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“P.D.Q. Bach Strikes Back”
Every once in a while someone comes up with an idea that is so brilliant, so
life-changing, that everybody wonders why no one thought of it before.
P.D.Q. Bach had such an idea when he decided to orchestrate his Twelve
Quite Heavenly Songs, an ambitious cycle based on the signs of the
zodiac. Beethoven, in a letter to his publisher dated October 12,
1816, wrote, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Since he had no idea that
P.D.Q. had even written such a piece, however, and couldn’t have heard it
even if he had, Ludwig decided to write a ninth symphony instead.
Now scored for off-coloratura soprano, tenor profundo, basso blotto and
orchestra, the new version of this song cycle sounds much more orchestral
than the original keyboard version. (But don’t worry: the quality of the
music has not changed a bit.) Premiere performance.
You never know where a P.D.Q. Bach work is going to turn up—at least I never
do—but even this inveterate musical explorer was surprised to find a
manuscript locked up in a safe standing amid the rubble of a demolished
building. The “Safe” Sextet is written for the “forgotten”
members of the orchestra: piccolo, English horn, bass clarinet,
contrabassoon, harp and celesta. It’s a unique sound, I’ll say that
for it.
Variations on an Unusually Simple-Minded Theme is a de facto piano
concerto in the form of variations on a theme so simple-minded that only
P.D.Q. Bach could have written it. Ahead of his, as usual, time, the
composer introduced choreographic movements for the musicians, the likes of
which were not seen again until the heyday of the big bands in the 1930’s
and 40’s. The Professor himself will soloize.
The program is well-rounded off by a perennial favorite, the “Unbegun”
Symphony, whose third and fourth movements were all that Prof. Schickele
wrote.
Order your tickets today, before you have time to think better of it.
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Program
Read the complete list of works on the program,
with Schickele numbers and everything.
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Audio Clip
Listen to audio samples of one of the pieces scheduled for this year’s
concerts. The excerpts are from the
Vanguard Recording of
Prof. Schickele’s “Unbegun” Symphony. The “Unbegun” Symphony
only has a third and a fourth movement, but this audio clip contains short
excerpts from both of them: III. Minuet, and IV. Andante—Allegro
(although these samples are in the reverse order), copyright 1966 Vanguard Records.
Audio Samples can be played using the free RealAudio
player.
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Tickets
Here are links to theater Web sites where the tickets are being sold.
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Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA, December 12, 2003 |
| Browning Center for the
Performing Arts, Ogden, Utah, December 18, 2003 |
| Abravanel Hall, Salt Lake
City, Utah, December 19 and 20, 2003 |
| Avery Fisher Hall,
Lincoln Center, New York, New York, December 26 and 27, 2003 |
| New Jersey Performance Arts Center
(NJPAC), Newark, New Jersey, December 28, 2003 |
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