Classical Music

Here's a list of some classical music that I really enjoy, and I hope that you can find something you like among them. My interests tend to run more in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, which isn't everyone's cup of tea, but here you are.

ELEVEN CLASSICAL WORKS I ENJOY
(presented alphabetically by composer)

1. Concerto for Orchestra (Bela Bartok) - When I was in college, I had to write a paper on the Concerto for Orchestra. It was a critical analysis of all five movements, and I think the paper was assigned to me because of a part in the fourth movement that has a trombone glissando that is impossible on a trombone with only one attachment, precipitating the need for a trombone with another attachment, which evolved into the modern bass trombone. The movements are all stylistically different, with a slow opening movement, a quicker second movement featuring pairs of instruments, a very slow third movement, a scherzo for the fourth movement that parodied Shostakovich's seventh symphony, and a fast and triumphant final movement. It's a great piece of music.
2. Sonata No. 8 in C Minor: Pathetique (Ludwig van Beethoven) - Beethoven is obviously one of the most well known composers in history, and considered by many to be one of the greatest. The Pathetique Sonata (not pathetic - the word pathetique refers more to passion and emotion) is one of his greatest works for piano, in my humble opinion. It begins in a very slow and tragic manner, but turns fast by the end. The second movement is one of the most beautiful pieces in all of music, while the third movement brings the work to a close with a fast finale. I really love this piece.
3. Symphony No. 9: From the New World (Antonin Dvorak) - Dvorak's ninth symphony is subtitled "From the New World" because it was composed while Dvorak was visiting the United States. The piece was composed in 1893, and was influenced by native American music and African-American spirituals. The first movement is a slow-fast movement, followed by a lovely second movement was the inspiration for the spiritual song "Goin' Home." The third movement is a scherzo, and the fourth movement is a fast and exciting movement to close the work. It's an extremely popular symphony, and rightfully so. I absolutely love the second movement, and I have fond memories of playing the fourth movement in high school orchestra.
4. Rhapsody In Blue (George Gershwin) - Rhapsody In Blue was originally written for piano and jazz band in 1924, but it is its orchestral form that it is most often heard today. Gershwin did not actually orchestrate the piece, it was arranged by Ferde Grofé. Until this piece, Gershwin was mostly known as a jazz and popular composer, but Rhapsody In Blue established him in the classical genre. It has been recorded numerous times, appeared in Disney's Fantasia 2000, and even has an a capella with piano arrangement by The Bobs called Rhapsody In Bob (which I highly encourage everyone to listen to as well).
5. The Planets (Gustav Holst) - This piece came out in 1918, right on the heels of the first world war. Its seven movements are supposed to represent the qualities of the planets, though they seem to be more attuned to the qualities of the Roman gods the planets were named after. "Mars, the Bringer of War" is one of the most menacing pieces of music ever created. "Venus, the Bringer of Love" is a beautiful, romantic tune, while "Mercury, the Winged Messenger" is light and bouncy. "Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity" is a celebration, with a beautiful hymn in the middle. "Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age" is very slow and ponderous, while "Uranus the Magician" is very powerful. "Neptune the Mystic" closes the work with very ethereal, floaty music, and a female chorus sings the work into the outer reaches of the galaxy. The work was written before Pluto was discovered, but now that Pluto is no longer a planet, "The Planets" is complete again. This has got to be one of my all-time favorite works, though Holst resented its popularity.
