Queen Victoria on Solo

[jenright]

Rich, just in case you're interested in the detail of how Kelley broke out pre, post, and just plain modernity, here's an essay he wrote that goes into it:

http://www.cato.org/research/articles/kelley-0306.html

John

[Jonathan]

Rich wrote,

"I can tell you one thing, that isn't why I put a little of my multitasking time into running curmudgeons up the flagpole. There is nothing there I can find to resent, for one thing."

Exactly. There's nothing there. There's no productivity -- no original creativity -- emanating from the curmudgeon's alleged musical talents and passions.

J

[Rich Engle]

Musical talents? Does he play? Sing? I thought he was just all about worshiping at the Altar of Lanza.

Which, by the way, is the mark of a rookie, be it player, or listener- myopic focus on one artist above all. It is typical to, in the early stages of development, focus heavily on one artist, to study, to really screw into, to model (if you are a player). But if you stay with that, you're pretty stunted. Hero Worship- They Are The Greatest (singer, player whatever) Of All Time.

Ick. I guess everyone's gotta have a hobby...

[Jonathan]

Rich asked,

"Musical talents? Does he play? Sing?"

I've heard that his primary musical talent is pompous, maudlin air-conducting. Seriously. Apparently it's his method of demonstrating his grand musical passion and instructing the unwashed on how to raise their souls to a level closer to his.

But other than that, yes, he claims to sing and play. I'd like to hear what he can do. Wouldn't it be refreshing, perhaps even inspiring, if he were to set aside his air-baton and put as much time and effort into creating original music as he puts into whining about others' tastes and trying to create the impression of his expertise and unrivaled musical ear?

"I thought he was just all about worshiping at the Altar of Lanza."

Well, even the worshipping of Lanza usually seems to be more about crafting the illusion of Perigo's greatness. It often turns into a means of attacking others, and always has a sort of "my dad can beat up your dad" tone to it... or perhaps something more like, "I may not have what it takes to create, but my hero is better than those of you who do have what it takes to create, and he's better than your heroes. I'm special. I can hear greatness that you can't."

J

[Rich Engle]

I've heard that his primary musical talent is pompous, maudlin air-conducting. Seriously. Apparently it's his method of demonstrating his grand musical passion and instructing the unwashed on how to raise their souls to a level closer to his.  

OH MY GAWD!!! He's a freaking air conductor???

BWAH-HA BWAH-HA BWAH-HA BWAH-HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!

*gasp...* *wheeze...*....BWHA-HA BWAH-HA BWAH-HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

hyper...ventilating...need more...mineral water....

I SO WANT THIS TO BE TRUE....pULEeeeZE!!!! In the name of all that is sacred and pure and Holy...please let this be an objective, verifiable piece of...of.... yes, yes!!!....EVIDENCE!!!!!

I want to know everything!! I want firsthand accounts of witnesses of drunken conducting at dinner parties.

I want to know if he ever wore little conductor outfits...

I want to know if maybe, just maybe, he has a real baton, and if he goes for fiberglass, or wood... OR MAYBE HE JUST HAS A LITTLE PIECE OF DOWEL ROD....

I want to know if he (snort...gasp) AIR CONDUCTS his Lanza CD's

I want to know if he does it in front of a mirror :D/

Somebody out there has got to have accounts...it might not be objective evidence, it might not be verifiable...but yeah, yeah...that's right, most myths are based in fact, right, right...and plus a firsthand account would just be goddamn awesome fun

And you know, there's the world air guitar championships, maybe there's something like that for (Lord Almighty, I love saying this...) Air Conductors!! :D/

BWAH HA BWAH HA BWAH HA BWAH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!

Please, please please...somebody flesh this out. I Demand An Investigation!!!

Kelly, c'mon...you gotta have something on this. Please, Maestro...do this for me...it's your main man here...we gotta make this happen.

Is there ANY video. I might pay. I want to see him do Mozart's Requiem...Hell, ~anything would do~

rde

Da-da-da DAH....Da-da-da DAHHHHHHHH. da da da dah, da dah dah da da da da dah..... :-({|=

[Rich Engle]

Jonathan, I savor you post in so many ways... but this!

I'm special. I can hear greatness that you can't."

It's just so... Good, and True, and Beautiful. O:)

I might have to send you a fruit basket or something.

[Jonathan]

Rich wrote,

I SO WANT THIS TO BE TRUE....pULEeeeZE!!!! In the name of all that is sacred and pure and Holy...please let this be an objective, verifiable piece of...of.... yes, yes!!!....EVIDENCE!!!!!

