The Fredösphere

The title says it all:  The Revolution Will Not Be Pasteurized.  (Hat tip 2Blowhards.)

Meanwhile...

Rene's Apple will have what Ann Althouse is having:

I'd rather see a show where philosophers descend on a woman with a perfect exterior and rip into her for her intellectual and spiritual failings, put her on some kind of internally transformative regime, and turn her into a human being of substance. Can we get that?

...and furthermore...

Man Babies.  Plus, have a look at Nazis on the Moon.

Labels: Culture, fun, Futurism, movie, VideoClip

In an earlier post I commented with pleasant surprise on a Swedish composer's attempt to create an opera on a science fiction theme.  Commenters assured me this was hardly the first composer to attempt such a feat.  Daniel Wolf cited as ancient an example as Haydn, which impressed me to no end.  Those of you familiar with my Haydn animus won't be surprised my mental picture of Haydn as a space opera-tor is that of the salt vampire of Planet M-113.

Anyhoo, I'm pleased to add another work to this growing list:  Jacques Offenbach's adaptation of Jules Verne's Le Voyage dans la Lune.  Wikipedia has the details, including a wonderful photo showing costumes and a set from the original lush (but to the modern eye, goofy) production.  Kudos is due (hey!  I conjugates that verb real good!) to io9 for dredging up this information (especially considering that deep historical perspective is not what you expect from a Gawker-related site) in a terribly interesting roundup of info on Georges Méliès' groundbreaking 1902 SF film A Trip to the Moon, which itself was recycled in a trippy music video by The Smashing Pumpkins called Tonight, Tonight:



And I suppose I'll have to comment on The Man that Fell to Earth if I ever get up the courage to watch it.

Space.  And opera.  What else have I overlooked?

Labels: Composition, Culture, Futurism, movie, Opera, sci-fi, VideoClip

I am so looking forward to Prince Caspian.  First, because it's my favorite of the seven Narnia books.  Indeed, the opening sequence--when the Pevensie children dig through ruins to learn that their own castle, and even their own past lives, are now relegated to half-forgotten legends--is the spookiest, most melancholy thing I've ever read in all of fantasy literature.  It is my sword Rhindon; with it I killed the Wolf.  Ooooh, yes!

I'm also hoping this movie will not disappoint as the previous one did.  I'd like to see a little more compelling performances and a little less cringe-making dialog (but the trailer does not inspire a lot of hope along those lines).  I'd also prefer no more of the kind of scene we saw in the first movie, where Aslan comes to the underground lake, and the White Witch emerges from the water wearing little more than stiletto heels and a thick layer of gold paint, and I'm like, whoa, dude, I don't remember this being in the book.

Watch the trailer and hear our hero introduce himself:  "Ah im Printz Gespian!"  What's with the vaguely continental accent?  Is it an artifact of the trailer, or does he talk like that all the time?  Here, the ugly head of linguistic nit-picking opens its Pandora's box:  how is it that 20th century English is spoken in Narnia--over a period lasting many centuries?  Did the filmmakers decide to throw in a little weirdness in the Narnian accents to slightly cover their hienies on the issue of linguistic drift?  I really doubt it, but it's fun to imagine they did.

Labels: movie, VideoClip

Via SF Signal, it's High Noon exactly as you remember it.  Well, as I remember it anyway:



Via Ionarts (who got it from Boing Boing, who got it from Laughing Squid), it's a cat playing a theremin.  I definitely detect the influence of Messiaen, although I'm thinking not so much the Turangalîla Symphonie as some of the more pointillistic moments in Des Canyons aux Etoiles:

Labels: fun, movie, VideoClip

Frankly, if you're going to email me asking for my help and you can't even be bothered to do me the courtesy of placing your apostrophes correctly, don't expect me to call 911 for you.

Here are two excellent a cappella groups to sample.  First, via A Capella News, it's Naturally 7:



This group is so hot, they make their tour bus burst into flames.  Meanwhile, Chicago A Cappella is equally caliente--listen to samples of them singing Mata del ánima sola by Antonio Esévez, Son de la loma by Miguel Matamoros, arr. J. Castillo, and Salseo by Oscar Galian.