6. The Unanswered Question (Charles Ives) - The Unanswered Question is a short work by American composer Charles Ives that was composed in 1906. It's a very contemplative work, with ethereal strings serving as the backdrop for The Question, which is asked seven times by a solo trumpet. After each question, a group of woodwinds attempt to answer, but their answers become increasingly hostile and desperate as the piece proceeds. Finally, as the trumpet asks The Question one last time, there is no answer. The woodwinds have abandoned their attempts to answer, and The Question remains Unanswered. I really respect Charles Ives as one of the pioneers of modern music, and this is one of my favorites by him.
7. Night on Bald Mountain (Modest Mussorgsky) - If you've watched Fantasia, you've heard this one. It's the terrifying finale of the movie, paired with Schubert's Ave Maria. The piece itself is a study in contrasts, with a violent and scary beginning section and a tender, peaceful resolution. Mussorgsky originally composed the work entitled St. John's Night on the Bare Mountain, which was later reworked into A Night on the Bare Mountain by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov. It is Rimsky-Korsakov's version that is most performed today, though it is more commonly referred to as Night on Bald Mountain. It's a frightening piece, but I love it.
8. Carmina Burana (Carl Orff) - The opening and closing sections of Carmina Burana are the same. "O Fortuna", a song lamenting fortune's ever spinning wheel, is also the most recognizable part of Carmina Burana. You may not realize you've heard it, but every time you see a movie or game trailer that features some sort of apocalyptic battle between good and evil, there it is. It's very powerful, but there's so much good stuff in the whole work. It was conceived as a scenic cantata, and is made up of secular songs in Latin that range from the profound to the profane. There is some beautiful love music, drinking music, celebratory music, and music that is full of sorrow. If I was ranking music in order of my preference, I would have it in the top two with The Planets, though I tend to go back and forth on which one I like more.
9. Pines of Rome (Ottorino Respighi) - Pini di Roma is a four movement work by Italian composer Ottorino Respighi that premiered in 1924. The movements all flow into one another, and each is based on pine trees in different locations. The fourth movement in particular is very powerful, as it builds to a dramatic climax. It's a very cool piece, and very enjoyable even if it isn't extremely well known. Like Rhapsody In Blue, which premiered the same year, Pines of Rome (minus the second movement) appeared in Fantasia 2000.
10. Symphony No. 5 (Dmitri Shostakovich) - The 1934 opera "Lady Macbeth of the Mtensk District" by Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich was initially a great success. Then Josef Stalin heard it. And hated it. Shostakovich withdrew his fourth symphony during rehearsals because the government was now breathing down his neck to produce something properly Russian. In 1937, his fifth symphoyn premiered to great acclaim. The same critics of Lady Macbeth called it "a Soviet artist's response to just criticism." In his memoirs, published posthumously, Shostakovich said that the fourth movement represented a forced celebration. It's as if, he said, someone was beating you over the head with a stick, saying "Your business is rejoicing! Your business is rejoicing!" until you stagger away, muttering "Our business is rejoicing! Our business is rejoicing!" This is disputed, but the piece remains one of the most powerful and popular pieces Shostakovich wrote.
11. Rite of Spring (Igor Stravinsky) - The 1913 premiere of the Igor Stravinsky ballet Rite of Spring was eventful to say the least. Some people loved it. Some people hated it. Before too long, a riot broke out. The ballet had seven performances, but only the first one was disrupted like that. This story fascinates me, and I think if I could go observe a few moemnts in history, this would be one of them. The piece is very primitive, dissonant, and rhythmic. Stravinsky broke every single rule of music to produce the piece, and it is truly one of, if not THE greatest works of the twentieth century. I realize I keep referring to Fantasia, but you can find this one in the original film. This connection was entirely unintentional.