From http://www.solopassion.com/node/1059

Re guides to "active" listening—there's one thing I can't recommend highly enough. Learn to conduct, and conduct along with your recordings! I can't think of a better way of keeping your attention focussed & becoming familiar with every last little nuance (oops) of a piece & the performance thereof. I've sometimes thought of doing a presentation at a SOLOC or some such where I conduct selected pieces of music not as a big wank but so folk watching me can see how the discipline of conducting can give you mastery of the music (and with it, fantastic enjoyment). I conducted the high school choir, orchestra & brass band as a teenager, so know the techniques, and have carried a conductor's baton with me throughout my adult life. Some folk might think that's pretentious, but I can assure you that as a tool for learning/listening it's invaluable. It also helps you sort out your favourites. Conducting Howard Shelley's version of Rhapsody in Blue, for example, gives me a bigger bang than anyone else's in my collection.

-----

I've seen him mention it before, and I've heard others (in evil, backroom, "whispering campaign" chatter) giggle about a couple of incidents that are rumored to have happened. Personally, I don't have a problem with someone conducting along with a piece of music. It's just the vision of pompous Perigo doing it as a performance for others that cracks me up. And his trotting out of his high school band conducting glory days in the quote above is pretty precious as well.

Rich wrote,

It's just so... Good, and True, and Beautiful.    

I might have to send you a fruit basket or something.

Thanks, but I'm not all that big on fruit. Maybe a seafood basket instead?

J

(1981-82 High School Band Student Conductor; 1982 Band President; 1982 recipient of the John Philip Sousa Band Award.)

[Roger Bissell]

While we're in the neighborhood, let me note how ironic it is that Linz pulled out of the Summer Seminar this year. In my duo concert with Ben DiTosti the evening of July 4th, I will be performing (in German, yet) a heroic tenor rendition of "Du Bist Mein Ganzes Herz" ("You Are My Heart's Delight") from an operetta ("The Land of Smiles") by one of Ayn Rand's favorite tiddly-wink composers, Franz Lehar.

If any of you who wear eyeglasses are going to be in the audience for this performance, be forewarned: the high G I hit at the climax of the song WILL shatter the lenses of your eyewear, so you might want to remove them and put them in a coat pocket or purse to protect them from the lethal sound waves. :-)

BTW, Richard Tauber, the guy who had the mega-hit with this song back in the 30s, while not of the same level of enduring fame as Lanza, nevertheless was quite popular both in Germany and here in America, and his recordings are still available from Amazon.com, Border, etc. If you are diligent and skillful in your browsing and googling, you can find some listenable clips of his singing, which is quite manly and romantic.

So, there: anyone in danger of one-dimensional tenor-worship now has another demi-god before whom to worship with headphones and/or conducting baton. <g>

REB

[L W HALL]

Roger,

Just to give you a little idea for getting a head start on next years entertainment, may I make a little suggestion for a solo by Dragonfly.

[Dragonfly]

Yuck!!

[Rich Engle]

REB-

Too bad Perigo can't conduct you. Perhaps some nice open-handed choral-style conducting (the baton could be kept stowed away, wherever on his person that is).

I am intrigued that you have musicology-ed your way into tiddlywinks! Got any more data?

Wouldn't it be grand to have a compilation CD of some of AR's faves? For private use only, of course. I love that kind of music. I adore playing quirky vintage stuff when I have intimate get-togethers... Back to going pretty heavy on the swing stuff right now. You know who's fun, though- Tami Tappan Damiano http://www.musicaltheatreguild.com/members...asp?MemberID=52

The Hot Notes CD is a treat (although I usually skip over "Alfie," just because I'm totally burned on it)- cut one is the bomb.

But I digress...

Jonathan! The next time my roomate goes marlin fishing, I'll dry ice sme down and ship it to you...

I wonder if he knows that he's conducting stuff that's already been conducted, therefore it is karaoke. Freaking awesome.

rde

My Work Here is Done

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Karaoke conducting.

Hmmmmm...

Some might call it dancing...

Jonathan, that dude showing off karaoke conducting to others in order to teach them how great his taste in aesthetics is actually is a hilarious image.

Michael

[Rich Engle]

It is golden, Michael. Golden.

It is the curmudgeon quickstep, the maudlin mambo...

It purely and completely encapsulates. It is the perfect blend of narcissism and social metaphysician-ising (heh), seamlessly integrated with the carny-smack of the seedy impresario.

It is even beyond anything vaudeville could provide.

rde

I will dig up Lanza, pack him in dry ice, and

mail his sorry ass to NZ in a seafood box.

[Reidy]

Air-conducting has deep Objectivist roots. Peikoff reports that it's the first thing AR did when she came home from her surgery. Dagny used to listen to records of Halley's music after a hard day's work; I can't imagine that she never gave into the urge.

Peter

[Rich Engle]

I'd imagine it could be refined into a strategic Objectivist military practice... you could use it to direct your minions.

rde

I'm thinkin' he's done it naked, too. Eeeew!

[Jonathan]

I'm thinking about buying a last-minute ticket to CA, setting up a podium and boom box, and doing some world-class conducting on a sidewalk next door to Perigo's appearance at someone else's book signing event down the street from the AS/TOC seminar. If you'd like, Rich, MSK or anyone else, I'll allow you to make your own brief presentations. We could turn it into a special world premiere air symposium (there are endless possibilities for presentations -- air writing, air directing, air sculpting, air photography, etc.). Let me know as soon as possible if you're up for it and I'll pencil you in for your share of the fringe of the spotlight.

