This brings back memories for me. The Northeastern University Choral Society ( NU is a five minute walk from Symphony Hall) performed P.D. Q. Bach's The Seasonings at Symphony Hall with Fiedler conducting. It was an absolute blast!
Huge PDQ fan. I saw him in a concert in the mid 70s where he played some of his "straight" compositions as well. Since he wasn't "in character" as PDQ he talked quite refreshingly about his life in Fargo, ND, playing bassoon in the Fargo-Moorhead (across the river in Minnesota) youth orchestra. Apparently, when he got to conservatory in the Big Apple he felt totally outclassed by the talent he met there, and when the PDQ Bach thing, which started as more or less a one-time gag, turned into a career, he naturally grabbed onto it. Many years later, I met an NYC musician (she played French horn in the pit band for Le Miz), who had known him from way back. Amusingly, according to her, all the "real" NYC musicians hated Pete, because he wasn't a "real talent" and, of course, he was richer and more famous than any of them. If you succeed, your friends will never forgive you.
This brings back memories for me. The Northeastern University Choral Society ( NU is a five minute walk from Symphony Hall) performed P.D. Q. Bach's The Seasonings at Symphony Hall with Fiedler conducting. It was an absolute blast!
Huge PDQ fan. I saw him in a concert in the mid 70s where he played some of his "straight" compositions as well. Since he wasn't "in character" as PDQ he talked quite refreshingly about his life in Fargo, ND, playing bassoon in the Fargo-Moorhead (across the river in Minnesota) youth orchestra. Apparently, when he got to conservatory in the Big Apple he felt totally outclassed by the talent he met there, and when the PDQ Bach thing, which started as more or less a one-time gag, turned into a career, he naturally grabbed onto it. Many years later, I met an NYC musician (she played French horn in the pit band for Le Miz), who had known him from way back. Amusingly, according to her, all the "real" NYC musicians hated Pete, because he wasn't a "real talent" and, of course, he was richer and more famous than any of them. If you succeed, your friends will never forgive you.
I got to see a performance of this piece live. So fun to see the stool blown up at the finale.
Spoiler Alert!
I saw "An Hysteric Return" the second PDQ concert. Never laughed so hard in my life!
at Symphony Hall?
I've always wondered what explosive they used!
how much fun!
Thanks for uploading this. It was a lot of fun! Brings back memories, too, of the 1970s.
A piano Concerto that requires a flashpot for performance. Delightful :-)
Nice, clear copy. Great.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