here is the fact that it is played by 84-yr-old Jean Guillou.
Monday, January 29, 2024
Monday, June 5, 2017
Brian Adams
With a Grimaldi as his wife and manager he can claim association with European royalty aside from photographing the Queen for a postage stamp. No one has accused him of trying to bed the nanny but in an 'ah shucks moment' he did invite his 89-year-old mother on stage to meet the fans at a recent concert.
Friday, June 17, 2016
Forosco
Yes,
that Bacon though there are no degrees of separation, older brother
Michael is his partner here. For the record Forosco is a brand of
guitar pick. The music on this first CD is a blend of
Country/Rock/Folk characterized by a rye self-deprecating sense of
humour. Some of the songs get downright personal. To a large degree
this disc sounds like a bunch of good ole boys having a few brews in
someone's garage or basement while they jam.
Seems I have a collectors item.
Monday, January 6, 2014
No More Pennies
Dave Gunning is rapidly becoming the voice of the Maritimes. Already his image graces the sign for Pictou County on HWY 104. His song A Game Goin’ On just won a CBC Hockey Night in Canada Award. No one can deny his song-writing ability, one could just wish God had given him a better set of pipes.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
The Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman
Don't get me wrong now, I enjoyed the concert on November 16th, I'm just not so much a Country Aficionado that I can ignore the foibles. Our campground and the new Opry are 10 miles from Downtown Nashville and the Ryman where parking is extremely tight. Our bus was shoehorned into an alley with a score of other buses. Remembered Pat the driver from the last time I was here. I'm glad she was driving that monster. It didn't help that at every pickup spot someone was late. I walked over around 5:10 for a 5:30 pickup but the last couple arrived 5:35 even though the bus was early.
I had an aisle seat at the Ryman in the centre of the theatre but well under the balcony. No trouble seeing but as the gentleman behind me on the return trip complained the vocals were muffled and the sound in a venue designed for acoustic presentation was loud and somewhat distorted. The myth about being tall leading to success is emphatically borne out in Country Music. The preponderance of painfully tall men was quite apparent beginning with Eddie the stage announcer. A suit jacket on a six foot six beanpole just doesn't look right and those legs look like stilts. Bass was not a sponsor last night, replaced by the Country Music Hall of Fame. I swear they've cut down on the number and length of commercial breaks since I was there last.
There's no such thing as a unified approach to Country Music. The diversity is striking. I'm not a fan of the drawn-out wailing approach to gospel. But there's blue grass in which the banjo is prominent along with mandolin, western with its accordions and violins, country with it's wailing Hawaiian Guitars, and everything in between. Amongst all those towering giants Little Jimmy Dickens in his baby blue rhinestone encrusted suit looked like a tiny pixie and at 91 rasped his lines more than sang them. The job of the Host for each of the half hour segments is to cover for the stage crew as they set up for each act and they sing and crack old corny jokes that the audience seems to eat up and laugh at in response. There were a couple instrumental groups and then there was Charlie Daniels who could only be described as high decibel jazz fusion and closed out the show while he wrecked three bows on his rosin encrusted violin and declaimed rap-like 'lyrics' to a background of driving piano and guitar in syncopated rhythms. With twelve groups in two hours each has time to do little more than present one or two of their hits.
The costumes run the gamut from ten-gallon hats and string ties, boiler-man overalls, blue jeans tailored to fit like a second skin, and fancy suits with conservative ties. Rhinestones, sequins and embroidery are de rigueur. Only one female singer that night--Connie Smith dressed in black.
In case you didn't know it the Opry began as a radio network developed by Humana to shill their health care insurance. The local radio station's call sign stands for We Serve Millions, WSM 650. And the rest is history.
I had an aisle seat at the Ryman in the centre of the theatre but well under the balcony. No trouble seeing but as the gentleman behind me on the return trip complained the vocals were muffled and the sound in a venue designed for acoustic presentation was loud and somewhat distorted. The myth about being tall leading to success is emphatically borne out in Country Music. The preponderance of painfully tall men was quite apparent beginning with Eddie the stage announcer. A suit jacket on a six foot six beanpole just doesn't look right and those legs look like stilts. Bass was not a sponsor last night, replaced by the Country Music Hall of Fame. I swear they've cut down on the number and length of commercial breaks since I was there last.