Of course, there are many more pieces out there that I love, but I only have eleven spots. Enjoy.

Podcasts

I've been listening to a lot of podcasts lately. It's good, getting mini radio shows delivered to my computer every once in a while. So, that inspired this list...

ELEVEN PODCASTS I LISTEN TO

1. The Acapodcast - The Acapodcast explores the world of a capella music (music sung with no instrumental accompaniment), both professional and amateur. The host, Chad Bergeron, is a big fan of the collegiate a capella scene, and plays a lot from various university groups. It's very interesting, and I enjoy it. Website.
2. Ask A Ninja - If you've got a burning question you need answered, why not ask a ninja? The ninja will answer all your questions...then kill you. Which may be why I've never asked him a question. This is a very funny podcast, and I highly recommend it. It's a video podcast. Website.
3. The Bible Podcast - Michael Lee reads a chapter from the Bible each episode, from the New English translation. Right now, he's working through Acts, but I think he's done about nineteen books from the Old and New Testaments so far. It's nice to hear them read, but if you want to get anything out of them, I wouldn't recommend doing anything else at the time. Website.
4. The Concert - The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston hosts a concert series every year, and this podcast gives you a look at some of their best performances. It being a museum, the music is mostly limited to chamber music and solo performances, but it's a great way to hear some live classical music twice a month. Website.
5. Coverville - This podcast gives you some of the best cover songs out there. A cover song is a song that was originally performed by someone other than the performer now doing it. Host Brian Ibbott has been doing this for well over 400 episodes now, and it's going strong. He does other podcasts, including Lyrics Undercover, which examines the history and meanings of songs. Coverville is one of my favorites. Website.
6. KEXP Song of the Day - KEXP is a radio station out of Seattle, and every weekday, they provide a song by an independent artist for your consideration. Sometimes, the songs are terrible. Sometimes, they're great. It's really a matter of opinion, but the beauty of the podcast is that it's always different, and I'm sure you'll find something to appreciate. Website.
7. Naxos Classical Music Spotlight - This is basically a commercial for Naxos CDs, but the selection is really great. The show is about twenty minutes each time, and it features highlights from the CD they're trying to sell you. The host gives great background information, and it's good to hear music that's out there that you may want to investigate further. Website.
8. Pardon the Interruption - This ESPN show features Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser (with various guests) shouting at each other about the sports issues of today. They are extremely well informed, and they don't take themselves seriously at all. If I had ESPN, I would watch the show, but I instead have to settle for the podcast. Website.
9. Piano Puzzler - "Performance Today" is a two hour radio show produced by American Public Media. One of its features is a sort of game show called Piano Puzzler, where composer Bruce Adolphe takes a popular tune and plays it in the style of a classical composer. A contestant calls in and tries to guess the tune and the composer. It's very interesting, and I hardly ever get it right. It reminds me of Victor Borge's Happy Birthday variations. The Piano Puzzler is available on its own podcast. Website.
10. Scene Unseen Movie Reviews - This is a movie podcast, with the gimmick that one person (Chris) sees the movie, and the other person (Jimmy) doesn't. Chris will recommend movies based on the quality of the film, Jimmy will recommend movies based on hype and advertising. The reviews are very well reasoned and informative, though the two are pretty foul mouthed. Website.
11. They Might Be Giants - They Might Be Giants have a couple of podcasts, and I'm kind of cheating by including both, but you'll see why. First, there's a TMBG Podcast that's been going on for a while that plays TMBG recordings you may not get anywhere else. Also, they have a Friday Night Family podcast that is essentially a plug for their childen's albums, "Here Come The ABCs" and "Here Come The 123s". That's only been going on for a couple of months, and I don't know if it will continue once they run out of material from those two albums. It's a video podcast, which would probably be difficult to do too many episodes. At any rate, check them both out. Website.

I subscribe to all of these through iTunes, though you can get many of them, including archives, directly from the website.

Oscar Shouldawons

In honor of the Oscars this Sunday...

ELEVEN MOVIES THAT DIDN'T WIN BEST PICTURE, BUT SHOULD HAVE
(presented chronologically)

1. Citizen Kane (1941) - The Maltese Falcon was also up for Best Picture in 1941, but the prize went to How Green Is My Valley, a film by director John Ford. I can't attest to the quality of HGWMV, having not seen it, but there is no doubt that Citizen Kane's long term impact far outweighs that of the Oscar winner. For its technical merits, there has never been another film like it.
   
2. High Noon (1952) - The Greatest Show On Earth, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, is sometimes called the worst movie ever to win the Best Picture Oscar. Personally, I think High Noon is one of the best Westerns ever made, so I'm happy to give it my vote instead of TGSOE
   
3. Dr. Strangelove (1964) - This is a controversial choice for me, as My Fair Lady, 1964's Oscar winner, is so popular. I don't care for it. And Dr. Strangelove is just such a wonderful satire, I can't imagine any other film that year being better.
   
