Live Music

[Trumpetmaster]

Congratulations all round, TM!

Thanks!

It was recorded... so I'm trying to get the CD and DVD....
i'll try and see about posting a link once I get it..

[barfle]

I forgot about an unusual live performance I attended last August, since it was free.

On the Vahjinyah side of the Potowmack, near the Iwo Jima memorial, stands the Netherlands Carillon. When they are playing the bells, you can climb up the tower (125 steps or so, and it gets pretty noisy) and watch the carriloneur operate the largest musical instrument I have ever seen. I asked him where he practiced, and he said that his church has a similar setup with tubular bells instead of outdoor bells.

It's not terribly complicated. Each lever is attached via a cable to a bell clapper. There are bells above and below the console, and there are also ports in the ceiling and roof of the console room so the carilloneur can properly hear what he's playing. The levers are arranged similarly to a piano keyboard, so although it's not totally strange, I'm sure it's a bit unusual to play an instrument that's ten stories high.

[Shapley]

I forgot about an unusual live performance I attended last August, since it was free.

On the Vahjinyah side of the Potowmack, near the Iwo Jima memorial, stands the Netherlands Carillon. When they are playing the bells, you can climb up the tower (125 steps or so, and it gets pretty noisy) and watch the carriloneur operate the largest musical instrument I have ever seen. I asked him where he practiced, and he said that his church has a similar setup with tubular bells instead of outdoor bells.

It's not terribly complicated. Each lever is attached via a cable to a bell clapper. There are bells above and below the console, and there are also ports in the ceiling and roof of the console room so the carilloneur can properly hear what he's playing. The levers are arranged similarly to a piano keyboard, so although it's not totally strange, I'm sure it's a bit unusual to play an instrument that's ten stories high.

I have seen one that was fitted with a keyboard. The keyboard operated a series of solenoids that worked the cables. The cables operated hammers which struck the bells, which were tubular.

[barfle]

One difficulty with that arrangement is that there are no dynamics to the music -you can't play loud or soft, much like a harpsichord.

The Netherlands Carillon (as demonstrated to me) allows the carilloneur (that's an awful word) to play the bells loudly or softly depending on how much force he uses on the levers.

I remember seeing on TV in a previous century a man who had set up carillon bells in his home, and he had a keyboard that resembled a small piano. If the program had gone into the workings of the device, I would have remembered that, because I'm always interested in how things work.

I took a short video while I was on the tower. I don't know if I have enough room to post it on my PWP, but I suspect it's a fairly large file. I'm going to have to figure out some free file hosting. Supposedly my network storage will allow me to "share pictures" with others, but I haven't been able to get that working (I am now not a fan of MioNet).

[jamiebk]

One difficulty with that arrangement is that there are no dynamics to the music -you can't play loud or soft, much like a harpsichord.

The Netherlands Carillon (as demonstrated to me) allows the carilloneur (that's an awful word) to play the bells loudly or softly depending on how much force he uses on the levers.

I remember seeing on TV in a previous century a man who had set up carillon bells in his home, and he had a keyboard that resembled a small piano. If the program had gone into the workings of the device, I would have remembered that, because I'm always interested in how things work.

I took a short video while I was on the tower. I don't know if I have enough room to post it on my PWP, but I suspect it's a fairly large file. I'm going to have to figure out some free file hosting. Supposedly my network storage will allow me to "share pictures" with others, but I haven't been able to get that working (I am now not a fan of MioNet).

Have you tried posting to "Photobucket"? It's pretty good for pic sharing. Picasa (Google product) may be even better.

[Shapley]

One difficulty with that arrangement is that there are no dynamics to the music -you can't play loud or soft, much like a harpsichord.

It would be possible to use pneumatic solenoids to vary the force on the cables and thus achieve dynamics, like a piano. However, you are correct that the arrangement I saw did not do this.

I have seen an arrangement that played a very small tubular-bell carillon that was driven by a punched disc, like an old fashioned music box. This one was set into a miniature church, and played carols as an outdoor Christmas display. It was, in essence, an oversized music box.

[Trumpetmaster]

I went to a performance yesterday afternoon with the Long Island Philharmonic String Quartet & Soprano...