There's no such thing as a unified approach to Country Music. The diversity is striking. I'm not a fan of the drawn-out wailing approach to gospel. But there's blue grass in which the banjo is prominent along with mandolin, western with its accordions and violins, country with it's wailing Hawaiian Guitars, and everything in between. Amongst all those towering giants Little Jimmy Dickens in his baby blue rhinestone encrusted suit looked like a tiny pixie and at 91 rasped his lines more than sang them. The job of the Host for each of the half hour segments is to cover for the stage crew as they set up for each act and they sing and crack old corny jokes that the audience seems to eat up and laugh at in response. There were a couple instrumental groups and then there was Charlie Daniels who could only be described as high decibel jazz fusion and closed out the show while he wrecked three bows on his rosin encrusted violin and declaimed rap-like 'lyrics' to a background of driving piano and guitar in syncopated rhythms. With twelve groups in two hours each has time to do little more than present one or two of their hits.
The costumes run the gamut from ten-gallon hats and string ties, boiler-man overalls, blue jeans tailored to fit like a second skin, and fancy suits with conservative ties. Rhinestones, sequins and embroidery are de rigueur. Only one female singer that night--Connie Smith dressed in black.
In case you didn't know it the Opry began as a radio network developed by Humana to shill their health care insurance. The local radio station's call sign stands for We Serve Millions, WSM 650. And the rest is history.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
ASO The New World Symphony
Seems the Chicago Symphony have been hiring researchers to investigate the backgrounds to the writing of famous classical pieces Dvorak’s New World Symphony being a case in point. With a huge screen obscuring the majority of the orchestra Edison Movies made in the 1890ies were projected while actors presented the story of Dvorak’s arrival in New York to teach and the subsequent composing of the symphony in question. The orchestra played excerpts from Dvorak and other composers to illustrate the background that informs this work. During the second half minus the screen an un-interrupted performance of the entire work was given. A ragged entrance to the third movement proves the importance of watching the conductor. The orchestra paid closer attention in performing the excerpts in the first half. I was pleasantly surprised when Maestro Peter Bey arrived in person for the pre-concert talk and gave us a detailed introduction to the Orchestra’s forthcoming One Century Anniversary Celebration. A cello used in the first performance is featured on this year’s brochures. Beginning as more a chamber group it performed in various venues including an arena where cattle droppings were a prominent feature on concert nights.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
PDQ Bach
Being a review of the concert given by Peter Schikele at the Long Centre, Austin, Texas Wednesday, March 3, 2010.
It would have been a kindness had the Long Centre Staff alerted me to the fact that my seating had been re-assigned before I climbed 8 flights of stairs. Being chased by a staffer as I climbed to a darkened lobby was not a positive experience. Austines apparently knew something I didn’t and stayed away in droves making it doubtful there will be another such concert given the bath the Long Centre took on this event. It is sad when a performer contnues touring long past his best-before date. What the audience got last night were intimations of the greatness that has been and a lot of the applause and the standing ovation given by some was more nostalgic than genuine.
As always with PDQ Bach it is difficult to determine what is shtick and what reality. He was wheeled onto stage in hospital garb in a wheelchair. For the rest of the performance he used a cane. Although it may be remarked that most would be thankful to be as active once they reach 75 that age does tell. There were interminable periods when the audience was left staring at a blank stage while the good professor did costume changes. It would be impossible to tell how many of the flubs throughout the evening were intentional or accidental but they did add up. Most damning to a comedian is a loss of timing. Too often the laughs were polite or given with a sense of discomfort. The rapid-fire laugh a minute onslaught is a thing of the past. This performance seemed laboured.
I suppose I should be grateful for having my seat upgraded significantly but some prior notice would have been appreciated. I do wish I’d had the opportunity to see Peter perform 20 years ago.
It would have been a kindness had the Long Centre Staff alerted me to the fact that my seating had been re-assigned before I climbed 8 flights of stairs. Being chased by a staffer as I climbed to a darkened lobby was not a positive experience. Austines apparently knew something I didn’t and stayed away in droves making it doubtful there will be another such concert given the bath the Long Centre took on this event. It is sad when a performer contnues touring long past his best-before date. What the audience got last night were intimations of the greatness that has been and a lot of the applause and the standing ovation given by some was more nostalgic than genuine.
As always with PDQ Bach it is difficult to determine what is shtick and what reality. He was wheeled onto stage in hospital garb in a wheelchair. For the rest of the performance he used a cane. Although it may be remarked that most would be thankful to be as active once they reach 75 that age does tell. There were interminable periods when the audience was left staring at a blank stage while the good professor did costume changes. It would be impossible to tell how many of the flubs throughout the evening were intentional or accidental but they did add up. Most damning to a comedian is a loss of timing. Too often the laughs were polite or given with a sense of discomfort. The rapid-fire laugh a minute onslaught is a thing of the past. This performance seemed laboured.
I suppose I should be grateful for having my seat upgraded significantly but some prior notice would have been appreciated. I do wish I’d had the opportunity to see Peter perform 20 years ago.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)