4. Fiddler on the Roof (1971) - This is another controversial choice. The French Connection is undoubtedly a great film, but it's not something I can watch over and over again. Give an award to Gene Hackman for his role, maybe another one for the car chase, but give the Best Picture to a classic musical, Fiddler on the Roof.
   
5. Raging Bull (1980) - Robert Redford's directorial debut, Ordinary People, won the Oscar in 1980. But Raging Bull is such a classic, while Ordinary People is largely forgotten, which puts it on my list. This is the first of two times a Martin Scorcese movie appears on my list.
   
6. Field of Dreams (1989) - Maybe I just have a soft spot for Field of Dreams, but I can't imagine why Driving Miss Daisy won in 1989. It's been a long time since I saw Miss Daisy, but it was largely forgettable to me.
   
7. Goodfellas (1990) - This classic gangster movie got shafted. Dances With Wolves beat Goodfellas? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Kevin Costner over Martin Scorcese? I'll give Costner Field of Dreams, but he has never made or been in another movie I liked.
   
8. Fargo (1996) - Fargo was the best movie of 1996, but the Coen brothers' style was a little too obscure for people. Hopefully, they'll finally get an Oscar this year with No Country For Old Men, but I'll pick Fargo over The English Patient any day of the week.
   
9. Saving Private Ryan (1998) - Shakespeare In Love. WHAT? Spielberg wins best director, but Shakespeare In Love was a better movie than Saving Private Ryan? WHAT?!? This is the biggest travesty since Goodfellas lost.
   
10. Traffic (2000) - I know I'm among the minority, but I hated Gladiator. I had a friend who swore up and down that it was the greatest movie ever, but I hated it. I walked out thinking I had wasted three and a half hours of my life, only to find that it had only been two and a half hours. No, Traffic was much more interesting, and should have won the Oscar.
    
11. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) - A Beautiful Mind was Ron Howard's reward for all his years in Hollywood. Maybe there wasn't another director more deserving, but The Fellowship of the Ring was just so good. And the series only got better. Return of the King won the Oscar for all of them in 2003.
    

I'm going to give a bonus honorable mention to Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption for 1994. They both could have won Best Picture Oscars in a lot of years, but there were three deserving films that year, with Forrest Gump taking the prize. I'm not saying Forrest Gump should have lost, just that Pulp Fiction and Shawshank deserve equal recognition.

More Mitch!

ELEVEN MORE MITCH HEDBERG JOKES

1. On a traffic light yellow means yield, and green means go. On a banana, it's just the opposite, yellow means go ahead, green means stop, and red means, where'd you get that banana?
2. The next time I move I hope I get a real easy phone number, something like 2222222. People will ask, "Mitch, how do I get a hold of you?" I'll say, "Just press two for a while, when I answer, you'll know that you've pressed two enough."
3. I wish I could play little league now. I'd be way better than before.
4. My apartment is infested with koala bears. It's the cutest infestation ever. Way better than cockroaches. When I turn on the light, a bunch of koala bears scatter, but I don't want them too. I'm like, "Hey... Hold on fellows... Let me hold one of you, and feed you a leaf." Koala bears are so cute, why do they have to be so far away from me. We need to ship a few over, so I can hold one, and pat it on its head.
5. An escalator can never break. It can only become stairs. You would never see an "Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order" sign, just "Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience."
6. I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it.
7. You know when they have a fishing show on TV? They catch the fish and then let it go. They don't want to eat the fish, they just want to make it late for something.
8. I want to be a rebellious McDonald's owner. Cheeseburgers... NOPE... we got spaghetti!
9. Man. I went to the doctor the other day. All this guy did was suck blood out of my neck. Never go to see Dr. Acula.
10. The depressing thing about tennis is that no matter how good I get, I'll never be as good as a wall.
11. I opened-up a yogurt, underneath the lid it said, "Please try again." because they were having a contest that I was unaware of. I thought maybe I opened the yogurt wrong. ...Or maybe Yoplait was trying to inspire me... "Come on Mitchell, don't give up!" An inspirational message from your friends at Yoplait, fruit on the bottom, hope on top.

