1 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:23,840 Well, hello there. I'm Peter Sickley and this is Sickley Mix, a program dedicated to the proposition that all musics are created equal. Or as Duke Ellington put it, if it sounds good, it is good. 2 00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:29,220 And we've got such a good deal here. By we, I mean you and I both. 3 00:00:29,460 --> 00:00:37,520 Because the show is distributed by PRI, Public Radio International, and our bills are paid by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and 4 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:45,480 and by this daring, discerning, and deserving radio station, which provides me with this state-of-the-art studio, 5 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:57,460 except for the rotary dial phone, and doesn't charge me extra if I bum a paper clip off someone or even a rubber band. They treat me right here, folks, and you should treat them right. 6 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:07,500 If you're listening, you should be supporting. Not only do you hear a truly staggering variety of music on this show, but you also hear the truly memorable music of the show. 7 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:14,560 And you'll hear the momentous issues of today's cultural life being discussed. Issues like, should there be a fourth tenor? 8 00:01:15,060 --> 00:01:28,000 Were Toscanini's tempos so fast because in those days you couldn't get as much music on a record as you can now? And just what percentage of your total yearly income should a single opera ticket be? 9 00:01:28,660 --> 00:01:39,080 And the most overreaching issue of them all, whither classical music, and who wants to know? Many people feel that classical music is the most important thing in the world. And that classical music is in a state of crisis, 10 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:52,320 that it isn't as much a part of the fabric of our culture as it used to be. Today's show is called Classical Music. Say what? And I'd like to hear from you about what you think can be done 11 00:01:52,320 --> 00:02:04,300 to make this great, rich, and varied legacy more relevant. By which I mean sell better. Call me. Fax me. Email me. I want to hear from you. 12 00:02:05,380 --> 00:02:11,500 And so I shall. Hello? Hi, Glowindo. What do you do for a living? 13 00:02:13,620 --> 00:02:21,260 You teach music appreciation at the College of Rodeo Arts in Driggs, Idaho. Okay, I've been there. I love that country. 14 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:31,470 So what's your new approach to the problem of increasing awareness on an instrument of the people? 15 00:02:31,950 --> 00:02:43,550 You mean as opposed to violins and pianos, right? Okay, what do you consider to be an instrument of the people? The harmonic. Okay. 16 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:52,750 Well, Glowindo, it's a good idea, but it's been done. It's been done lots. Like, for instance... 17 00:02:55,090 --> 00:04:46,650 The harmonica cats playing galloping comedians, as it's called here, by Kabalevsky. 18 00:04:47,290 --> 00:04:58,290 There have actually been harmonica-ists, harmonica-ers, who have concentrated, unlike the harmonica cats, on classical music. Larry Adler, Tommy Riley... 19 00:05:00,830 --> 00:05:13,570 Hello? What? You don't think harmonica is an instrument of the people? Pseudo-folk, huh? Portable pipe organ. 20 00:05:14,070 --> 00:05:25,950 Well, yeah, I guess it is. Musical slumming. Okay, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Hold on. I get the idea. As far as you're concerned, it's no longer an instrument of the working poor. So what do you... 21 00:05:25,950 --> 00:05:36,070 What's your name? Okay, Henry Cabot Lodgepole III. What do you think is a real people's instrument that hasn't been used to play classical music yet? 22 00:05:37,670 --> 00:05:46,910 Well, I hate to tell you, HCL3, but it has been done. Not as often as harmonica, it's true. But, well, listen to this. 23 00:07:22,410 --> 00:07:34,850 Invention No. 14 by Johann Sebastian Bach. Played here on the banjo and the harp guitar by John Bullard. And Steve Bennett. You see, folks, it isn't that easy to come up with an instrument 24 00:07:34,850 --> 00:07:47,110 that hasn't been used for classical music, one way or another. Even instruments from outside the American Western European tradition have been used. Such as the pan flute, sometimes called the pipes of pan, 25 00:07:47,310 --> 00:08:00,290 that has been around for centuries in Eastern Europe and South America. You know, that's the instrument made up of a series of wooden tubes forming a sort of a fence, you know, and you blow across the top of the tubes. Well, those little... 