My hoary custom of playing Bach's St. Matthew Passion every Good Friday has gradually given way to Golijov's La Pasion Segun San Marco.  I switched because I figured the hot Latin rhythms would be more compelling to my kids ears (plus, they have enough Spanish that they can translate most of it).  What I didn't anticipate is the way the music sets their feet a-dancing.  We compromise, and I make them wait a decent interval, then let them cut loose.  Watching them dance to the Death of God is disconcerting, but their urges are innocent and I think it would be wrong to suppress them completely.

Labels: Choral, SoundClip, VideoClip, vocal

Aworks found one of many Virgil Fox Youtube manifestations.  You gotta credit Fox for blowing the dust out of the pipe organ world with his Heavy Organ tour, but here, he disappoints.  With the funeral home decor, the fruitcake attire, and the middlebrow attitude in his introduction, he seems to be laboring under an ambition to leave no organist stereotype unresuscitated.

I did enjoy hearing again his interpretation of Ives' Variations on America.  This, along with The Unanswered Question, is among Ives' few unambiguously successful compositions.  To my knowledge, it was Fox's recording of this piece on the Wichita Wurlitzer that most closely achieved the ideal, optimized combining of performer, instrument, and composition.  In my only conversation with Michael Daugherty, I asked him if he knew of Fox's America recording (since the topic of the day was organ music) and he did.  Michael Daugherty knows everything, apparently, since he remembered which record company produced it, and asked me to confirm.  Sorry, Michael; I didn't realize that information would be on the test.

For sound clips of the Wichita, go here and scroll down.  Also have a look at the beautiful album art for the two-volume set of direct-to-(vinyl)-disc album "The Fox Touch."  For in my previous, vinyl-centric listening life, these records were my most precious possession.  Each side, about 20 minutes of music, was performed in a single take, as necessitated by the technology.  The (few) blatant clams only added to the charm.  They were as close to live as vinyl could get.

Poor Virgil; the Youtube video does not hide is ugly hands.  He comes off better in a video of a work he championed, Symphonie Concertante by Joseph Jogen--although his Nixonian form factor is on display.  "Let me make each note puurfectly clear."

Labels: Organ, VideoClip

I do hope you are catching the YouTube sneak peeks of the Harlan Ellison documentary, Dreams with Sharp Teeth.  Start here (bad language alert), and also don't miss Mr. Ellison's unambiguous (and salty) opinion on the new all-content-is-free era we seem to be living in.  Don't overlook the irony, as you watch it, that you downloaded it for free.

Labels: Fiction, VideoClip

What a combination!  Terry Teachout discussing Alex Ross' book The Rest Is Noise.  Terry's take:  Alex is the first historian to understand the non-inevitability of any particular avant garde innovation in 20th century music.  (Terry throws in a nice anecdote from his recent wedding as well.)

Now, if only we could get a video of Alex Ross discussing Terry Teachout discussing Alex Ross--that would be better!  And then, best of all:  Alex Ross and Terry Teachout together discussing the inevitability of the internet producing the Fredöshpere!

Labels: Culture, VideoClip

A recent visitor mentioned two barbershop quartets:

Realtime.  I love those black velvet jackets, but I bet it's a nightmare getting the hair clippings off them after a long day's work behind the barber's chair.  The group sneaks in a few quasi-legitimate sixth chords, and the baritone displays fine control of the all-important single-eyebrow waggle during his closeup.  This performance shows why they crush the competition, and the velvet.



Nightlife.  Here they sing "One Moment in Time," a oddly beautiful meditation on the metaphysics of temporal existence, the  persistence of subjective perception, and the politics of meaning.  I think.  I do know it ain't "Coney Island Baby."

Labels: BarbershopHarmony, VideoClip

Let's continue a little longer with our barbershop quartet theme.  First, theory geeks can enjoy an old discussion over at Kyle Gann's place on barbershop's unanalyzable Chord Of Mystery.  My opinion, if I dared express it, is that the chord defies functional analysis because it has no function.  It ain't right.

