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P.D.Q. Bach
"Classical WTWP Talkity-Talk Radi"

© Telarc

January 07 - 13, 2024

Year of Release: 1991
Rating:
  • Getting Ready
  • Theme Song: Opening
  • Canzon Per Sonar A Sei -
    Count Them - Sei
  • Pledge Plea
  • Four Folk Song Upsettings
  • Station ID
  • Classical Kwickie-Kwiz
  • Sam And Janet
  • Weather Report
  • Hound Dog
  • Flip Side Intro
  • Love Me
  • Station ID
  • Cadenza
  • Safe Sextet
  • Oo-La-La Intro
  • Oo-La-La: Cookin' French
    Like The French
    Cook French
  • Station ID
  • Canzonetta Intro
  • Canzonetta La Hooplina
  • Wrap-Up
  • Theme Song
    (Pachelbel Canon)

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    A B C D E F G H I J K L M
    N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
    My introduction to the "Music of P.D.Q. Bach" started, with On The Air and Classical WTWP Talkity-Talk Radio. It was quite funny, when I went to pay for those two cds, as the cashier at Calumet City, Illinois Hegewisch Records said "This is not really your common Classical Music." I said, "I know," and purchased them. Of course, both albums were "radio shows," and myself being a radio show fan, I just had to hear these two albums.

    I was hooked - and researched who PDQ Bach was. A fictional character, created by Professor Peter Schickele. The whole concept of PDQ Bach was a humor look at Classical Music. And yes, for the serious Classical fan, they may or most likely, not like how Classical music is interpreted by Schickele and songs "written by PDQ Bach."

    "Getting Ready" leads it off, as the hosts of the show, Jocko (Elliott Forrest), Blondie (Donna Brown), and Professor Pete (Peter Schickele) are preparing for the show. It seems like Proferssor Peter is unsure in performing on the upcoming show. Jocko and Blondie try to convince him otherwise, that everything will be ok, and proceed forward. The show starts with it's "Theme Song: Opening" A unique opening tune, and WTWP is on the air! - Music, Info, and good ol' friendly chit-chat. WTWP - Wall To Wall Pachelbel. (Pachelbel was Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706) - a German composer, organist, and teacher who brought the south German organ schools to their peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most imporant composers of the middle Baroque era.) The Classical WTWP Talkity-Talk Radio program is celebrating the death of PDQ Bach, who had died 184 years prior to May 5, 1991, the date of this "broadcast." The location of the broadcast was in Hoople, North Dakota.

    The first song heard on this broadcast is "Canzon Per Sonar A Sei - Count Them - Sei," it has a common sound of Classical, yet it does have its own humor to it as you listen. During ths show, there is an annual fund raising "Pledge Plea," as the goal is to raise money for the amount of $150, of which they were $100 dollars short. If the $150 amount IS acheived, as Professor Pete mentions, they will NOT play the PDQ Bach composition, "Canzonetta" at the end of the show.

    The next PDQ Bach composition is "Four Folk Song Upsettings," consisting of the four songs "Little Bunny Hop Hop Hop," "Oft Of An E'en Ere Night Is Nigh," "He Came From Over Yonder Ridge," and "The Farmer On The Dole." It's all unique in Classical and Opera.

    The first of three "Station IDs" is heard, as the first "Station ID" is very cool. "Classical Kwickie-Kwiz" is a quiz feature, as a question is asked to a listener who has called in the show. However, we do not hear the listener on the air. The question asked was not answered correctly by the caller anyway, and leads into a fight, with with Professor Pete. It would have been much better, if we had heard the caller.

    "Sam And Janet" is a nice, pleasant Classical piece, with vocals. A "Weather Report" follows, and the lead in to the next song, the Elvis Presley song "Hound Dog." However, the hosts of the show mentions another Elvis, Elvis Costello. And they also mention that Elvis Presley had a brother, who had recorded music before Elvis' popularity began. Elvis' brother's name is Enos. Enos? I thought Elvis had a twin who died at birth, named Jesse. Well, this is the humor side of Peter Schickele and PDQ Bach, and "Hound Dog" here is sung by "Enos Presley," and how Enos' version of was recorded BEFORE the famous version by his "brother," Elvis emerged. It's very humorous, and quite different than the famous Elvis version. It's novelty and comedic, of course. And playing "Rock and Roll" music on a Classical station, just maybe pushing the limits. The next song is another Elvis tune, "Love Me," and like "Hound Dog," it's unique, easily fitting the format of PDQ Bach, from the start. And, both songs were recorded by "Elvis Presley's brother, Enos Presley." Another "Station ID" follows, Fifth Of Beethoven inspired.

