January 22nd 2010 FMUA Benefit Concert Walter Hall, Toronto. PDQ Bach's Erotica for Banned Instruments performed by Chris Thornborrow and Katherine Watson
I borrowed the lasso d'amore from a percussionist friend. I got the cardboard tubes from old christmas wrapping paper tubes, and cut them up to appropriate lengths
Many years ago, I had the pleasure of listening to Schickele himself play the "Lasso d' Amore" in the Green Room at Ford Auditorium in Detroit. He played it wonderfully (and even in tune!) Made me wish I had one available years later when I was in the chorus performing "The Seasonings" when he was guest conductor. :D
+katwatson007 Because a piano with parts falling off and a few broken strings buzzing against the soundboard will create a tonality the composer would have appreciated.
I always love to see it when classical musicians don`t take themselves too, too seriously. I burst out laughing through this. It was really cute....but I thought it was to be 7 hours long! (After my parents moved us from a small Colorado city to the DC area in late 1968, the following year they saw that a Bach concert was to be played at Constitution Hall in DC, so they figured it would be a nice culture night out with a Bach--PDQ in this case--besides the well-known Johann. What did we know? When the musicians came out in army boots and sat on the podium and then Schickele himself swooped down to the stage on a rope, I wondered what on earth was going on--this to a 13 year old kid, mind you. As the "concert" went along in increasing compositional and performance mayhem, I literally asked my parents, "Is this for real??")
I just read about this guy in a local free paper in my area called The Valley Advocate and wanted to see if he had anything on UA-cam. Glad I read the article and watched this!!
P.S. granted this show has come and gone, but P.D.Q. /Peter was recently @ The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield MA. on 7/26/14. Wish I had found out earlier... :,-(
So that lasso d'amore is actually manufactured to be a musical instrument?! Weird! Thanks for the wrapping paper tube tip. By the way, nice idea to hide the instruments in a bag for the surprise factor....
Agreed. The way they laugh loudly over absolutely everything the whole way through is incredibly annoying snd distracting. A lot of it is just forced laughter; it detracts from the experience.
As incredible as this piece actually *is*, performers should take NOTE to use the microphone to full advantage. Many sounds were obscured by the volume of the piano and were not properly caught by the mic, like the gargle, for instance.
+Dick Silk For the record, my favorite part is the slide whistle :-) but I really gotta give 'em credit for the pan pipes (?) made from paper towel cores.
+Dick Silk yeah your totally right! We weren't intending on mic'ing anything (I think) and we didn't sound-check or anything, since this performance was a mystery/surprise to everyone!
The idea of tuning a slide whistle is hilarious in itself.
I adored the slide whistle trill hahaha
Ian Pierce me too :^D
I borrowed the lasso d'amore from a percussionist friend. I got the cardboard tubes from old christmas wrapping paper tubes, and cut them up to appropriate lengths
You will notice that me (Katherine) DID laugh, with the slide whistle. I couldn't keep a straight face, even when practicing on my own!
Many years ago, I had the pleasure of listening to Schickele himself play the "Lasso d' Amore" in the Green Room at Ford Auditorium in Detroit. He played it wonderfully (and even in tune!) Made me wish I had one available years later when I was in the chorus performing "The Seasonings" when he was guest conductor. :D
What a lovely memory!
Y'know, a Steinway is WAY too nice a piano for P.D.Q. Bach. Couldn't they have found one that'd been dropped out the back of a truck or something?
+jmowreader hahaha, why?
+katwatson007 Because a piano with parts falling off and a few broken strings buzzing against the soundboard will create a tonality the composer would have appreciated.
Professor Schickele performs exclusively on whatever piano is available.
Now certainly the music of a composer of the caliber of PDQ Bach could be more faithfully rendered on a Steinway than any other piano.
The correct title is "Erotica" Variations for banned instruments and piano, S. 36EE
"banned" instruments...quite the pun there...
