Some Thoughts on Music

Well I started out, and ended up, as a music guy, so:

What is metrical weirdness of the second variety? The second simplest kind. Not Stravinski’s kind. Must have a steady beat where only the top number of the meter can and must change, at least in one isolated measure, at least once in the course of the piece. Yeah, well, I DID study music two years but can’t remember what that number is called. Examples can be found in some rebetiko (rempetiko) songs, for this discussion 9/4 = 4/4 + 5/4, similarly with 9/8, some early Carter Family songs, at least one Hank Williams song (must’ve really pissed off Fred Rose), and the June Carter/Johnny Cash song Ring of Fire, he, I think responsible with his three trumpets, AND in at least 4 Grateful Dead songs. This brought to my attention only yesterday by my older brother Richard. Anyway I love it, upon first encountering it, in the Holy Grail song, see “My Favorite Pop Songs”, #1, above, in ‘87, was blown away by it. (You may now find it in some of MY stuff). Very difficult for Americans. Even the original Carter Family Examples (Can the Circle be Unbroken, Keep on the Sunny Side, Wildwood Flower (Good Reuben James?), and others were later changed by later Carter Families to make them easier on our ears (but not mine).

What is musical stoicism? A performance style present in the above Rebetiko (Rempetiko—the Greeks spell it this way, because they have no letter for the “B” sound. You may encounter this spelling when searching YouTube) and Carter family songs. Seems to just focus the sadness to me.

Greatest Singers (in my mind, anyway):

Sopranos: Carlo Broschi, Maria Callas (until ‘65)

Altos: Carlo Broschi, Marian Anderson

Tenors: Enrico Caruso, Lauritz Melchior

Basses: Feodor Chaliapin, Ezio Pinza (‘till ‘50) (OK–Robeson’s tone beats the crap out of both of Theirs–‘scuse me–but technique?)

Best Melodist: Fryderyk (sp?) Chopin (My friend Jack Gray likes Pollini’s etudes, so do I, but in the four (Moscow, ’64) which Artur Rubinstein had the technique to record, there’s something extra, I like them better. New Blood: Daniil Trifonov. Unaccountably, at least in one YouTube Artur kind of butchers the beginning of op. 10 #3–Horowitz does it awesomely. In the A-flat Polonaise–Rubinstein beats the crap out of Pollini (‘scuse me), as well as the piano. (Just heard his F#-minor–Wow!!!). For Mazurkas–M. Argerich) Basically, Rubinstein made music, Pollini made Computer Music–like me! (Actually I like his teacher, Michelangeli (sp?), better). I don’t think it’s his fault, I think he has Asperger’s Syndrome.

Best Harmonist: the same

Best Metrist: Igor Stravinski (Rite of Spring a miracle metrically, as well as other ways. Image Nijinski in the wings trying desperately to shout out the beat to his dancers, while the audience erupted–like the fools they were)

Best Rhythmist: Jerry Garcia (It’s not just his right hand (minus two fingers) I’m talking about, but what his did with his voice too)

Best guitarest: Jimi–then Jimmy Page and Eddie van Halen

Best Pianist: (please forgive me): Vladimir Horowitz

Best Violinest: Jascha Heifetz

Best brass player: Louis Armstrong (no one could touch the brilliance and beauty of his high notes in particular)

Best Woodwind player: James Galway, and my Mom (had a musical scholarship offer from LSU, luckily chose to study nursing at UNC)

Best concertos: piano: all of the late Mozart ones, violin: Mendelssohn: E-minor, tuba: Ralph Vaungh-Williams (sp?).

A special shoutout: Claude Debussy–created TWO awesome, perfectly mature styles.

Best Ballets: The Rite of Spring, Swan Lake, Petruchka, The Nutcracker, The Firebird (who was that incredible Georgian tall ballerina?. What is it with Russia (and Georgia) and dance?)

Favorite Fugues: Kyrie Eleison–first # in B-minor Mass, Grosse Fuga, “Little”–g-minor, “Alla Gigue”.

String Quartets: Bartok’s, late Mozarts, late Beethovens–especially “Grosse Fuga”.

CONCERNING OPERA:  how can you tell a good one from a bad one:  both audiences are crying, but former are staying put.  Which parts of Bathsheba and David do I most recommend?–scene 2 and beginning of scene 3.  How was Bathsheba and David notated?–not telling.  I had to develop that method over many years and wish to keep it to myself, and the singers of course.

Best religious composers: Gretchaninoff (sometimes four empty octaves: Contrabass, bass, tenor, alto, soprano (all male)–to AWESOME effect), Palestrina (check out “La cruda mia nemica” including Alessandro Moreschi, castrato soprano), J. S. Bach.

By the way, the metrically of the 2nd variety weird Greek music mentioned above is also abundantly weird melodically, harmonically and rhythmically—to us Americans, anyway.