I have an organ version of it... that part is in the pedals.... when
This time I read "I have a vegan version of it."
Seems everyone has to endure that scourge
sometime in this vale of tears ...
I've played it, many a time I've had Richard on the bench with me,
turning pages, and doing that almost mindless part, freeing me to
... even noncombatants.
Fortunately, I've not HAD to play it too often, and I generally still
rather enjoy it therefore... ;)
One of the strange things was that one of the magazines
I subscribed to - High Fidelity or the New Yorker or
possibly even Natural History - had an ad in the back
for the Musical Heritage Society, which, if you joined
its subscription service, would send you an album of
the Jean-Francois Paillard Chamber Orchestra for an
introductory fee of I believe 25 or 50 cents. The Kanon
was on this record - the very first recording of the
piece, and I got it - that was in 1968 or 1969 when I
ws finishing up high school. It wasn't a thrilling piece
then, and it isn't now.
It was one of those ironies that I have spent many hours
of my life being paid for playing the thing.
concentrate on the much more challenging upper three voices on the two manuals... ;) He's always done creditably... (G)
That's how you can tell playing the organ is so hard
- you get more than one manual.
And some organs, one gets 4 or 5 manuals.... takes a long time to read through all of those... (G)
You could die of Bourdon.
Yah, I'se the real thing.
I'm presuming that you have that part indelibly in your memory so that
That is so. As much as cellists with the Swan or
Kanon.
Figured as much... ;)
It's not going to be the most interesting gig I've ever
done, but I'm not nearly so good as I was, either.
reading music would be superfluous, even if you could see it...?
... or even misleading.
Indeed.
Once one retires, does that get one into the ranks of the talented amateurs...? ;)
Sometimes. today it feels like untalented
amateur hour, though.
Oh, dear...
Unpretty picture.
professional musicians as part of our church, most are and have been
RPO people among them, right?
Yup, along with Roberts Wesleyan faculty, and connections with other
music schools (Hochstein, Eastman, etc)....
Sounds like good company.
Generally... :)
Chipped notes and skipped beats are forgivable
when there's kindliness and good intent behind.
If they don't happen in performance.
Are you referring to the less talented there...? or the talented...? :)
The less talented the greater the leeway, unless there's
a bigger than one's britches issue, in which muttered
imprecations should and do become less muted and muttered.
Yeah, bigger than one's britches issues do lessen tolerance and forebearance.... ;)
It can be a bit of a trial and tribulation.
But generally the pleasure of it all makes
up for it.
Generally any performance ends up pretty decent, the more talented covering for the less... the less talented getting some experience that helps them grow, too... :)
That's saying it's 2/3 full when it's really 2/3 empty!
Generally here that's more a 1/2 full 1/2 empty proposition... :)
I prefer fullness, but now I can't always
deliver on that.
Was there a conscious effort to mold the
family members into ensembles? Ma and Pa
playing the violin, perhaps, which leaves
viola and cello for the kids.
Both parents played the piano, quite creditably...
Well, all the important clefs were covered.
One way or another... :)
And then there are those who can play (a string
instrument anyway) and sing at the same time.
My sister had my ex-girlfriend and me play the
Telemann canonic sonatas for her wedding. I also
played for her replacement's wedding to my b-i-l.
Musicians in the family do get called upon... ;) I played various instruments in various family weddings... ;)
Oddly, I remained quite close to that ex-girlfriend
and her family. A decade after we broke up, I showed
at her brother's funeral (in one of those ironies of
life, he was a cancer researcher and died of cancer)
and was put in the front row next to the mother.
They also sang together as a family... :)
A little high-voice-heavy, though.
Both instrumental as well as voice, yes... ;) Especially as Uncle Sam
was a tenor... :) Possibly one or more of the girls could sing tenor
(don't think any of them was a true tenor, as I am, though), and Uncle
Sam could sing church bass fine.... :)
Lucky there was a cellist in the house.
- First and Second Law of Thermodynamics, F&S, At
the Drop of Another Hat
Ah, ok... :) the mention of H2SO4 reminded me of a joke or two Daddy
used to tell... one of them: Harry was a chemist, now he is no more; for
what he thought was H2O was H2SO4. And the other, the professor was
I knew that one from something like Children's Digest,
back in the day when they expectedd children to actually
know something.
asking the student what H2SO4 stood for, and the student replies "I know
what that is, I have it on the tip of my tongue", to which the professor replies, "Spit it out man, it's poison!"
I wonder how humor in the classroom is viewed nowadays.
Oh, yes. I hate being primus, but it's fine
being primus inter pares.
Exactly.
It was fun being concertmaster, but not when there
were big solos.
A bit too much pressure there.... and spotlight....
I was what I called a good administrative
concertmaster - keeping the personnel happy, doing
the bowings, interpreting the conductor's strange
gestures and requests to the string section, calling
for time's up, that kind of thing. Playing the solos
was a burden to live with.
who, one day, at the pub after a concert, made a
tirade that ended "and I'm better than you." To
which i didn't say anything but thought (as I hope
the others did as well), well then, why are you
always one step (or stand) behind me?
Very insecure, there.... and apparently thought too highly of herself...
or was trying to convince herself... :)
It was, shall we say, uneasifying and peculiar.
Mushroom Soup
cat: celebrity, French
yield: 4 servings
6 Tb butter
1 sm onion, thinly sliced
12 oz button mushrooms
4 c light chicken stock or broth
1 sprig flat parsley
Salt and pepper
2 fl high-quality sherry
- (don't use the cheap grocery-store variety; it's
- salty and unappetizing and will ruin your soup)
This is a ridiculously easy soup to make. It's tasty and
durable, and it gets even better overnight.
In the medium saucepan, melt 2 Tb butter over medium heat
and add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft and
translucent, then add the mushrooms and the remaining
butter. Let the mixture sweat for about 8 min, taking
care that the onion doesn't take on any brown color.
Stir in the chicken stock and the parsley and bring to
a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer 1 hr.
Remove the parsley and discard. Let the soup cool for a
few minutes, then transfer to the blender and carefully
blend at high speed until smooth. Do I have to remind
you to do this in stages, with the blender's lid firmly
held down, and with the weight of your body keeping that
thing from flying off and allowing boiling hot mushroom
puree to erupt all over your kitchen?
When blended, return the mix to the pot, season with salt
and pepper, and bring up to a simmer again. Add the sherry,
mix well, and serve immediately. [or refrigerate and
serve another time]
To astound your guests with a Wild Mushroom Soup, simply
replace some of those button mushrooms with a few dried
cÿ\epes or morels, which have been soaked until soft,
drained, and squeezed. Not too many; the dried mushrooms
will have a much stronger taste, and you don't want to
overwhelm the soup. Pan sear, on high heat, a single
small, pretty, fresh chanterelle or morel for each
portion, and then slice into a cute fan and float
on top in each bowl.
And if you really want to ratchet your soup into
pretentious (but delicious), drizzle a few tiny drops
of truffle oil over the surface just before serving.
Why the hell not? Everybody else is doing it.
Anthony Bourdain, Les Halles Cookbook
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