Peter Schickele: 50 Years of P.D.Q. Bach: A Triumph of Incompetence! OPUS 3 ARTISTS presents 5 0 YEARS OF P. D. Q. B A C H: A TRIUMPH OF INCOMPETENCE featuring P R O F. P E T E R S C H I C K E L E, intellectual guide and performist assisted by MICHĂˆLE EATON, Off - Coloratura Soprano BRIAN DOUGHERTY, Tenor Profundo MARGARET KAMPMEIER, Keyboarder WILLIAM WALTERS, Manager of the Stage Hear Me Through from Diverse Ayres on Sundrie Notions, S. 99 44/100 Believe Me If All Those Encharming Young Deers, S. 1636, No. 3 Three Piano Pieces 1. Three Teeny Preludes, No. 1 2. Oh! Courante! (from Notebook for Betty-Sue Bach, S. 13 going on 14) 3. Andre Gigue (Ditto) Twelve Quite Heavenly Songs (Arie Proprio Zodicale), S. 16 1. Gemini 2. Cancer 3. Leo 4. Virgo 5. Libra 6. Scorpio 7. Sagittarius 8. Capricorn 9. Aquarius 10. Pisces 11. Aries 12. Taurus
P.D.Q. Bach (1807-1742)?
INTERMISSION Hedi McKinley Three Canons 1. The Rain It Raineth (text attributed to Charles Bowen) 2. The Brothers Joad 3. O Serpent
Peter Schickele b. 1935 P.D.Q. Bach Schickele P.D.Q. Bach
Please, Kind Sir (from The Art of the Ground Round, S. 1.19/lb.) from Four Folk Song Upsettings, S. 4 1. Little Bunny Hop Hop Hop 2. The Farmer on the Dole
P.D.Q. Bach
Happy Birthday, Beth Songs from Shakespeare
Peter Schickele’s bio can be found in your Program Book. P.D.Q. BACH: A TRIUMPH OF IMCOMPETENCE “Why?” That is the question most often asked, by musicians and lay persons alike, after the concerts of P.D.Q. Bach’s music presented by the author across the width and breadth of the North American continent. In the decades that have elapsed since he began regularly performing the works of this musical missing link, the author estimates that that question, “WHY?” has been asked more than two thousand times in his presence; the number of times it has been asked behind his back, were it ascertainable, would surely boggle the mind, and a boggled mind is of no use to anyone. For that reason alone it would seem that providing some answers to this extraordinarily persistent question---probably the third most often-asked question in the Western hemisphere (after “What is the meaning of life?” and “Who was that lady I saw you with last night?”)---should be an incidental but nevertheless Number One concern for anybody purporting to write a definitive account of what is known about the strangest stop (if one may be permitted a metaphor) on the Bach family organ. One of the answers to the question is tied to the development of the long-playing record: the overidolizing of historical figures is usually followed by a period of debunking, and during the last several decades, which have seen the recording of virtually (or maybe literally) everything written by J.S. Bach, there has naturally developed an interest in the soft underbelly of eighteenthcentury music, the so-called Seamy Side of the Baroque. This is perfectly normal and nothing to be worried about. For another answer to the question we may adopt the reasoning of a United States senator from the midwest, who, when one of thenPresident Nixon’s nominees to the Supreme Court was criticized as being “mediocre,” came to the nominee’s defense by pointing out that many people in this country are mediocre, and why shouldn’t they be represented on the
Schickele
Supreme Court? The author has actually found that P.D.Q. Bach’s music is capable of having a therapeutic effect on audiences; the works of J.S. Bach and Mozart are so serenely perfect that many people come away from hearing them with an aggravated inferiority complex caused by the knowledge that no matter how hard they try they can never hope to achieve such beauty, whereas hearing the works of P.D.Q. Bach comforts the listener with the ego-building and not unrealistic feeling that, even if he has had no music lessons, he could easily do as well with one ear, as it were, tied behind his back. One thing that Peter Schickele and P.D.Q. Bach have in common is their love of writing party music. Mr. Schickele has composed rounds, songs and piano miniatures which have served as presents, congratulatory messages, homages, bread and butter notes (notes, get it?) and simply as something new to bring to sight-reading parties. He has been writing such pieces since he began composing during his early teenage years, and he continues to do so with undiminished enthusiasm; sometimes the results turn out to be among his best works. P.D.Q. Bach In 1954 Professor Peter Schickele, rummaging around a Bavarian castle in search of rare musical gems,happened instead upon the original manuscript of a Sanka Cantata by one P.D.Q. Bach, being employed as a strainer in the caretaker’s percolator. A cursory examination of the music immediately revealed the reason for the atrocious taste of the coffee; and when the work was finally performed at the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople, the Professor realized too late that he had released a monster on the musical world. Unable to restrain himself, and with the misguided support of the U.of S.N.D. at H. and otherwise reputable recording and publishing companies, Prof. Schickele has since discovered more than four score of P.D.Q. Bach scores, each one more jaw-dropping than the last, each one another brick in the wall which will someday seal
the doom of Musical Culture. The conspiracy of silence that has surrounded P.D.Q. Bach (1807-1742)? for two centuries began with his own parents. He was the last and the least of the great Johann Sebastian Bach’s twenty-odd children, and he was certainly the oddest. His father ignored him completely, setting an example for the rest of the family (and indeed for posterity), with the result that P.D.Q. was virtually unknown during his own lifetime; in fact, the more he wrote, the more unknown he became. He finally attained total obscurity at the time of his death, and his musical output would probably have followed him into oblivion had it not been for the zealous efforts of Prof. Schickele. These efforts have even extended themselves to mastering some of the rather unusual instruments for which P.D.Q. liked to compose, such as the left-handed sewer flute, the windbreaker, and the bicycle. Since 1965 the tireless Professor has kept audiences in stitches with his presentation of P.D.Q. Bach’s uniquely typical music. In addition to his annual concerts in New York City, he has appeared with over fifty orchestras, ranging from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic to the New York Pick-Up Ensemble. MICHELE EATON Michèle Eaton, soprano, has earned critical acclaim for her “sumptuous tone, keen dramatic sense, and striking agility” (Allan Kozinn, NY Times). Highly respected for her mastery of many styles, she is best known for her performances of Baroque and contemporary music. She sang the roles of Child Grendel and Shaper’s Apprentice in the New York premiere of the opera Grendel, directed by Julie Taymor and composed by Elliot Goldenthal. On the Sacred Music in a Sacred Space series at St. Ignatius Loyola Church in New York City, she has performed Handel’s Solomon and Saul, Bach’s Mass in B minor, Tavener’s Lament of the Mother of God and Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610. She has toured and recorded with the acclaimed Renaissance vocal group Pomerium, long recognized as one of the world’s premiere ensembles for its beautiful phrasing and perfect intonation. With the Ensemble for Early Music she has appeared in staged productions of Sponsus, a medieval morality play. She also sings with the period instrument ensemble BaroQue Across the River and with the Carmel Bach Festival. Ms. Eaton’s other solo oratorio performances have included Handel’s Israel in Egypt, Judas Macabaeus and the Messiah, Mozart’s Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Bach’s St. John and St. Matthew Passions and Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, Faure’s Requiem, Haydn’s Missa Sancti Johanni, Vivaldi’s Magnificat, Carissimi’s Jephte, Purcell’s Come Ye Sons of Art, Couperin’s Leçons
de Tenebre and Schubert’s Mass in G. In addition, she tours annually with Peter Schickele and tenor David Düsing in both chamber and orchestral performances of the music of the legendary P.D.Q. Bach. She is equally at home in performances of contemporary music. She has sung John Adams’ Grand Pianola Music with the Jacksonville and Pasadena Symphonies and the Lousiville Orchestra, and she is touring internationally in the 2012-13 season with the Philip Glass Ensemble in performances of Einstein on the Beach; she has also performed and recorded Glass’ Hydrogen Jukebox. At the Aspen Music Festival, she was a Vocal Chamber Music Fellow and premiered Henry Brant’s Rain Forest Requiem. She can be heard on the soundtrack for the film Dead Man Walking, and has recorded on the Deutsche Grammophon, Angel, Dorian, Sony Classics, Nonesuch, Arabesque, Glissando and Delos labels. She lives in New Rochelle, New York. BRIAN DOUGHERTY Brian Dougherty tenor, is active as a soloist and ensemble singer. Recognized for his beautiful and expressive singing, he enjoys a varied career on the concert, opera, and cabaret stage. Oratorio credits include solo engagements with the Mostly Mozart Festival, American Symphony, the Clarion Music Society, the Dessoff Choirs, Berkshire Bach Society, Melodious Accord, Music Before 1800, New York Concert Singers, Philomusica, and the Westminster Choir. Brian has performed in theatrical and operatic productions with FringeNYC, West End Theatre, Fredericksburg Theatre Company, Berkshire Opera, and Spoleto Festival USA. In recent seasons, Brian has toured the United States with Peter Schickele performing in P.D.Q. Bach and Peter Schickele: The Jekyll and Hyde Tour and in What’s Your Sign? He has appeared as A-Rab in West Side Story, Suites Nos. 1 and 2, with the New York Philharmonic; at BAM in Sir Jonathan Miller’s critically-acclaimed staging of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion; with Sting and lutenist Edin Karamazov performing selections from Songs from the Labyrinth for XM satellite radio’s Artist Confidential series; and in the American premiere of Sir Paul McCartney’s oratorio Ecce Cor Meum, at Carnegie Hall. He was a member of the Cockney Quartet in a semi-staged production of My Fair Lady, starring Kelsey Grammer and Kelli O’Hara with the New York Philharmonic, and performed with Alice Parker in her chamber opera Songs for Eve as part of the Mohawk Trail Concert Series. He debuted with Professor Peter Schickele in February 2009. As an ensemble singer, Brian has appeared with many of the world’s premiere symphony orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony,
Moscow Virtuosi, London Symphonietta, and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He performs regularly with Voices of Ascension, the New York Choral Artists, Concert Chorale of New York, the Choir of St. Ignatius Loyola, Musica Sacra, Manhattan Voices, among others. Brian’s discography includes recordings on the Naxos, Nonesuch, Gothic, Delos, Teldec, Wildflower, and Original Cast labels. Brian is a featured soloist on both My Love and I and Singers Glen, with the Musicians of Melodious Accord; performed on the three-time 2005 Grammy Award winning recording of John Adams’ On the Transmigration of Souls with the New York Philharmonic; and on Judy Collins’ Portrait of an American Girl. His television credits include HBO’s acclaimed miniseries Angels in America, PBS’ Live from Lincoln Center, and NBC’s Today. For more information, see www.bridoc.com. MARGARET KAMPMELER Margaret Kampmeier, pianist, enjoys a varied career as soloist, collaborative artist and educator. Since receiving her Doctor of Musical Arts degree, she has performed in hundreds of concerts, premiered numerous works and recorded extensively. Ms. Kampmeier is a founding member of the Naumburg award-winning New Millennium Ensemble, and performs regularly with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. She has appeared with the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Chamber Ensemble, Kronos Quartet, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Colorado and Cassatt Quartets, Sherman Chamber Ensemble, Saratoga Chamber Players, Richardson Chamber Players, Peter Schickele and many new music ensembles including Sequitur, New York New Music Ensemble, Speculum Musicae and Musician’s Accord. A dedicated educator, Ms. Kampmeier teaches piano at Princeton University and recently joined the faculty of Manhattan School of Music as a coach in the Contemporary Performance Program. A native of Rochester, NY, Ms. Kampmeier resides currently in New York City with her husband Ed Harsh and their son Andrew. WILLIAM WALTERS William Walters - Bill has for some time been the irascible and irritable stage manager for Professor Schickele’s presentations featuring the music of that obscure son of a Bach named PDQ. Since 1966 or so, amidst waves of affectionate hisses from fans at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Symphony Space, The Kennedy Center, and many more performing arts centers around the world, Bill carried out his duties: setting the stage, moving pianos, dropping music stands, and making excuses for the always tardy Professor. But besides that, Bill is actually the technical coordinator, production manager, road manager, and the REAL stage manager of the concerts.
Bill was born in Columbus, Ohio and attended Grandview Heights High School and the Ohio State University where he was a fine arts major hoping to get into advertising or cartooning. Among his mementos are a sheaf of rejection slips from The New Yorker and Playboy. He was the staff artist for both the Ohio State University Department of Motion Pictures and the University PBS affiliate, WOSU-TV. Contrary to legend, he did not dot the “eye” during Script Ohio. He was introduced to the theatre by volunteering to design the set for a friend’s student production. “What’s a set?” he had naively asked. He soon found out. In 1963, after the usual summer stock assignments, he arrived in New York City, where he worked at NBC as a page and as a production assistant. He rapidly gave up the idea of being a stage designer or actor, and instead became a backstage jack-of-all-trades with The New York Shakespeare Festival, The Playhouse of the Ridiculous and many other off-Broadway groups. He became a stage manager, and after being drafted by P.D.Q. Bach, continued in the off-season to work in concerts, theatre, television, and film. He worked at Chamber Music Northwest in Portland during the eruption of Mount Saint Helens, and spent seven seasons as production manager with The John Houseman Acting Company of New York, coordinating all their technical and touring activities. In 1998, he was asked to oversee the design and installation of the lighting and sound equipment and stage machinery for The Falaki Center, a new theatre and performance space at The American University in Cairo. These days, he dabbles in the electronic and film media as a “Background Artist”. As an “extra”, he has many movie and TV credits under his belt: Law and Order, Law and Order: SVU, Gossip Girl, Life on Mars, Smash, Midnight Cowboy, Rent, Across the Universe, Fame, Nurse Jackie, The Big C, The Good Wife, and 30 Rock, among others. He is a member of the Screen Actor’s Guild, Actors Equity Association and The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. He also works once in a while for Gray Line New York Sightseeing as a tour guide riding around on the top of a doubledecker bus telling lies about New York City to gullible and unwary tourists. He is married to the actress Donna Browne. Their daughter Samantha Browne-Walters (also an actress) is attending Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. After a half century, the Telarc and Vanguard recordings are still in print, as is The Definitive Biography of P.D.Q. Bach, which is published by Random House; nor has the Theodore Presser Company run out of P.D.Q. Bach’s printed music. For more information about recordings, books, printed music, Prof. Schickele’s touring activities. and lots of other stuff, check out the Prof’s website: www.schickele.com