J

[Rich Engle]

MSK, Didn't you have some hijink/goofy caper in mind for Valliant's booksigning involving biker dudes? I don't see any problem porting that over, do you? Or maybe Scientologists...

Damn...you know, I might be underestimating him on this whole air thing. I've been playing guitar professionally for thirty years and my air guitar isn't worth shit. I just tried it to Steve Steven's "Atomic Playboys" album and I had to use a broom for a prop. Not good!

Back to this booksigning... could we flood it with deaf mute air conductors?

Baptists?

rde

Atomic Playboy, Radiation Romeo, and, of course, deeply, sensitively PC at all times.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I'm packing to go to the TOC Seminar right now, but I can't resist this quick story from my past on air conducting.

When I first started conducting lessons with Maestro Eleazar de Carvalho in Brazil, I became overly-enthusiastic and conducted everywhere. On the bus, in restaurants, during conversations, everywhere.

Once I was in the shower with nice cool water pouring over me on a hot day. I completely forgot why I was in there, though. I was in the thralls of the last movement of Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony and coming up hard on a big brass entry near the end. I was imagining it in my head, but of course, I was rapturously singing the main lines. My trusty toothbrush was my baton. As the magic moment arrived - big noisy climax - I decided to give an exalted cue - naked and wet - with the downbeat going up in the air and my head thrown back in pure joy.

BOOM!

Explosion! Glass flying all over everywhere. I just about jumped out of my skin.

Some cold water had flown from the end of my toothbrush and hit the hot light bulb overhead. It sounded like a gunshot. The bulb burst right on cue with the brass.

Talk about blowing a high! That scared the living hell out of me. It took some time to figure out what had happened. Still, that was the strongest downbeat I ever conducted in life.

Michael

[gary williams]

This is what MSK was really trying to say!

See if you can spot the subliminal messages!

I'm packing to go to the TOC Seminar right now, (Please, oh please let Lindsey be there!) but I can't resist this quick story from my past on air conducting. (I hope Lindsey reads this!)

When I first started conducting lessons with Maestro Eleazar de Carvalho (translated from Portuguese - Lindsey Perigo!) in Brazil, I became overly-enthusiastic (gotta boner!) and conducted everywhere. On the bus, in restaurants, during conversations,(Yes, I got a boner then too!) everywhere.

Once I was in the shower with nice cool water pouring over me on a hot day. (Dreaming it was his hands Air conducting all over my body!) I completely forgot why I was in there, though. (Big Ol' Boner!) I was in the thralls of the last movement of Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony (with the air from the conducting blowing on to my manhood!) and coming up hard on a big brass entry near the end. (no expanation necessary!) I was imagining it in my head, (no expanation necessary!) but of course, I was rapturously singing the main lines. (Laaaaaaaaaaaaaa!) My trusty toothbrush (teethbrush!) was my baton. (I don't think so! It was something else!) As the magic moment arrived (Come on baby!) - big noisy climax - (Yeah baby, come to papa!) I decided to give an exalted cue (Look out!) - naked and wet (Spank it baby, spank it!) - with the downbeat going up in the air and my head thrown back in pure joy. (Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Yeeeeessssssssss!!!!!!!!!)

BOOM! (Thank god I was wearing protection!)

Explosion! Glass flying all over everywhere. I just about jumped out of my skin. (No! No! I need that for protection!!!!)

Some cold water had flown from the end of my toothbrush (if that's what you want to call it!) and hit the hot light bulb overhead. (Nice shoot'n Tex!) It sounded like a gunshot.(More like a NZ scream!) The bulb burst right on cue with the brass. (B.S. Nobody does it at the same time!)

Talk about blowing a high! (He did that too?) That scared the living hell out of me. (Me too! that guy is an animal!) It took some time to figure out what had happened. (The first time is alway traumatic!) Still, that was the strongest downbeat I ever conducted in life. (Never, ever tell that to Kat!!!)

Michael (MSK, sit'n in a tree............)

Have fun in sunny Cal-I-forn-I-ay!

Keep an eye on him Kat! He's a freak!

I will be in Napa/Sonoma then if you decide to travel north!

Be Cool!

gw

[Paul Mawdsley]

gary,

I am in stitches! I am in tears! I am in awe! And somehow I made it through all that without waking my wife up in the bed right next to me.

What a set-up? What a close? You have a twisted gift for music and I'm glad I have an ear for it. It's great to be a fellow human!

Paul

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Good Lord!

Busted again!

Michael

(I'm still laughing...)

[John Dailey]

Mike:

Good you weren't playing his E-Flat Major, Opus 49; else you might not be here! :-&

LLAP

J:D

P.S: 10*4*2+3: I will not click on 'Preview'...10*4*2+4: I will not click on 'Preview'... [-o<