Prodigies January 23, 2008
Posted by Jeff in Classical, Music.1 comment so far
I’ve always been fascinated with child prodigies, having been a little bit of one myself.
Lucy, the heroine of my screenplay The Arch Conspirators, is a child prodigy. And so was violinist Sarah Chang, who auditioned for Juilliard at the age of six. Here she at the age of fifteen, playing the Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 by another prodigy, Felix Mendelssohn, accompanied by Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic.
“Tubby The Tuba” January 17, 2008
Posted by Jeff in 1946 through 1960, Cartoons, Classical, Movies, Music, Puppetoons, Zook.17 comments
Reg Massie, 1945
Unlike clay animators like Nick Park, Will Vinton or Art Clokey, George Pal’s animators worked in a “replacement technique” using hand-carved wooden puppets. A separate puppet (or puppet part) was used for each motion, rather than clay or hinged parts. A single walking sequence, for instance, could involve 12 pairs of legs for one character. An average Puppetoon short would use 9,000 puppets.
“Mr. Strauss Takes a Walk” January 16, 2008
Posted by Jeff in 1929 through WWII, Cartoons, Classical, Movies, Music, Puppetoons.4 comments
Here’s a goodie from George Pal with the music of Johann Strauß* …
Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 December 2, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Classical, Music.8 comments
I’m going to go out on a limb and say this is my favorite classical string music, ever.
Heifetz plays Mozart December 1, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Classical, Music.1 comment so far
Jascha Heifetz performs the Rondo from Mozart’s Serenade No. 7 “Haffner”, K. 250.
Soloist vs. conductor November 28, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Classical, Music.add a comment
From 1962, pianist Glenn Gould (1932-1982) performs the allegro from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Keyboard Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052, with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Bernstein.
“Rhapsody In Blue” November 16, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Cartoons, Classical, George Gershwin, Jazz, Music.5 comments
Previously I posted Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, in my opinion just about the best animated short ever produced by the Disney studios.
Too bad no one is willing or capable of producing quality 2D animation any more.
The Italian symphony August 22, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Classical, Music.add a comment
Sir Georg Solti conducts the Chicago Symphony in the first movement of the Third Symphony (the “Italian”) by Felix Mendelssohn:
The King’s Singers August 10, 2007
Posted by Jeff in A cappella, Classical, Folk, Music, Rock.2 comments
Next year the King’s Singers will be celebrating their fortieth anniversary.
Don’t worry … August 7, 2007
Posted by Jeff in A cappella, Classical, Cool, Jazz, Music.add a comment
“… Be Happy” is not in this post. And if that’s all you know of Bobby McFerrin, I can’t blame you for being relieved.
Ойстрах исполняет Чайкoвский концерт July 20, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Classical, Music.add a comment
David Oistrakh (1908-1974) performs Pyotr Ilyich Tschaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.
This is not, and has never been, a song about ducks July 4, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Classical, Music.add a comment
Happy non-birthday to the non-blog June 25, 2007
Posted by Jeff in Classical, Jazz, Music, Weirdness.add a comment
A year ago today, I had absolutely nothing to do with starting the blog you are now reading.
Today, for your cultural edification, a dignified number from the same musical ensemble featured in the first non-post on this non-blog. A delicate compendium of the work of the immortal Edvard Grieg (pictured at right):
The dream Coney Island December 11, 2006
Posted by Jeff in Classical, Comden and Green, Music, Musicals, Theater.add a comment
Betty Comden and Adolph Green introduce the second-act ballet music from On The Town.
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This is not my blog. 