Meanwhile, enjoy this performance by a barbershop quartet that would be my favorite even if they didn't have the coolest name possible:  Derf.  Or Ferd.  Or something; I forget.

Labels: BarbershopHarmony, VideoClip

How does this French beatboxer do it?  With not much besides his mouth.  A Cappella News found him first.

Labels: VideoClip, vocal

Gravity Lens comes through again with a Frank Lloyd Wright link.  You simply must watch this CG video of Fallingwater growing before your eyes.  They don't call it organic architecture for nothing.  Dang, people, this is good.

Labels: Architecture, VideoClip

Minnesota Public Radio caught Chanticleer on video asking the eternal question, and my friend Alan sent me the link.  Don't overlook the other great performances on video.

Labels: VideoClip, vocal

Cincinnati Opera is hyping their production of Nixon in China with a cheesy video called Nixon in Cincinnati.

We badly wanted to head down there and see the show, and we had made tentative plans to do so months ago, but the Wifeösphere's bump in the road last winter (in the form of recurrent cancer) made us reevaluate lots of things.  The opera road trip was cancelled.  Meanwhile, Julie's doing much better now and continues to regain her strength, thanks be to God, but we still need to play things conservatively for the forseeable future.

Labels: VideoClip, vocal

A young man known only as wzauscher sings Bach as a one-man quartet.



If you like, follow the links to his other transcriptions, although the ones I found had intonation problems.

Okay.  More intonation problems.

Now, finish it off with the master:  Bobby McFerrin singing Bach/Gounod.

Labels: VideoClip, vocal

Paul Potts won the Britain's Got Talent semi-final last night.  Watch him do it.  He will appear this Sunday in the final, opposite a ventriloquist operating a singing, dancing monkey.  Think about that.  A ventriloquist and a monkey.  Paul, the contest is yours to lose.

The winner will receive a chunk o' change and a chance to perform before the Queen.  I imagine Her Grace is scrambling right now, demanding to know how she can circumvent the rules and vote multiple times.  Our royal person will not suffer the indignity of clapping for a mechanical monkey that sings Michael Jackson songs!  Show me how to run this bleeping vote-bot right nooooooow!!!

Let's speculate about what's going on, here.  The viewers were able to choose three of the eight semi-finalists.  Then the judges chose two of those three to go to the final.  I don't know anything about the third contestant the judges rejected, but come on -- a ventriloquist?  The judges say they chose him because of the variety nature of his act.  "Variety" -- that's an interesting way to put it.  I think the judges love Paul's voice, love his back story, and are greasing the wheels for him.  Not that he needs the help.  According to this report, bookies are already laying odds on whether Paul will score the Christmas number one hit in the UK this year.

We should keep in mind that this packaging of opera, the hype, the glitz, the screaming crowds, the silliness -- all the extra-musical ephemera that classical fans eschew -- is an example of opera returning to its roots.  It remains to be seen if Paul will make the commitment to return opera to its roots all the way.

Labels: VideoClip, vocal

Alex Ross blogs a mobile phone salesman from South Wales named Paul Potts who brings "Nessun dorma" to Britain's Got Talent, a UK version of American Idol.  His back story has a hint of Cinderella in it, and he gives a spellbinding performance, although he enjoys an unfair advantage in that he gets to sing the greatest freeggin' love song that ever got wrote.  Plus, it's refreshing to see someone allowed on TV with ordinary good looks that haven't been surgically "perfected."

I must confess, however, to having a soft place in my heart for another amateur interpreter of Puccini, Stephen Miller.  Part of Stephen's charm is his approach to self-packaging, which, like Paul's, is not yet perfect.  (Hint to Stephen:  a few simple Photoshop commands can fix the red-eye and nasty aspect ratio issues in your thumbnail photo.)