26 00:08:00,290 --> 00:08:02,370 Those little puppies sound great doing Bach. 27 00:08:04,130 --> 00:09:28,880 The last movement of Bach's overture, or orchestral suite No. 2 in B minor. 28 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:36,700 Played by the Amate Ensemble München under Attila Baloch with Ulrich Herkenhoff playing the pan pipes. 29 00:09:37,660 --> 00:09:49,920 Well, as great as that sounds, I'm not sure that playing its most famous pieces on instruments other than what they were written for is going to save classical music. If, indeed, it does. 30 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:56,880 It needs saving. Now, this radio station may not need saving, but it does need help. And it needs your help. 31 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:08,320 Due to a tragic oversight when public radio was accidentally left off of King Midas' will. As things stand now, individual listener contributions 32 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:19,900 are the single most important source of income for this station. Even your basic membership category, without the added three million dollars that some of us feel we can't afford, at least... 33 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:31,340 until after the kids are out of college, even your basic membership contribution will boost station coffers, morale, and immunity from severe attacks of dollar deprivation. 34 00:10:32,180 --> 00:10:38,640 Put your money where your ears are, and do it now, as in right now. Here's someone to tell you how. 35 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:52,240 And thank you, Peter Schickely. The number to call is... 337-482-5787. 482-KR-1. K-R-V-S. 36 00:10:52,720 --> 00:11:01,720 Okay, here we are. And we're talking about ways to re-energize classical music, or any way to bring it to an audience that didn't grow up with it. 37 00:11:02,020 --> 00:11:13,320 And during that break, a couple of faxes came in here. Let's take a look at them. The first one says, Your telephonic friends have got it all wrong, Mr. Head in the Sand. 38 00:11:14,060 --> 00:11:22,820 Which figures, since they're still using the telephone. The problem is that classical music is too old fashioned. It has to be brought up to date. 39 00:11:22,900 --> 00:11:35,240 And that isn't going to be accomplished by playing it on hayseed, cornball, hee-haw instruments like the harmonica and the banjo. Yesterday's bluegrass band is today's garage band. 40 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:46,200 And the instruments of the future, which is now, are electronic instruments. Get with it, Mr. Antique Store. If you don't let go of history, you'll be history. 41 00:11:47,460 --> 00:11:58,880 It's signed, Star Chambers. I don't know. I don't know if that's a man or a woman. Two Rs on star. But well, maybe Shahi is right. 42 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:00,800 Maybe this is the way to go. 43 00:12:02,180 --> 00:13:08,480 The two-part invention in A from a CD called Bach Busters. 44 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:21,260 The music of J.S. Bach as realized by Don Dorsey on digital and other authentic period synthesizers. Very peppy. Lots of zing. Maybe that is the path. Well. 45 00:13:21,260 --> 00:13:33,820 Let's look at this other fax here. It says, wake up, sleepy head. Classical music is like the dinosaurs, except at least the dinosaurs had the grace to lie down and die. 46 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:47,080 Rock and roll is where it's at and where it'll always be at. How can you expect an audience to go into a big venue like Carnegie Hall and then not even bother to mic the instruments? Not one mic. 47 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:55,820 I couldn't believe it. Acoustic instruments are fine, man. I think he means that in the vernacular. Acoustic instruments are fine, man. 48 00:13:55,980 --> 00:14:07,200 Some of my favorite albums are unplugged, but that doesn't mean no mics. I mean, that's being just plain lazy or stingy. I don't know which. Either way, it's irresponsible. 