Show 203: Space Sounds

This show will feature space-related and astronomy-related sounds and music.

To start things off, here is a video from NASA in which radio-frequency reception from radio telescopes has been converted into sound:

We're going to play On the Beautiful Blue Danube, and you should know where that river is located, so here's a map for you:

The path of the Danube

The Danube is a 1795 mile long river in Europe, which has its headwaters in the Black Forest of Germany, and then passes through, more or less in turn:
Austria
Slovakia
Hungary
Croatia
Serbia
Bulgaria
Ukraine
Moldova
Romania,
and runs into the Black Sea.  If these places are unfamiliar to you, you should look them up.  The map above indicates the path of the river from west to east, in red.

Show 202: Slap that Bass

[Added on 2015/7/18:  This used to be called Show 102.  I've renumbered the shows, so that this one is Show202.  The first digit will indicate which series the show is from: 1 for the first cycle, 2 for this second cycle, and so on.  For instance, the July 4^th show for next year, 2016, will be numbered numbered Show301, and so on.  If you didn't figure this out yet, my first show aired the week of July 4th, 2014.]
‘’—“”
A couple of weeks ago I was interviewed by the famous Rick Smith, whose daily talk show we feature at 3:00 p.m. on weekdays on WXPI. His talk show is primarily political commentary, and while thinking of what we could talk about he happened to mention that he had played the bass, as a young fellow, and he approached music by listening for the bass line.

Most occasional listeners to classical music don’t find it easy to relate to the bass in classical music for various reasons, mostly because classical harmony is a little more subtle than harmony in pop music. Pop harmony is getting more sophisticated all the time, but after introducing a certain degree of harmonic complexity pop musicians back off, because they’re afraid that their music is going to sound too classical. In this show I’m going to try and highlight the bass lines, and what makes them interesting.

I also promised to put in a picture of a set of viols, which I have playing the Bach C minor Passacaglia, so here it is on the right.  Modern Double-Basses are essentially Bass Viols, with very minor modifications to bring them partially in line with the violin family of stringed instruments.  But the sloping "shoulders" give away it's antecedents.  In fact, a modern double-bass looks pretty much like the big reddish-wood instrument at the bottom center in the illustration.  (The phrase alio modo has something to do with onions, or ice cream.)

[Clicking on the image will take you to Gateshead Youth Orchestra]

Show 201: Nationalistic, International and Folk Music

[Added on 2015/7/18:  This used to be called Show 36.  I've renumbered the shows, so that this one is Show201.  The first digit will indicate which series the show is from: 1 for the first cycle, 2 for this second cycle, and so on.  For instance, the July 4^th show for next year will be numbered numbered Show301, and so on.  If you didn't figure this out yet, my first show aired the week of July 4th, 2014.]

With this broadcast, we begin a new year of Archie's Archives.  It's July 4th, so we're going to feature national anthems, and other patriotic songs, both from the USA and other lands.

Part A

The Star Spangled Banner (Francis Scott Key, John Stafford Smith), sung by Lauren Hart, and also by Phi Mu Alpha National Sinfonia Fraternity

National Emblem March (Edwin Bagley), which features a motif from the Star Spangled Banner.

The National Anthem of the Netherlands (Wilhelmus Van Nassouw)

The National Anthem of South Africa (Enoch Sontonga, C. J. Langenhowen), sung by Nianell (Namibia) at the 2014 Rugby World Cup South Africa/New Zealand match.

Jerusalem (And did those feet in ancient time, William Blake, C. H. H. Parry, orchestrated by Edward Elgar) by the BBC choir and orchestra, Last night of the Proms, 2012.

Finlandia Hymn (Jean Sibelius) sung by Carmina Slovenica.

God Bless America (Irving Berlin)

Lift Every Voice and Sing (James W and John R. Johnson)

The National Anthem of Israel, performed by the Swarovsky Orchestra

Part B

The National Anthem of Spain, performed by the Swarovsky Orchestra

The National Anthem of Canada, performed by the Swarovsky Orchestra

The National Anthem of Japan, performed by the Swarovsky Orchestra

All you need is Love, sung by The Beatles

La Marsellaise, performed by the Swarovsky Orchestra

The National Anthem of India performed by several artists

Lionel Ritchie, Michael Jackson We Are The World

This information is freely available, but for convenience, here is the list of soloists as given in Wikipedia:

