Various Thoughts About My Work
(and a few
other things)
by
Bruce Duffie
First
posted in March, 2017, with additions
from time to time
On
editing my interviews...
As you
may or may not be aware, my full-time
employment from 1975-2001 was with WNIB, Classical
97 in Chicago. Except for four
hours overnight during the week, and four hours
on Saturday afternoons, the programming
was exclusively classical music in its
great variety. In addition to my regular duties
as announcer, I also gathered interviews with
various musicians for use both on the air and in
selected magazines and journals. In all (through
about 2005), I did over 1600 exclusive interviews.
A few guests I met twice, and very rarely even more
times. While it was not the
original intent of the management to include atonal
or cutting-edge repertoire, I was able to add that
material on my weekend overnight shifts, and part
of those programs were the interviews with composers
and performers of new music.
Preparing
and presenting these interviews on webpages
is very different from editing sections
for use on the radio. What sounds
good to the ear may not look good to the eye.
Hence, various changes need to be made in
order for the resulting impact to be virtually
the same.
Let me
state here that it is my purpose and duty
to render the thoughts and ideas of my
guests as completely and accurately as possible.
It is also my feeling that I should make
the guests look good. I have a genuine
interest and overwhelming love of my subject,
and always tried to solicit ideas from my guests
in response to my own inquires and proddings.
Occasionally, I would ask a question which
was purposely ambiguous in order to allow the guest
to have the freedom to answer in whatever way he
or she chose. This would, however, come after at
least a few questions which would indicate to the guest
that I, as the interviewer, knew what I was talking about,
and that I was interested in knowing what they had to say.
As to
the actual editing, when doing it for the
radio, I would always try to select sections
that showed my guest to their best advantage.
I would also make sure to end the section
on a positive note.
Let me
inject here that when WNIB was going off
the air on its final day, I chose an opera
that ended with a positive sound in a major key
— Turandot
— and the final piece of music at 12 Midnight
— Lyric for Strings
by George Walker
—
was also a chosen because of its aural
impression, and the fact
that it ended quietly in a major key.
My first thought was to use Adagio for Strings
by Barber, but that piece was so associated
with the movie Platoon
and other works and dates, that
I desired something more unique and somewhat unknown
with the same feeling. To read more
about the final broadcast, click HERE.
When
editing the spoken words for visual (print)
use, certain mannerisms and repetitions
become really annoying, and when something
is annoying, it detracts from the overall
impact. So the phrases ‘you
know’ and ‘I think’, and the
interjection ‘well’
were almost always dropped. I also usually
removed the phrases ‘kind of’
and ‘sort of’ in most instances since
they diminished the thought and derailed the impact.
My guests were strong and vibrant,
and there was no reason to veil them in any kind of
namby-pamby cloak. In speech, sentences would
often begin with the word ‘and’, so I would
either drop the word, or simply connect the thoughts into
one sentence. Parenthetical material, which is meant
to amplify or clarify ideas, makes for tricky reading,
so I would often re-order the sentence to get the thoughts
together.
I hope
you notice that in all of the instances
I never changed any ideas of my guests,
nor did I put words into their mouths.
Their thoughts are what has come through... at
least that has always been my hope, and what I strive
to accomplish. On the rare occasion that
my guest would not answer my question directly
— or at all! — I would change my
question in the print edition so that my guests
could answer in the way they saw fit.
If there were any digressions or extraneous portions,
those were usually omitted, and any glaring errors
were either fixed or explained. Again, those
instances were very rare.
I did
change English-English to American-English,
but mostly only in spelling.
‘Labour’
became ‘labor’,
‘theatre’
became ‘theater’,
‘programme’
became ‘program’,
‘organisation’
became ‘organization’,
and references to
a group became singular rather than plural.
‘The audience don’t care’
became ‘The audience
doesn’t care’. This adjustment,
by the way, is only in the text of the interviews.
The biographical boxes and reprints of obituaries
were almost always left intact.
People
whose first language is not English
will often become quite proficient
with English vocabulary, but will continue to
use their original structure patterns.
Whereas in English we put the modifiers first
— a lovely blue sky — others
might speak about ‘a
sky blue lovely’.
Those quirks have often been fixed, though not in
every instance.
It always
was my intention to present these conversations
as something to learn from
and enjoy. The transcripts are not
of the ‘legal stenographic’
kind. My guests were not on trial.
I was a guest at their concert venue or
in their hotel, or they were guests in my home
or studio. I always treated them with kindness
and respect, and allowed them to express themselves
without fear of any kind of accusation or derision.
It is
special to be able to do it at all, but
I have managed to do it quite well in both
the audio medium and the printed renditions.
Not to toot my own horn, but most people seem
to think I am pretty good at both.
I have found it necessary to look not only at the
big, overall picture, but also the smallest
details. I’m sure there is nothing
new or extraordinary about this, but keeping that
in my mind as I edit goes a long way to strengthening
the impact of each interview.
I
know these interviews
are generally long, but they are what
I have, and I want to share what is there.
In a radio broadcast, people have to
sit there until it is over... or go away and miss
whatever comes next. On the printed page,
readers can interrupt their journey and (hopefully)
come back at some point to pick it up again without
missing a beat.
Occasionally
I will update the pages with new photos
and links. So even though a date
at the bottom might indicate the page was uploaded
before others, that is why later interview
links can appear. I do not do this chore
very often, so there may be links which could
be on a page, but are not. However, as long as
there is the possibility of additions or corrections,
things might get improved!
On that
thought, it always pleases me to be able
to include links to other interviews
within each new one that is posted. In most
cases, these are names that are brought up by
the guest, or appear in the biographies or obituaries.
Only occasionally have I introduced them
in the course of asking questions, and in
each case, the reference was, I hope, relevant
and logical.
I freely admit to being a
cheerleader for my topic and my guests.
This is not a bad thing since I am not a news
gatherer, but rather a feature reporter.
Because my interviews were Features rather
than News, some of the basic rules and formats did
not apply. For instance, the old adage
for news gathering is to ask these questions:
who, what, where, when, why, how, huh?
That last one (which I have added) is usually where
I got the best and most interesting responses.
[A brief related addition, posted
on November 5, 2019] Regarding my webpages,
several times I have received requests
to place advertisements. In all cases I
have declined, and despite my tight financial
situation, I hope to be able to continue to say a resounding
“NO!”
to any and all inquiries of that sort.
= = = = = = = = = = =
The following
list appears on a couple of the interview
pages, but since people continue to
ask, here is the answer . . .
I
have done interviews with several
musicians who were born in the Nineteenth
Century. My guest with the earliest
birth-date (March 10, 1892) was soprano
Dame Eva Turner.
However,
composer/administrator John Donald Robb
(June 12, 1892), though three months
younger than Turner, was nearly two years older
at the time of our conversation. Hence,
a clarification is needed when I am asked who my
oldest guest was! Next in birth-order
is composer Paul Amadeus
Pisk (May 16, 1893), followed by composer/pianist
Leo Ornstein (December
2, 1893),
and lexicographer Nicolas Slonimsky
(April 27, 1894).
Then come mezzo-soprano Sonia Sharnova
(May 2, 1896), composer/critic Virgil
Thomson (November 25, 1896), and composer Vittorio Rieti (January
28, 1898).
The order continues with composer/pianist
Ernst Bacon
(May 26, 1898), followed by composer Marcel Dick (August
28, 1898),
conductor Werner
Janssen (June
1, 1899), and composer Alfred Eisenstein (November
14, 1899). The remaining
four are composers Elinor Remick
Warren (February
23, 1900), Otto
Luening (June
15, 1900), and Ernst
Krenek (August 23, 1900), and finally publisher Hans Heinsheimer (September
25, 1900).
The rest
of my guests were born in the Twentieth
Century. Perhaps, if I have the opportunity,
I might interview someone born after
January 1, 2001, and thus have conversations
with people born in three different centuries
and two different millennia! Though
there is no clerical error involved, and it is not
my intent to pad my statistics, somehow the film
Mr. 3000 comes
to mind.....
= = = = = = = = = = =
Many
of my guests are mostly or completely unknown,
and in an odd way, that pleases me very
much. If someone who is little-known
becomes more-known through my efforts, then
I have succeeded in bringing forth something special
to the composite knowledge of mankind. A lofty
statement, certainly, but when one thinks about it,
each of us is asked to push our tiny segment forward,
and my task seems to have been to enrich the musical world
through discovery of interesting items. Yes, I
have also presented some of the best-known and most popular
figures, but, as John von Rhein mentioned in a Tribune article about the
station, he admired my collection of ‘oddball’
composers and performers. Many times,
after doing a program featuring one of them, I would
get a call or two asking why this person was not
better-known. The callers would remark to
the effect that the music or performing artistry
just presented could certainly stand up against the output
of the well-knowns.
Editing
these interviews from a quarter-century
ago or more, I often find interesting
sidelights and tidbits that either amplify
ongoing ideas, or give new insight into little-explored
or un-spotlighted areas of the subject.
It is truly amazing that these thoughts would
be found in the most remote places and come from
such unlikely sources. This is why I do what
I do, and I hope that others both enjoy and are enlightened
by it all.
= = = = = = = = = = =
Despite
the fact that my early exposure to great
music was on radio (mostly WEFM, the
station sponsored by Zenith in Chicago),
and that I built up a huge collection of recordings
on LP and open reel tape, and that I made my
living at another station (WNIB, Classical
97, also in Chicago), I maintain
— and have said openly many times
— that the real place to hear great
music is live in a concert hall or opera house.
The collision of these two worlds becomes the so-called
‘pirated’
performances. Usually operas,
these gained wide circulation amongst
the cognoscenti, and in my teens and twenties I found
a number of people who traded copies of
various things with me. However, once I became
a professional radio announcer, I was very careful
NOT to use any of this material on the air.
First of all, the sound quality was often poor, and even
though those of us who obtained these performances understood
this, the casual listener would not be expected to
be aware of the reason(s) for presenting something
in poor sound. Besides that, broadcast rights
were very tricky, and I did not want to involve the station
in anything which could have caused legal problems.