49 00:14:07,980 --> 00:14:19,340 There should be 10 mics on the timpani alone. If you can only hear it, it ain't there. You gotta feel it in your gut. Turn Bach into rock. Then maybe somebody will listen. 50 00:14:20,660 --> 00:14:29,360 Signed, Don Dorsey. Signed, Excreta. Lead singer of Detritus. Okay. Well, I guess she means something like this. 51 00:17:07,099 --> 00:17:18,740 Joy, by Apollo 100. Based on Bach's Yezu, Joy of Man's Desiring. That's from the soundtrack album from Boogie Nights. And I'll tell you a little story about that. 52 00:17:18,940 --> 00:17:30,980 When the movie came out, several friends told me that the New Yorker, Rihanna, Rihanna, Rihanna, and the entire review of it mentioned P.D.Q. Bach. So, I looked it up and sure enough, it said that when the Mark Wahlberg character goes 53 00:17:30,980 --> 00:17:42,760 back to his room, he puts P.D.Q. Bach on. And I figured well, they probably do that to show what a nerd he is basically. So, when I saw the movie, you know, I was curious why I hadn't heard about this from 54 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:53,840 my publisher because they're supposed to clear that. So, when I saw the movie, that scene comes and of course, it isn't P.D.Q. Bach at all. It's the cut we just heard. And my theory is, now I don't know this for a fact, it's actually a movie that's a movie 55 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:59,960 It's my theory, but it is mine, that the movie reviewer, like lots and lots of people before her, 56 00:18:00,060 --> 00:18:11,860 confused PDQ Bach with Switched on Bach and then Switched on Bach with Bach made into rock and roll. And, well, the moral is you can't believe everything you read in the press. 57 00:18:13,500 --> 00:18:23,400 Oh, okay. And here's another fax coming in here. I'll just slide over here and get it. And, okay. 58 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:35,240 This looks like it's brief and to the point. It says, Cut the horse apples, Pete. You and I both know that the only music real people listen to is country music. 59 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:46,100 You put out something like Aki Baki Heart and you'll have yourself a hit. It's signed Handkerchief Thompson III. And he's got a point, too. 60 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:49,940 You know, maybe this is what symphony orchestras should be playing. 61 00:22:19,930 --> 00:22:32,910 Wildwood Flower and Joy. That is, Yezu Joy of Man's Desiring. From the priceless LP, Classical Country, with Snuff Garrett's Texas Opera Company. Help. 62 00:22:32,970 --> 00:22:44,190 Too many choices here. How to serve the classics. Too many approaches. But there's one decision that's easy. In fact, it's a no-brainer. And that is whether or not to support this radio station. 63 00:22:44,530 --> 00:22:54,210 The answer is yes, and the time is now. You know, I'm old enough to remember the days before public radio. And believe me, it's better now. 64 00:22:54,690 --> 00:23:06,250 Hey, anybody who listens to this program knows that I don't mean that there's nothing good on commercial radio. I just mean that most of what you hear on public radio is stuff you would never hear on commercial radio. 65 00:23:06,470 --> 00:23:19,350 And I do love variety. Please, don't be an I'll-do-it-when-I-get-around-to-it type person. Instead, be a well, you know what, I think I'll do it right now type person. 66 00:23:19,530 --> 00:23:21,850 Do it right. Do it right now. 67 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:31,780 Wouldn't you like to have your own personal Peter Schickely just around all the time? He just somehow puts his finger on the emotions of the moment. 68 00:23:32,420 --> 00:23:38,480 And, yes, I think he's captured perfectly, you know, just what we want to say, but without having to say it ourselves. 69 00:23:38,940 --> 00:23:39,240 Right. 70 00:23:39,360 --> 00:23:40,720 And we thank him for that. 71 00:23:40,860 --> 00:23:41,220 That's right. 