Not only did we look around, but this lovely mid-western fellow invited us to visit the theater’s Barton Organ. And sit at it. AND play it. Wow.

The Barton Organ was installed at the Michigan Theater in 1927 and is just as amazing as it was so many years ago. It is also one of very few theater pipe organs that remains in its original home. Amazing!

If you’ve ever visited an old theater that still has an organ, you know that attending shows and hearing 40s hits played by a talented organist beforehand is a truly special treat.

If you’ve never been up close and personal with an organ like this I highly recommend the experience. It’s cool! Even if you aren’t a musician. Don’t worry about that stuff. Just enjoy yourself.

Prior to researching this film and Glenn Gould himself, I’d spent shockingly little time thinking about/listening to Bach’s Goldberg Variations, a collection that is commonly associated with Glenn Gould’s name and virtuosity. We discussed Gould’s life, the Goldbergs, and the concepts of fame and timelessness. What we thought would be a simple evening of film and discussion turned into a week-long Bach and Goldberg extravaganza — the inspiration for this blog post. Below are our nearly-five recommendations for your Goldberg Variations exploration pleasure.

Salon97′s 4.5 Ways to Explore Bach’s Goldberg Variations

1. Get Your Listen On!

What better way to get started than by listening to the Goldbergs! The most reputable recordings of Bach’s Goldberg Variations were performed by Glenn Gould (twice) and Simone Dinnerstein. All are awesome. If you’re feeling really ambitious, download all three and have a Goldberg Variations field day. Glenn Gould’s recordings were released in 1955 and 1982, while Dinnerstein’s came out in 2007.

2. Get Your Read On!

image courtesy of tom-mcgee.com

The morning after our film-viewing sesh, pianist Jeremy Denk began a week-long series of blog posts on NPR Classical’s website. They are fabulously funny. Read these for a good laugh and a peek into one pianist’s love-hate relationship with the Goldberg Variations.

3. I’ll Be Bach…

While you’re at it, why not read a little about the man behind it all? Wait, who is that again? J.S. Bach, my friends. He is THE MAN.

3.5. Yo, so how about reading a bit about the Goldberg Variations too? That’s why we’re here. Right?

4. MOAR LISTENING

Wow, guys. That was a lot of reading. You rule! Time to listen to some more awesome music. Lara Downes’ “13 Ways of Looking at the Goldberg” was released in 2011 and is a fantastically eclectic recording. From Lara’s website:Thirteen new “re-imaginings” of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, including works by Jennifer Higdon, Lukas Foss, David del Tredici, William Bolcom, Fred Hersch and Derek Bermel. These brilliant contemporary voices invoke the Goldbergs in broadly different ways, celebrating both the eternal beauty of Bach’s music and the musical evolutions of the past 250 years.

Visit Lara’s website to hear some sample tracks and to download the recording.

Many thanks to Maura Lafferty, who gave away two copies of this wonderful album as prizes at our film screening event!

What do you love about Bach’s Goldberg Variations? Join the conversation in the comments section below!

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Dear Out of Rock:

I usually recommend loud classical works that are heavy on percussion and brass to people who tend toward rock music (presuming I am unaware of their favorite bands and styles). First, load up a video of Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” on YouTube. Perhaps take it a bit further and find the video clip of “Ride of the Valkyries” scene in Apocalypse Now.

After reveling in that awesomeness for a bit, move on to Mahler. Say, the 1st movement of Mahler’s 6th Symphony. Basically any bombastic Germanic music will do.

Have fun!

love,
Salon97

Along with some fellow web-based classical music nerds, I took part in this activity yesterday afternoon. So much fun!

The Ad Bowl started off with lots of Bud Light and techno. Things weren’t looking so good for classical. Then came Coca Cola and Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, which was later determined to be this year’s MVP. Doritos put up a good fight, however, showcasing works by Rossini and Verdi.

According to our friends over at Kickass Classical, the final score was… Beethoven 3 (all via Coca Cola), Rossini 1 (via Doritos), R. Strauss 1 (via Toyota), and Verdi 1 (via Doritos).

One of Coca Cola’s winning ads, featuring Beethoven’s 5th Symphony:

Doritos featured Rossini’s Overture to the Barber of Seville:

What was your favorite Ad Bowl spot this year?

Fire away! We’re here to help.

And now for our inaugural question:

Dear Salon97,
I love classical music, but how can I stop my mother from playing it loudly at 7 a.m.?
Sincerely,
Tired of Mozart

Dear Tired of Mozart,

Ah, yes. You love it, but you’d rather sleep. And depending on what time you went to bed last night, who could blame you for wanting to catch a few more Zs before letting loose with all that cheery, zippy musical glory?

Try telling your mom what a gorgeous piece that was she had playing this morning. Tell her that you’re sorry you missed part of it while you were sleeping and that, if she doesn’t mind, can we listen to it together over tea this afternoon? Then when you meet up for your listening rendezvous, explain to her that you’d really like to enjoy the music again with her next time, so could she please wait after you rise to turn on the radio or CD player?

Happy Listening,
Salon97

image courtesy of wikimedia.org

Hey, Johann Strauss II! That is an *excellent* mustache/beard/overgrowth combo you have going there. Serious hipster action! Welcome to the year 2012, where to this day, peeps rock out to your music at their New Years celebrations. Specifically, people in Austria. More specifically, people reveling at the Vienna Royal Orchestra’s New Year Concert extravaganza.

Johann Strauss II was the son of (you guessed it!) Johann Strauss I, who was the leader of the Strauss Orchestra. Young Strauss grew up listening to the waltzes performed by the orchestra, so it is no small wonder that he followed in his father’s footsteps and composed waltzes as an adult. Strauss II was known as “The Waltz King” and was a mean waltz-writing machine. He was so dedicated and awesome that he commemorated nearly all major events in Vienna that occurred during his adult life.

If the Austrians ring in the new year with Strauss II’s music, so can we! Here is the Vienna Blood Waltz:

Image courtesy of www.bbc.co.uk

Top 5 Ways You Can Be Like Franz Liszt,
the Ultimate Stud

Franz Liszt. Legendary virtuosic pianist. Fabulous composer, despite the current debate over whether his work was any good or not. And oh, how the women swooned. They threw their handkerchiefs at him in appreciation of his talent and physical beauty. This phenomenon is referred to as Lisztomania.

And now fast forward to the 21st century. French pop band Phoenix writes the song “Lisztomania.”

Oh, to be a stud like Liszt! YOU CAN BE.
Here’s how:

1. Be an excellent pianist. (Yeah, that may be a lot to ask.)
2. Write incredibly virtuosic works that others struggle to perform correctly. (A lofty task, I am well aware.)
3. Have someone make a wide-release movie about you or write what will be come a very popular song about you. (Maybe??)
4. Be a philanthropist. Franz Liszt taught over 400 students in a 40 year period and never charged for a lesson. And by the time he was in his mid-40s, Liszt started giving most of his performance earnings to numerous organizations he felt were worthy of his financial support.

   This one is easy! Contribute to Salon97 for our annual fundraiser to help keep our programming alive. We only ask for donations once per year! It’s easy to donate.

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