    "Cadenza" has more phone calls, and like previously, we do not hear the callers. And, like the previous caller on another fight occurs. More calls come in, and again, the callers are not heard. "Safe Sextet" is another PDQ Bach composition; in its unique Classical way. It's quite good, and almost 9 minutes in length.

    "Ooh-La-La intro" is a regular feature on WTWP, as "Ooh-La-La: Cookin' French Like The French Cook French" is a cooking feature - a unique feature, with accent and all. (Remember Julia Child's accent, and her famous TV show The French Chef?) It is followed by another good "Station ID."

    It looks like there wasn't any calls for the pledge drive, so therefore, the "Canzonetta "La Hooplina" is played, as Professor Pete mentions "whether you like it, or not." It's another unique Classical piece, and also to mention, it is performed well, despite how they didn't really want to play it.

    A "Wrap-up" in closing the show, and the show ends with the theme song of the Pachelbel Canon, which was written by Johann Pachelbel - "Canon in D". It is not known exactly when this composition was written by Pachelbel. Suggeted dates range from 1680 to 1706, and the oldest surviving manuscript copy of this piece dates from 1838 to 1842. It's the same theme song heard at the opening of this show. Did they leave the microphones on? Blondie goes into a breakdown, being the result of an overdose of Pachelbel.

    Also to mention, along with Peter Schickele, Elliott Forrest (Jocko) and Donna Brown (Blondie), other performers on this broadcast were Dana Krueger (Mezzanine-soprano), Peter Lurye (piano), members of the Cleveland Orchestra, and Calliope (a renaissance band).

    Classical WTWP Talkity-Talk Radio is a radio show, but also a show in which the hosts are asking for donations. Their goal was $150 dollars, which didn't meet that amount. The Classical music is unique and full of humor, which was the purpose of Peter Schickele's invention of composer P.D.Q. Bach. Schickele would provide his career in "discovering" works of the "last and the least" of the (Johann Sebastian) Bach family. Schickele's music combined parodies of musicological scholarship, the conventions of Baroque music, and slapstick comedy. The name "P.D.Q. Bach"is a parody of the three-part names given to some members of the Bach family that are commonly reduced to initials, such as C.P.E. for Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach (the fifth child and second surviving son of J.S. Bach and Maria Barbara Bach).

    P.D.Q. Bach is an initialism for "pretty damned quick."

    Of the two radio-inspired albums, On The Air and Classical WTWP Talkity-Talk Radio, On The Air is presented more of a radio show, where WTWP is a fund-raising radio show program. My vote of On The Air would be the better of the two. Click here for the review of On The Air. Other P.D.Q. Bach reviews: 1712 Overture, The Short-Tempered Clavier, Oedipus Tex, At Carnegie Hall. More (of course), will be reviewed in later dates.

    UPDATE: We are sad to announce that Peter Schickele, the inventor of PDQ Bach, passed away on January 16, 2024, at the age of 88, due to a series of infections that damaged his health. His PDQ Bach spanned over 50 years, starting in 1965. 17 albums, Compilations, Video Releases, and Audiobook, the PDQ Bach series achieved four successive Grammy Awards in the the Best Comedy Album category from 1990 to 1993. His audiobook received a Grammy nomination in 1996. A comedic look at Classical music, in it's brighest moments as recorded. For those who enjoy Classical, I can surely hope that those fans can get a good laugh in what Peter Schickele and his PDQ Bach albums provided. Thank you, Mr. Schickele, in helping us laugh at your humor towards Classical music. With that in mind, you have to give him credit for the Classical pieces that were written and recorded, as Classical music can be quite challenging to write, and perform. Discover for yourself the recordings of PDQ Bach. It is well worth the listens, and acknowledge how great those recordings are.




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