72 00:23:42,040 --> 00:23:54,540 We're back. And we're trying to save classical music here. We'll figure out later if it needs saving. Now, I promised I'd take e-mail, and I will. But I'm not. 73 00:23:54,540 --> 00:24:06,760 I'm not too experienced at this. So I think this is how you log on here. Let's see if I've got anything. Okay. 74 00:24:07,420 --> 00:24:19,820 Hey, big boy, you have mail. All right. Now we go and. Oh, okay. Here we are. Uh-oh. 75 00:24:19,860 --> 00:24:31,600 It's all caps. I think I'm being flamed here. Yep. Whew. It says, You classical music geeks would make me puke if you didn't make me laugh so hard. 76 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:42,740 You wouldn't know how to be popular if you had the coolest car in town. Look at the hit parade, dodo brain. How many instrumental numbers do you see? That's right. 77 00:24:42,860 --> 00:24:55,440 About one every ten years, haggis head. People relate to the human voice, not to the meaningless noodlings of a bunch of over-the-hill hacks who are just killing time until they can pick up the phone. They can pick up their union checks. 78 00:24:56,260 --> 00:25:07,160 Remember these three words. Vocal, vocal, vocal. And by the way, bassoon breath, here's a rule for singers. Sing in English, or go back where you came from. 79 00:25:09,980 --> 00:25:21,380 That's signed a friend. Okay. Well, I'm trying out all suggestions here. So let's, let's, we'll do a group of three here this time. Sweet. 80 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:33,980 Uh, here's an English language version of Pagliacci. Okay. A vocal version of a piano sonata, and a horn concerto with words put to it. Who knows? 81 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:37,820 Maybe this will increase the popularity of classical music. 82 00:25:52,000 --> 00:26:04,300 When we was in the city, we was a-wondering where to go. The signs spelled out Pagliacci up in lights above the show. We thought could be a western till the stage lit up with light. 83 00:26:04,500 --> 00:26:16,720 And ninety-seven people sung without a horse in sight. We couldn't understand them, cause they spoke a firm tongue. But we can give you some idea of what we think they sung. 84 00:26:20,860 --> 00:26:25,880 Pretty Pagliaccio. Just one more li- 85 00:26:28,860 --> 00:26:39,360 All at once, there's a bad guy in a clown suit. It ain't Halloween, that's for sure. Then this here feller, this punchy kneller, 86 00:26:40,060 --> 00:26:44,780 Begins to feller, like we all was deep. 87 00:26:45,540 --> 00:26:48,570 Ha, ha, ha, ha. 88 00:26:51,380 --> 00:26:55,690 Pagliacci. And he sung. 89 00:26:58,050 --> 00:27:09,510 Invest in a tuba, and something or other about Cuba. He sung about a lady, who weighed two hundred and eighty. When she takes a powder, he just starts chirping louder. 90 00:27:09,850 --> 00:27:21,270 And he don't do a gaussian thing, except to stand up there and sing. When we listen to Pagliacci, we get itchy and scratchy. This sure is top corn, so we go and buy some popcorn. 91 00:27:21,650 --> 00:27:25,290 We hate to go back, but we can't get our dough back. 92 00:27:25,490 --> 00:27:29,010 There ain't no use complaining, cause outside it's a raining. 93 00:27:29,130 --> 00:27:41,690 Ha, ha, ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha, ha. 94 00:27:41,950 --> 00:27:43,890 Ha, ha, ha, ha. Ha, ha, ha, ha. 95 00:27:44,090 --> 00:27:55,570 Seven hours later, we're still in the darn theater. Taking turns a-napping, waiting for something to happen. Pagliacci, he ain't hurrying, but the folks on stage are blurring. 96 00:27:55,770 --> 00:27:59,410 It sounds like Ketchy Turian's neighbor dance. 97 00:28:02,730 --> 00:28:11,790 Pagliacci finds a guy he's seeking, cheek to cheek. And with his wife, he grabs a knife and stabs a louse who stole his spouse. And then he stabs a lady in himself. 98 00:28:11,790 --> 00:28:14,610 Can't bury sanitary. 99 00:28:15,530 --> 00:28:18,330 They all collapse, but old Pagliacci sets up. 100 00:28:18,330 --> 00:28:25,190 Then he gets up, sings, I'm dying, I am dying, I am dying. We start crying, cause to tell the truth, we're dying too. 101 00:28:26,670 --> 00:28:33,090 As the footlights fade out, we see Pagliacci laid out. 102 00:28:33,230 --> 00:28:40,870 But the dagger never caused it. Pagliacci was plum exhausted. 