It’s June, which means it used to be May, which means it’s Concert Season here at LU. The Conservatory has generated an impressive number of concerts, which in turn has resulted in an equally impressive pile of CDs for your listening pleasure.
Author: Antoinette Powell
The Best of the Beatles
Maybe we’re still feeling a little Sgt. Pepper-y, or maybe it’s because in about an hour Starbucks® is rolling out Paul McCartney’s latest album, but we must call to your attention an upcoming PBS program. On Monday, June 11 at 10 p.m., Wisconsin Public Television is broadcasting Best of the Beatles, the story of the early Beatles as told by Pete Best. Best, as you know, was booted out of the group and replaced by Ringo Starr just after they recorded Love Me Do, but he’s “not bitter.” It’s a fascinating, albeit somewhat biased, view of those early years from someone who was intimately involved.
To get another pretty good look at The Beatles’ rise to fame, read Bob Spitz’s well-documented book, The Beatles, A Biography.
All Lee, All the Time
Someone once said, “A day without a new pile of CDs featuring Lee Tomboulian is like a day without sunshine.” Well, grab your Ray-Bans® because it’s a scorcher out there today.
It Was 40 Years Ago Today
It doesn’t seem possible to those of us who were there, but The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was issued on June 1, 1967. Widely considered to be the first “concept album,” it didn’t start out as one. The group only wanted to produce something “different,” and different it is.
The Mudd not only has the CD, but also a book about the album, from the Cambridge Music Handbooks series, no less. Also check out the mash-up on the new Love CD.
Dress up in your shiny band director’s uniform and pose beside a wax likeness of yourself to celebrate.
Mozart’s Thematic Catalog
When you think Mozart’s Thematic Catalog, you naturally think Köchel. But did you know Mozart compiled his own thematic catalog? From February 1784 until December 1791 (three weeks before his death) he kept a record of his completed pieces. Here he included the dates, titles and sometimes instrumentation, along with the opening bars of each work.
The brilliant, technically advanced and well-funded people at the British Library have put together an online gallery called “Turning the Pages”. Here you can [virtually] flip through Jane Austen’s early work in her own hand; Mercator’s first atlas of Europe compiled in the 1570’s; the Diamond Sutra, the oldest printed “book” (China, 868) and Mozart’s thematic catalog, among many others.
You’ll need Adobe’s Shockwave plug-in to do the flipping. Mozart’s catalog also includes soundclips of the entries, text, and even the capability to hear the text read to you.
First June CD-O-Rama
Looking at this latest new CD pile, you might think, “More Mengelberg?” and you’d be right. But we also snuck in one Furtwängler and a Lerdahl just to mix things up.
Just Because It’s June
You knew it was coming. Of COURSE the Mudd has a recording of June is Bustin’ Out All Over.
June is also “Adopt a Shelter Cat Month,” and today is “Hug Your Cat Day.” So get going.
Heads-up for Tomorrow
Or maybe that should be Feets-up. Tomorrow (May 8) is No Socks Day. No Socks Day is a copyrighted holiday created by the people at Wellcat.com.
Before you commit yourself to going sock-less, check the weather for Appleton. You should be ok, but does anyone remember May 1, 2005? That’s hail, people.
Only Two More Weeks!
Today may be Respect for Chickens Day, but it also signifies that it’s only 2 more weeks until the 105th anniversary of Meredith Willson’s birth. Watch for interesting tidbits about this son of Mason City, Iowa; The Music Man, and musicals in general.
Interesting tidbit no. 1: “Seventy-Six Trombones” and “Goodnight, My Someone” are the same song. See for yourself.
Yes, We Have More CDs
Heres another batch of new CDs. And what would a new batch of CDs be without a couple of selections featuring Lee Tomboulian? When does the man have time to sleep?