Or, in English, “Goodbye brain.”

This is a line from Cenerentola. I just thought I’d share. Because I’m a sharing sort of person.

There’s also another funny part in the opera that cracks me up every time, but won’t hit any of the audience in the same way. Because it’s not what the singers are really saying. It’s just that it sounds like, “nobody home, nobody home, nobody home, nobody home” … and yes, things like that make me laugh. (This is in Act three, rehearsal #19 in my Kalmus part. Or, for those of you blessed with better parts, the duetto, 55 measures from the end of that number.)

I’m easily amused, as you should already know.

… and now off to play the oboe a bit. I (shamefully?) haven’t touched it yet today after all. I had a Very Important Task to Accomplish (VITA™); I had to buy new shoes for the recital. Because new shoes will, of course, make my reeds play better, my fingers behave, and my brain … well … maybe it won’t say “addio” after all. We’ll see!

(For those who are really curious, the “Nobody home” begins at 7:37. And yeah, doesn’t really sound like that once I can actually hear clearly. Go figure.)

(This production was done in two acts rather than three, or so it appears from the labeling of the video.)

06. November 2009 · Comments Off on Yeah, but can they make an oboe reed? · Categories: Unbelievable, Videos

😉

and then there’s this …

Both were seen first at Polyphonic.

06. November 2009 · Comments Off on Read Online · Categories: Read Online

nope. the music is too old. shouldnt be played

This is in response to a recital announcement on Facebook:

Featuring students of Martin Schuring, the ASU oboe studio is proud to present their 2009 studio recital.

Performing works by:

Beethoven
Britten
Guilhaud
Jacob
Ponchielli
Schumann
Telemann

If the person is serious … well … how silly is he? (I’m hoping he’s just joking, of course.) My (equally silly) response to him (assuming he’s a musician), is that I wouldn’t attend anything he is playing right now. “student is too young. shouldn’t be playing.” 😉

06. November 2009 · Comments Off on It’s Tonight · Categories: Ramble

Yep … the recital is tonight … and so now it’s “hurry up and wait”. Obviously I pick up the oboe a bit; I’ll check out the reeds, play the more difficult licks, and just get myself comfortable on what I have ahead of me. I won’t play a tremendous amount … I just don’t want to overdo things, and I always worry that I’ll do something horrendous to my reeds! Silly, I’m sure.

Oh! I can’t forget, too, that I have to talk! Ack! Musicians aren’t necessarily talkers, and we’ll see how this goes. Each of us talks about one of the works, and I am introducing the Ferenc Farkas Antique Hungarian Dances.

Complete program:

Danza de Mediodia Arturo Marquez (b. 1950)
Woodwind Quintet

Régi Magyar Táncok (Antique Hungarian Dances) Ferenc Farkas (1905-2000)
Woodwind Quintet
I. Intrada
II. Lassù (Slow Dance)
III. Lapockàs (Shoulder Blade Dance)
IV. Chorea
V. Ugròs (Leaping Dance)

Windhover Hilary Tann (b. 1947)
Solo Flute: Greer Ellison, flute

Valses (from 16 Valsas para Fagote) Francisco Mignone (1897-1986)
Solo Bassoon: Erin Irvine, bassoon
I. A Boa Pascoa para Voce, Devos! (Happy Easter to You, Devos!)
II. Pattapiada (Pattapiada – Homage to the flutist Pattápio Silva)
III. Aquelo Modinha que o Villa nao Escreveu (The Modinha that Villa Didn’t Write)

Roaring Fork Eric Ewazen (b. 1954)
Woodwind Quintet
I. Whitewater Rapids (Maroon Creek)
II. Columbines (Snowmass Lake)
III. At The Summit (Buckskin Pass)

The more we played the works, the happier I became with the pieces we chose. I think it’s an appealing program, and I think the audience will like it.

06. November 2009 · Comments Off on TQOD · Categories: TQOD

Just realised that someone I know has a face shaped like an Oboe. Odd.