It is a thorny issue, and the musicians I have spoken with
have not come to any kind of consensus about it. Many
of them collect copies — not just
of themselves but of others, both past and current
— even while decrying their use and existence!
I remember specifically one top record executive remarking
on the Texaco Opera Quiz that he does, indeed, collect
them, but would immediately bring suit against anyone
who tried to distribute copies of one of the artists
on his label!
These
days, though I am not involved in the
day-to-day broadcasting activities,
I am posting interviews with my guests and
illustrating the webpages with photos of the
artists and their recordings. I find
things on the internet, but try not to use any copyrighted
material, and I eschew the placement of images
of pirated recordings on my sites. The
commercial recordings are fair game, especially
since I am giving them free publicity, but usually
not the broadcasts and in-house items which seem to
abound.
=
= = = = = = = = = =
A
few random thoughts.............
Whoever
named the Butterfly committed a spoonerism.
I think that every time I see one
flutter by, no matter what the articles on
its etymology say.....
Technically,
I was born in Elmhurst, Illinois, on
March 11, 1951. My mother’s
doctor was at Elmhurst Hospital, so
that is where she went to deliver me.
My father, however, always insisted I was
born in Evanston, since that is where we lived
at the time. With the myriad suburbs surrounding
most major and minor cities, I wonder
how often this kind of thing happens...
It is pleasing to me that I am exactly
— to the day — 100
years younger than Rigoletto.
Another Verdi opera, Don Carlos also
had its premiere on March 11, but in a later year (1867).
I also share that date with composer Carl Ruggles
(1876) , and band leader Lawrence
Welk (1903). A quick Google search just
now also revealed many others, including Shemp
Howard (1895). [Related story... I met
Michael Fine when he was producing one of the recordings
made by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I
inquired if he was related to Vivian Fine, whom I
had interviewed. He said no. I then asked if he was related
to Irving Fine, another composer, and he said no. Finally,
I asked if he was related to Burton Fine, principal
violist of the Boston Symphony. Once
more, the answer was no. He then volunteered
that he was related to Larry Fine of the Three
Stooges.] More March 11 birthdays...
Astor Piazzola (1921), Mercer Ellington (1919), and
Henry Cowell (1897). When I interviewed Geraldine Decker,
we had a great laugh that she, also, was born on
March 11 (1931).
They
left out the letter ‘D’
from the name Arizona.
I’ve never been there, but
I know it’s quite arid in
the South West...
There
are three major musical works in three
different languages, all of which
the public quite often mistakenly adds the
word ‘the’
before the name. To wit: Messiah, Pagliacci, and Winterreise. Each one is named
as just shown, NOT The Messiah,
nor I Pagliacci, nor Die Winterreise. [Note that the
title of the TV Game Show Match
Game also lacks the article. More
about that program later on this webpage.]
What
is with this overwhelming compulsion to
cite the excrement of the male cow?
English is not the easiest of languages… It can be
understood through tough thorough thought though.
General observation... Regarding professional sports, we,
in the Twenty-First
Century are just like the Ancients.
We take delight when our city’s
hired gladiators defeat any other city’s
hired gladiators. [GO CUBS!]
= = = = = = = = = = =
[September
1, 2017] While there have always
been doomsayers and other prophets
predicting the end of time, in the past twenty
years, there have been three distinct events
which many people truly believed signaled
the End of Days. Obviously, they were wrong,
but it is interesting to make note of them...
(1) Y2K. In anticipation of the numbered-year
leaving
the 1900s and moving to the 2000s, the hue
and cry was heard all over the world
that the computer systems could not handle that
change, and all our electric and electronic grids
would fail, and we would be destroyed. Much
time and effort was put into correcting the problem,
which apparently worked.
(2) One version of the Mayan Calendar simply stopped
on December 21, 2012, and
many people felt this was to be the last
day of Earth. Another version (which carried
on for many more years) was later discovered,
but that did not seem to prevent a few people from weeping
and wailing and gnashing their teeth.
(3) On November 2, 2016, the Chicago Cubs won the World
Series.
= = = = = = = = = = =
[December
26, 2017] A number of people have
asked me about how I selected which interviews
would be used on the air, and when they
would be presented. These days, on the WNUR
series — and also on the
late (and hopefully lamented) series on Contemporary
Classical Internet Radio — there
really is no rhyme nor reason for selection.
Programs were prepared, and now the ones which
exist are simply repeated after two or three
years, and usually in a different month. HOWEVER,
in my quater-century at WNIB, I was very careful
and rather ingenious about timing. Fairly
early on, I stumbled onto the use of ‘round
birthdays’. This simply meant that when a composer
or performer had a ‘round birthday’
— 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, etc. — they
got a show. Every five years each one would come
up, and a few of the early interviews aired several times.
These programs were in addition to any promotional
use — such as when one of their
works was being presented in live performance in the
Chicago area, or in conjunction with a new recording. The
advantages of this system meant I did not have agonize
over who had been done and who might be neglected, and so forth.
It also was completely color-blind and gender-blind.
There are only 366 possibilities, and everyone has
one whether they like it or not. It also suited my style,
in that I celebrated life and not death. Yes, I mourned
and eulogized my guests when they passed away, but I did not,
thereafter, mark their dates of death with special progams.
What brings
all this to mind is a brief article in
the newspaper, which is reproduced at right.
Since I am not doing fresh interviews
any more, I wondered just how well I did during
the time I was gathering them, from 1978-2006. So,
I counted up just the composers, and of the 496
names, 62 are women (12.5%), and 15 or 16 are African-American
(approximately 3%). The discrepency
is a man named Roque
Cordero. He was included in the series of
recordings of music by Black Composers
issued on Columbia LPs, but in our interview
he told me quite forcefully that he did not like that
label. He insisted he was Panamanian, not black.
There are probably others — both in
general and on my list — who dislike
or even disown one category or another, but that is
for another discussion. As to other minorities, I cannot
accurately compute them for various reasons. First,
I am often unaware of their background. A name
might come from a few generations back, or perhaps have
been lost or changed through marriage or assimilation. Further,
I have met a number of composers who belong to countries
other than America. How should I count them? Are
they to be lumped into a vague category of Minority-Citizens?
Then, to discount the entire exercise, it is not
my desire nor intent (nor responsibilty!) to ascertain
any kind of pedigree. My interest is their music, and
their ideas about its creation and presentation. Beyond
that, I truly do not care. Their race or sexual orientation
or any other factors are not my concern. As long
as they are part of the Classical Music community, I accept
them as such, and will give them their shot (as I like to
say). In truth, I consider all these kinds
of labels both insulting and unnecessary. We are all people,
citizens, musicians, etc. Naturally, I do not want to
purposely include or exclude anyone, and without really paying
much specific attention to the matter, I think I have been rather
fair and equitable. Looking at the numbers mentioned
above, I assume that this percentage also holds for the performers...
though the women will have a higher resulting-number
since they account for nearly all of the sopranos and mezzos!
As to conductors — which are even more
neglectful of the distaff side — there are
14 women in my group of 224 interview guests, which is
6.25%, plus six African-Americans.
= = = = = = = = = = =
[January
6, 2018] During this Holiday
Season, I was listening to some old favorites,
including The Typewriter, a
novelty piece by Leroy Anderson. It occurred
to me that it might not be too many years until
that device, which was once ubiquitous, would
not be even recognized by most of the populace. In
musical terms, it would be like mentioning the
Ophicleide or the Serpent...
Just a note
regarding soft timbre... Throughout
musical history, usually the brighter
and louder instruments have won the battle.
However, the actual idea of being ‘loud’
is, ironically, soft-pedaled!
There are two significant instances
where the idea (and nomenclature) of being
‘loud’
was dropped. One of the early hammer-struck
keyboard instruments was the ‘fortepiano’
or the ‘pianoforte’.
Forte
means loud, and piano means soft, so it was
literally the ‘loudsoft’ or the ‘softloud’,
indicating its ability to be both, contrasting
to the plucked-instruments such as the
harpsichord and the virginal. Quickly,
the name was abbreviated to simply
‘piano’,
as we know the instrument today. So,
the idea of being
‘loud’ was dropped. The same thing
happened to the box which actually turns
electrical signals into sound, namely the ‘loudspeaker’.
We all know it
as a ‘speaker’, which,
again, drops the idea of being loud. [You
may insert here any and all puns involving
the word ‘allowed’.]
=
= = = = = = = = = =
On the
subject of things that are obsolete,
I have wondered for a long time if the slide
rule was the object which went the fastest
from being absolutely necessary to being completely
useless. Everyone who did any kind
of mathematical computation needed one, and relied
on it in every instance. But as soon as the
electronic hand-held calculator came out, the slide
rule was immediately pushed aside, never to return
to any kind of use... except as a relic of a bygone
age.
Of course,
we can always look back even farther
in time to the abacus . . .
Chinese
type (5 plus 2) above; Japanese type (4
plus 1) below
Noting
the two different systems shown, today,
one might think of the rivalry between
Mac and PC, and realize that such dualities
have existed for centuries. Recently,
there was the debate between VHS and Beta
video tape systems, between 45 rpm and 33 rpm
records in the late 1940s, and cylinders vs. lateral-cut
78 rpm discs at the turn of the Twentieth Century.
There was no real problem with the introduction
of electrical recordings in 1925, since
reproducers in the home could accommodate both. The
only real need for new equipment was at the production
end, and the record companies invested in the new
system. The same could not be said for the introduction
of stereo in the mid-1950s. There, the home consumer
had to be persuaded to purchase new equipment, and this was
not even a decade after everyone had to abandon their 78 machines
in favor of the LP players. A similar upheaval in the
music industry was seen with the advent of cassettes and
CDs.
A story I
heard many years ago (and have repeated
in the hopes it was mostly or completely
true) involves the size and playing-time of
the compact disc. It seems that one of
the people who were calling the shots at the time
of its creation was a Japanese man who knew that his
countrymen simply adored the Beethoven Symphony
#9. So, to accommodate that piece of music,
the CD needed to hold about 74 minutes of sound. The
story may or may not be true, but it makes a good legend,
and I simply choose to believe it.
