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Comment from Eric Salzman
Date: November 17, 2008, 7:28 pm

Hi Terence, I was listening to your show when I heard you talk about famous people from music history that you wished you had met. Well, I actually met Alma Mahler. It was years ago when I was music director of WBAI (the first time). I had put together a festival of all the extant works of Mahler by using BBC transcriptions, Italian radio tapes, etc and even a live performance of an early chamber music work that was little known. In those days, it wasn’t so easy to find anything but one or two of the best-known symphonies or the Knaben Wunderhorn. Felix Greissle, who worked for Marx Music and was Schoenberg’s son-in-law, called me up and told me that Alma Mahler wanted to invite me to visit her at her East Side townhouse which she had purchased from the royalties from her last husband, Franz Werfel. I was ushered into this Viennese boudoir, c. 1900, with maids running around in little frilly black-and-white dresses. Everything looked like a setting for Schnitzler play. As I was introduced to her, she was seated on a kind of throne at one end of the room dressed in clouds of some pink chiffon thing. As she stood up to greet me, she announced with great ceremony that I looked like Alban Berg (!) and proceeded to regale me with Viennese backstage and cafe gossip from 1912 or so, all in a thick Viennese accent of which I could actually understand almost nothing. Greissle would lean over and try to translate here and there but most of it just swept by me. Hail to Thee, O Alma Mahler!

Eric (Salzman)

Comment from Reuven Lewis
Date: November 17, 2008, 7:52 pm

I am a fan of German composer Morritz Eggert. He likes board games and movies. If I could travel throughout history, I would have loved meeting Albert Einstein. O, even better yet, having Einstein and Mozart together! A diinner with Cecil Chaminaude would have been nice.

Comment from jannewyork
Date: November 17, 2008, 8:29 pm

How do I begin to talk about Chicago in 1968: my high school job was working as an usherette at Orchestra Hall, Auditorium Theater, and Grant Park. That meant I saw Jean Martinon, Validmir Hororitz, Leonard Bernstein, Jimi Hendricks, Aretha Franklin, Ravi Shankar and so many more. What a fabulous distraction for a high school senior bored with the Beatles. The best night in the world had to be sitting up front and center watching Duke Ellington. Could anyone be smoother than that man? as it turns out i live in Aaron Copeland’s town.

Comment from S. Monroe Smith
Date: November 17, 2008, 8:48 pm

Terrance,

Throughly remarkable. Had to get the tires changed in Kingston, NY this weekend and, “with some time to kill” went to the local Salvation Army store in walking distance. Found a CD copy of Masterworks Paul Robeson’s “Songs of Free Men.” Played it about four times in a row.

The answer to your query about who would we honor? Robeson, certainly. Pete Seeger, as well.

All the Best and keep on,
SMS

Comment from Hermit
Date: November 17, 2008, 9:00 pm

America’s First Black President - Lester Young. And if Lady Day was with him, that could only be better.

Comment from Jon
Date: November 17, 2008, 9:29 pm

Hi Terrance,

Great show. Quick comment - the piece by Ellis Marsalis is not the “Nica’s Dream” that I know - are you sure that’s the tune you played? Whatever it was, it was gorgeous.
Dearly departed musicians I would like to see up close: Wes Montgomery, Bach, Enrico Caruso, Elliot Smith, and Robert Johnson.
Thanks.

Comment from jannewyork
Date: November 18, 2008, 7:44 pm

Wow..what a thread! I grew up listening to Enirco Caruso…are there any good non-staticy recordings of him?…I live near where Paul Robeson and many others got beat up….and was a founding member of Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz for Young People…who played “Happy Birthday” for me ….oh stop….you are driving me crazy…how much fun are your listeners and you!!!!! Did I mention that I am addicted to Elliot Smith?

Comment from zruka
Date: November 18, 2008, 9:12 pm

Regret I could not find a place to comment not about a particular subject but . . .
I thought I heard you announce a Zoltan Kodaly cello sonata but I am listening (with great pleasure) to a Bach unaccompanied cello suite and hope that you do not stop it until the end.

Comment from Tom, Cooper Sq.
Date: November 19, 2008, 7:41 pm

Hey Terrance,
FYI, the Essex House is on Central Park South, Just a short walk east from Jazz at Lincoln Center. It has legendary views northward over all of Central Park and ultimatly the lights of Harlem.
Ciao, T

Comment from Eric Salzman
Date: November 19, 2008, 7:48 pm

Here’s a footnote to the Alma Mahler story. You mentioned Stravinsky and I met him as well — on a couple of occasions! Once I flew in a plane sitting next to him (we were both performed at some CA festival or other) and he drew little pictures of the desert landscape we were flying over and labelled them Stockhausen, Boulez, etc. I think he was trying to show me how up to date he was! Also I visited him, not at Essex House but at the Hotel Pierre where stayed sometimes in later years and while I was there W.H. Auden came in to visit. Quite a memorable evening!

Eric (Salzman)

P.S.: I’m a composer working mostly in new music theater (just wrote a book on the subject which has been published by Oxford). Here’s a blurb about my recent activities (which you don’t have to include on the blog but is FYI).

News from Eric Salzman:

Eric Salzman’s website is finally up; will get you there.

“THE NEW MUSIC THEATER: Hearing the Body, Seeing the Voice” — a new book with Thomas Desi — has just been published by Oxford University Press. An easy way to order the book is from the website; go to the bottom of the Home Page and click on the book title and, when the book information comes up, click on “Pre-order”. Or you can get it through any book store.

