Somewhere over the Rainbow

Hazel's favorite tune of the moment. Somewhere over the Rainbow - Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole

Lonesome Dove

Words-Ode on Solitude
Music-Theme from Lonesome Dove

Vivaldi Fall from Four Seasons

Beethoven's Opera

This ten minute video is obviously about Beethoven being deaf when he conducted his opera. I don't know anything else about it except that he indeed did go deaf. The video seems to be from a movie but I don't know that or any other facts about the video or if the video was based on a real incident or not.

He was not always deaf but he started going deaf around his late 20s and in a few years he was completely deaf but continued to compose by feeling the vibrations of his instrument.

Beethoven wasn't actually stone deaf as some would have you believe, however his hearing was seriously impaired. Here is one of the things that was written about his problem by him.
"It is curious that in conversation there are people who do not notice my condition at all; since I have generally been absentminded, they account for it in that way. Often I can scarily hear someone speaking softly, the tones yes, but not the words. However, as soon as anyone shouts it becomes intolerable"
Beethoven began to suffer from a very severe form of "tinnitus" (ringing in the ears) around the year 1796. He hearing gradually deteriorated until, it is believed, he lost nearly 100 percent of his hearing. It has been written that at the premier of his ninth symphony, he had to be turned around to see the tumultuous applause by the audience. Many people believe that he died of lead poisoning. The lead came from his drinking cup and not to mention they put lead in wine sometimes. All this was found out when a sample of his hair was analyzed in a lab just a few years ago.

He first noticed signs of deafness in his late 20s and he eventually went profoundly deaf. All the music of his late period was composed when he was totally deaf.

Ticky Tacky Little Houses by Pete Seeger

I'm a little late, but I just ran into the Showtime series WEEDS. I had not heard the theme song for quite a while. Ticky Tacky Little Houses written by Malvena Reynolds here is sung by Pete Seeger. It fits into Seeger's songbook exactly right.

Chinese Bluegrass (Redgrass)

Born in the USA Bruce Springsteen

Monday's Music: Creedence Clearwater Revival, Have you ever seen the Rain

Ricky Skaggs and The Chieftains perform together at the Grand Ole Opry. Oh, it's so good.

I was hoping someone had filmed this for You tube, and indeed they did. I was bowled over by this rendition of Amazing Grace, sung by Dr. Wintley Phipps.

I have always liked CARMINA BURANA by Carl Orff, but after reading the piece I've included about his days as a nazi, right, one of those German Hitler Nazi's, I will at least think differently about any inspirations he may have had while writing it. He was a little scary. Here's a little of his Carmina Burana, followed by the history of his nazi past. Carl Orff.

The wife and I were spending a quiet evening at home, having an intellectual exchange of views on the music of our lives, covering the forties, fifties, sixties and on and on. We were expressing the opinion that the forties, being the most stressful era of our youth, the music was varied and covered the comings and goings of people coping with war. Our musical education expanded from A to A, and one of our favorites was this lovely tune:

During the great depression, that period when the country went south, and I don't mean to Florida, but went into an approximately ten year period of testing the endurance of the people and the institutions, song writers wrote some music that would not have helped much. Listen to these lyrics.

"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime," lyrics by Yip Harburg, music by Jay Gorney (1931)

They used to tell me I was building a dream, and so I followed the mob,
When there was earth to plow, or guns to bear, I was always there right on the job.
They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead,
Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread?

Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time.
Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?
Once I built a tower, up to the sun, brick, and rivet, and lime;
Once I built a tower, now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?

Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!

Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Why don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?

Once in khaki suits, gee we looked swell,
Full of that Yankee Doodly Dum,
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell,
And I was the kid with the drum!

Say, don't you remember, they called me Al; it was Al all the time.
Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal? Buddy, can you spare a dime?

OLD FRIENDS

Where did the time go? Where did all my old friends, my old acquantices go? Like a moment in my mind a lifetime of moments fly by.

From the collaboration of Jeff Scher (filmmaker) and Shay Lynch (music) comes this hypnotic view of Grand Central Station. It was reminiscent to me of a scene from Metropolis of men marching to work, but reading the approx. 80 remarks of his film suggests what other people thought of when they viewed it.

SUO GAN, a lullaby featured in the movie EMPIRE OF THE SUN.

Things I miss.

Each morning while dressing after a cool or warm shower, dependent upon the season which one is more enjoyable, I like to listen to some old CD's. The majority of which feature music from the fifties, sixties, and seventies. These songs were the music that accompanied my wife and I through our young, very busy years and act now as signposts of my life.

They almost all captured a moment of each of our lives with lyrics that from time to time were close to poetic. I don't wish to be argumentative and compare this music to the sounds of rock and roll, but I think that is what rock and roll is, sound, usually loud and demanding with a strong percussive beat throughout. Apples and oranges I believe is the proper definition. I just happen to, because of my age I am sure, still get emotionally caught up in one of those blasts from the past as some hot DJ used to quip.

Lyrics like this for example are close to poetic: I left my heart in San Francisco, where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars..etc. It goes on to tell a story, and even though most of us probably have never been to San Francisco, can substitute a city of our choice and it will work just fine. Consider the song written by a unique talent, Hoagy Carmichael, called September Song that tells a story that is so poignant and prophetically true for all of us, I wonder why I like it so...the days dwindle down to a precious few..it gets me every time I hear it.

And then there is the great classic..Mares eat oats and Does eat oats, and little Lambs eat ivy...well maybe they weren't all keepers, but an awful lot were.

Take a Master Class With Luciano Pavarotti : NPR Music


Click above then scroll to the bottom and click to see John Candy portray Pavarotti talking to his Godfather about getting work. Performed at SCTV. John Candy died too young.

Spring arrived here in Ohio a couple days ago along with newly emerging daffodils. But Spring being Spring, especially in Ohio, we now have snow back on the ground. My wife assures me that even though it does not look like spring, the sun is higher in the sky and a little warmth eminates from it, so patience is the keyword for winter-weary Buckeyes. A little Cat Stevens music and a video of what we will see soon will have to suffice for now. Enjoy.

Where have I heard that music before?