[August 31, 2019, and inserted
here to keep the topics together] Thinking
again of 78s, here's the famous image of our
old friend Nipper, and a couple of tidbits about
its origins . . . . .
His Master's Voice (HMV)
is a famous trademark in the recording
industry, and was the unofficial name of a major
British record label.
The trademark image comes
from a painting by English artist Francis
Barraud titled His Master's Voice. It
was acquired from the artist in 1899 by the newly formed
Gramophone Company, and adopted as a trademark
by the Gramophone Company's United States affiliate,
the Victor Talking Machine Company. According
to contemporary Gramophone Company publicity material,
the dog, a terrier named Nipper, had originally
belonged to Barraud's brother, Mark. When Mark
Barraud died, Francis inherited Nipper, along with a cylinder
phonograph and recordings of Mark's voice. Francis noted
the peculiar interest that the dog took in the recorded
voice of his late master emanating from the horn, and conceived
the idea of committing the scene to canvas. The incident
took place at 92 Bold Street, Liverpool.
A different source relates a
cautionary tale for artists about getting
and keeping the copyright for art...
When Barraud painted Nipper
curiously searching for his master's
voice in the phonograph's horn, not only was the
artist turned down for a copyright for the image,
but he was also rejected by the Royal Academy, and various
magazines. The Edison Bell company responded that
"dogs don’t listen to phonographs."
Barraud eventually sold another
painting, with a Berliner brass horn,
to one of the company's managers, where it
caught the eye of the Emile Berliner, the company's
founder, who commissioned another copy AND bought
the rights to it! The famous image went on to become
the trakemark of the Victor Talking Machine Co. Victor
was Berliner's partner, and the image ultimately survived
Victor's merger with RCA in 1929. It was printed
on record labels, letterheads, novelties, and catalogues
for decades, but Barraud, the original artist,
only received two payments of £50 each.
Here are a few more details
about the dog, and the original painting
(shown below, which depicted a cylinder machine,
and not the flat-disc machine we all know)...
Nipper was born in
1884 in Bristol, England, and died in September
1895. He was a mixed-breed dog and probably part
Jack Russell Terrier, although some sources
suggest that he was a Smooth Fox Terrier,
or "part Bull Terrier". He was named Nipper because
he would "nip" the backs of visitors' legs.
Nipper originally lived with
his owner, Mark Henry Barraud, in the Prince's
Theatre where Barraud was a scenery designer. When
Barraud died in 1887, his brothers Philip and Francis
took care of the dog. Nipper himself died of natural
causes in 1895 and was buried in Kingston upon Thames
in Clarence Street, in a small park surrounded by magnolia
trees. As time progressed the area was built upon,
and a branch of Lloyds Bank now occupies the site. On the
wall of the bank, just inside the entrance, a brass plaque
commemorates the terrier that lies beneath the building.
On 10 March 2010, a small road near to the dog's
resting place in Kingston upon Thames was named Nipper
Alley in commemoration of this resident.
In 1898, three years after Nipper's
death, Francis Barraud, his last owner
and brother of his first owner, painted a picture
of Nipper listening intently to a wind-up
Edison-Bell cylinder phonograph. Thinking
the Edison-Bell Company located in New Jersey, USA,
might find it useful, he presented it to James
E. Hough, who promptly said, "Dogs don't listen
to phonographs". On May 31, 1899, Barraud went to the Maiden
Lane offices of The Gramophone Company with the
intention of borrowing a brass horn to replace the original
black horn on the painting. Manager William Barry Owen
suggested that if the artist replaced the machine with a
Berliner disc gramophone, that he would buy the painting.
The image became the successful trademark of the Victor
and HMV record labels, HMV music stores, and the Radio
Corporation of America, after the acquisition of the Victor
company in 1929. The trademark was registered by Berliner
for use in the United States on July 10, 1900.
Francis Barraud said, "It is
difficult to say how the idea came to me
beyond the fact that it suddenly occurred to me
that to have my dog listening to the phonograph,
with an intelligent and rather puzzled expression,
and call it 'His Master's Voice' would make an excellent
subject. We had a phonograph and I often noticed how
puzzled he was to make out where the voice came from.
It certainly was the happiest thought I ever had."
The slogan "His Master's Voice",
along with the painting, was sold to
The Gramophone Company for £100 (equivalent
to £10,628 in 2018) – half for the copyright
and half for the physical painting itself. The original
oil painting hung in the EMI boardroom in Hayes, Middlesex,
for many years.
The two cartoons below reflect
our 'progress' as we firmly embrace the
Twenty-First Century, and amplify my remarks
vis-à-vis the typewriter . . . . .
[Another observation, from May 11, 2020]
Future generations may wonder why
something called a "compact" disc held more material
than a "long playing" record!
Next is a cartoon
from 2017 (below-right), which was originally placed
on this page on September 27, 2021. The other cartoon (on the
left, and probably from a couple of decades ago) just seemed
appropriate, and was added January 30, 2022.
Statement seen: "Classic
LPs are going for record prices!!!!"
Next, yet another vinyl gag [added
to this page on July 16, 2022]
= = = = = = = = = = =
[June 29,
2018] Alert observers might notice
that as of the end of March, 2018, many of
the links to my interviews which appear in
Wikipedia articles have a slightly different
format. Specifically, my name has
been removed from the line. For several
years, it was <<<Interview
with (name of guest) by Bruce Duffie, on (date of interview).>>>
Because someone complained
that I was spamming, and felt the only
reason for these links was my own self-promotion,
that person urged the removal of all of these
links. A discussion was launched, and several
Administrators weighed in with their opinions.
Fortunately, enough of them saw the importance
of the interviews themselves, and the complainant
was admonished to cease the battering, and even
urged to apologize (which did not happen). After
about a week, the discussion was formally closed,
and the upshot was that I removed my name from many of
the links, and am not including it in future postings.
However, a number of the old-style links remain, so there
might be a bit of confusion since they are not uniform. For
anyone who cares to read it, the entire discussion is reproduced HERE.
[Updated information about
the above item] Since I had "corrected"
many of the links (to remove my name), another
editor(s) felt this was wrong, and undid some of those
corrections... thus replacing my name in the link. One
editor contacted me about the removals, and I showed
him/her the discussion (linked above). Since I don't
go back to old Wikipedia pages very often, I do not know whether
the changes have been made to a few or many of them.
It is unimportant... as long as the link itself is
there, I am satisfied.
[Further updated information
about my involvement with Wikipedia] In August
of 2021, another editor started deleting my links. Upon
inquiry, he stated that I had no rights to use the images
of record covers. I explained that record companies
sent me promotional copies of their material in hopes that I would
use it on the air, and also (where possible) show their images.
I even checked this out with one President of a major record
company, but this did not stop him from saying he would continue
to delete my links. Despite having been praised as "an asset
to Wikipedia" by several Administrators (shown above via the link),
I knew that he would see anything I added or deleted from Wikipedia.
So, I have simply withdrawn from any further involvement.
My hope is that he has lost interest in me, and that my earlier
links would be left intact. I say all this to (a) let you know
that no further interviews will be linked, and (b) tell why some links
might disappear from existing pages.
= = = = = = = = = = =
[January
3, 2019] In reading some of the
comments about my interviews, a couple
people have noted that a few of my questions tend
to pop up with regularity. While this is
certainly true, I do hope that in each case the inquiries
come naturally, and at an appropriate place
in the conversation. I never worked with a specific
list of questions, and always tried to discuss
the specific strengths of each guest. However,
since all were involved in so-called Classical Music,
there were bound to be common points of interest and
expertise. To look at it another way, when you eat
at my restaurant, each meal on the menu will be unique,
but many will have some ingredients in common. Since
all are being prepared by myself as chef, there will be
some resemblances and similarities. I hope this does
not discourage anyone from sampling my cuisine.....
It is
also interesting to see how various people
respond and react to the same question(s).
Continuing the metaphor, there will
certainly be differing opinions from various
people to the same item on my menu. Observing
those reactions should not, necessarily,
cause me to change the recipe. Perhaps having
a few condiments on the table will allow for each
person to season the dish to their own taste, but this
can only happen when a certain stability is built into
the process. Once again, my goal with the interviews
is to allow each guest to express their own views, and I trust
that a few similar questions will get a variety of
responses.
= = = = = = = = = = =
A few years ago,
I met a fine baritone whom I had known
on the stage for a long time. Warren
Fremling has performed in local and regional productions
over the years, and has had a significant impact
each time. Lately, he has been an invaluable
help to me by proofreading my interviews before
they are opened to the public on my website. I
am grateful to him for pointing out not only mistakes
(of which, fortunately, there are few), but also for
occasionally suggesting better ways of expressing the
ideas. As I have mentioned, I never change the focus
nor direction of the words my guests use, but by tightening
and sometimes re-gathering thoughts, their objectives
are made more clear to readers. In several cases,
Warren has suggested slight changes which bring these thoughts
into sharper focus, and for that I am eternally grateful.
In our exchanges,
he also has provided me with further insights
into the world of professional singing, and
his most recent gift to me was a clear and succinct
explanation of the various voice-types, and how
they can be viewed by experts and novices alike.
With his permission, it is reproduced here...
There
are two things
that decide this. The first is color.
Richness in the middle voice is revealing.
The second, and much more reliable,
is the location of the bridge or passagio.
A mezzo’s bridge is a-kin to a baritone’s.