Of the many permutations of Three Tenors, one that's new to me is the Three Redneck Tenors.  What's that, you ask?  Why, gosh darn it, yes -- they've got their own version of "Nessun dorma."  It's a little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll, a little bit bad, and it's just about the most toe-tappin', gooder-than-grits, and hotter-'n-a-goat's-butt-in-a-pepper-patch version of "Nessun dorma" I ever seen:  there's something about cummerbunds with mullets that's cuter 'n a sack full o' puppies.  They do Beethoven's 5th as well, which isn't quite as dreadful as it should be, although it suffers from the same problem as that of all musical jokes:  a punch line that lasts three minutes is never funny.

Labels: VideoClip, vocal

Very cool:  Terry Teachout is writing an opera.  (Aren't we all.)

I'm glad to say I've adopted Google Notebook as a tool for organizing projects, which mainly means a place to store bookmarks to poetry I'd like to set, snippets of lines I've written myself, and titles of works I'll probably never get around to writing (but who knows?).  I've needed a project organizer for a while, and especially lately, as I've become more serious (more is a relative term here, people) about writing science fiction.  Fans of this plot, rejoice:  I'm writing it.  I even have a audience of non-zero size already in place, ready to read it.  Teaser:  imagine Augustus Caesar sitting in Albert Einstein's lap.  (This Albert Einstein.)

Beyond that, I harbor special ambition to combine my two main interests into one project.  No, I don't mean anti-popes and synaesthesia, I mean composing and sci-fi.  I don't mind sharing with you my working title -- Space Opera -- since it has almost certainly been used already.  [Accessing ... accessing ... --yep!  Darn.]  I've got some plot ideas that I think are a teeny bit original, so I'll keep quiet about them.  Sadly, considering how long it will take me to write this thing, it's only chance of attracting interest will be as a piece of retro-futurism.

On a related note, yes Don, you're right:  this is the greatest shampoo commercial ever.

Labels: Composition, Creativity, sci-fi, VideoClip

The rules of modern American politics require a person like John McCain occasionally to humiliate himself ritualistically.  What's these kids' excuse?

Mixolydian Mode has moved -- don't get left behind.

Here's a story on the Aristides Atelier, where painting is taught the old-fashioned way.  (You come in here with palettes full of mush...!)  Disturbingly, recent experience has caused me to question the emphasis on craft.  Just as everyone else is loosing faith in self-expression, I'm reminded that some people got it and some don't.  (More on that topic when I've processed it fully.)  Anyway, this talk of old-fashioned pedagogy reminds me of stories of the bad old days at U-M:  student composers presented scores to their teachers on vellum. Here at the Fredölogical Institute -- the only place in the world a student can get full, rigorous training in nested counterpoint -- I require my students to submit their counterpoint lessons carved in Italian marble.  Which means the kids learn to think really, really hard before committing themselves to each note.

Labels: Counterpoint, Creativity, VideoClip

Alex Ross continues to dig for new music ideas you can ... dig.  Here's one idea that's good enough to steal:  generate notes randomly, then constrain the randomness with a few smartly-chosen rules, and listen for the music to pop out.

Meanwhile, YouTube brings the vast world of choral music to your door -- just search for "choir" and let the goodness stream in.  Or you can go straight to the Red Army Chorus backing an annoyingly driven tenor soloist (forgive the redundancy) while the crowd roars and the dancers kick their heels and the smoke swirls around the giant mutant mullets.  Surreal.  Or, check this out:  as he enters, school girls swoon and the cameras flash and the adults become very deferential.  Is this Taiwanese idol a pop star?  No, he's a choir director!  (Truthfully, he's both.)  More seriously, the Bulgarian State Radio Choir never fails to amaze.

Labels: Composition, VideoClip, vocal

God of the Machine thinks the Saw Lady has the best observation on Joshua Bell's Slumming Qua Busking.  That's yesterweek's topic, but I link mainly because I want you to turn up your speakers and hear her soundtrack.

Yes, it's Friday, and I owe you a silly link, but this video of "The Zimmers," a bunch of old farts recording a cover of "My Generation" is no joke; it's genuine choral content of a kind you only get from the Fredösphere.  This is serious!

Labels: VideoClip, vocal