I'm home after being away too long, and enjoying the company of the family. When you think classical music and family, you think of J.S. Bach and his many musical sons. Like, err, P.D.Q. Bach.
In actuality, P.D.Q. Bach is a satirical creation of "Professor" Peter Schikile (not a real professor). It is musically faithful to the period while at the same time skewering the pretentiousness that wraps the modern classical concert. It is classical music inside baseball, but insanely clever - not to mention very funny - classical music inside baseball. This is one of my favorites.
Seems Professor Schikile has evolved in his choice of primary instruments.
ReplyDeleteI didn't hear the double-reed music stand or the sewer flute in these new compositions.
Cheers, Hans
Peter is/was a professor at Julliard, back in the day, so the title was, at least once upon a time, a real one.
ReplyDeleteAt the concert I attended in college (back when dinosauri roamed the earth), he entered the stage via zipline from the balcony. I love that guy.
I was just looking at schikile.com last night for some P.D.Q. Bach lyrics that I remembered from high school. We sang a couple of his Christmas songs in madrigals and a couple in the whole chorus (there were kazoos).
ReplyDeleteRev. Paul -- thanks for the memory! I remember Peter Schickele doing that same entrance when I saw him at Maine.
ReplyDeleteI loved the name of the singers "The O.K. Chorale"
Great fun, and a talented guy in many ways.
I got to see him in Akron many years ago.
ReplyDeleteNo zipline, but he did progressively modify a bassoon with a circular saw.
Even now, my Playmaker Football team occasionally drafts a player from the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople.