24 February, 2015
White Music
Posted by Socrates in music, Socrates, White music at 4:32 pm | 
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Tchaikovsky: the Nutcracker Suite. It runs for about 21 minutes; it is part of, but not to be confused with, the longer-running Nutcracker ballet music, which runs for roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes. The Nutcracker Suite is one of the best pieces of classical music ever written; if Top 40 radio had existed in 1892, the Suite would have been an instant and enduring hit. Tchaikovsky was apparently a queer, but he never pushed his sexual preference onto the public – in fact, he seemed to be ashamed of his queerness.
25 February, 2015 at 11:17 am
I really enjoy the great Russian composers. My favorites also include Alexander Borodin, Alexander Glazunov & Sergei Rachmaninov. Even during the Soviet era (1917-91), their music was still played and promoted to the imprisoned masses.
25 February, 2015 at 11:36 am
Classical Music…….the original White Power music!
25 February, 2015 at 12:21 pm
“Roll over Beethoven, tell Tchaikovsky the news.” Name that band, Tim McGreen.
25 February, 2015 at 4:16 pm
Re: fd post above…….The Beatles are best known for singing that song, although it was written and originally performed by someone else. Carl Perkins? Jerry Lee Lewis? Chuck Berry?
Dmitry Shostakovich is my favorite Russian composer. I especially like his string quartets and the Cello Concerto No. 1
25 February, 2015 at 5:19 pm
Tim McGreen above: “Carl Perkins? Jerry Lee Lewis? Chuck Berry?” I did not know those rock and roll pioneers were connected to the song……thanks! I mistakenly gave too much credit to the Beatles.
I saw an article a good while back that made a good case against the Beatles for coming close to ruining rock and roll. Those boys were a little silly.
25 February, 2015 at 5:47 pm
fd, I know there are many critics of The Beatles who say they weren’t rock and roll enough. But listen to the beginning of I Feel Fine, where electric guitar feedback is heard on record for the first time. Or the fuzz box on “Think For Yourself”. And then there’s the 1968 single “Revolution”, along with most of their famous White Album. So I would say they were a very rock and roll-oriented band. Their early “mod” look and sound was largely the creation of Brian Epstein, who knew the best way for The Beatles to make it big was to appeal to the tastes of screaming 14 and 15 year old girls. The Rolling Stones started off in a similar way, but with more grit and edge.
25 February, 2015 at 9:26 pm
I can vaguely remember Chuck Berry singing “Rollover Beethoven” circa 1958. The Beatles did it on one of their early albums around 1964 or 65. I really enjoy their version of “Words of Love”, originally done by Buddy Holly in 1957. Holly was actually responsible for much of the British Invasion back in 1964 thru 1966. You can hear his style emulated by the Beatles and a lot of other British groups in their early recordings back then. What’s amazing is that the Beatles retained much of their popularity here in the US up until the group disbanding in early 1970. Even John Lennon’s quip back in August, 1966 about the group being more popular than Jesus did very little harm to their record sales and concerts. Still remember the uproar over the drug themed Sargent Pepper album in late (Summer of Love) ’67 and the release of the White Album in late ’68. Stood in line with a buddy to purchase a copy of that recording and paid a whopping $8.95 plus tax for it! Keep in mind a gallon of gasoline was still 28 cents in most parts of the country and the minimum wage was $1.10.
I do like Shostakovich, especially his 4th Symphony. However, much of his music was kept under the watchful eyes of Kremlin censors. More than likely that may have inhibited much of his creativity.
And I actually saw Chuck Berry perform “Rollover” and many of his other big hits including the Ding a’ Ling song from ’72 at one of those all day oldie music festivals back in the late 90’s. It was actually pretty good and included such 1960’s American groups as the Rascals, Lovin’ Spoonful & The Turtles.
26 February, 2015 at 8:23 pm
Frank Zappa. although very much a degenerate on ways, was a sober workaholic that actually would compose music late into the night scoring music by hand.
Without a doubt he was the greatest rock composer ever, and a great jazz composer.
No modern musician was as prolific or can compare.
26 February, 2015 at 10:50 pm
I agree with you about Frank Zappa. He was weird, but some of his work was pure genius. He knew no limits.
26 February, 2015 at 10:54 pm
Re: Zappa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx1RguHA4XE
27 February, 2015 at 12:49 am
Zappa doesn’t get the credit he deserves. The Mothers of Invention was one of the best groups of the sixties, along with Zappa’s friend Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band. Even John Lennon recommended Beefheart’s first album, 1967’s “Safe as Milk”.
27 February, 2015 at 6:12 pm
My favorite piece of music from Tchaikovsky is the “Swan Lake Suite” which I was first introduced to from the original Boris Kharloff movie “The Mummy” from 1931. It was a perfect piece of music for that movie which scared the hell out of me when I was a kid and still will send chills up your spine if you watch it with the music playing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDhq70yrtiI