103 00:30:25,920 --> 00:31:07,120 I said a whim and I had to obey it 104 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:12,600 To buy a French horn in a second hand shop I polished it up and I started to play it In spite of the neighbours who begged me to stop 105 00:31:19,900 --> 00:31:21,520 To sound my horn 106 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:23,760 I had to develop my embouchure 107 00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:25,320 I found my horn 108 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:27,060 Was a bit of a devil to play 109 00:31:27,060 --> 00:31:32,600 So artfully wound To give you a sound, a beautiful sound So rich and round 110 00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:42,970 The hours I had to spend before I mastered it in the end But that was yesterday And just today I looked in the usual place 111 00:31:42,970 --> 00:31:49,070 There was the case But the horn itself was missing But where can it have gone? 112 00:31:49,270 --> 00:31:54,890 Haven't you, hasn't anyone seen my horn? But where can it have gone? What a blow 113 00:31:54,890 --> 00:32:02,690 Now I wiped that horn 114 00:32:02,690 --> 00:32:06,650 I'll make you a quip Somebody dip Knowing I found a concerto and wanted to play it 115 00:32:06,650 --> 00:32:11,770 Afraid of my talent at playing the horn For early today to my utter dismay It had vanished away like the dew in the morn 116 00:32:14,350 --> 00:32:20,250 Tootie I've lost that horn 117 00:32:20,250 --> 00:32:23,970 I know I was using it yesterday I've lost that horn 118 00:32:23,970 --> 00:32:26,890 Lost that horn Found that 119 00:32:26,890 --> 00:32:37,010 I know some hearty folk who's party jokes Pretending to hunt with a quorn 120 00:32:37,010 --> 00:32:39,690 Gone away, gone away Was it one of them? 121 00:32:41,270 --> 00:32:46,870 When you kindly return that horn, where is the devil to pinch my horn? 122 00:32:48,190 --> 00:32:54,410 I shall tell the police I want that French horn back. 123 00:32:55,250 --> 00:33:01,500 I miss its music more and more and more. 124 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:08,640 Without that, I'm feeling sad and so forlorn. 125 00:33:15,860 --> 00:33:26,460 I'm the concern of a morning that's waiting to stay. I tell him to play the horn, but early today, to my utter dismay, it had totally vanished away. 126 00:33:28,240 --> 00:33:37,450 Play it, but somebody took it away. 127 00:33:37,810 --> 00:33:40,730 I'd bet just the horn was longing to play it, but somebody took it away. 128 00:33:41,670 --> 00:33:46,330 My neighbor's asleep in his bed. I'll soon make him wish he were dead. I'll take up the tuba instead. 129 00:33:46,610 --> 00:33:47,230 Wah, wah. 130 00:33:49,350 --> 00:34:01,810 All right. That was Flanders and Swan. And before that, the Swingle Singers. And we began with the Spike Jonze version of Pagliacci, 131 00:34:02,370 --> 00:34:14,949 featuring Homer. We're in Jethro. The Swingle Singers sang the Alla Turca finale from the Mozart Piano Sonata in A minor, and Michael Flanders sang his words to the finale of one of the Mozart horn concertos. 132 00:34:14,989 --> 00:34:26,370 The song is called Ill Wind from the At the Drop of Another Hat album. Well, I don't know if we came up with a way to help classical music reach a broader audience, 133 00:34:26,630 --> 00:34:37,350 and I'm not talking about certain singers, but we did give it the old college try and didn't end up, I hope, getting an E-flat for effort. That's Shickly Mix for this week. 134 00:34:37,389 --> 00:34:47,630 Our program is made possible with funds provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and by this radio station and its members. Thank you, members. And thank you, members-to-be. 135 00:34:47,850 --> 00:34:57,150 And to be a member, remember to be quick about it, i.e., now, this minute. Our program is distributed by PRI, Public Radio International. 136 00:34:57,890 --> 00:35:06,830 This is Peter Shickly saying goodbye and reminding you that it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that. Certain je ne sais quoi. You're looking good. See you next week. 137 00:35:07,450 --> 00:35:12,610 And if you haven't become a member by then, I'm not talking to you. Do it now. 138 00:35:16,450 --> 00:35:22,030 Oh, you don't want that to happen, for Peter Shickly not to talk to you. But what a great program. You know, just...