Soloists		Chorus
Lionel Richie Stevie Wonder Paul Simon Kenny Rogers James Ingram Tina Turner Billy Joel Michael Jackson Diana Ross Dionne Warwick Willie Nelson	Al Jarreau Bruce Springsteen Kenny Loggins Steve Perry Daryl Hall Huey Lewis Cyndi Lauper Kim Carnes Bob Dylan Ray Charles	Don Henley Harry Belafonte Lindsey Buckingham Mario Cipollina Johnny Colla Sheila E. Bob Geldof Bill Gibson Chris Hayes Sean Hopper Jackie Jackson	La Toya Jackson Marlon Jackson Randy Jackson Tito Jackson Waylon Jennings Bette Midler John Oates Jeffrey Osborne Anita Pointer June Pointer Ruth Pointer Smokey Robinson

Bedrich Smetana: The Moldau

Richard Rodgers: Laendler, from Sound of Music

Guantanamera (Jose Marti, Unknown) performed by Playing for Change

Part C

Bach-Vivaldi: Concerto in D performed by German Brass in Swinging Bach
Bach: B minor Suite, performed by Jiri Stivin
Quintessence Sax Quintet: Fudge fugue in G minor
Bach: Double Concerto in D minor, played by Adele Anthony, Gil Shaham, and the Gewandhaus Orchestra
Turtle Island String Quartet: Variations on Bach Themes
Jacques Loussier Trio:  Gavotte
King's Singers: Deconstructing Johann

Part D


Bobby McFerrin, Jacques Loussier trio: Improvisation on Wachet auf
Turtle Island String Quartet, Miles Davis: Seven Steps to Bach
Tom Lehrer: We Will All Go Together When We Go

Show 135: A Retrospective

[Added on 2015/7/18:  This used to be called Show 35.  I've renumbered the shows, so that this one is Show135.  The first digit will indicate which series the show is from: 1 for the first cycle, 2 for this second cycle, and so on.  For instance, the July 4^th show for this year will be numbered numbered Show201, and so on.  If you didn't figure this out yet, my first show aired the week of July 4th, 2014.]

Notice that our web page cover art already incorporates the Rainbow theme: the five Adirondack chairs are all colored brightly!  This is a great week for people of alternate lifestyles, and I'm sure that very soon that phrase: "Alternate lifestyles" will stop being so useful.  I am a little uncomfortable with all the crowing that is going on; it is quite unnecessary to present the triumph of the LGBT community as a massive defeat for gender-conservatives, to coin a phrase.  Jesus loves and forgives everybody, just as he has forgiven countless TV evangelists for their adultery over the past several decades.

It has been just about a year since I started hosting this show, so I'm going to play one track from each of the 34 original shows I put together.  (I can hardly believe that I did not provide original shows on 17 occasions!!  Some weeks, it was just too much to do, to come up with 112 minutes of material.  In the early weeks, where the shows were actually much more ambitious than the last several shows, I put in more than 10 hours for the two-hour show.  Obviously I could not keep that up.  In the later shows, I essentially put each show together in about 6 hours.)

Show 134: Something for Parents :)

[Added on 2015/7/18:  This used to be called Show 34.  I've renumbered the shows, so that this one is Show134.  The first digit will indicate which series the show is from: 1 for the first cycle, 2 for this second cycle, and so on.  For instance, the July 4^th show for this year will be numbered numbered Show201, and so on.  If you didn't figure this out yet, my first show aired the week of July 4th, 2014.]
 
It's getting close to the anniversary of this show; it was the week before July 4th last year that I put up the first edition of Archie's Archives!

This show will try to celebrate parents of both sexes — why have two separate days for mothers and fathers?  (Answer: so you get to spend more money!  It's good to have these answers ready.)  Some of the pieces I have, unfortunately, are religious in inspiration, but I decided long ago that I would enjoy religious music without any embarrassment, despite being a firm unbeliever, because it's too much frustration having to avoid religious music, and I imagine that in an ideal world, composers would have written beautiful music even if they were totally non-religious.  In the —a little less than ideal— world we actually have, of course, many composers would have written very little, if not for the religious inspiration, or being faced with the duty of supplying music for weekly worship.  In good times, religion serves as stimulation for art, sort of artistic insulin, if you will.  In bad times, religion comforts those who suffer, providing the opiate for the masses, and enables those who impose suffering to do so without too much backlash.  And we all know who they are.