It’s on the D, a ninth above mid-C (a baritone’s
being an octave lower, obviously). I’ve diagrammed
voices according to their interest and comfort
to the listener’s ear – not what the singer does,
but what is natural to the instrument. A soprano
or tenor sound like this: \/ - the bottom
is light and the voice sounds more interesting
and easier as the voice ascends. The mezzo and baritone
sound like this: () – the voice is fattest in
the middle. We have some of the low notes of the contralto/bass
and some of the high notes of the soprano/tenor,
but you can’t live there. The middle is where we’re
most at home. The contralto/bass is the exact opposite
of the soprano/tenor – the voice gets fatter and more
beautiful with the descent.
|
= = = = = = = = = = =
[February 4,
2019] As the the shortest month of
the year rolls around once again, I am reminded
of the one word which I simply gave up trying
to pronounce correctly. I made an effort,
but it simply was too awkward to do both correctly
and smoothly at the same time. I could say Feb-ROO-rary,
but it required slowing down the enunciation to the
point where it was simply untenable. [You may insert
any kind of joke here, regarding it not being a ten, or even
a nine, but perhaps a two or three at best...] Imagine,
if you will, a car on the highway, and for some unknown
reason it just slowed to a crawl. It would certainly
look strange, to say nothing about impeding traffic and
being hazardous. This is not to say that an announcer
mis-pronouncing a word on the radio could be hazardous
in any way, but you get my drift... So if any tapes
exist of my work where I say the name of the second month,
you will hear a firm and confident FEB-you-air-ee. I know
it is wrong, and I knew it at the time, and I make no excuses.
I am sure I made other
mistakes, and, indeed, I was corrected
on a few occasions. But by and large, I
was complimented by members of the public
on my accuracy and stylistic manners. It
was especially nice to hear that I had pronounced
the name of a person or location properly from someone
who was from that particular locale. I want
to say, however, that when someone called to make a
correction, my first task was to ascertain if that
person on the telephone was accurate! There
were a few occasions when a caller would berate me
and give a different version of the way to pronounce a
name, and when I checked with a known authority, I found that
my own rendition was correct, and the caller had been
wrong. It reminds me of the sign which famously
hung in the City News Bureau for many years, which screamed,
“If your mother says she loves
you, check it out!”
On that particular subject,
I remember one evening when we aired
a syndicated broadcast of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
The announcer (who shall remain
nameless) proclaimed the conductor to be Esa-Pekka
Sa-LOH-nehn. Well, I had interviewed the Maestro,
and, as usual, had asked him to do a station
break, in which he said his name. His
pronunciation was SAL-oh-nehn. At some
point during the evening, I must have said his name
myself, and pronounced it his way, and immediately received
a phone call screaming at me for my stupidity. “If
the announcer on the Los Angeles Symphony broadcast
had said it one way, that MUST be the accurate
way!” I tried,
very calmly, to explain, but the caller simply slammed
the phone down. The next evening, I brought in
my interview tape and played the station break. I
have no idea if that caller from the previous night heard
it, but at least I settled the matter for anyone who was
listening . . . . .
= = = = = = = = = = =
[April 22, 2019] Consider,
if you will, the following scenario...
Bill opens a small restaurant that features
Fine Dining. He is successful, and over
the course of forty-five years, the eatery becomes
well-known and highly-respected. After spending
his adult life maintaining this establishment,
he decides to retire. As it happens, the location
he originally chose -- which was, at the time, perfectly
good but not very popular -- had become very desirable.
So Bill closed the restaurant and sold the location
to Bonney, who brought in her own staff and opened a shoe store.
It immediately attracted business, and became very
competitive.
Now when one thinks of
the history of the restaurant vis-à-vis
the ongoing story of the shoe store, it
should be obvious that aside from the physical
location, there is no connection whatsoever. Right?
Perhaps, the historical account of
each one should have a mention of the other as being
at the same address, but that's certainly all the crossover
interest there would be.
With that in mind, I ask
you to look HERE.
= = = = = = = = = = =
[June 28, 2019] Following
up on my remarks about diversity (above,
with the date of December 26, 2017), much
has transpired in the short time since then.
While I do not — and did not
— go into
the political area when conversing with my musical guests,
it has come to my attention that the Music World
is, nonetheless, very much involved in such
social matters. For example, the editorial
in Opera Canada of Summer, 2019, discusses
the “central debate about how
to keep the art form relevant for an audience which
no longer passively accepts the racist, misogynist and
sexist tropes of yesteryear.” It
goes on to discuss the “challenges faced by
women singers portraying some of the standard repertoire’s
iconic roles... many of which are mired
in stereotypes we find unacceptable in the
#MeToo era.”
My reason for bringing
this up is to point out that in several of
my interviews — which
date from 1978-2006 — I
specifically ask the question of my female singer
guests. To wit: “How
do we keep these Eighteenth and Nineteenth
Century characters relevant to women (and
men) today who have gone through world wars, and social
upheavals, and other developments of our times?”
This is not to just
pat myself on the back for being so forward-looking,
but to show that my own curiosity was such
that it became imperative to inquire about these
ideas, and to ask how they resonated with audiences
far removed from the original mores and strictures.
Of course, in the theater,
the production team can (and often does)
re-set the action to a later era, or even to
the present day. That is, again, a discussion
for another time and place, but it does move
the ideas in ways that can provoke or amuse. There
is also the need to remember that it was only in
the early Twentieth Century that the classical musical
public abandoned its craving for anything and everything
which was new. Until then, while there were performances
of older pieces, it was the newest and latest symphonies
and operas which were anticipated with genuine eagerness. Once
this trend was lost, the oft-repeated repertoire began
to show signs of losing its immediate contact with concert-goers,
and from there it is the famous ‘slippery
slope’.
In any event, I just wanted
to call attention to my own small attempts
to make inquiry when possible, and to show
that my own feeling is that opera can remain
a viable and exciting living breathing art form.
= = = = = = = = = = =
Music Joke... Question:
What are the names of the Three
Bears? Answer: Smokey Bear,
Yogi Bear, Jacques Ibert
Second Music Joke...
What if we discover that’s
what it really is all about? [Reference:
Hokey Pokey]
Third Music Joke... Question:
What is the voice-range of
the quarter-hour? Answer: People
often say, "It'll be tenor fifteen minutes!"
Fourth Music Joke...
A woman is on trial for beating her
husband to death with his guitars.
The
judge asks, “First offender?” She replies,
“No, first a Gibson, then a Fender.”
Musical variation on an old joke...
If Mezzo-Soprano Shirley Verrett
married Tenor George Shirley,
she’d be Shirley
Shirley!
Continuing with a bit of music
humor, for those who wish to look at a slightly risqué
image, this R-rated
item is the photo of a sculpture depicting the realization
of a very old (music-related) joke. While it is nothing
more bold than what one would see at a museum, remember, no one
is forcing you to look. So, by clicking the link you implicitly
agree that your viewing is voluntary, and no complaints can be
made.
= = = = = = = = = = =
[August 29, 2019] I
stumbled upon this item just now, and
thought it would be fun to post it here. For
those who do not read music, or for anyone interested
in seeing a nifty connection between this tune
and the main thrust of my website, click HERE.
Lest you think it is
only one or two goofballs at a single establishment
who would make such an error, consider the
fact that the government of the former DDR (East Germany)
issued two postage stamps in 1956 to mark the 100th
anniversary of the death of composer Robert Schumann.
They were the same portrait of Schumann,
used for two denominations, but the music in the background
was by Franz Schubert! These are the top two stamps
in the illustration below. Soon, the error
was discovered, and a new version of the stamps (with
music by Schumann) was issued, as seen in the bottom two in
the illustration.
There have been other philatelic
mistakes, but most have been caught before
the stamps were available to the public for use
as postage. This is not about printing
errors, such as inverted images, or mistakes in colors
or perferations. Rather, place names have
been mis-attributed and people have been wrongly identified.
But those shown below are the only foul-ups
I know which involve music or musicians.
= = = = = = = = = =
=
[September 19, 2019]
The following is from an essay about
the (missing?) "A" in Neil Armstrong's famous
first statement when he stepped on the moon,
which was posted on the website "The Conversation"
7/16/19.
----------------------
When we talk, we formulate a thought, retrieve words from memory
and move our mouths to produce sound. We do this quickly, producing,
in English, around five syllables every second.
The process for listeners is equally complex and speedy. We hear
sounds, which we separate into speech and non-speech information, combine
the speech sounds
into words, and determine the meanings of
these words. Again, this happens nearly
instantaneously, and errors rarely occur.
These processes are even more extraordinary when you think more
closely about the properties of speech. Unlike writing, speech doesn’t
have spaces between words. When people speak, there are typically very
few pauses within a sentence.
Yet listeners have little trouble determining word boundaries in
real time. This is because there are little cues – like pitch and rhythm
– that indicate when one word stops and the next begins.
But problems in speech perception can arise when those kinds of cues
are missing, especially
when pitch and rhythm are used for non-linguistic
purposes, like in music. This is one reason
why misheard song lyrics – called “mondegreens”
– are common. When singing or rapping, a lot
of the speech cues we usually use are shifted to accommodate
the song’s beat, which can end up jamming
our default perception process.
[October 18, 2019] When
I was a teenager in the mid 1960s, I actually
did some work with computers... designing flow
charts and writing code in FORTRAN. The lines
were then put onto punch cards, which then ran through
the computer to execute the (very simple) programs.
I didn't stick with it, though, and only came back
to computers via a Memorywriter (a word-processor) which
the radio station had, and used for awhile to publish
the WNIB Program
Guide in the late 1980s.
My reason for mentioning this at
all is that some time back then I saw the famous
saying which is reproduced below. Recently
I remembered this saying, and looked it up via
a Google search. The many presentations
varied a bit, but had the same basic content. Besides
the signs and posters there was a tee-shirt, a coffee
mug, and even one going so far as to use faux nazi stationery.
In any event, here is one rendition
for your enjoyment.................
In the same Google search, I spotted
the following item, which probably should
be posted in every office................
[March
23, 2021 (yes, a year after the item which follows)]...
This next image actually belongs with both the
items above and below! .................
= = = = = = = = = = =
[March 24, 2020] During
the coronavirus pandemic, I happened upon
this article,
and felt it was significant enough to share. Perhaps it should
also be posted in every office, along with the
item shown directly above (about the rising cost
and increase of stupid questions), as an antidote to the
situation . . . . . . . . . (!)
Obviously, there is nothing funny
about the coronavirus, but there is some humor
to be found in the actions of a few individuals
. . . . .
[April 22, 2020] Current version
of old joke: Why did the chicken cross
the road? To maintain her social-distancing!
[November 9, 2020, and Covid is still the #1
topic everywhere... *sigh*]
[April 17, 2021... as it all still drags on] My
local grocery store has gone too far.
