Oh. Dear. Me.

13. August 2008 · 1 comment · Categories: BQOD

Next were Rude Mechanicals, a prime example of when a group of extremely talented musicians get together and manage to play all the wrong notes together at the same time. A transvestite singer who resembles the dragged up corpse of Nancy from the play Oliver, a multi-talented Oboe player dressed in silver hot pants and an electric blue wig plus three ordinary blokes that look like they should be playing in a Dire Straits covers band. If Anat Ben-David was the siren at the end of a Lynch film then Rude Mechanicals resembled the Cantina band from Star Wars. The mixture of New Romantic Cabaret-Jazz (combined with my four bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale) was quickly sending me into slumber mode until I was rudely awakened by some of the highest operatic shrieking i’ve ever heard … glass shatteringly high! Yes it was the blue haired, silver thonged oboe player! Technically impressive as it was these high frequencies gave me (and probably a few other members of the audience) a bit of a headache. This was my cue to leave.

I think the minute one sees an oboe player in hot pants one should leave.

And if you ever see me in hot pants please shoot me.

Maestro

13. August 2008 · Comments Off on Maestro · Categories: Links, Other People's Words

Some choice quotes from this article:

  • I mean, no wonder everyone likes rock’n’roll. You can buy a guitar and teach yourself for pennies. Bassoons… and the lessons… and the constant orchestra trips? Yup. It’s for posh gits.
  • I’m one of those people who need convincing… classical music just isn’t vulgar enough for me.
  • What was dispiriting was that, toward the close of the show, when the slebs were really trying, you could clearly see the conductors all pissing themselves laughing. It does reek a bit of the geeks revenge. Worse still, one of the judges, during Alex James’ performance at the close says “I’d like to see less enjoyment”. Herein lies the problem with classical music.
  • Don’t be put off by the pompous music or the rubbish clothes they make you wear in orchestras.

Over and out.

This Little Piggie Listened to Elgar

13. August 2008 · 1 comment · Categories: Links, News

To maximize the benefit piglets got from daily play sessions lasting 15 minutes, she and her colleagues taught them to associate play with a soundtrack by Elgar and Bach.

“I specifically chose this music because its timbre is similar to the comfortable grunts pigs make during foraging,” de Jonge said.

I suppose the whole reason for all of this is so that pig meat is better for us, containing fewer antibiotics …? I don’t eat piggies, so whatever.

But Elgar and Bach sound most similar to comfortable pig grunts?

BQOD

13. August 2008 · Comments Off on BQOD · Categories: BQOD

It all started when I had to mop THE STUDIO floors…I would put some Chopin on and go. The music blocked out the street sirens and the phone but it did more than that – classical music made the chore of cleaning feel elegant.

MQOD

13. August 2008 · Comments Off on MQOD · Categories: Ramble

For 35 years I walked out on stage alone with an oboe, and you know, it was very exciting, but it just doesn’t thrill me anymore like this kind of project does.

-Sara Bloom

I read it here. Some of you will recognize the name: she was married to the late Robert Bloom.