It was titled

Forbidden Music - Music from the Holocaust
in commemoration of Kristallnacht

Gideon Klein (1919-1945) String Trio (1944)
iii. Molto Vivace

Vikto Ullmann (1898-1944) Lieder der Trostung (Songs of Consolation)
(ca. 1943, Theresienstadt)
i - "Tote wollen nicht verweilen" for String quartet & soprano
ii - "Erwachen zu Weihnachten" for String quartet & soprano
iii - "Herbst" for string trio and soprano

Kurt Schwitters (1887-1948) Ursonate (1922-32)
Excerpts

Sylvie Bodorova (b.1954) Terezin Ghetto Requiem "Libera me"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brief intermission

Guest Speaker - Werner Reich, Theresienstadt survivor

This was fascinating. Mr. Reich spoke from his own experience. He was a teenager
and had a slide show. It was an emotional presentation...
There was a question and answer session following.............

Music was emotional... and the Schwitters... was actually a dialogue spoken...
I have to research this more as the dialogue was a critisism of the Nazi's but not
necessarily deciphered....

In all a very moving performance and information that was heart wrenching, sad
but a story that had to be told!

TM

[Trumpetmaster]

Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

OK.... Here is a work from a X-Mas Concert I played last week with my brass ensemble...
I'm the trumpet player sitting down on the right.....
AND
I did not write the script/skit for this....

The arrangement was done by Ken who also plays trombone in the group and
is featured on this work....

Enjoy...

Merry Christmas...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjQFarR9Rus

[Trumpetmaster]

tried to post a picture ... did not work.. will try again...

[Trumpetmaster]

That's me playing at last weeks x-mas performance

[Trumpetmaster]

can't seem to properly size the pictures... here are the links from my concert last week.....

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z189 ... CN3875.jpg

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z189 ... CN3871.jpg

http://i193.photobucket.com/albums/z189 ... CN3872.jpg

[Shapley]

Much better. Thanks!

[Trumpetmaster]

There we go... Had to reload the picture as the original defaulted to the wide screen specs from my computer. Finally figured it out...

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

[navneeth]

Ah, strategically placing yourselves in front of the exit.

Just kidding. Thanks for sharing the pics, TM. I don't think I have seen (even a picture of) an electronic organ before. Just as the photos were coming up, I was listening to the final movement of Mahler's 5th, with trumpets blaring.

[Trumpetmaster]

Ah, strategically placing yourselves in front of the exit.

Just kidding. Thanks for sharing the pics, TM. I don't think I have seen (even a picture of) an electronic organ before. Just as the photos were coming up, I was listening to the final movement of Mahler's 5th, with trumpets blaring.

Navneeth,
It is a Pipe Organ. The console is electric with a box to program a bunch of "stuff"
I'm not an organist but it is pretty amazing what can be done...

Ah... Mahler 5th! One of my favorites!

Regards,
TM

[navneeth]

Navneeth,
It is a Pipe Organ. The console is electric with a box to program a bunch of "stuff"
I'm not an organist but it is pretty amazing what can be done...

In that case, it's the console that I have not seen before.

[barfle]

Thanks for the pics, TM. Now if there was a recording you could link to...

[Trumpetmaster]

Thanks for the pics, TM. Now if there was a recording you could link to...

Barfle,

working on that one... I'm trying to get the recording when I played The Prayer of St. Gregory
by Hovhannes about a month ago....

then see how to upload...

Regards,
TM

[barfle]

I understand, TM. Not that I'm doing much toward my promise of a video clip from the Netherlands Carrilon earlier this year...

I did locate it on my computer this weekend. But still no photobucket account. Other things on the plate.

[jamiebk]

Apparently, this happened last year but I have only become aware of it through an email:

I checked on the "Urban Legends" page (Snopes) and it is true. I don't know if anyone here has heard this story, but how fascinating.
#######################
A VIOLINIST IN THE METRO

A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the
violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for
about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was
calculated that thousand of people went through the station, most of them
on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was
musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and
then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman
threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to
him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly
he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother
tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist.
Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning
his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other
children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and
stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their
normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took
over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best
musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever
written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a
theater in Boston and the seats average $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro
station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social
experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines
were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we
perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent
in an unexpected context?