They’ve put a big X on the floor to show where to
stand in line at the register.
I’ve
seen enough Roadrunner cartoons... I’m not falling for that.
[October 30,
2021] Do we even need Halloween anymore?
I’ve been wearing a mask and eating candy for
14 months…
= = = = = = = = = = =
[June 24, 2020] We owned a Smart Car (shown on
right in the photo above) for about five years. It was really very
comfortable, and fun to drive
around town. Our other car was a mini-van,
which we used for transporting larger items, and
took on longer road trips. One day, when our
Smart Car was parked in a lot that was full, the owner
of the white Smart Car asked if she could use the ‘other
half’ of our space. The
result looks as though our cars are kissing!
In the spirit of admonishing a couple who are
showing too much PDA (public display of affection) to “Get
a room!”, a passer-by shouted, “GET A
GARAGE!!!”
= = = = = = = = = = =
[September 12, 2020] As
people who have read my interview with Charles
Nelson Reilly know, one of my guilty pleasures
is watching re-runs of Match Game. The
ones I like best are from the 1970s, with host Gene
Rayburn, and panelist Richard Dawson, who was there until
1978. Of course, Reilly was there throughout,
and he truly made the show funny. One of the other regular
panelists, Brett Somers, said that a fan had declared
that the program should really be called Charles Nelson
Reilly's House Party, alluding to another program
actually called Art Linkletter's House Party. One
week, Raymond Burr was in the lower-middle position of
the six panelists. My reason for mentioning all of
this is that on one episode that week, there were two questions
relating to music! The first one went something like
this... Tough Teddy said, "Our school was soooooo tough...
[audience shouts, "How tough was it?"] ...it was so tough
that the the school orchestra kidnapped the janitor and put
him in the _______." [The panel and contestants were to
fill in the blank at the end of the sentence, and when they matched,
it scored a point for the contestant.] The more popular
answer was "Tuba", given by the contestant and four of the
panelists, but Reilly (and one other panelist) said "Drum".
This was what the writers were going for, since there
was a commercial product called "Janitor in a Drum". The
second musical question was, "Pat Pending (!) invented a
juke box for people who hate music. You drop a quarter in
the slot, and it ______s the record." The obvious answer
(which won the game for the contestant) was "breaks" (or smashes).
[November 2, 2020... amazingly
this goes with the Match Game item above!]
I continue to enjoy these re-runs, and now
they have added the evening series Match Game PM.
Each week had a stand-alone game which was
edited a bit to get through the entire game in one segment.
(The weekday edition just played for the time allotted,
and games spread over to the next day when necessary - which
was most of the time!) Anyway, there were two music
questions in recent PM programs... The first was "Lawrence
_______". The panelists gave Lawrence of Arabia,
and Lawrence Welk, then Reilly chimed in with, "I know this
is an old reference, but Lawrence Tibbett!" Rayburn acknowledged
that he knew of "the famous baritone", and began singing the
Toreador Song from Carmen, but the audience was not impressed.
The third response from the polled audience was Lawrence
Olivier. For the record, Lawrence Welk was chosen by the
contestant, and won the top prize. The other question was
more obscure. The question was "_______ foxes." The
panel suggested sly foxes, and, being theater people, Little
Foxes (the play by Lillian Hellman). I don't remember the
third choice, nor which was the winning item. I was engrossed
in the fact that while Somers and Rayburn were trying to remember which
actress starred as Regina on Broadway, and which one was in the film,
Reilly screamed, "AND BRENDA LEWIS STARRED IN THE OPERA REGINA
BY MARC BLITZSTEIN." I was so proud of him at that point.
For the record, it was Tallulah Bankhead on Broadway (1939),
and Bette Davis in the film (1941). The opera premiered in
1949 at the 46th Street Theatre, with Jane Pickens as Regina, conducted
by Maurice Abravanel.
Lewis sang Birdie, but then moved to the title role
when the opera was revived in 1953 at the City Centre Opera.
[December 2, 2020... a couple more related items]
Two more questions come to mind, and both relate
to music in the nude. (!) A well-endowed
lady volunteered for the All-Nude Orchestra. Unfortunately,
she played _________. The contestant responded
with Cymbals, and some panelists also said that. But
after all six made their contribution, Rayburn said that
his answer was the Accordion! [Huge laugh from the
audience.] On another episode was this question... A
man complains to the conductor of the All-Nude Marching
Band, "I don't mind playing in your ensemble, but do I have to
walk in front of the _________???" Again, the contestant
said Cymbals, but a couple of the panelists said Trombone!
[December 27, 2020... one more item!] This
is from the third version of the program, the Match
Game-Hollywood Squares Hour. This
incantation of the program only lasted one season (October,
1983 - July, 1984). Rayburn returned as host of the
Match Game portions, and Jon Bauman (who had been Bowzer
with Sha Na Na) hosted the Hollywood Squares segment.
Bauman dressed normally, in a suit and tie, with regular
hair, not all greased up. However, he did occasionally
refer to his Bowzer character "from a previous life," and
sometimes showed his famous open-mouth fists-in-the-air pose.
Anyway, on one segment, there was this (musical) question:
"When well-endowed Wanda played her accordion, Lady
of Spain became Lady of _______." As it
happened, one panelist (Mark Russell) gave away the punch line
by saying that the title became Lady of Pain, and they had
to throw out the question before the contestant had a chance to
respond. For those who are interested, see my interview with
accordionist Robert Davine.
On
another program, the question was "George was always
tired when he got home from work because he was a
________ salesman." I don't remember any of
the other responses, but Bauman said "Anvil", and promptly
started singing the "Anvil Chorus" from Il Trovatore.
(Remember that Bauman had attended Juilliard!)
Rayburn also joined in, but no one else seemed to
respond to their rendition. *sigh*
[January
16, 2021... though the date of my posting is not
really relevant since all the Match Game programs
are re-runs from 45 or more years ago!] Another
couple of musical questions... "George knew his
son would be a musician because his head was shaped
like a __________." The contestant said Violin, and
the six panelists said Drum, Grand Piano, Heart - which is
an Organ (the panelist made that clarification!), Triangle,
Tuba, and Reilly said a G-Clef, and drew a very respectable image
on his card. The last panelist (Joyce Bulifant) noted
that it was quite an ensemble, and Rayburn pointed out that
there were seven different excellent responses. [The
following was added on November 27, 2021, but placed here for
obvious reasons] On another program, there was a different
set of seven responses. The question was, "Ugly Edna was
the center-fold of Musician's Monthly because her legs looked
like a ___________. The contestant said Violin, and the
six celebreties said Baton, Tuba, Piano Legs (Reilly), Cello,
Slide Trombone, and a Pair of Bassoons (Patti Deutsch).
Another question
was, "When Joshua wanted to destroy the wall in Jericho,
his trumpet wasn't enough, so he used a _________."
The contestant and one panelist said Tuba, another
panelist said Piano, one said Bulldozer, and the other
three said Hammer. Rayburn lamented that four of the
six panelists just didn't understand the question! Though
there were no 'right' or 'wrong' answers, he often would
gently deride them when there was one (or more) obvious answer,
and the contestant or panelists would completely miss the
joke.
[February
12, 2021] Yet another "Audience Match" question
was, "Bella _______." Dawson rightly said that
the audience often mis-spelled their responses, and
that despite his name being Bela, they might have said "Lugosi,"
which, indeed was the number-one answer. Incidentally,
other questions on the program often used the character
of Count Dracula, and Rayburn spoke the quote in an accent
quite close to Lugosi's. Again, I forget what the number
two response was, but Reilly's (third position) response
was, "Bella figlia dell'amore," which is the opening phrase
of the Quartet from Rigoletto. Rayburn then began
singing the phrase (correctly). It's just another reason
why I love that show.
[March
21, 2021... yet another one to SPRING up... ! (Sorry
for the pun. I just wanted to SEASON this line.)]
Rose phoned her psychiatrist. She said,
"My husband is on the roof! He thinks he's a ________"
The contestant said Cat. Three panelists said
Bird, one panelist said Weather Vane, and another said TV
Antenna. Reilly said FIDDLER ! (Get it?
Fiddler on the Roof!)
[January 23, 2022]
One more re-run just seen... The question
for the big money was "______ toast". One celebrity
response was "French" (which was the $500 (top) audience response,
and the one the contestant chose). The next celebrity
response was "White", and then Reilly said, "I'm going to give
a Nellie answer. MELBA!" He had to explain who Nellie
Melba was, and that she was a famous opera singer. It
turned out that Melba Toast was the $100 audience response.
[February 19, 2022] From
another re-run of Match Game 75... The tuba player
said, "I don't think that new conductor likes me. In the
middle of my solo, he started __________ing in my tuba!" While
the celebrities were writing their responses, CNR asked, "How
far was the tuba from the conductor?" (Some
laughter from the audience) Betty White asked, "And what
was the trajectory?" (More laughter) CNR continued,
"How old was the conductor? All those strings to get across..."
(Much laughter) The contestant's response was, "Tinkling".
Rayburn then pretended to be on the podium looking at the orchestra,
pointing to the violins, then the cellos, then the basses farther away,
and, "Waaaay in the back are the tubas." The celebrity answers
were a bit boring... Allen Ludden said "Blowing", Brett Somers
said, "Barfing", CNR said "Eating lunch", Dolly Martin said "Expectorating",
and Betty White said "Pouring Water." Richard Dawson was the
only one who matched the contestant with "Tinkling".
[March 7, 2022... I just
keep watching the progams, and they keep serving up the
music questions] On a PM show, the question was:
A Marching Band member said, "I learned a painful lesson today.
Never stop fast when there's a ______ player behind you."
The contestant said Tuba, but all six celebrities said the
'right' answer, which was Trombone!
From another (regular weekday)
show from 1978... Jack said, "This t-shirt craze
is really wild. I saw a girl with an entire orchestra
on her front. She had the biggest ________ I ever saw!"