Romantic Comedies

A quick explanation about this list. This is a collection of eleven movies that are romantic comedies mostly in the sense that there is romance in the comedy, but the relationship is not necessarily the main theme of the movie. I would not call these "chick flicks" or even traditional romantic comedies, just movies that are genuinely funny and result in a happy connection being made. The list is in alphabetical order.

ELEVEN ROMANTIC COMEDIES

1. Chicken Run - It's a Great Escape style adventure, starring chickens. It's all claymation, and it's a brilliant movie. The romantic tension between Rocky and Ginger is a great plot point, but I'd really recommend the movie for its technical brilliance. Plus, it's pretty funny.
   
2. Dave - This 1993 movie starred Kevin Kline as both the president and his impersonator, and Sigourney Weaver took the role of the First Lady. It's a very sweet movie, with a man forced into an impossible situation, making a difference, and falling in love at the same time.
3. Galaxy Quest - This Star Trek parody is a wonderfully funny movie. There are two romantic connections made, one between Tim Allen and Sigourney Weaver, and the other between Tony Shalhoub and Missi Pyle.
   
4. Ghostbusters - Sigourney Weaver again (geez, she's in everything!), this time with Bill Murray in Ghostbusters. Of course, Ghostbusters is about busting ghosts, but the relationship between Dana and Venkman provides some good laughs.
   
5. Groundhog Day - Bill Murray is one of my favorite actors and comedians, and this 1993 movie showed several sides to him. A man is forced to repeat the same day over and over, and makes a change in himself in order to cope. The romantic subplot with Andie MacDowell puts this on the list.
6. High Fidelity - This movie is definitely about relationships, but it's interesting in that it explores why some men are so nutso when it comes to commitment. John Cusack comes to some very deep realizations through the movie, and I think it's great.
7. Liar Liar - Jim Carrey at his finest (well, comedic finest - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is his absolute best). This movie is absolutely hysterical, and, while very sappy in places, does really show a great change in Carrey's character. The romance comes at the very end.
   
8. Office Space - This movie about office rebellion has a nice subplot between Jennifer Aniston and Ron Livingston. The hero really has to come to terms with himself and his life in the movie, and he makes giant strides in finding out what he needs to be happy.
   
9. The Princess Bride - Well, what romantic comedy list would be complete without this one? There's much more here than the love story - action, comedy, tragedy, and yes, romance. If you haven't seen it yet, shame on you.
   
10. Shaun of the Dead - Yeah, OK, but it's a really good movie, and there is a romantic subplot between Shaun and his ex-girlfriend, so I count it in this definition of a romantic comedy. The romantic aspect is part of what gives this movie such heart.
11. Young Frankenstein - Two romantic subplots (Gene Wilder/Teri Garr, Peter Boyle/Madeline Kahn) put this on the list, but this is one of Mel Brooks' three best. I would probably sandwich it in quality between The Producers (#1) and Blazing Saddles (#3), neither of which have enough of a romantic subplot for me to include here.
    

Enjoy some of these on your Valentine's Day.

Useless Information

ELEVEN USELESS FACTS

1. Golf was banned in England in 1457 because it was considered a distraction from the serious pursuit of archery.
2. Incredible means not believable. Incredulous means not believing. When someone's story is truly incredible, you ought to be incredulous.
3. It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with.
4. Llanfairpwllgwyngyll (long form Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch), also spelt Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll and commonly known as Llanfair PG or Llanfairpwll, is a village and community on the island of Anglesey in Wales. The long form of the name is the longest officially recognised place name in the United Kingdom and one of the longest in the world, being 58 letters in length. The name is Welsh for "St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the rapid whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio of the red cave".
5. Los Angeles was founded in the year of 1781 by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve as El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula (The Village of Our Lady, the Queen of the Angels of Porciúncula).
6. Montpelier, Vermont is the only U.S. state capital without a McDonald's.
7. Most toilets flush in the key of E flat.
8. People photocopying their buttocks are the cause of 23% of all photocopier faults worldwide.
9. The national anthem of Greece has 158 verses.
10. There are more than fifty different kinds of kangaroos.
11. You can't legally plow a cotton field with an elephant in North Carolina.