THE MUSIC SALON: classical music, popular culture, philosophy and anything else that catches my fancy...
Monday, September 23, 2019
Rare Video
Every now and then you run into something really unusual on YouTube--and sometimes the clip is completely mis-labeled. Take this one for example. It says it is Chet Atkins, Leo Kottke and Doc Watson jamming around on "Last Steam Engine Train" when it is obviously a colorized clip from 1931 when Arnold Schoenberg was in Barcelona working on Act II of Moses und Aron. While there, he was visited by his students Anton Webern and Alban Berg. In the clip, Schoenberg is seated on the right, Webern on the left and in the middle, at the back, is Berg. You will notice that, uncharacteristically, it is Webern that takes a solo with, for him, a plethora of notes. Notice that he does make reference to his usual pointillistic style. Towards the end, Berg essays a few ideas while throughout it is the teacher, the elder Schoenberg, who provides a strict harmonic framework for his two students.
Was going to comment to the effect that those door-closer things are a post-1931 invention... but they aren't (mid-19th c): only at that point did I see the tag.
I never look at tags; Althouse is always going on about her tags, which I've never once used to thumb through her posts.
Now you've got me, because I'm not sure what you mean by "door-closer things." Thanks for commenting because now I can fall out of character and say, yes, this was 100% satire. I wasn't poking fun at the Second Viennese School, nor, heaven forfend, at those three fine guitar players. I was just reading something about Schoenberg that mentioned that he was in Barcelona in 1931 for his health and had the idea of juxtaposing the two groups while putting on a pseudo-academic demeanor. I thought it was quite funny. So does that make two of us?
Oh, I was amused, sure. I thought I recognized Leo Kottke when I opened the video at YouTube, (after I saw his name, I mean) and was confused; was on the verge of asking in the comments there why no one had picked up on the 'mistaken identifications', ahem (would have linked here, so probably good that that didn't happen), before returning to your post to re-read it, then seeing the tag.
The hydraulic door-closer, attached at the top of the door and then also to the wall-- they slowly close the door, or else retard the rapid opening of it. Ah, it can be seen, the door and it, at YouTube but not so much if at all in the smaller sized display on your site.
Was going to comment to the effect that those door-closer things are a post-1931 invention... but they aren't (mid-19th c): only at that point did I see the tag.
ReplyDeleteI never look at tags; Althouse is always going on about her tags, which I've never once used to thumb through her posts.
Now you've got me, because I'm not sure what you mean by "door-closer things." Thanks for commenting because now I can fall out of character and say, yes, this was 100% satire. I wasn't poking fun at the Second Viennese School, nor, heaven forfend, at those three fine guitar players. I was just reading something about Schoenberg that mentioned that he was in Barcelona in 1931 for his health and had the idea of juxtaposing the two groups while putting on a pseudo-academic demeanor. I thought it was quite funny. So does that make two of us?
ReplyDeleteAt least three. I laughed loudly enough to upset the cat.
ReplyDeleteOh, I was amused, sure. I thought I recognized Leo Kottke when I opened the video at YouTube, (after I saw his name, I mean) and was confused; was on the verge of asking in the comments there why no one had picked up on the 'mistaken identifications', ahem (would have linked here, so probably good that that didn't happen), before returning to your post to re-read it, then seeing the tag.
ReplyDeleteThe hydraulic door-closer, attached at the top of the door and then also to the wall-- they slowly close the door, or else retard the rapid opening of it. Ah, it can be seen, the door and it, at YouTube but not so much if at all in the smaller sized display on your site.
Ah, so by "door-closer" you meant "door-closer." Man, that is subtle!
ReplyDeleteThanks, JBB.