The contestant said Cymbals. The celebrities said
Tubas, Instruments, Bassoons, and Maracas. CNR said Kettle
Drums, to which Rayburn commented that when they were upside down
they'd look... (he never bothered to finish the sentence since everyone
was laughing). By this time, Richard Dawson had departed for
Family Feud, and Bob Barker (host of The Price is Right)
sat in the lower-center seat that week. He said Boobs, to
which the audience loudly booed. He then said, "This audience
is the pits... like orchestra pits!" and the audience continued to
boo. After everything settled down, Rayburn said that in the
office, they all thought the answer would be Bongo Drums. Yes,
there were more boos from the audience. It's really a fun show...........
[March 17, 2022... and the
shows just keep coming along!] A Match Game Limerick:
A kinky young pianist named Twist/Played piano with
only his wrist./When he got on his knees/And banged on the keys/He
said, "I'm bound to be ________." The contestant and four
on the panel (including CNR) said Kissed. Dawson said
Hissed (which was my answer), but Bobby Van had the best response,
which was LISZT !
Another question from another
show... A stripper said to the night club owner,
"I want a new dressing room! The musician next door
just poked a peep hole through the wall with his __________."
The contestant had the best answer, which was Trombone, but
none of the panel said that. CNR was away doing a Broadway
show, so Gary Burghoff sat in his seat and said Drum Stick. (He
had actually worked as a jazz drummer, and was seen in M*A*S*H
playing a drum solo (which was not overdubbed!). Other responses
were Piccolo, Horn (which matched), French Horn (which did NOT
match), and two said Instrument.
[August 19, 2022] From a very
early program in the series, since Rayburn was called the
Host rather than the Star... A music teacher said to
Dumb Dora, "You don't play a _________ by blowing on it." The
contestant and five of the panelists all said Piano. CNR
was the only one who said Violin.
[October 17, 2022] Here's yet another
pair of questions... They call Oscar the Orchestra Leader
"The Ostrich" because when the band plays bad, Oscar sticks his
head in the _______. The contestant and three panelists
said Tuba. Arlene Francis said Pit, and CNR said Toilet. [The
contestant had matched one in the previous round, so only 5 panelists
responded.
The other question was an Audience Match.
Slide _________. Brett suggested Rule, Betty White
said Projector, and Richard Dawson made a joke of Slide, Kelly,
Slide (the 1927 silent film), but then opted for Trombone. I
was amazed that Trombone did not show up as any of the audience's responses.
The third most popular response ($100) was Home, the second
($250) was Projector, and the top one ($500) was Rule. I don't
remember what the contestant picked, but it was not Trombone..... *sigh*
[November 18, 2022] A baritone asked
a tenor, "How do you hit those high notes?" The tenor replies,
"Before each performance, my wife _______s my shorts." The
contestant and four of the panelists said starches. Patti
Deutsch said heats, and clarified that it was because the theater
was cold. CNR said lights. Dawson then remarked that if
she lights the shorts, only dobermans would hear the high notes!
[March 18, 2024] Each year there are some 'new' additions
to the re-run rotation, and now the syndicated version (without a date
attached) is being seen. One show from 1980 had this item... Old
Oscar the musician is really old. He played his first duet
with ________. The contestant said Beethoven, and when Rayburn asked
why she had come up with that, she said it was the only song she knew.
However, she soon started saying "Jesu joy (of man's desiring)" which
some audience members shouted was by Bach. The panelists' responses
were Brahms (Robert Walden), Bach (Brett Somers), then CNR said he had
The Definitive Answer: Gabriel, because he blew his horn! Judy Landers
then said Eve, Bill Daily said Lawrence Welk, and Marcia Wallace said,
"That good little tuba player, Noah!" CNR then chimed in that Noah
would have played the Double Bass, since everything on the Ark came in
pairs!
= = = = = = = = = = =
I am proud to say that a quotation from
my interview with
Maria Tallchief was used as the text with the animation
in this Google Doodle.
To see the video, and read about its creation,
click HERE.
= = = = = = = = = = =
[December 20, 2020] A couple of images
for the season . . . . . The first one is not
new, but does involve some wonderfully appropriate
critters!
On the other hand, it has been
a very tough year . . . . .
= = = = = = = = = = =
The following panel contains two separate jokes.
Do NOT try to make them into one
idea. They just happened to be inspired
by the world situation . . . . .
All of his reminds
me of an actual musical chord, concocted by Nicolas Slonimsky,
which he calls
The Grandmother Chord (shown immediately below)...
From the
interview, here is how he explains its derivation...
Technically, it is a mathematical problem because you
have to use all twelve different notes and all eleven different intervals.
It's not so easy; if you start by just trial
and error, you won't get anywhere because you will
either repeat a note or repeat an interval! But I
also found that musically it's very easy. Jocularly I say
that great adventures always have very elementary fundamental
principles, and this principle is extremely simple! Using
a convergent system of intervallic progression, the first note
of the scale, let's say C, then the last note of the chromatic
scale, B. Then the second note of the chromatic scale, C-sharp
and the one before — the penultimate
— B-flat, then D, A, E-flat, A-flat, E, G, F, F-sharp.
So it's convergent, and when it's expanded [sings, alternating
between low and high notes] "da-DAH-dee-DAH-dah-DAH" and developed
throughout seven octaves, then I have my Grandmother Chord.
= =
= = = = = = =
Walter Johannes Damrosch (January 30, 1862 –
December 22, 1950) was a German-born American
conductor and composer. He is best remembered today as
long-time director of the New York Symphony Orchestra and
for conducting the world premiere performances of George
Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F (1925)
and An American in Paris (1928). Damrosch
was also instrumental in the founding of Carnegie Hall. He
also conducted the first performance of Rachmaninov's third
piano concerto with Rachmaninov himself as a soloist.
Damrosch was the National Broadcasting Company's
music director under David Sarnoff, and from 1928
to 1942, he hosted the network's Music Appreciation
Hour, a popular series of radio lectures on classic
music aimed at students. (The show was broadcast during
school hours, and teachers were provided with textbooks
and worksheets by the network.) According to former
New York Times critic Harold C. Schonberg in his
collection Facing the Music, Damrosch was notorious
for making up silly lyrics for the music he discussed in
order to "help" young people appreciate it, rather than letting
the music speak for itself.
|
Now,
ninety years later, what would be the long-term effect
of even a mere five million listeners (and viewers)
of similar presentations on their computers? I
hereby "donate" all
the interviews which are posted on my website
as research materials to be used as any kind of compendium
or supporting material to a venture such as this.
= = = = = = = = =
[October
16, 2021] Occasionally, people notice that
my name (DUFFIE) is spelled differently than usual.
As a young boy, I asked my father about it, but he
just dismissed it with a shrug and a throw-away line about
an ancestor being a horse-thief. In any event, when
heard and not seen, most people will assume it's DUFFY. That
has never bothered me, except when necessary... like directing
people to my website! There, the name needs to be spelled
correctly.
When speaking
with composers, or others involved with new music,
they often asked if I was related to John Duffy. A
few even thought I was him! John was a
composer himself, who also founded Meet The Composer
in 1974, and ran it until 1996. When John and
I eventually met, I distinctly remember that we both had to
carefully write the other's name when scribbling our contact
info. I also interviewed the violinist Robert McDuffie,
and there is a woman named Duffie Adelson, who ran the Merit School
of Music in Chicago. In college, after we music students
learned about the early Renaissance composer Guillaume Dufay
(or Du Fay, pronounced doo-FYE, or dew-FY, in either case it
rhymes with defy) (1397-1474), I was always called by that name.
What brought
all this to my mind recently was watching baseball games
of the Chicago Cubs. (Yes, even after trading away
several of their best players, I will still follow them,
as I have since I was a kid.) After being with other
teams, the infielder Matt DUFFY signed with the Cubs for 2021.
It always pleased me to hear the TV announcers say his
name, especially when he hit a home run, or made a spectacular
fielding play. As it happened, there were a couple of Cubs
games against the Minnesota Twins. (They don't play each
other very often because they are in different leagues, but now,
with inter-league contests, they do meet every few years.) Until
I happened to hear my family name spoken on the Twins' roster,
I was unaware of pitcher Tyler DUFFEY. Unfortunately, I didn't
pay close enough attention at the time to know if DUFFEY pitched
to DUFFY.
After the fact,
I e-mailed the Cubs to find out, but received no answer.
So, I sent the same e-mail to the Twins. Again,
no answer. Finally, I contacted the Cubs
Insider, an unofficial website. Well, you guessed
it, I got no response. That's three strikes, so I'm
out. This is too bad, because it would have been fun
to speculate about DUFFIE watching DUFFEY pitching to DUFFY.
Of course, the best would be if I was at Wrigley Field
to catch a homer, or even a foul ball in this situation! *sigh*
Oh well, as they
say, "Wait 'til next year . . . . ."
[May, 2022] It's now 'next
year', and DUFFY has been traded to the Los Angeles Angels.
*big sigh*
[October 19,
2021] Also regarding names... The Poet
and Peasant Overture by Franz von Suppé is
certainly one of the more popular items on concerts of light
music. It's from an 1846 Viennese operetta Dichter
und Bauer, to use the original title. For a long time,
my interview with pianist Mischa Dichter has
been posted on this website. Earlier today, I uploaded
my conversation with conductor Harold Bauer.
I just thought it was a nifty happenstance.
= = = = = = = = =
[October
30, 2021] A friend of mine sent me the following
item. It reminds me of Emily Litella, the malaprop
character played by Gilda Radner in the early years of Saturday
Night Live.
[November 17, 2021]
With all the re-thinking about language
these days, just as we call 8:00 "eight o'clock", perhaps
we should call August "eight o'calendar."
Also, what is the difference between a thingamajig
and a doohickey?
= = = = = = = = =
[November 27, 2021]
The cartoon below could easily have been inspired
by my own work-space... *sigh*
= = = = = = = = =
[December 31, 2021]
Three thoughts as we move from one year to the
next.....
A guy walks into a bar on New Year’s Eve and orders a glass
of champagne.
“It’s finally happened!” he exclaims. “I’ve made enough money that
I don’t have to work for the rest of the year!”
-----------------------------
My New Year’s Resolution is to go to the gym more often, get into
grad school, pay off my bills, and learn a new
language.
