“We are friends. I like saying that. No one ever said this to me. I like it. We are friends. It’s good!”
Also sprach Friederich Nietzche to Joseph Breuer in the film “When Nietzche Wept” written, directed and produced by Pinchas Perry based on the best-selling novel by the same name by Irvin Yalom. […]
As I mentioned the other day, I’ve decided to reread some Hermann Hesse books lately: would they be as stimulating as they were in high school or college?
I started with his first novel, Peter Camenzind. In it, I see how nascent artistic youths (esp. young men) might be truly inspired by this book. There are […]
This is the opening number. The curtain opens and Penelope is sitting at her piano trying to compose “the perfect song.” She pines for long gone husband, O [Odysseus, aka “O-man”]. Her suitors encourage her to finish the song and to remarry. Grace Wall is Penelope.
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“Penelope’s Story” from HOMER IN CYBERSPACE
Music: Roger Bourland
Lyrics: Mel Shapiro
Soprano: […]
As my summer is beginning, I stepped over to my bookcase and thought it a good idea to pick out something I already had. I drifted over to the Hermann Hesse section. There was Rosshalde, Steppenwolf, Glass Bead Game, Demian, and I chose Peter Camenzind, his first novel.
I loved Hesse in high-school: would I like […]
My father had an LP of David Rose and his orchestra during my childhood. Every once in a while, he’d put on “The Stripper” and crank it up. No, my mother didn’t come dashing through a door with a rose in her teeth, ripping off pieces of clothing. It just made us want to dance. […]
One of the great songs by the late Philip Koutev, a brilliant composer and choral arranger, is called “Polegnala e Toudora.” David Crosby turned me on to this amazing song in the early 80s. This appears to be a later performance of the song.
“Polegala e Toudora” by Filip Koutev, sung by the Bulgarian Women’s Chorus
I’ll […]
This weekend was devoted to relaxation. Lots of naps (6 each day), lots of movies (4 on Saturday and 5 on Sunday), cleaning the house a little, doing the dog’s nails, and constantly battling hysterical ants who are hellbound to find every little crumb I leave them. Friday night I photographed Corbin Smith’s fabulous opening […]
Done teaching for the year. Done with most of my major responsibilities. Done with my first year as Chair. Done with Homer in Cyberspace — I’m cutting the songs out of the last two performances putting together the Original Cast Recording. I hope to be posting music from the musical in installments on the blog: […]
Big John
Big John
Every morning at the mine you could see him arrive
He stood six-foot-six and weighed two-forty-five
Kinda broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip
Everybody knew you didn’t give no lip to Big John
Big John
Big John
Big Bad John
Big John
Nobody seemed to know where John called home
He just drifted into town and stayed all alone
He […]
He lay face down in the desert sand
Clutching his six-gun in his hand
Shot from behind, I thought he was dead
But under his heart was an ounce of lead
But a spark still burned so I used my knife
And late that night I saved the life of Ringo
(Ringo… Ringo . . .)
I nursed him till the danger […]
I had a graduate student help me with an interesting project. I have a lot of MIDI files on my old 1980s IBM-AT PC computer, including all the accompaniments for all my GALA cantatas (HIDDEN LEGACIES, LETTERS TO THE FUTURE, and FLASHPOINT/STONEWALL) as well as all my portable pieces (PORTABLE CONCERTO, SHASTA, MIRABEL, and GLAMOUR […]
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