Johann Sebastian Bach was often called Papa Bach, and Joseph Haydn was called Papa Haydn.  So we can feature works by these composers with no apology.  In fact someone (I can't remember who) said that Bach should not have been called Bach, which means brook, but rather, Meer, which means, the sea.  In Dutch, the word for sea is zee, and those who cross the Tappan Zee Bridge must know that it refers to the fact that The Mighty Hudson is particularly wide at that point.  (My wife always calls it The Mighty Hudson, and it gives us a good chuckle, though the allusion eludes me.  I guess all I have to do is ask her...)

Show 133: Name That Tune

Richard Strauss

[Added on 2015/7/18:  This used to be called Show 33.  I've renumbered the shows, so that this one is Show133.  The first digit will indicate which series the show is from: 1 for the first cycle, 2 for this second cycle, and so on.  For instance, the July 4^th show for this year will be numbered numbered Show201, and so on.  If you didn't figure this out yet, my first show aired the week of July 4th, 2014.]

 This week's show will be a quiz.  After a short clip, you will be given a few seconds to recognize the name of the work, and the composer.  One point for getting it right, except for a few exceptions, where you're allowed two points.

I'm putting this photo up, because Richard Strauss's birthday was on Thursday, June 11.
If you're determined to cheat, here is a list of the pieces, so you can play match the names and the tunes:

• Air (on the G string)  —Bach
• Symphony 5  —Beethoven
• Hungarian Dance  —Brahms
• Arabesque  —Debussy
• Pavana Lachrimae  —Dowland
• Nimrod  —Elgar
• Rhapsody in Blue  —Gershwin
• Watermusic  —Handel
• Midsummer Night's Dream  —Mendelssohn
• Violin Concerto  —Mendelssohn
• Clarinet Quintet  —Mozart
• Symphony  40 in G minor  —Mozart
• Pictures at an Exhibition  —Mussorgsky
• Suite from Abdelazer  —Purcell
• Fanfare from Also sprach Zarathusthra  —R. Strauss
• Unfinished Symphony  —Schubert
• Die Moldau  —Smetana
• Liberty Bell March  —Sousa
• 1812 Overture  —Tchaikovsky
• Ride of the Valkyries  —Wagner

Show 132: Versions-New tunes from Old

[Added on 2015/7/18:  This used to be called Show 32.  I've renumbered the shows, so that this one is Show132.  The first digit will indicate which series the show is from: 1 for the first cycle, 2 for this second cycle, and so on.  For instance, the July 4^th show for this year will be numbered numbered Show201, and so on.  If you didn't figure this out yet, my first show aired the week of July 4th, 2014.]
 
This show is concerned with pairs of pieces or performances, either contrasting performances of the same piece, or a pair of pieces, one derived from the other.

Part A

Bach: Brandenburg No 4 in G Major, BWV 1049-Allegro, (Anthony Newman, Brandenburg Collegium), BWV 1067 in F major, for Harpsichord (Sviatoslav Richter)

Mozart: Piano Concerto no 23 in A major, K488 (First with Chick Corea and Bobby McFerrin conducting the St Paul Chamber Orchestra, then with Malcolm Bilson and John Eliot Gardiner conducting the English Baroque Soloists, with original instruments)


Part B (continuing with Mozart K 488)

Disney: Sleeping Beauty Waltz; Tchaikovsky: Sleeping Beauty Waltz

Britten: The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra-Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Purcell;  Henry Purcell: Abdelazar

Huey Lewis and the News: I Want A New Drug; Weird Al Yankovich: I Want A New Duck


Part C

Eric Carmen: Never Gonna Fall In Love Again; Rachmaninov: Symphony N 2 in E Minor Op 27 3  Adagio

The Beatles: Revolution

Wagner: Overture to Die Meistersinger (Herbert von Karajan, Berlin Philharmonic; Glenn Gould, Piano)

Part D, continuing with the Gould piano transcription

Mozart: Gran Partita, iv-Adagio (Hogwood, Academy of Ancient Music; Marriner, Academy of St Martin In the Fields)

Bach: Cantata No 11 'Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen' (Janet Baker); Mass in B minor - Agnus Dei (The Bach Guild)

Note: Our Signoff Tune is presented here in a full brass band version.

For next week:  I'm planning to present a Name That Tune type quiz.  All the mystery tunes will be from Archie's Archives broadcasts.

Archie