I don’t have a clue how I’m going to get all that done by tomorrow.
-----------------------------
I’m going to stay up on New Year’s Eve this year.
Not to see the New Year in, but to ensure this one leaves.
= = = = = = = = =
[January 8, 2022] First, let me say that I
am NOT a gamer. I don't play video games, and really never have. When
I was in undergraduate school, I played Pinball,
which had flippers controlled by my hands, and a round
steel ball which knocked down targets and banged into
bumpers to accumulate points. It was kinda fun, and I
wasted a bit of time on the machine in the basement of my dorm.
Partly, it was also that we discovered a way to 'cheat'
a bit, thus gaining free games, and allowing us to keep playing
for no extra cash.
Later, while working
for WNIB, there was a pinball machine in the coin
laundry next to my 'L' stop, and I'd sometimes go in and
play a bit. Being cheap, I'd put in 50 cents, and
play until that was gone. Sometimes I'd spend an additional
50 cents, but never more than that amount of money. Usually,
that meant fifteen to twenty minutes, but occasionally a half
hour, and sometimes a mere five minutes.
What brings this all
to mind was an article by Jake Peterson which I just
stumbled on in the Lifehacker website. It
was titled, "Why Do Retro Games Look Better On Old TVs?"
The subtitle was, "8-bit Mario is never going to look
great on your 65-inch 4K TV." Here are the opening
two paragraphs...
<<<If
you own retro consoles—say, a Super Nintendo or
a Sega Genesis—you have access to some of gaming’s greatest
roots. However, you might find plugging these awesome consoles
into your current TV doesn’t result in the experience you
remember from years past. Games look fuzzy and distorted, and it
can be tempting to think your memory is playing tricks on you. It’s
not your memory, though; it’s your TV.
For retro gamers, the CRT is the
display of choice. Those giant, boxy television
sets that nearly everyone threw out or gave away
in favor of modern flat panels are actually coveted for
their ability to properly display games from the ‘80s, ‘90s,
and even part of the aughts. Retro games are not designed
for modern, pixel-dense TVs.>>>
The article then goes on to explain
the thesis in detail, most of which I do not understand and don't care to
explore further.
My reason for bringing this up is that
since discovering 78 rpm records as a teenager,
and learning of the difference between 'acoustics'
and 'electrics', the old collectors insisted that acoustics
sounded better on outside-horn machines [as shown here
on the right, and also seen above where the dog Nipper is listening
to His Master's Voice]. This means that these records
do not sound as good when played by equipment which has speakers.
A variation of the outside-horn machine was the inside-horn
cabinet, which simply put the horn into the box, and allowed it
all to look nicer in one's living room. In the photo at left,
the horn is in the short chamber immediately below the turntable,
and below that is a larger chamber where records could be stored. When
not in use, it could be all closed up, and was a distinguished
piece of furniture. A photo of two of the greatest singers
of that era, Tita Ruffo and Enrico Caruso, listening to their efforts
can be seen on the page of my interview with George Jellinek. They
only made one record together, on January 8, 1914. That
page also has a self-caricature made by the tenor of the
recording process of singing into the horn.
Acoustic records
were recorded by singing or playing into a horn that
looked like a megaphone, and electrics were recorded by
using a microphone. The date of change from one to the
other is 1925. All records made prior to that date
are acoustics, and after that date they all are electrics.
The change was almost immediate, and generally universal,
because it was the record companies which had to invest in the new
equipment, which they did. Both acoustics and electrics
would be playable on either horn or speaker machines, so it was
not that urgent for the public to get new equipment. It is
similar to film, in that all movies prior to The Jazz Singer
of 1927 were silent, but after that date, little by little sound
was incorporated, and they were called talkies. But the
change was more gradual because it meant that all the movie houses
had to invest in sound reproduction equipment. Other huge changes
happened in 1948 with the introduction of Long Playing records, (although
a few 78s were still being made as late as 1955 or so), and again in
the mid-1950s when Stereo came along.
Anyway, it just hit
me that no matter what development comes along, a similar
upheaval probably occurred in the past... *sigh*
[January 13, 2022] Continuing
with the idea of recordings, while preparing to
post my interview with oboist Ray Still, he mentioned
that early in his career he had played on a record
called Classical Music For People Who Don’t
Know Anything About Classical Music, conducted
by Robert Russell Bennett. A bit of searching turned
up some interesting items, which are shown below.
= = = = = = = = =
[January 30, 2022]
For a very special music joke about Mary
Had a Little Lamb, click HERE.
[February 5, 2022] Remember
the old PSA (public service announcement) shown below-left?
Well, I've devised a new one relevant to my topic,
shown below-right . . . . .
[March 5, 2022] Three
computer jokes . . . . .
I heard Reggae music coming from my printer.
The paper was jammin’.
—
I bought a 3D printer, but I didn’t like it.
So I 3D printed a dumpster to throw it in.
__
On
Ash Wednesday I will be giving up spreadsheets for 40
days and 40 nights.
It’s going to be completely
Excel Lent.
= = = = = = = = =
[April 28, 2022] C'mon...
we all knew this was going to happen, right???
[August 21, 2022] As
the new school year begins, perhaps we should re-examine the
curriculum . . . . .
= = = = = = = = =
[September 17, 2022] It
is known that I never discuss politics, and rarely post items
of topical interest. However, back in 1987, I had a wonderful
interview with Lord Harewood.
During his lifetime, he was (among other things)
editor of Opera Magazine
and the famous Kobbé's
Complete Opera Book, Director of the Royal Opera Covent
Garden and the English National Opera, as well as several festivals,
and the BBC. He had boundless enthusiasm for opera in general
and Verdi in particular – equating his music with Shakespeare's
plays.
He was also a member of the
British Royal Family. Captain George Henry
Hubert Lascelles acceded to the title of 7th Earl of Harewood
on 23 May 1947. Lord Harewood [pronounced HAHR-wood]
was the grandson of King George V, and first cousin to the late
Queen Elizabeth.
With her passing, and the accession of
King Charles III, I wanted to present this small bit of my
conversation . . . . .
BD:
You are first cousin to the Queen. Has your involvement
and interest in the arts engendered more interest on her part?
H:
I don’t think she would put it down first in her list of
hobbies if she were asked to write in Who’s Who. The one member
of the family who likes it a lot and is very involved is Prince
Charles, the Prince of Wales. He likes music a lot,
but he is the first person for a generation who has.
BD:
Permit me to ask one question, and you may dodge it if you
like. Will he make a good king?
H:
[Matter of factly] Oh yes. I think he’s a marvelous
man. He has so many qualities and so many experiences
and he’s so judicious about how he estimates them and how he
goes about them. I think he’ll be extraordinary.
* * * *
*
[September 19, 2022] [This
item by Norman Lebrecht appeared on September 18, 2022, in the
column SlippedDisc, ‘the
#1 Classical Music News Site’.]
In
2016, Judith Weir received the Royal Command to become the
first woman ever to serve as Master of the Queen’s Musick, a title
that dates back to 1626. No-one proposed, then or now, to modify
the term Master in a manner that made it more gender inclusive. Now
she is Master of the King’s Musick.
She tells the Washington Post: ‘I think
most of us have grown up with, as we knew him, Prince Charles.
He actually is a most unusual lover of classical music. He was
a cellist in his youth, played in college orchestra and really intensely
loves classical music. He’s made some very touching statements when
interviewed about his interests and has made it clear that it’s
absolutely top of the list. I don’t expect there to be less interest
in what we musicians do, and I’m sort of anticipating that there’s
a chance for us to do even more, once he gets over the huge backlog
of work he has to do.’
* * * *
*
In another item, Weir says: ‘“For this
funeral service, Westminster Abbey requested that I set to
music the first seven verses of Psalm 42, “Like as the hart
desireth the water-brooks: so longeth my soul after thee, O God”.
The words and music speak at first of the soul’s great sadness and
thirst for God’s reassurance; but as the psalm progresses, the mood
becomes calmer and more resolved, culminating in consolation, with
the words “Put thy trust in God”. The Queen’s strong faith in, and
support of, Anglican worship was an inspiration for me when setting
this psalm to music.”’
= = = = = = = = =
[October 1, 2022] Over
the years, Kathy Cunningham has created several groups of
hand-made ceramic pumpkins. One is pictured below, and
more can be found HERE.
= = = = = = = = =
[Thanksgiving, 2022] As we head
into the Holiday Season once again, the Museum of Science and
Industry in Chicago presents their annual exhibit Christmas
Around the World and Holidays of Light. Since 2011,
Kathy Cunningham has been in charge of the USA TREE, which is
always a highlight of the display. This year, she made a set of
enamel ornaments depicting the birds, flowers, and trees of each state,
plus Washington D.C., and the four US Territories. These, along
with the set of wooden ornaments and other items from previous years
adorn the tree. Everything except the crystal icicles and the flags
is hand-made, and can be seen on the various webpages starting HERE. Shown
below-left is a shot of the tree after being decorated by
the Friends of the USA Tree, but before it had been placed
into the exhibit. On the right is a close-up of one of the
new ornaments (front and back) as an example.
= = = = = = = = =
[December 4, 2022] I ran
across the following cartoon a couple months ago, and saved
it for Christmastide. Having grown up as a choral singer,
this particular carol appeared regularly. Like Ninety-Nine
Bottles of Beer on the Wall, it can become repetitious. (!)
If I may, allow me to recommend one (of many) recorded versions
for your listening pleasure. When Joan Sutherland
committed it to disc, she used an arrangement by Douglas Gamley.
Since it only runs 3:10, let me suggest that you listen
to it twice. The first time, just enjoy her lovely voice. The
second time, ignore her singing (as much as possible), and concentrate
on the rest of the sounds. It is the 'arrangement' which is
notable, and can even be used as a teaching-device to demonstrate the
possibilities of making a terrific version of an over-familiar (and over-repetitive)
piece.
= = = = = = = = =
[December 27, 2022] A few months
ago, I ran across some cartoons by a Canadian pianist. I
saved this one (below) for an appropriate time . . . . . . . . .