I always love to see it when classical musicians don`t take themselves too, too seriously. I burst out laughing through this. It was really cute....but I thought it was to be 7 hours long! (After my parents moved us from a small Colorado city to the DC area in late 1968, the following year they saw that a Bach concert was to be played at Constitution Hall in DC, so they figured it would be a nice culture night out with a Bach--PDQ in this case--besides the well-known Johann. What did we know? When the musicians came out in army boots and sat on the podium and then Schickele himself swooped down to the stage on a rope, I wondered what on earth was going on--this to a 13 year old kid, mind you. As the "concert" went along in increasing compositional and performance mayhem, I literally asked my parents, "Is this for real??")
Brought shivers to my spine and a tear to my eye remembering old PDQ himself! Great job!
Second video I've watched today where the Windbreaker proved a challenge to the performer. Those mailing tubas must be harder to play than it looks.
mrkip w Actually that’s the famous Lasso d’Amore.
I think the cardboard tubes must have been more substantial back in the day.
Thanks! It was really hard to keep a straight face. So I didn't.
"The greatest piece that P.D.Q Bach ever rode, and probably the greatest piece ever ridden"? How did they play it without laughing?
Yet you still managed to play it through. I would not be able to contain myself.
Well done!
I just read about this guy in a local free paper in my area called The Valley Advocate and wanted to see if he had anything on UA-cam. Glad I read the article and watched this!!
Oh god. This is just brilliant!
LOL,wonderful, guys, just love it!
Thank you!
Always love some musical humor, wonderful job!
I just read about Peter Schickele in this free paper called The Valley Advocate, so, I wanted to check this out.
Love this
they are adorable
lol never heard this one before. It's worthy of PDQ Bach!
Couldn't stop laughing. This is absolutely fabulous.
P.S. granted this show has come and gone, but P.D.Q. /Peter was recently @ The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield MA. on 7/26/14. Wish I had found out earlier... :,-(
so cute!
Thank you!
Thanks!
Why does my right arm feel tired now?
Mine is, too
loveiy
Bravo! I'm right into all this art shit, tres cool man.
+Enkidu2 merci!
Brilliant
best audience EVER
+Vince M yup, they were awesome!
Well done! Such a silly piece. Where did you get the pipe for the lasso d'amore and the different cardboard tubes for the windbreakers?
*applaud* :)
Wise choice to not use the compressed air horn ;)
What were the names of the instruments?
So that lasso d'amore is actually manufactured to be a musical instrument?! Weird! Thanks for the wrapping paper tube tip. By the way, nice idea to hide the instruments in a bag for the surprise factor....
Where's the TROMBOON???!!!
Hilarious! Well-done!
Maybe would be even more impressive if the audience stayed calm.
Agreed. The way they laugh loudly over absolutely everything the whole way through is incredibly annoying snd distracting. A lot of it is just forced laughter; it detracts from the experience.
I should not have tried drinking water while watching this
Think about Katherine at 8:21... I don't know how she didn't choke herself (or sputter it all out on the pianist).
A little more practice would help the performance.
Being serious would make this better.
Was she sight reading?
Żal
It is a great shame that Bach's descendant needs to rely on ridiculous tricks like toilet paper rolls and balloons to "elevate" his music!
I know, right? What a shame :(
Nice miking! Every word spoken by the male was un-understandable. Useless.
Audio is terrible. Thumbs down, stopped viewing at 0:37.
You need to get your ears checked, buddy.
As incredible as this piece actually *is*, performers should take NOTE to use the microphone to full advantage. Many sounds were obscured by the volume of the piano and were not properly caught by the mic, like the gargle, for instance.
+Dick Silk For the record, my favorite part is the slide whistle :-) but I really gotta give 'em credit for the pan pipes (?) made from paper towel cores.
+Dick Silk yeah your totally right! We weren't intending on mic'ing anything (I think) and we didn't sound-check or anything, since this performance was a mystery/surprise to everyone!
+katwatson007 Regardless, I highly encourage y'all to keep on practicing this number -- it doesn't get enough exposure :-)
And the gargler is a cutie-pie, for sure √ Makes me smile just from watching. :-)
Thanks!!