The Center for Contemporary Opera plans a public panel or colloquium event on the subject of The New Music Theater on Wednesday, December 10, 8 pm, at The Cell Theater, 338 West 23rd Street in Manhattan with myself, Thomas and several distinguished colleagues — Meredith Monk, Rinde Eckert, Steven Osgood, Diane Wondisford, Grethe Barrett Holby. We will discuss the book and its subject and celebrate afterwards (should be copies of the book there for signing as well). All interested parties invited to participate.

An excerpt from JUKEBOX IN THE TAVERN OF LOVE was performed by the Western Wind Vocal Ensemble on their “O Beautiful American Music” program (originally created for National Public Radio) on November 14 at the New York Historical Society. JUKEBOX is the “madrigal comedy” that I created with Valeria Vasilevski on commission from the Western Wind. The Western Wind has performed it at the Tenri Center in Greenwich Village and at The Flea in downtown NYC and there is a plan to bring it back this spring in New York and on tour; there will also be a CD and DVD of the work to be released later this season. Further details to be announced.

Eric

Comment from Jennifer Hassell
Date: November 19, 2008, 7:53 pm

I LOVE what you are playing right now. It’s just perfect night music (jazz / classic combo- so interesting)! Thanks. Wed, Nov 19th, 7:55 Eastern

Comment from Margaret in Fort Greene, Bklyn
Date: November 19, 2008, 8:16 pm

“This Is Not America” by Pat Metheny & David Bowie, is in the 1985 film “The Falcon & The Snowman” starring Sean Penn & Timothy Hutton, directed by John Schlesinger.

Great song!! I think the movie wasn’t bad; hard to remember….

Comment from Paul Challacombe
Date: November 19, 2008, 8:18 pm

“This is Not America” was used in the movie “The Falcon and the Snowman”. I happen to have edited the promotional videos for that flick, so I know. I even cut a worthy, but alas unused, mucic video to that track with clips from the film.

Comment from Russell
Date: November 19, 2008, 8:32 pm

Monk “borrowed” the melody for the first four measures of the A sections for “Rhythm-a-ning” from Mary Lou Williams. She featured the melody in last A section of the 2nd chorus of a tune she wrote and recorded called “Walkin’ & Swingin’”

I’ve heard many lovers of Mary Lou’s music argue that she should be given at least partial composition credit since those four measures are the main melodic material that Monk uses in “Rhythm-a-ning”

Comment from Tom Savage
Date: November 20, 2008, 2:27 pm

Some days ago you played music by Alkan on evening music. Because he is one of my all-time favorite little known composers, it was nice to hear his music again. But if you are truly interested in investigating his music further, you might try playing his Symphony For Piano Solo or his Piano Concerto which is also for solo piano. These are unique and interesting works and I’m sure many listeners would agree if they had the opportunity to hear them. Regards, Tom Savage

Comment from Kathryn
Date: November 20, 2008, 7:42 pm

Hi Terrance,

After the Robeson traditional Scottish piece did you go right to Adams Chairmain dances? What was the piano piece? It sounded like Henry Cowell.

Nice mix. Keep up the good work.

Comment from Mat
Date: November 20, 2008, 9:11 pm

Hello Terrance,
Long time listener.
First time writer.
Always a great show.
Tonight especially.

thanksmuch.

Comment from Anthony Mark LaMort
Date: November 21, 2008, 9:40 am

Dear Mr. McNight,

Although a long time avid public radio listener, I seldom listen to WNYC in the car in the evenings. This is mostly because the music you play, and the music on the other WNYC evening programs is most often to thoughtfully selected and so marvelously varied that I’m loath to endure the frustrating experience of losing half of it to the noise of the road and my aging vehicle. For some reason, Thursday, 20th November was an exception. I tuned in right in the middle of the developmental section of Bach’s c minor passacaglia. As a professional organist, I often have mixed feelings about transcriptions, but somehow this was extraordinary. I needed to pull over and just listen. I found your personal insight following the piece to be most interesting. Yes, by the way, there are organs in churches in NYC and the surrounding vicinity where music of this nature (as well as other magnificent historical literature, along with improvisations, and new compositions) is played every Sunday and during the week. I serve as music director for two churches (one of which, by the way is Lutheran) where the music of Bach, and others is part of our celebration every week. Both are in New Jersey, but should you decide to cross the Hudson at any time, we’ll make sure the passacaglia (or most anything else you find evocative!) is on the program.

Apologies for my rambling post. Just wanted to let you know your efforts and insights are sincerely appreciated.

Sincerely

Anthony Mark LaMort

Comment from Naomi
Date: December 12, 2008, 9:37 am

I want to thank you for your Messaien and Carter programs this week — 2 wonderful, creatively rich composers who are seldom performed in the conventional orchestra repertoire. These are 2 podcasts that I will have to download. Carter was a particular revelation to me, as he as always seemed like a composer with many ideas, but one who could only be accessed by studying the score. In fact, there is a lot of emotion and humanity in his music. The biographical segments led one to believe that this is a reflection of the man himself.

Please continue to broadcast the unique and unconventional mix of music that you have been exposing to the world. I don’t like everything you play. Some of it is pure junk, but your courage to broadcast the great and uncommercial in the nation’s largest market is unique.