= = = = = = = = =
[January 19, 2023] As we head
into the New Year, here's a bit of news that's sure to cause consternation
among lovers of Classical Music... *huge sigh*
= = = = = = = = =
[February 14, 2023] It's Valentine's
Day, which reminds me of a wise-crack I used to say in years
when I was on the air that evening (1975-2001). [Note that
when one hears the term 'VD', it usually refers to venereal disease,
which is now called STD, or sexually transmitted disease.] Anyway,
on Valentine's Day I would, "Wish everyone a safe, happy, and prosperous
V.D." While I was never reprimanded by the management for saying
that, I do wonder if such a phrase might not be decried as unacceptable
in today's socio-political climate. Being on a Classical Music
station, perhaps my listeners were a bit more sophisticated than
those tuned to the Top-40 bubble-gum frequency... (!)
= = = = = = = = =
[March 2, 2023] Throughout my adult
life, I have always encouraged people to experience live Classical
Music concerts. As far back as when I was in junior high school
(7th and 8th grades), my growing knowledge and enthusiasm manifested
itself in this quest. Later, I have been quoted as saying that
though I made my living on radio via recorded performances, the LIVE
variety was The True Way.
Some months ago, I saw the following cartoon, and
stuck it in my file for future amusement...
Little did I know that the idea would actually come
to pass... What follows are two news items from a regular
daily feed called Slippedisc. There have, of course, been
occasional disruptions in concert halls over the years, but this seems
to be a first. Let us hope that it is the last...
Here are more details from the following day ...
[April 19, 2024] A little more than a year later,
we find this report . . . . .
[A couple weeks later...] Next, we have an 'official'
statement, and then the perfect input from Stephen Hough, dealing with
his upcoming performance . . . . .
= = = = = = = = =
[March 14, 2023 (
day) ] A special version.....
= = = = = = = = =
[April 2, 2023] I wonder
if anyone has ever tried speakng the phrase, "Alexa: Klaatu barada
nikto." [Reference: The 1951 film The Day the Earth
Stood Still.]
= = = = = = = = =
[April 30, 2023] With budget considerations
always being discussed, this item should be kept handy . . . . .
. . . .
= = = = = = = = =
[August 8, 2023] Some bad news, and
then some good news.....
= = = = = = = = =
[October 28, 2023] For those who
drive around looking at Halloween decorations, here's a scary group
that might appear on your dashboard...
= = = = = = = = =
[December 31, 2023] As the year comes to
a close . . . . . [12/31/23]
[March 11, 2024] Today I am 73. A quick
Google search of that number presented several items. This one
was my favorite . . . . .
[June 16, 2024] In case I don't make it to 74, at least
there is something for me after my demise . . . . .
= = = = = = = = =
[May 12, 2024] This admonishment (below) was
seen on a bus in Birmingham, England. Whether or not it has anything
to do with the uproar at the Symphony concerts (cited above) is anyone's
guess . . . . .
= = = = = = = = =
[May 28, 2024] While watching the Cubs play Milwaukee
on TV, I heard them introduce a Brewers pinch hitter named Monasterio.
At first I could have sworn the announcer said
MONO-STEREO. *sigh* [The Cubs won 6-3.]
[June 23, 2024] Whenever I see an ad on TV for
Capella University, I always wonder if they have an a cappella
chorus.
= = = = = = = = =
[November 3, 2024] I hope *everybody* remembered to re-set
their clocks for Standard Time. When I was a boy, I sang in the
Choristers at St. Mark's Church in Evanston. In the Spring, the
choirmaster would scream and holler at us during Thursday night's rehearsal,
to be sure to remind our parents to set their clocks ahead. Otherwise,
we'd be late for Sunday services. He would actually (really!) jump
up and down while saying this. HOWEVER, in the Fall, when failure
to re-set would mean we'd show up an hour early, he never said a word.
I kinda respected him for that!
Later in life, I usually worked that Saturday Night/Sunday Morning
shift at WNIB, and I would make a big point of saying "Central Daylight
Time" or "Central Standard Time". The next evening, I would
gently chide the public with, "Did you remember to re-set ALL your clocks
and watches??? How about the one in your car? Or what about
that special wristwatch in your jewelry box, that you only wear on important
occasions?" And yes, I did get a few calls thanking me for reminding
them of those items . . . . .
= = = = = = = = =
[February 9, 2025] As it relates to music, the term 'period
practice' is a style of music performance that uses techniques and instruments
from a specific historical period.
Today,
there was an item on the Slippedisc website under the heading 'A
Different Kind of Period Practice' . . . . .
Chicago, IL, February 2025 – Endometriosis
Awareness Month highlights the chronic condition affecting 11% of American
women, but everyone who menstruates deals with the monthly pain. As science
looks into the relationship between music and pain relief, could a new
playlist be the key to relieving cramps?
For many women, menstrual cramps are more than just a monthly
inconvenience: they can disrupt daily life and impact overall well-being.
But what if relief could be as simple as pressing “play” on your favorite
playlist?
A recent study published in BMC Women’s Health explored the
artistry effects of music and drawing as coping mechanisms for menstrual
pain in nursing students. The results were promising, showing that listening
to music not only alleviated menstrual pain but also helped reduce some
of the emotional discomfort often associated with menstruation.
The science behind this finding is rooted in how music interacts
with the brain. Research suggests that music activates the limbic system,
a region responsible for processing both emotions and pain perception.
This stimulation can reduce the transmission of pain signals, making menstrual
cramps feel less intense. Furthermore, music has the ability to trigger
the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers.
This healing power of music is supported by scientific research.
A study published in the National Library of Medicine, titled Standardizing
Music Characteristics for the Management of Pain, revealed that instrumental
music, particularly without lyrics, is highly effective in relieving pain.
The study examined music with specific features: no lyrics, little percussion,
no nature sounds, and a tempo of around 60-80 beats per minute (bpm). While
each of these features contributed to pain relief, the absence of lyrics
consistently showed the strongest results across studies.
Recognizing music’s ability to heal and uplift, U by Kotex®
has curated a playlist of 20 classical tracks to help you relax during
your period and navigate the ups and downs of your cycle. *Listed
in order of BPM (beats per minute), from highest to lowest*
| # |
Composer |
Song title |
BPM |
| 1 |
Vaughan Williams |
Greensleeves |
80 |
| 2 |
Rosetti |
Piano Sonata in B-Flat Major, RWV E3: II. Andante |
79 |
3
|
Mozart
|
Sonata No. 8 in A Minor, II Andante Cantabile
|
78 |
| 4 |
Debussy |
The girl with the flaxen hair |
76 |
| 5 |
Ennio Morricone |
Gabriel’s Oboe |
76 |
| 6 |
Bach |
Air on the G string |
74 |
| 9 |
Pachelbel |
Canon in D |
72 |
| 10 |
Yiruma |
River’s Flow in You |
69 |
| 12 |
Craig Armstrong |
Romeo and Juliet Balcony Scene |
65 |
| 13 |
Satie |
Gymnopedie No. 1 |
64 |
| 14 |
Saint-Saëns |
The Swan |
60 |
| 15 |
Johann Strauss II |
The Blue Danube Waltz |
58 |
| 16 |
Beethoven |
Moonlight Sonata (1st Movement |
58 |
| 17 |
Tchaikovsky |
Swan Lake Act 2, No.10 |
58 |
| 19 |
Mahler |
Adagietto (Symphony No. 5) |
54 |
| 20 |
Arvo Pärt |
Spiegel im Spiegel |
54 |
|
= = = = = = = = =
[
March 25, 2025] Communication over the generation
gap...
I asked my daughter to give me the phone book.
She laughed at me, called me a dinosaur, and handed me her iPhone.
So….. The spider is dead, the iPhone is broken, and my daughter
is pissed.
= = = = = = = = =
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,
but only during the cold months.
In the summer she rented an open-toe sandal!
* * *
What time is 25% of a ballet dancer's outfit?
1:45 [Quarter to two, or quarter tutu.]
* * *
If Goofy's pet dog had $$$, he'd be a Plutocrat!
* * *
Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any wool?
Not since I went to a cotton-polyester blend!
* * *
Rigoletto is the hunchback jester and title character in Verdi's opera
Rigoletto,
which is based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo.
Quasimodo is the title character of Hugo's Gothic Novel The Hunchback
of Notre-Dame.
Those two characters should file a class-action lawsuit for Trademark
Infringement against
Goodson-Todman, producers of the 1958-63 TV game show Play Your Hunch.
[Brief pause to allow for laughter or groans.....]
Seriously, about the program, Variety [January 14, 1959] called
it
"typical daytime audience participation fare that some housewives find
entertaining."
I wonder what the rest of the media would say if such a comment was
made now!
= = = = = = = = =
[April 10, 2025] Apparently there was a bit of a dust-up
at a piano recital in Amsterdam, when a woman confronted the soloist and
demanded to know what he was about to play. This news item (on Slippedisc)
elicited a long discussion, which included reasoned remarks as well as ugly
derision of various publics. In the midst of it all, one comment made
me literally laugh out loud...
You see, we in America are spoiled because programs are usually free and
plentiful. It was pointed out that in Europe, quantities are often
very limited, and sometimes cost quite a bit. So, it seems that numerous
soloists announce what they are about to play, but a few do not. One
wag suggested that a particular pianist should say that he was going to
play the Beethoven Appassionata, but then actually perform the Waldstein.
= = = = = = = = =
[August 13, 2025] Speaking of famous keyboards . . . .
.
Baldwin... Official Piano of the Hairless Victory
= = = = = = = = =
[August 18, 2025] When I came upon the following news item
in Slippedisc, I wracked my brain trying to think of *any* operas
which would not need some kind of warning . . . . .
= = = = = = = = =
{August 20, 2025] A couple weekends ago, Chicago
had its annual Air & Water Show. I just wondered if there was anyone
whose family name was 'Watershow', and if they might name their offspring
either 'Aaron', or 'Erin'. [Pause for chuckles or groans] Subsequently,
the East Coast was hit with hurricane Erin, and while watching the network
news (on various channels), one reporter was actually named Aaron! Arron
reporting on Erin... OK, so I'm easily amused these days... *sigh*
